Modernists: highlights from the European collection, till 25 April 2016
Colesworth dominance of Canberra
It has been absolutely no surprise that the ACCC has given the go-ahead for Coles to buy out five Supabarn stores, with three of them being here in Canberra.
Searching for Canberra’s planning authority
The good people of Canberra, when they are in an optimistic mood, still believe there is a planning authority (ACTPLA) that consists of a learned group of experts who collectively make evidenced based and objective decisions on planning and development.
Continue reading Searching for Canberra’s planning authority
Mediocre design comes to Dickson
I don’t think the residents will be holding celebrations about what is being proposed for the new supermarket complex here in downtown Dickson.
Malcolm Turnbull cultural vandal
Feminism has failed and needs a radical rethink
International Women’s Day 2016
Malcolm Turnbull cultural vandal
click on image for story
The failure in Canberra’s domestic architecture
Along with some very pointed questions that were posed at the recent talk at the Albert Hall, there were a couple about the lack of government leadership in emphasizing the value of good design and the importance of architecture.
Continue reading The failure in Canberra’s domestic architecture
Econobabble
Book Review
Econobabble: How to Decode Political Spin and Economic Nonsense, Richard Denniss 2016
This is the latest in the excellence series, Redback Quartery. And it is a good read – recommended.
Malcolm Turnbull cultural vandal
Mike Jones, University of Melbourne and Deb Verhoeven, Deakin University. This article was originally published on The Conversation.
Mount Ainslie lookout designers announced
Take a very hot day, take a small crowd of press and politicians and a few designers – and where would you head on a day of 36 degrees in Canberra.
Malcolm Turnbull cultural vandal
Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister is overseeing the vandalism of this country’s national cultural institutions. And he smiles so patronising while this is happening!
Manuka oval development proposal
There’s one thing you can say about the present Chief Minister and his government, is that when it comes to dealing with residents over matters to do with urban development, they really know how to get people off-side right from the start with any and every proposal.
Canberra Tales: Lake George
Let’s start with the reality of this claim. Lake George is not in the ACT.
Dickson planning ad hockery
Anyone who has been through the Dickson shops lately will have noticed an unsettling trend. The number of vacancies is increasing.
photography
The fog around Heritage Strategy
The ACT Government has commenced a period of consultations for the development of a five-year heritage strategy (see links below this post).
Greening the city & health
Here’s a few links on current research and commentary on green spaces, our cities and health.
ACT Planning Minister seeks an idea
On a recent visit to Wollongong I observed the notices for and then read about the consultations for a major project: Wollongong – A City for People. Being a frequent visitor to this wonderful coastal city, I have some understanding of the urban issues facing that city’s local council.
Taking time in the landscape
I like to drive. I enjoy the drive to and from Sydney. It is not everyone’s favourite drive but I find there is always something happening and there are always changes due to the weather and/or the season.
National Gallery Singapore
click on image above for the story about this very successful new national gallery.
Wollongong
Brand Canberra follies
Mansplaining a qualification for being a federal bloke
another male federal politician, another of Malcolm Turnbull’s chosen boys, demonstrates how being patronizing to women must be a qualification for being in the Turnbull government.
Continue reading Mansplaining a qualification for being a federal bloke
Urban Renewal in Canberra
There’s a talk at the Albert Hall here in Canberra on Tuesday 16th February. The title for this session definitely sounds as though a focus group of bureaucrats have signed off on it.
Natalie Merchant
Credlin & Co
Credlin & Co.Wollongong – urban opportunities?
There is some brilliant work being delivered within the public realm by local governments across Australia.
Australia’s shameful behaviour
Australia continues with inhumane treatment of people who were legal refugees.
Talking Plants
Interested in all things to do with the garden – and listening to people’s discussions around gardens? Talking Plants is a recommended program from Radio National on the ABC. Here’s a link to the program’s web page – click here.
Someone had the audacity to call green-walls – nothing but horticultural bling! Yes – totally agree.
Shimmer at Wollongong City Gallery
Brandy Clark
Video above for Brandy’s new single (2016) and for her 2013 album – click here.
Public Art Festival – Contour 556
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
Billboards – what billboards?
Billboards have long been part of our culture and have been popping up here there and anywhere all over the place throughout the world. We seem to love to clutter up our landscape with anything that makes money.
River
TV Review: River
A 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.
Sculpture walk through Civic
When reading the latest thought bubbles from the property lobby, it was difficult to avoid laughing out loud.
Neil Young
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.
Northbourne Ave
The ACT Government has released an updated overview of its planning for the redevelopment of Northbourne Ave.
More dogs, ducks and dubious decisons
A couple of follow ups to the previous post on Dogs, ducks and dubious decisions
Public Forum: Urban Renewal
Photographs of 1930s China by Stanley O. Gregory
Canberra Sculpture Walk proposal
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.
Dutton spud
click on image for the story from Independent Australia
Singapore International Photography Festival 2016
Open Call – Singapore International Photography Festival 2016 – click on graphic above
photography
Helen Levitt at Laurence Miller
Dogs, ducks and dubious decisions
The Dickson Wetlands have been a success both as a water-engineering project (providing water for the nearby sports grounds) and as attractive open space parkland.
Canberra Tales: Parliamentary Gardens
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.
whingers and more whingers
Several decades on my first visit to London the bus we were on had reason to be delayed. Most people understood what was happening and why the delay had happened. But not so one couple. They became very agitated and complained very loudly that this was not good enough. Apparently because of the delay the sky was about to fall and all manner of disasters were to strike us all!
Trickle-Down Theory
George Monbiot on the UK Government’s refusal deal with floods. click on photo
Credlin & Co
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.
David Bowie
goodbye Major Tom…..
Architecture
For too many cities are being altered in not such a good way by over the top architecturally design structures by ‘star architects’.
NGA Photography – The world is beautiful
Reminder of this recommended exhibition at the NGA – click on the photo above.
Witches both mad and bad: a loaded word with an ugly history
From The Conversation, Michelle Smith, Deakin University
Over the weekend, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton inadvertently sent a text message calling journalist Samantha Maiden a “mad f—ing witch” to Maiden herself, rather than his intended recipient, fellow MP Jamie Briggs.
Continue reading Witches both mad and bad: a loaded word with an ugly history
a week of sexism in Australia
an article in the guardian – click on the image above
gropers, leakers, fibbers, fools, frauds, dickheads and dopes
An article that sums up the problems within the current government…. click on image
photography
The Auckland Festival of photography – for news on exhibitions and more – click on the image.
photography
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)
Blue Poles at the museum
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.
Mt Ainslie
I am not sure how many times I have driven people up Mt Ainslie to take in the magnificent panoramic views.
Clouds and wonder
Clouds and time to think
Clouds and musings
Clouds and clouds
Clouds and contemplations
Clouds and peace
Clouds and roamings
Clouds and thoughts
Clouds and more rest
Clouds and resting
Tracy Chapman
Review: Tracy Chapman Greatest Hits 2015
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.
Urban development leadership
When Jon Stanhope commented on his disappointment – or was it frustration – with the lack of the ACT Government’s achievement in delivering on social housing, it struck a note with anyone who likewise considers that the LDA/directorate is focused on land sales at the expense of urban development and issues such as social housing.
NGA Photography – The world is beautiful
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.
Climate Change
Three stories that provide a reality check on the current approaches to climate.
Highly recommended – Tom Roberts at the NGA
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) has launched a major Tom Roberts exhibition.
Continue reading Highly recommended – Tom Roberts at the NGA
Capital Region Farmers Market
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.
Architecture: UTS Gehry eyesore
It seems that the UTS Gehry building has won another award, this time as the Eyesore of the Month from James Kunstler.
The Canadian Photography Institute
Good news from Canada about photography – click on the image above
Neil Young
Music Review: Bluenote Cafe, Neil Young (2015)
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 .
Quarterly Essay: Political Amnesia
Reviews: Quarterly Essay 60 — Political Amnesia
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.
Architecture: The Goods Line
Architecture
Northbourne heritage
The decision by the ACT Heritage Council to heritage list 17 of the Northbourne housing precinct does confuse the developments being proposed for the gateway to Canberra.
George Monbiot
Again George has taken aim at one of the fictions of the modern economy. His article is headed: Consume more, conserve more: sorry, but we just can’t do both. Click here.
Big Coal and India
Article from Wired about India & energy – to go Big Coal or Big Solar? click on image
Mark Seymour
Good to see artists speak out on issues – click on the image for the story
Music Review: Natalie Merchant
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.
National Gallery Singapore
Canberra Tales: Two huts of protest
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.
ACT Planning Minister has intent
The ACT has a Planning Minister and he has put out a document titled — Statement of Planning Intent.
NGA Photography
Opening 4th December 2015: The world is beautiful
Climarte
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.
Spray For Paris
Click on image for the story in The Guardian
Climate change
SIEV X Memorial
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.
Show me a Hero
Review: Show me a Hero
This 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.
Green Square Zetland Sydney
We start with words from the City of Sydney – that contains all those words that make sensible people run for cover:
Australian Art at the NGA
Sometimes a visit to the National Gallery of Australia can deliver a very nice surprise.
Kingston Arts Precinct – to be or not to be?
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?
Peace for Paris
Political empathy
George Monbiot on moral blankness
Even though I have been involved in political advocacy for far too many years, I am still constantly amazed by the total lack of empathy shown by many decision makers – being both bureaucrats and politicians. These people do not take the time to look at the evidence of what happens as a result of their decisions.