TV Review: RiverA new six part series shown on the BBC late in 2015. Totally recommended.
This is not quite your usual detective drama. In fact it is so good, that I along with a couple of commentators hope that they do not try to make a second series. It was a great series and the ending was very complete – they do not need to revisit this story.
When reading the latest thought bubbles from the property lobby, it was difficult to avoid laughing out loud.
Australia Day is as good a day as any to replay this video clip – just a reminder of what we used to be – but as yet are yet to put aside.
The ACT Government has released an updated overview of its planning for the redevelopment of Northbourne Ave.
When reading the latest thought bubbles from the property lobby, it was difficult to avoid laughing out loud. In their quest to improve Civic business activity, the Civic property lobby has recommended that the ACT Government should hand over money to assist in the refurbishment of the Melbourne and Sydney buildings.
Open Call – Singapore International Photography Festival 2016 – click on graphic above
Helen Levitt at Laurence Miller
There are many tales to be told about the design and the delivery of Australia’s Parliament House. There is one that involves a very clever person who realised he had the opportunity to use an everyday object as part of his own business branding.
Waiting for this one – a book about one of the weirdest periods of Australian politics. From the publishers:
Credlin & Co. How the Abbott Government Destroyed Itself by Aaron Patrick. Tony Abbott and his chief of staff, Peta Credlin, ran a brilliant opposition campaign. But their approach led to disaster in government.
goodbye Major Tom…..
For too many cities are being altered in not such a good way by over the top architecturally design structures by ‘star architects’.
Reminder of this recommended exhibition at the NGA – click on the photo above.
The Auckland Festival of photography – for news on exhibitions and more – click on the image.
A new exhibition about the Australian beach – this one contains paintings and a fine mix of photographs. (click on the image above for more images)
There is talk in the art world about the National Gallery of Australia’s (NGA) changes to their permanent collection galleries and how this has included the movement of the famous Jackson Pollock painting, Blue Poles, from its long historic position downstairs to the upstairs galleries.
I am not sure how many times I have driven people up Mt Ainslie to take in the magnificent panoramic views.
The first thing to say is that tis is a great collection.
It is a new collection made by Tracy. The title – Greatest Hits – does not quite sit easily with this selection.
In amongst the many changes across the National Gallery of Australia has been the opening up of a new exhibition of photographs from their own collection.
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) has launched a major Tom Roberts exhibition.
Continue reading Highly recommended – Tom Roberts at the NGA
It seems that the UTS Gehry building has won another award, this time as the Eyesore of the Month from James Kunstler.
Good news from Canada about photography – click on the image above
If you like Neil Young’s music, then this album must make its way into your collection. This is Neil Young at his best and doing so as a Blues musician.
The music is from live recordings from 1987 – 1988 and is more or less based around his studio album, This Note’s For You .
How we forgot how to govern, Laura Tingle, November 2015
This is a recommended read for those with any sort of interest in how Australia has been and continues to be manged by the political ruling classes for the last couple of decades. I cannot say that anything Laura Tingle wrote about was shocking news, given my own experiences of dealing with governments and their bureaucracies, but her insights and observations are definitely worth the read.
Good to see artists speak out on issues – click on the image for the story
Paradise Is There: The New Tigerlily Recordings (2015)
It is the done thing for musicians to cover other musicians songs and to do new arrangements of those songs rather than just attempting to mimic them.
If you happen to be driving past the South African Embassy in Canberra, you may notice a lonely and disused sentry box on the corner near the entrance to the embassy and its residence.
Opening 4th December 2015: The world is beautiful
CLIMARTE is curating an exhibition by Australia artist Debbie Symons. The artwork is a digital work titled Counting One to Four: Nature morte. Click on the image for more.
Click on image for the story in The Guardian
Review: Show me a HeroThis program is recommended. It is a six part mini series based on a book. The book was in turn was based on a series of events about 30 years ago in Yonkers New York to do with resistance by a white neighbourhood to the introduction of social housing.
We start with words from the City of Sydney – that contains all those words that make sensible people run for cover:
Sometimes a visit to the National Gallery of Australia can deliver a very nice surprise.
When the ACT Government announced in October that they were putting out to tender the development of an arts precinct within the Kingston Foreshore, it did send a quiet ripple through those involved in the arts.
Continue reading Kingston Arts Precinct – to be or not to be?
Click on the image for the link to the gallery page for the artist – and for more, see this article
A nice blog worth visiting, philscopenhagen – click on the image above.
Neil Young has launched a new website with the aim of educating people about world conservation. Click here for the story in Rolling Stone – or for the direct link to the site – click here.
click on image for the story
click on image for the story from ArtDaily
click on image for the story of the work by Subodh Gupta
Click on image for story about people’s daily grind – and then for more – click here.
click on the image for the story from The Straits Time and more on FX Harsono
Eric Clapton enjoys his 70th birthday at the Albert Hall London. Click on the image for the video
The fight to gain equity in the recognition of women in the art world just keeps on having to be repeated. The historical biases just do not go away.
But then along comes something that is really strange.
Click on the image for an article by Sasha Grishin on Andrew
As mentioned in an earlier post, the ACT Government is under pressure from the National Capital Authority to move Floriade out of Commonwealth Park west.
here’s another opportunity to enjoy Natalie Merchant – Equestrienne
There’s was a recent announcement that the government is calling for developers to put forward proposals to develop part of the Kingston Foreshore site as an arts precinct.
One wonders what their perception and concept of what is art precinct. Then there will be the issues that the government is looking for a commercial entity to propose an arts precinct.
The Bowen Place underpass has been a long time in coming — and is very welcomed. It is a job well done.
One of these images is of an ass. One of these images is of a painting.
The MGA has announced Joseph McGlennon as the winner of the 2015 Bowness prize.
There’s an online video made before the announcement – Guardian Australian photo editor Jonny Weeks and photographer Mike Bowers discuss the entires and their picks for the winners. click here.
Many years ago the suburb of Downer had a thriving shopping centre and a bustling school next door.
click on the image for the story from the Guardian
More than thirty years ago there was a very vocal community campaign to halt the take over of Glebe Park.
Continue reading Glebe Park threatened by The ACT Chief Minister
Last week I made the bold statement that “There is little evidence that this ACT Government understands the importance of and the linkages between integrated design, aesthetics, landscape, infrastructure, cities, the environment and climate change.”
The High Court of Australia, which opened in 1980, is the tallest building on the southern central foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin. Its architectural style, being brutalist concrete and glass, is not exactly friendly.
I suspect that many people would agree that the joys and subtleties of culture is under threat by mass media technologies and the expectations of the immediate. The demise of culture is addressed in a new book “Notes on the Death of Culture”. This is not a joyous read as it is more about being in a state of despair about so many things about us in western society.
The extraordinary story of how photography was kick started through a French Government initiative – a gift to the world. Click on the image
It was not long ago that occupants of a new Civic office building reported faults appearing in the structure. Office workers noticed that floors were sagging.
Continue reading Canberra tales: As your building sinks, get out!
National Museum of Women in the Arts exhibits work by photojournalist Esther Bubley – click on photo for information
Maybe it was left behind to collect any stray mail.
The New York Times article on women in TV is a sad tale of how far things have advanced with women’s employment. In this case, the author states that things did improve but that it was a spike rather than a trend. Click here for the article.
There needs to be more articles such as this one from The Guardian.
This is a series for any crime drama fans. The stories are based in North East England, complete with accents and marvellous countryside. While the characters are important to the story lines, they do not dominate and so the crime story remains at the centre of attention throughout.
The main character, Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, is portrayed successfully and is totally enjoyable.
A visit to Rippon Lea (Melbourne) to see the wonderful exhibition of costumes produced by Marion Boyce for the ABC program Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
This one of series ticks all the boxes for having all the right elements for yet another Nordic Noir TV series. Trouble is that it just does not work.
There are many things to like but these are countered by too many things that are not so likeable.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
In and Out of the Studio
Photographic Portraits from West Africa
August 31, 2015–January 3, 2016
Click image for link to the museum – or for ArtDaily – click here
Find a Way To Care – John Mayall (2015)
For all the many John Mayall fans this is great news. A new album and even better, John and his band are in top form. There’s more than usual use of keyboards and a few with strong brass instruments.
It with great sadness that we heard that our friend Rose Farrell died recently. There’s a very good piece about Rose written by Robert Nelson — click here.
This is a wonderful French TV series – that has the title Spiral which is not an accurate translation of the French title – Engrenages. The story lines are more about how they are meshed together rather than being in any spiral.
The writing is great and the characters are all interesting and well-played by the actors. This series is totally recommended.
I have had the pleasure of recently discovering the wonderful talent of Amy Helm. While her music is probably somewhere in the style of Americana and alt/country, there is a great mix of other styles in there, from blues and gospel and more. She makes great music.
Recommended: rating 8/10
Opening Celebrations announcedStarts 24 November. Complimentary entry for visitors from 24 Nov – 6 Dec 2015. Click on image for link to gallery website.
click on the image for the story
click on the image to see what you give away when you upload the ‘free’ system
More stories about employment inside Amazon (click on the image)
Click on image for Jeffrey Milstein’s photo essay on inequity in LA neighbourhoods
Wonderful news for those who follow Natalie Merchant’s music.
August/September 2015 issue available online – click on the image for the download
It was not that long ago that winter in Canberra meant that the air was filled with smoke.
Continue reading Canberra Tales: Keeping the home fires burning
After taking up photography at fifty-eight, Julia Margaret Cameron produced a remarkable and distinctive body of work, writes Richard Johnstone (The Inside Story). Click here for Richard’s review of the exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales – click here for the gallery link.
As art publication struggle along with other hard copy magazines, there’s interesting news about how ARTnews and Art in America are to merge to form the world’s largest art-media company.
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) opened its new wing in 2010 and amongst several key improvements was the realignment of the main front entrance.
The exhibition, Internecine — The Vanished Musicians is a multi media exhibition that deals with immigration issues that are part of Australia’s recent history.
Walking down Smith Street in Collingwood (Melbourne) there’s a massive new development underway that is about to bring change to the culture of the street. Continue reading Smith Street Collingwood
The Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG) is presently staging an exhibition not to be missed.
Here’s a couple of perspectives on the so-called ‘stop the boats’.
