Oh hai

Funny things about the internet (1) LOL cats don’t make me laugh anymore.

My (not so) new job keeps me busy and nights shifts put me in a very weird zone.  However I do get to travel and recently (well ok in March) I managed to fit in a 20 minute run around the City Gallery in Wellington after a day seminar. I got to see this which included some things I’ve seen before (eg Eddie Clemens’ nets) but the context of a new location is always amazing. I think I last saw “Ritual” at Te Papa. Of course it didn’t happen but I like to think of it trundling down the streets between Te Papa and City Gallery in the dead of night.

Funny thing about the internet (2) Since seeing this I have been collecting pictures of Fabiola.

I like Martin Thompsons work and managed to get to an exhibition here of 5 old/5 new works. I also managed to find a new A3 coloured (NOT black) file folder for Martin. I consider this my art triumph of the year.

Martin Thompson opening bubbly at Brett McDowall’s (poor quality phone camera photo)

Funny/interesting thing about the internet (3) Anything on outpost written by Ron Brownson deserves your attention.

Exciting things are happening and due to some very good fortunate I will be back in Wellington for 3 days in August to present at a conference. My dance card is filling fast but I plan to do some more running around the galleries.

An empty dance card

Quantum of Solace

“…when the ‘Quantum of Solace’ drops to zero, humanity and consideration of one human for another is gone.” (Ian Fleming)

I have written before about Comfort Art and I have been finding solace in art of late. There is a pretty substantial art collection where I work. My new job (as with any new job I guess) is pretty stressful at times. Luckily I get to ‘decompress’ on my way home as I pass various works; nearly every day I pass Robin white’s large ‘Seven Hills’ for example. If only I could take a break now and again and instead of (or as well as) getting a coffee* just ‘go down to look at the Hoteres’ …but perhaps then they really would think I am mad

A comment from David Cauchi on my Comfort Art post quoted Matisse…

“It is my dream to create an art which is filled with balance, purity and calmness, freed from a subject matter that is disconcerting or too attention-seeking. In my paintings, I wish to create a spiritual remedy, similar to a comfortable armchair which provides rest from physical expectation for the spiritually working, the businessman as well as the artist.”

Job done guys…job well done

* The Dispensary makes AWESOME coffee especially the if the barista you can see in the photos here is about.

Museum of me

Any questions?

Urban Petroglyphs

I came across this today. Given my love of rock art, I found it rather wonderful.

(Picture courtesy of the artist)

See Kevin Sudeith’s website here

Where everyone gets a bargin

Pseudo Damien Hirst at The Warehouse

What I did in the holidays

Anderson Park Art Gallery, Invercargill with a Jeffrey Harris

Also I was told my children have good gallery manners

Washday – 2011

I have recently got my hands on a  copy of ‘Washday at the Pa’. This is the 2011 edition of Ans Westra’s photo essay originally taken in 1963 for the school journal. The exhibition is currently on at Suite Gallery and they have republished the photos with text by Mark Amery and additional 1998 photos of the Washday family revisited.

The original publication created much controversy

 ”following protests by the Maori Women Welfare League Washday at the Pa [school journal] was controversially withdrawn from circulation by the Department of Education. The League condemned Westra’s depiction of the poor, rural Maori family living in sub-standard housing as untruthful and inaccurate. ”

Interestingly the Welfare league has now withdrawn its objections.

There is a great interview with Ans Westra here [Podcast] from Radio NZ Nights with Bryan Crump

I guess this is a sort of cultural artifiact as well as an artistic one and I like to think (although I am possibly wrong) that we are mature enough now as a nation to see these photos in context. Also I’ve been thinking about women in the arts in NZ and how they had/have such a struggle and often were subject to undue criticism. Watch this space for more on that topic.

Get this book and/or see the exhibition – 26 October – 26 November 2011, Suite Gallery, Level 2, 147 Cuba Street
Wellington