A year ago the most ludicrous thing I didn't have to imagine was a petition launched in the UK for a ban on the teaching of Arabic numerals. I thought it was some kind of stunt, but the woman responsible believed numbers were some kind of new fangled way to, I don't know, get whatever … Continue reading 2020: too novel?
Art
Labyrinth of shadows
Art galleries are closed, in this year of 2020-Covid-19. It has presented opportunities to visit virtual exhibitions at galleries and museums around the world. Bendigo Art Gallery and Beinart Gallery are two I've had a peek at online. In less plague-ridden times, I visit art as often as I can, usually in spaces designed for … Continue reading Labyrinth of shadows
Remnants of paradise
The National Gallery of Victoria is currently exhibiting their collection of Felton Bequest images of scenes from Rajput courts. They are intimate and symbolic, and from 2019 there is something timeless about them, even though many of the paintings depict historical events and individuals. I think this has to do with context, some of the … Continue reading Remnants of paradise
Review: Compare the pear
I left it a bit late to see Baldessin / Whiteley Parallel Visions at the National Gallery of Victoria but I made it at the last minute and was pleasantly surprised. I won't go into a huge amount of detail about every work. Nor will I deliver much on the background of George Baldessin or … Continue reading Review: Compare the pear
October: it’s a wrap
Often I feel like I'm not achieving enough. Days contain all sorts of things that need to be done, but there's not enough structure. Meanwhile, sleeping has been extremely absent, which means some fuzzy thinking and fatigue. Is there such a thing as Seasonal Affective Disorder for spring? Whatever it is, my head hurts. Yet, … Continue reading October: it’s a wrap
Starting something
I didn't mean to, but I started something. I have an Instagram account, and it's mostly full of sunsets, art, and visually arresting things (and puns) and now RedBubble promotions. I don't really use Insta for writing related efforts. This week I started to. It's been both frustrating and creatively fulfilling. After endlessly tinkering with … Continue reading Starting something
Architecture of fire
The Common Campfire is an interactive, responsive light installation by Adam Grant, whose previous creative endeavours include Jafflechutes and This Bike Has MS. This particular work appeared under the auspices of Test Sites, a City of Melbourne support program for interdisciplinary artists to develop and share works with the community. But enough facts. This is … Continue reading Architecture of fire
Bec in Wonderland
I took in ACMI's Wonderland exhibit. It had inklings of a classic Sherlock Holmes-like escape room vibe, but that receded. What replaced it was a journey. There were rooms featuring original illustrations, footage from the oldest filmed versions of Alice in Wonderland. There were rooms for Charles Lutwidge Dodgson ephemera, as well as for magic … Continue reading Bec in Wonderland
Making it real
It's not unusual for me to have ideas bubbling away and then dismiss them out of hand even before a plan or action can take place to make them concrete. But occasionally I do more than talk. For instance, I established my Medium account for my short stories and essays. But I've had this idea … Continue reading Making it real
Review: Dark Imaginings
Gothic literature can be dramatic, macabre, and weirdly insightful. To my tired eyes some examples of Gothic, like Castle of Otranto are also unintentionally and refreshingly hilarious. Yet Gothic tropes persist in popular culture even as they were interrogated centuries ago, and continue to be. Since it is Rare Book Week in Melbourne I took … Continue reading Review: Dark Imaginings
