A good day for the profile of the use of bricks in architecture with recognition by the UN of important 20th Century German brick buildings – The Speicherstadt . click here. and for a feast of bricks – click here.
Category Archives: ARTS & CULTURE
Mysterious placement of public art and memorials
Over the years I have wondered about the placement of public art and memorials in and around the parliamentary zone. Here are three stories.
Continue reading Mysterious placement of public art and memorials
Print Making at Mosman Gallery
A little while ago I reviewed an exhibition of contemporary print making at the National Gallery of Australia – click here. Last week I visited Mosman Art Gallery (Sydney) to see another contemporary print making exhibition.
Women in the Art World
recommended reading…
click on the image – for many articles about the art world and its not so fair treatment of women. If one sector of this world should have sorted this by now – surely it should have been the arts. But alas, it just ain’t so. Here’s the link again.
Arts Singapore
There’s an announcement online about a new art fair to be held in January at the same time as Art Stage Singapore, Click on the image for more on this.
Go East at AGNSW
This is an exhibition of Asian artworks from a private collection, that of Gene and Brian Sherman. It’s a good exhibition – worth visiting.
Australian Centre for Photography
Hot Gossip: The ACP to move from Paddington and will be soon looking for a new Director.
The news being circulated around Sydney is that the ACP has made its decision to move from Paddington and to move to the western suburbs, to Parramatta. This will definitely require a change to the organisation and some of its programs.
A most disturbing photo
I spotted this work of art in a visual arts print making exhibition at the Mosman City Gallery (Sydney). (Review to follow in a couple of days)
Given the current leadership of the country and its attitudes to segments of society as well as its dangerous statements about migrants – this image is way too disturbing. It reflects so accurately how so many people feel about this government and the current Prime Minister.
Loud! at AGNSW
This is a small exhibition of nine works has been produced to celebrate the 40th anniversary of International Women’s Year (1975).
AGNSW
Any time you are in Sydney, you should always find the time for a wander through the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW).
Central Canberra events park
Central Canberra needs a dedicated open space for large special events at any time of the year.
photography
The current exhibition at ANCA in Dickson presents two photographic artists whose works have direct links back to the 1970s American colour photography represented by a host of artists including William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, Helen Levitt and Joel Meyerowitz.
Public Art
for a bit of fun – click on the image
The lack of equity in film
click on image for the story from Crikey
NGA Contemporary Printmaking
A Review of the NGA Exhibition: Streetwise: contemporary print culture
photography
Excellent review of Head On portrait prize
click on image for link to article by Richard Johnstone
Canberra’s Westside wonder
Last July the ACT Government announced plans to develop a shipping container village by the lake on the west side of Commonwealth Avenue.
Food Carts
Canberra does not have a history of food carts. The nearest would be a double decker bus that opens at night time at the top of Braddon. Another would have been the now closed Brodburgers that was a very popular red caravan packed on the side of the lake. That was its problem – it was parked on land overseen by the fairly useless National Capital Authority (NCA).
AGNSW Sydney Modern Project
an update on Sydney Modern Project – click on image
Civic an urban planning problem
Several decades ago, the centre of Canberra provided a very different shopping experience. Civic was a series of pedestrian plazas with a small complex named The Monaro Mall. In 1989 this mall was enlarged to become the first Canberra Centre.
Sir John Soane
I have been to London many times. Somehow I had not managed to find my way to the Sir John Soane Museum London until my most recent trip.
photography
a photo essay from early May – a foggy morning followed by a brilliant blue sky.
Arts Minister
It doesn’t get any worse than this!
I have written about Arts Ministers previously – click here. This country desperately needs a new model of national Culture Minster. Instead we have been landed with one of the most unsuitable politician to be the Arts Minister.
Arts Singapore
National Gallery Singapore: A story about doubts about whether an artwork is a fake. Click on the image for more.
photography
A few travel photographs from not quite the usual tourist destination. This time we were in Maidstone in Kent. The image above is from within the local museum.
Venice Biennale Pavilion
There was much ado amongst the Australian arts heavies with their announcement of a new pavilion for the Venice Biennale.
photography
an overview of photography events
Paris Photo LA Preivew (click on the image)
Public Art in Canberra
Public sculpture commissioned in the memory of our dignitaries has been known to cause a stir amongst art lovers as well as those who take a position on public art.
Urban Suburban
Exhibition Review
Canberra Museum and Gallery: Urban Suburban. Until June 21.
The Canberra Museum and Gallery’s current major visual arts exhibition has the focus on artists’ views of life for the people living in this city.
Review Commonwealth Place
Review of landscape design: Commonwealth Place, Canberra
One of the local manifestations for Centenary of Federation in the year 2001 was the building of Commonwealth Place down on the side of the lake in the axis between Parliament and Mount Ainslie.
National Portrait Gallery Anzac
There’s a special exhibition at National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. This is this institution’s contribution to the Anzac centenary.
The Photograph and Australia
There’s a new online review on the Art Gallery of NSW photography exhibition: The Photograph and Australia.
Photography
A Week in photography (care of Artdaily)
Kate Breakey at the Michener Art Museum
Click on images for more
Canberra Brickworks
A new Future for the Canberra Brickworks
Originally published on RiotACT.
A couple of decades ago, the Yarralumla Brickworks site was home to community markets and a colony of artists. This was the last time I visited the site.
MCA Distractions
Comment on exhibition behaviour
I enjoy the exhibitions at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). However ever since they completed their renovations and now attract more people, something has happened in how some visitors behave.
NGA Colour My World
Exhibition Review
Colour My World, National Gallery of Australia till 30 August 2015
Here’s a recommended exhibition for those with an interest in Australian hand coloured photography from the last couple of decades.
Visiting AGNSW
Visitor comment
on visiting the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
A visit to the Art Gallery of New South Wales is always worth the trouble no matter what exhibitions are on. I have often said, that this would be one of the easier jobs in the country as the audience comes no matter what the exhibition. But
Madness: The Photograph and Australia
a review of a very strange review
The Photograph and Australia, AGNSW till 8 June 2015
It is a good thing to read critical reviews of the visual arts. A variety of views is refreshing.
The Photograph and Australia
Review: Photography
The Photograph and Australia, AGNSW till 8 June 2015
For anyone with an interest in photography, this exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) has to be seen, and then seen again.
Architecture: UTS Gehry
The Gehry Building at UTS, Sydney
Review: Dr Chau Chak Wing Building | University of Technology
Many universities in Australia have campuses with lush landscape settings. Then there are the universities that are very contained inner city urban environments. In Sydney, the University of Technology (UTS) is one of the latter.
Public Transport
photo-essay: Chicago L
The ACT Government is to implement the city’s first light rail system. Particular lobby groups have been hounding the government about this decision.
NGA Exhibition
Colour my world: handcoloured Australian photography
National Gallery of Australia (Canberra) Exhibition open till 30 August 2015
Betty Churcher
11 January 1931 – 31 March 2015
Magna Carta Place Canberra
Review: Public Art/ Monument
A review of Canberra’s Magna Carta Place public art
This is a re-posting of a review I posted to RiotACT last week.
William Barak remembered?
A strange twist to a story
Architecture owns the story. That’s not necessarily a good thing!
Loud! Photography at AGNSW
Exhibition Notice
LOUD! photographs of women by women
at the Art Gallery of NSW, 25 April – 2 July 2015 – click on the image for more
The Fourth Plinth
A city that embraces public art must a place to visit. In Canberra when Jon Stanhope was Chief Minister the city had a very active public art program.
The Photograph and Australia
Exhibition Notice
The Photograph and Australia,
at the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, till 8 June 2015
This is a must see exhibition.
Germany: Memories of a Nation
Book & Exhibition Review
Germany: Memories of a Nation, 2014
I was somewhat aware of the complicated history of the German peoples. Over many years I had dipped into history books about various aspects of German histories. But despite this I had still not quite got my head around just how the German state as we know it today came into being.
This book by Neil MacGregor is recommended not only because it deals very well with the layers of history, but because he does this in a very accessible and enjoyable method. I cannot say the same for the exhibition.
Bendigo Art Gallery
Review – Gallery and exhibitions
A visit to the Bendigo Art Gallery
The Bendigo Art Gallery is one of the stars of Australian public art galleries. The gallery has built a great reputation through ongoing successful exhibition programs. We visited in March and were very impressed.
Taiwanese Photography
Between – Picturing 1950-1960s Taiwan
ANU Australian Centre on China in the World till 3 April 2015 
This is a highly recommended photography exhibition. It closes 3 April 2015.
AGNSW: Photography and Australia
Exhibition Notice
Photography and Australia – a major survey exhibition
Art Gallery of NSW – 21 March – 2 June 2015. click on image for more
A Photograph
Michael Leunig’s Violet Town signs
The fun things you see as you drive through middle Victoria. A town sign designed by Michael Leunig. (click on image to enlarge)
photography
Through a Lens Darkly
There’s a new documentary on black photography in the USA.
Equity and Corporate Boards
and how we still do not get it!
to quote from a Guardian article: There are more men named Peter in the chief executive and chair positions of companies in the ASX200 – Australia’s 200 largest listed companies – than there are women. click here for the article. and..
A Campaign to Put a Woman on the Twenty-Dollar Bill
click on the image for this great story – we wish them all the best!
Steve McCurry – Sharbat Gula
A sad story indeed about the woman in the famous Steve McCurry/National Geographic photograph. The original photograph was a 1984 cover for National Geographic.
Sharbat Gula, the subject of the original photograph, is in trouble because she remains a refugee from Afghanistan, but was carrying a Pakistan identify card.
Please click on the image to the right for the link to the story.
Public Art
Canberra political public art
Canberra has a very mixed record when it comes to graffiti art in public places.
National Gallery of Victoria
Review of website NGV
I was reminded of the benefits of online information when it was mentioned on a UK program that the UK has listed all painting in public galleries on the one website. Now that is impressive. So I thought it was time to look again at how the galleries in Australia communicate through their websites.
40 Years Photography
1974… 40 YEARS / 40 PHOTOGRAPHS
A Celebration by Galerie Kicken Berlin – 40 years of exhibitions and support of photography through an exhibition of 40 photographs.
Click here to go to Gael Newton’s blog posting.
Photography
UK Bans Export of Album
The UK government has taken action to ban the export of seventy photographs by Swedish photography pioneer Oscar Gustave Rejlander.
Italian Gardens DVD
Review: Monty Don’s Italian Gardens
available on DVD
I did not get to see this program on TV so it was great to catch up with the DVD release. If you at all interested in gardens and their history, then this one is a definite for you
Of course the gardens are those made by the rich and famous/infamous – with at least one exception being an urban market garden that has so far not been consumed by urban developments around Naples.
Dickson photograph
A sign of activity by the revolutionary arm of the Dickson Residents Group
NGA photography
Visiting the NGA collections
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) is always worth the visit to see the collection exhibitions. Right now with a major exhibition on, the other galleries are reasonably quiet which is perfect for sitting and contemplating. If you can find a seat.
National Gallery: The Film
Notice of Film Release
National Gallery: The Film (2014) by Frederick Wisemen
This film has been released and I have read numerous positive reviews and much commentary about its making. I have noted the release as I consider going to The National Gallery in London as one of the great joys in life.
Lee Grant Photography
New Yorker on Lee Grant and Korean photography
National Cultural Institutions
The role for our cultural institutions
I suspect that most people have a fair idea of the individual function of our main national cultural institutions.
Dickson Parklands
Development dilemmas: part two
The future of the Dickson Parklands
This is the second of several posts on planning and development issues effecting the local residents of Dickson in Canberra. The issues are not unique to Dickson. Residential groups around the country share similar frustrations, dilemmas and challenges in dealing with planning and development bureaucracies.
Dickson Shops
Dickson Supermarket DA consultations extended
Just before Christmas the ACT Planning Authority (ACTPLA) had uploaded for comment the Development Application for the Dickson supermarket development. The original response deadline was the 27th January.
A photograph
Photography travels
Lucky Country
Reminder of Donald Horne & The Lucky Country
click on image above
Dickson Flats and Canberra Planning Madness
The madness of Canberra’s planning and development
Since the 1960s there has been several rows of public housing located on the main road into Canberra. In the last year, the Dickson Flats have been listed for demolition to allow for brand new multi-unit developments. So far so good. Maybe! (pic by Paul Costigan)
Continue reading Dickson Flats and Canberra Planning Madness
Art Gallery of NSW
The future looks great for the AGNSW
Being the best state Art Gallery in Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales looks to become even better.
I always enjoy a visit to this gallery. It doesn’t matter what special exhibitions are on. There is plenty to see and to engage with.
Dickson Shops
The debate on Dickson Shops
and how the government is squandering significant urban design opportunities
The debate continues on this significant lost opportunity to deliver good urban design in Dickson. Click on image above for a posting on RiotACT.
A Photograph
Photography of tourist behaviour
Walking through a side street in central Vienna late last year, we came across a group of people totally captured by something out of our view.
Gender Equity 2015
Comment on gender equity in 2015
No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality. The UN has invited men to sign up to assist with achieving gender equity.
It’s A Man’s World – still
click on the image for the story
Chinese Whispers
Visual Arts Review
Chinese Whispers at the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery
till end of January 2015
This exhibition is a good one. It is an inspired concept that has led to the engagement of a host of talented visual artists.
Dickson Shops
Planning and Development of the Dickson Shops
A bad case study in community engagement
It was just days before Christmas (2014) when local residents may have noticed that a development application with big ramifications for their precinct was now available online for comment – with a month in which to submit any comments.
Mr Turner
Film Review
Mr Turner – Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, Cremorne, Sydney
If you enjoy beautifully made films that are a detailed character study, then see Mr Turner.
Climate Change
Bungaree
Visual Arts Review
Bungaree, The First Australian at The Mosman Art Gallery
Open till 22 February 2015.
We travelled along to the Mosman Art Gallery around lunch time one sunny day in early January. The gallery was quiet with no other visitors during our 45 minute visit.
The Bungaree exhibition at the gallery contains works by 16 emerging and established artists who have nominally re-interpreted the stories around Bungaree. The image to the right is of Bungaree. There are numerous historic paintings of Bungaree.
SFMOMA Photography out and about
Photography is alive and well in San Francisco
I noticed this report on how the San Francisco photography collection is on the move during renovations. It is always good to see such simple logic at work. Full marks to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
Clouds again
Dreams and Imagination, MGA photography
Review: Photography Exhibition Catalogue
Dreams and Imagination: Light in the Modern City, Monash Gallery of Art , until 1st March 2015.
I have just read a copy of a wonderful catalogue of a significant photographic exhibition at the Monash Gallery of Art (MGA). Yet again the MGA lives up to their reputation as ‘The Home of Australian Photography‘.
Chances are that I will not get to Melbourne to see this exhibition. However, the catalogue is a real gem and should be sought after by anyone interested in the development of Australian photography during the early 20th Century. (click on the images to enlarge)
Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Book Notice
Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty
There’s a good review of this book online that points to the book being a good read. This theme of the effect of the growing inequity on economics and the basis of capitalism is now commonly talked about. click here
Mr Turner
Film Recommendation
Mr Turner – a film by Mike Leigh, 2014
I am looking forward to see Mike Leigh’s film, Mr Turner
A reviewer has a bad day
Guardian reviewer looses the plot
It is not the job a reviewer to write stuff that everyone agrees with. The Guardian has a number of art reviewers and therefore we have a range of opinions. However one would expect any of these reviewers to be making sense.
It has come to pass that one reviewer has been showing signs of stress or something equivalent.
It’s About Design
MIT and new logos
It is usual for any organisation to want to change their branding, their logo and of course, their website.
Architectural Spin
A Review of architectural reviewers
I may have told this story before. Several years ago I was approached by a senior practitioner who wanted to talk about an article in a much-lauded architectural publication.
A Photograph
Photography: What are they doing in there?
It was while visiting Singapore recently, that a local friend took us to dinner in a well-known food alley. I was here that I noticed the light coming from the window above us. I had to take a photo. (click on photo to enlarge)
The curatorial crypt
The sale price of a Singapore photograph, by G R Lambert
With the recent growth interest in South Eastern Asian photography, prices of historic photographs have been rising significantly. Gael Newton, having departed from the National Gallery of Australia in late 2014, has continued her research and curatorial interests in South East Asian photography. She has recently written a post on her observations of a particular sale. click here.
Art Gallery Exhibitions
Review: Visual Arts/photography
This is my December 2014 overview on accessing Australia’s major visual art gallery exhibition programs though their websites. – and the status of photography.
Canberra
Book Review
Canberra, Paul Daley, 2012
This is small book is another in the city series published by Newsouth (University of NSW). I have previously reviewed Hobart (click here) and Adelaide (click here). Paul Daley has told a set of stories about Canberra, the National Capital. Sadly he seems to not have invested the time to gather local knowledge about the city, its people, its life style and its complexities as a 21st Century city of 380,000 people.
A Photograph
Photography: Things that puzzle
This small barrier was erected in the foyer of a mall we passed through most days to get to our apartment hotel in Singapore. The sign says – Work In Progress.
During the whole week that the installation sat there nothing happened around, above or anywhere near it. To this day I wonder whether someone put it there as a joke and as it looked official, it remained in place and undisturbed. It was still there the day we left Singapore. Or was it in fact an artwork – an artistic installation?
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Paul Costigan
Public Art
Comment on public art problems
Visiting London, we came across this piece of public art at The Angel, a centre located on the outskirts of central London, to the north-east.
Climate Change
Book Announcement
This Changes Everything: Capitalism Vs. The Climate,
Naomi Klein 2014
Yet to read this, but I am listing as a suggestion for your Christmas reading and/or gift list. We have to move on climate change and I agree that it is an economic discussion, one about capitalism and corporate greed. No wonder our infamous Australia politicians want it off the agenda. It is about dealing with their mates and how they are ripping off the planet.
Higher Education
higher education changes a ‘fraud on the electorate
The Australian Vice Chancellors had done a deal with the Abbott prior to the last election. They were assisted in this by many professional/industry bodies.
Enjoying London
A Photo-Essay
my tourist photographs of London.
click any image to enlarge
Sydney Photography 2014 – 2015
Notices of photography exhibitions in Sydney
over the period end of 2014 into 2015
The information below is about photography exhibitions in Sydney over the period from the end of 2014 into the early parts of 2015.
This is my selection and may be added to as I come across exhibitions I would like to recommend. If you know of others, let me know. But I will only upload stuff I am interested in and/or can recommend.
Architectural Wonders
Comment: architectural eyesores and failures
When it comes to architectural eyesores and mistakes, there are many. They are not mentioned by the professions.
Once when attending a conference on green roofs, an architect told the story of his first major green roof project. All sounded impressive, until he casually mentioned how it failed and that water penetrated the top floor of the office building.