MONA Metal

Detail: "Cement Truck" - Wim Delvoye

 Had the opportunity of visiting Hobart

over the weekend with our main aim being a visit to MONA

(The Museum of Old and New Art) 

located on the banks of the Derwent River in the suburb of Berriedale.

Had a fabulous time.

We caught the MONA Roma Fast Ferry from Hobart up the

Derwent River ($20 return ticket), then skipped up the 99 stairs

to the Museum entry ($20 each unless you're Taswegian, then it's FREE!)

You are given an Iphone with a tracking device and headphones

and you just plug in your location as you wander through the

galleries and it will bring up artworks within your vicinity

along with summaries of the artworks, info and opinions 

and recordings of conversations about the artworks.

The best thing is that once you have finished your tour

you can access it again and again via their website.

Totally Cool.

As well as the Museum, there is also a micro-brewery,

a winery, accommodation, an outdoor stage

and a cemetery (apparently).

Even if you didn't appreciate the artwork you couldn't help but

be impressed by the architecture of the place

and the fact that this is the vision of one man (David Walsh).

Our joke was that they would have to 

house a collection of Less Impressive Soporific Art (LISA)

next door for those who like their art to be 

non-confrontational and less than thought provoking.

small works group exhibition

"Callistemon"

Have been working on some small

gouache & pen works for an upcoming

group exhibition with a limited size and 

designated theme.

Haven't painted for quite a while.

Always challenging when restrictions

are emplaced, but nonetheless interesting to work

to somebody elses strictures.

Famous Artists Dissected

How cool are these ads for MASP Art School (Sao Paulo)

created by DDB Ad Agency Brazil.

Three of the most recognisable artists of our time,

dissected to show what made them tick.

My personal favourite would have to be the Dali image.

Front Yard - Progress

Today, we have grass.

Instant green.

Some rocks have been laid on the path,

but it is a while away off being complete

and serviceable.

The wallabies, however, are finding it soft underfoot!

Changes in my front garden

 This was how my front garden looked this morning.

When we moved in almost 8 years ago there was a small

hedge of murraya creating a circular garden.

The hedge has grown exponentially and

since murraya is a noxious weed in our part of the world,

we decided it needed to leave.

 So:

This is how my front garden looked this afternoon.

Soon to have a path and lots of grass for the

wallabies to graze and laze upon.

 I am quite excited that I now have the beginnings of

a path to my letterbox.

I am also quite excited that you can see a little bit

of my lovely house now, which feels a lot more welcoming,

as we have always felt a bit hidden away behind all the shrubs.

Sir William Dobell

Sir William Dobell (1899-1970)

In 1985 my only Uncle, Len Alexander,

took me, as a young art student, to view the
William Dobell retrospective exhibition

"The Painting of a Portrait"

at Lake Macquarie Community Gallery (NSW Australia).

After viewing the exhibition we drove around

to Wangi Wangi to walk through Dobell's house, 

which had been preserved as a monument to the artist.

I have kept the small publication from the exhibition 

(choc full of Max Dupain photographs of Dobell's works),

I bought a copy of Brian Adam's 1983 biography
"Portrait of an Artist" 

also Elizabeth Donaldson's 2010 book
William Dobell - "An Artist's Life".

I finally found a copy of the out of print 1964 James Gleeson tome
on Dobell a few

months ago at a second hand book shop
in Kingscliffe NSW.

I have seen many, many paintings and exhibitions by other artists since,

but funnily enough, it is the Lake Macquarie exhibition
which resonates as my all time favourite,

 not least for the associated memories of my dear Uncle.

I visit "The Cypriot" each time I go to the Queensland Art Gallery,

reinforcing the connections made at that first viewing almost 30 years ago.
(my growing children are even now making it a habit to drop in on "our old friend")

I would be interested to hear of artworks, artists & art experiences that resonate for you.

William Dobell  The Cypriot 1940 | Oil on canvas ( Collection: Queensland Art Gallery)

A few links to articles about Dobell:

Sir William Dobell - biography
Dobell House
Art & Architecture blog - post on William Dobell 2009

TERUHIDE KATO & HIROSHIGE PRINTS

"The Old Temple at Sagano" - Teruhide Kato

 "Sagano" - Teruhide Kato

Signed prints of the above two works by Japanese artist 

Teruhide Kato

hang on my bedroom wall 

(along with reproductions of 2 of Hokusai's 100 views of Mt Fuji).

Kato's images transport me to places I have

visited in and around Kyoto -

"The Old Temple at Sagano" reminds me of our

visit to the temple at Riyoanji

and the "Sagano" image conjures memories

of our night time visit to the Bamboo Forest

of Arashiyama during the light festival held

there each November.

Evocative images for me to fall asleep and awaken to.

I also have a Hiroshige print purchased on our

last trip to Gion which is awaiting framing.

Okabe - Hoeido (53 Stations on the Tokaido Road) -  Hiroshige

Can't wait until it's up on my wall as well!

More Old Dears

Pardon me for running with a theme here.

Just a couple more photo's of dilapidated sheds found

on the side of the road on my journeys.

Grand Old Shed - South Ballina

Found this majestic old lady on a quiet

road at South Ballina.

Couldn't help but stop and take some photo's.

Hiding in the rain

This is where I've been hiding away the last week.

Lennox Heads/Lake Ainsworth Nth NSW.

Very rainy and squally, so not a lot of

others partaking of the surrounds,

making it very peaceful (even if it was a bit wet).