Some culture in Canberra

Frances found there were a few interesting artistic things to check out in Canberra so we invested an arvo therein.

Our first call was to the Nishi Gallery in Acton which was having a show by John Forester Clack who had run a drawing class which Frances has attended.  As it was a commercial show I felt it inappropriate to take photos.  the work was quite interesting, but we ddin't acquire anything.

Next stop was  to New Parliament House where they had a show combining stuff from their collection with material from the Canberra Glassworks.  This image is of the glass element.

This is carved and painted wood by Dinny Kunoth Kemarre from the Utopia community.  He has a player from each AFL team - sort of like a fantasy team as he has also covered all positions.  (As well as the guernseys he has also got the skin tones and hair colours about right.)

The forward zone has got a couple of stars - one of whom is still involved in this year's competition.

 Quite a bit of space was given to an exhibit about the new $5 note which quotes from this work by Michael Nelson Jagamara titled ‘Possum and Wallaby Dreaming’.

 It is also used in the forecourt to the house in the pool shown here from inside the building ...

 ... here from outside.

 A touristy shot of the flagpole from the balcony outside the cafe.

Another tourist snap on the entrance lobby.  

Every time I look at this area I think of a comment by a friend from Adelaide who visited not long after it opened and opined that the mish-mash of marble made it "look as though it had been done by a couple of terrazzo contractors from Magill."

We then left the House - before we caught xenophobia and homophobia from the tracks of Senators Bernardi and Hanson - and went to the National Gallery of Australia.  We hadn't been there for quite a while and a whole lotta stuff has changed. (Including their policy about no photos - so I took a few!)

This is Play201301 by Xu Xhen.  Judging by the amount of leather and chains in this work, he plays interesting games!  It is a very complex bit of business.

Now we have Mud Men by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran from Sri Lanka.  One of the descriptions applied to the works was 'phallic' which seems like a fair call.   I think he must have spent a lot of time looking at elephants!

We had looked down into part of the Australian art area where this work Nervous by Heather B Swann.  At that distance it wasn't clear what the figures in the centre were.

 Getting closer and they were excellent Banksia Men.  Norman Lindsay meets Dr Who.

 There was a lot more to see but we were overloaded by then so took ourselves home.