This piece was originally uploaded in May 2023
Back in 1982, when the construction of the National Gallery’s building was completed and had been handed over to become operational as a gallery, there was an open day for people to see what there was to see – that being lots of empty spaces.
This piece was originally uploaded in June 2023.
Before you wonder what the image above is about – it is a digitally altered photograph of the National Gallery of Australia here in Canberra. I’ll explain later in this piece.
Continue reading A wonderful art gallery with a not so great café
This piece was originally uploaded in May 2023
To more or less quote an art school lecturer, it is great to live in Canberra and to visit the National Gallery to see old friends.
Continue reading National Gallery of Australia closed galleries
This piece was originally published in September 2022
A visit to an exhibition at the National Museum of Australia provided the extra opportunity to have a look at the new garden at the entrance and to check out again the Garden of Australian Dreams.
Continue reading Gardening and farming at the National Museum
This piece was originally published in October 2022
The National Library is staging an exhibition of 125 documentary photographs, “Viewfinder: Photography from the 1970s to Now”. Continue reading photography at the National Library of Australia
This was published originally in August 2022
It was a recent photography exhibition by Catherine Rogers (closed 14th August) that brought home to me what a great space the ANU Drill Hall Gallery is.
Viewfinder: Photography from the 1970s to Now
National Library of Australia exhibition, Friday 16 September 2022 until Monday 13 March 2023 Entry is free, curated by Matthew Jones
a link to the NLA page on the exhibition – click here
a tour of the exhibition click here
More than three decades ago the local visual arts community advocated for the establishment of a Canberra Regional/City Gallery. Continue reading visiting Canberra’s City Gallery
When the national Gallery opened in 1988, the exhibitions and their café became frequent destinations – a meeting place for locals, to take in the latest exhibitions while seeing old friends – the fabulous works in the permanent collections. Continue reading Visiting the National Gallery in Canberra
There were few people visiting the NGA’s Sculpture Garden when I visited to enjoy the garden’s well-designed spaces and to check out the artworks.
Earlier this month we ventured out for the day to meet a friend at Braidwood. She was from the south coast and so Braidwood meant we both travelled just over an hour.
Attention to a significant piece of national land is being overlooked among the misinformation used to justify the demolition of West Basin.
Sometime during the last election, a candidate said something about revising the public sculpture program initiated by Jon Stanhope when he was chief minister.
A Reminder: the Australian War Memorial is about people
There’s a plaque in the Dickson Library that marks the site of Canberra’s first aerodrome.
When in Civic around 10pm on Wednesday last week we were confronted with what the ACT government now defines as a Christmas tree.
There’s a lot to be seen at the exhibitions at the National Gallery of Australia this summer – so it’s time to get thee hence – – –click here.
It has been many years since I have wandered amongst the tulips of Floriade.
There are many reasons why people trek out to the Canberra Regional Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.
Popping up on the northern edge of Canberra is a new set of buildings – known by its gateway title as Canberra Park.
Here’s a few of the exhibitions in Canberra this month.
There is no doubt that Anzac Parade is very special.
It’s Chinese New Year again (28th January). This time around it is the year of the rooster.
Continue reading Year of the Rooster – Time to revamp Dickson Chinatown
click on image for more on this public art festival
I have posted previously about driving to Sydney – and – about the drive to Melbourne and the coffee stops along the way. Here’s a few more things to consider.
More news about Canberra’s new public art festival – to run Friday 21st October to Sunday 13th November 2016. Continue reading contour 556
There’s a wonderful exhibition at the NGA till 30th October 2016 – Diane Arbus: American portraits.
While some people may enjoy the buzz of living within densely population metropolitan cities, there are definite benefits to being in Canberra and being able to head out into the country in a few minutes, rather than struggling down the crowded toll ways.
Sitting down on Easter Sunday to catch up with a friend over a cup of coffee (or two) in Braddon, reminded me of why it is not my favourite place to go on a weekend – let alone during the week.
One of the pleasures of this city is to sit down by Lake Burley Griffin in the evening to watch the light fade.
Continue reading Lake Burley Griffin – What would Menzies do?
Let’s start with the reality of this claim. Lake George is not in the ACT.
Advance notice for a Canberra Public Art Festival for later in 2016.
Contour 556 is to be a three-week public art festival in Canberra 21 October – 13 November 2016 on the foreshores of Lake Burley Griffin (and other locations). Continue reading Public Art Festival – Contour 556
When reading the latest thought bubbles from the property lobby, it was difficult to avoid laughing out loud.
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.
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.
Reminder of this recommended exhibition at the NGA – click on the photo above.
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.
It has now become a habit for thousands of Canberrans to jump into their cars on Saturday morning and to drive to North Canberra and to make their way to a very special local retail event.
Opening 4th December 2015: The world is beautiful
There are so many stories to be told around the installation of the memorial to the 353 people who drowned while attempting the journey to Christmas Island on 19th October 2001.
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?
Having any urban park is to be celebrated and all efforts should be made to ensure their continued existence. Parks are constantly under threat from various property industry lobbyists who have the ear of government.
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.
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 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.
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
Good to see the work by locals, Harris Hobbs Landscapes, being recognised.
click on the image.
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
Central Canberra needs a dedicated open space for large special events at any time of the year.
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 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.
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.
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.
This is a re-posting of a review I posted to RiotACT last week.
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 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.
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.
We meandered over to the museum on a Saturday afternoon to try their food and coffee.
Our public galleries are places you should visit often, and not just for the big blockbuster exhibitions.
There are many other exhibitions, especially collection exhibitions, that are a wonder to see and enjoy.
Continue reading NGA Visual Arts, Motherwell, Natori Shunsen, Contemporary Photography
till 19th October 2014, then touring.
The National Portrait Gallery in Canberra has done itself proud with this special exhibition of photographs produced from the archive of the photographer John Witzig. Full marks to the historian curator, Sarah Engledow.
The Solomon Islands High Commission
I spotted this example of successful embassy architecture as I was driving past to have lunch at the Beaver Gallery Cafe in Deakin. From the available online information (and there’s not much) I think these new buildings for the High Commission for the Solomon Islands were completed around 2011/2012.
This book about housing in Canberra is welcomed by those amongst us who would love to see more good design in the provision of houses in Canberra. Much of Canberra, as with most places internationally, is presently being devastated with loads of new badly designed suburbs as well as very awful blocks of cheaply rendered apartments being foisted on the older inner suburbs. The authors of this book are to be congratulated for illustrating that the architecture for residential properties can be something to be enjoyed.
I picked up this book quiet a while ago but it is only now that I have had time to look through it. I am glad I did, as after reading through quite a bit of it, I have become more aware that Canberra has a reasonable amount of good and notable architecture.
I have a quiet interest in good architecture and have spent some energies complaining about the current crop of badly designed houses and commercial buildings being thrust onto Canberra. Residents have despaired that good design in our civic areas and suburbs has become a thing of the past.
Several months back there was an article by Christopher Vernon, of the University of Western Australia, putting forward the background and argument for a permanent memorial in Canberra for Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. Click here for that article.
There are various things scattered around Canberra that tell their story.
Continue reading Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin
There was much ado about this whole precinct development when it was being built and this continues through to today. Having visited the site a few times now, to meander, to eat, to meet for coffee and the occasional business, I have to say that it is a very mixed result. It is worth a visit on a busy day to see for yourself. But it does not match some of the rhetoric that has been put about – click here for an example of some project-porn spin*.
This is a proposal to enhance some present green infrastructure within inner north Canberra.
The North Canberra Greenway could be formed by linking and then enhancing the present green infrastructure elements throughout inner north Canberra.
The tent embassy has had a mixed history since the first one was established in January 1972 in Canberra right in front of the former Parliament House. There is a reasonably full history on wikipedia – click here. It is worth reading.
Presently the number of tents varies as does the level of activity. Over the years I am aware that the government as well as the National Capital Authority have had discussions about its future. Nothing has changed except for the comings and goings of the residents.
Late in 2013, there was much ado in Canberra about the completion of the new Cotter Dam. The new wall is a replacement and enlargement of the previous dam on the Cotter River. It was built as a result of the ten-year drought and the need for water security for Canberra.
The surrounding recreational areas had been devastated in the 2003 bush fires and the whole area has been rejuvenated to once again be a reaction area for locals and visitors on the outskirts of the capital.
It was just this week that I managed to get myself down the wonderful National Gallery of Australia’s sculpture garden to have a look at the Angel of the North. The piece has been on location for several years. This was the fist time I have seen this piece. Of course, this is the life-size marquette of the original Angel of the North, being about one tenth the size of the original.
Once the devastating 2003 Canberra fires were over, the Canberra landscapes to the west of the Lake Burley Griffin were left denuded of the previous forest. The subsequent international design competition delivered a much celebrated design for a National Arboretum.
Continue reading Tale of two Arboretums, The National Arboretum, Canberra
On the western edge of Canberra’s CBD, next to the Australian National University, on the side of Black Mountain, sits one of the National Capital’s often overlooked treasures, the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Although it figures in tourist brochures, I am not aware of large numbers of visitors. I am also not convinced that local Canberrans visit this site very often or that they think to take their visitors there.
National Botanic Gardens , Canberra
The recently opened Red Centre at the National Botanic Gardens is an ‘interesting’ addition to this very popular and valuable national asset.