September 30, 2010 – 10:02 am
A friend of mine, an artist, a good one and successful, remarked that the NGV European Masters was a “very B grade” exhibition. Implied: compared to the great collections in the States and Europe. I too had been semi-disappointed, having been in the mood, but never thrilled. “Very B grade.” With that in my ears, [...]
By W H Chong
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Posted in drawings
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Tagged Beckmann, Degas, Ensor, Ernst, European Masters exhibition, Maillol, NGV, Pforr, Redon, Renoir, Rodin, Slevogt
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September 28, 2010 – 11:45 am
The water tour (Part I) continues, in previously droughty central Victoria. Last Sunday we visited Ballarat to lunch and see a couple of shows at the Gallery, an exhibition opening and the refilled Lake Wendouree. For the last few years this local icon has been notoriously dry. So much so that the locals took to [...]
September 27, 2010 – 11:07 am
‘It’s an absolute joke. There’s no way it should be decided after another game. Guys came here for a win or loss, and that’s what we should be leaving with.’ – Nick Maxwell ‘There are three rules for a draw. And it has always been bloody stupid to have a draw in a sport that [...]
September 22, 2010 – 10:02 am
Have you ever read a food review and wanted to see how it stacked up against your own tastebuds/sensory organs? Last week I had the perfect opportunity. A friend suggested having a drink at his studio and then going round to his new local. A couple of days later it was reviewed by Larissa Dubecki [...]
September 21, 2010 – 10:34 am
I think it was Helen Garner who relayed this performance-anecdote by philosopher and author Raimond Gaita. Gaita grew up around the country Victorian town of Baringhup — his childhood story became the memoir which became the film Romulus, My Father. (Eric Bana played the troubled Romulus, young Raimond was played with heartbreaking delicacy by Kodi [...]
September 16, 2010 – 11:14 am
Continued from yesterday’s post about Tony Blair and The Special Relationship. Having fun with Tony Blair Unlike the unpopular Blair’s memoir, A Journey, the unpopular Polanski’s The Ghost Writer has been racking up rave reviews. It’s based on Robert Harris’ The Ghost, the bestselling, highly prejudicial fantasy by the ex-journo. When he was a political [...]
September 15, 2010 – 10:08 am
Tony Blair’s reviled-and-yet-bestselling memoir has, I think, a rather disturbing cover photo — flattering but also slightly manic, crazed. As a book designer I have commissioned, selected and cropped a stack of author photos — Hazel Hawke and John Button, Helen Garner and Tim Flannery, Kate Holden and Robert Manne et al — and inevitably [...]
September 13, 2010 – 11:18 am
As someone who is about as musical as a boiling kettle, hearing a song in Latin doesn’t give much of a leg up. But after attending the Gloriana choir’s quarterly concerts over three years you do get used to it. (Blogged here, here and here.) You just sit inside these phrases as they billow like [...]
September 10, 2010 – 11:18 am
Suffering from political dyspepsia? Have a dose of the arts. All the passion and calculation and urgency of politics without the blood and damage and miserable responsibilties. Theatre people catfight Q: How do theatre people behave on a stage? A: Theatrically. So, I’m sorry to have missed the session on theatre criticism at the Wheeler [...]
September 8, 2010 – 11:04 am
While Rome fiddles, book people burn. A brief illustrated report on a small event beyond Canberra. . 7 September 2010 Wheeler Centre: “Critical Failure: Book criticism” Panel debating the state of book criticism/reviewing. Q&A portion, 7 pm, audience member takes the mike and declares: “This is boring.” Murmur of agreement, smattering of applause. . Gideon [...]
