It was the last day of Laurie and Kerry’s very short visit to Australia. The week had flown by and the next day they fly back to New Zealand.
So where to go?
For something quite different we decide to explore the “big smoke”. Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland and it is just over a one hour train ride away.
First stop is the cultural centre on the south bank. We split up, I always enjoy browsing around the art gallery and Laurie and Kerry explored the museum with its wealth of information.
It is school holiday time and the museum is packed with excited children, but the art gallery is more sedate and I wander around absorbed in all the various displays. I suddenly become aware that many people are taking photos of the art, most of them are using their mobile phones. Children and young adults are posing in front of classic art and sculptures. I look around, the security staff are walking around and they do not seem to worry about all the photography. I’m amazed. What about copy-right? Then I realise that I have not seen any “no photos” signs. Maybe the powers-that-be have decided that in this day and age it is just too hard to police as people can now take furtive photos with the very small phones and go undetected.
So go with the flow and I snap a couple of my favourite paintings… Well maybe more than a couple 🙂
Later I walked behind a young woman carrying a tripod over her shoulder and I eave-dropped on her conversation with one of the security staff.
“Have you got a permit for the tripod?” the guard said. The answer was “no”.
Well it seems you are classed as a professional photographer if you have a tripod and may be selling copies of your photos so have to buy a permit to take photos with a tripod. Interesting?
Behind the old art gallery a more recent addition is GOMA (gallery of modern art) only opened in 2006 it is an interesting contrast to the old style paintings. At the moment they are holding the APT (Asian Pacific Triennial) event showcasing art and sculpture from around the Asian Pacific region. Again I was tempted to take photos…
It was almost lunch time and we had agreed to meet over the river in Queens Street, Brisbane’s premier shopping mall, for a coffee before exploring the CBD.
I walked past this very strange elephant sculpture outside the art gallery. It was commissioned in 2012 amidst much controversy. It is a beautiful work of art but I cannot understand what the significance is of putting him this way up.
Have you got any suggestions?
Well a look around Google found this….
“More than a million dollars was spent on this single piece of art, commissioned by an artist who doesn’t live in Queensland or Australia for that matter.”
Ms Bates insisted her comments about government waste were “not a smear on the artist or the sculpture” but argued the state funding would have been better spent helping the Queensland arts sector.
The sculpture was funded by the state government’s art+place Queensland Public Art Fund and the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation.
Parekowhai was one of three internationally acclaimed artists shortlisted to produce a sculpture to be located between GOMA and the Brisbane River.
The Queensland Art Gallery argued the proposed sculpture responded to the cultural and historical significance of Kurilpa Point.
“A life-sized bronze elephant, which on closer inspection is revealed to be a bookend, is flipped on its head. Its eyes gaze directly into those of a kuril, the native water rat that gives Kurilpa Point its name,” the gallery said in a statement to the ABC earlier this year.
Despite the “no climbing on the sculpture” sign, children were having great fun crawling all over his trunk.
A pleasant walk along the walkway beside the river and we met out side the beautiful old Treasury Casino building and had a coffee and bite to eat before a wander along the Queen Street Mall.
I am always looking for windows to share with the windows group organised by Dawn on the blog “The day after” This was a perfect opportunity. I was surrounded by beautiful heritage buildings as well as the glass hi-rises. So here is a gallery of windows of Brisbane.
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Love everything about this! Did you wander the museum alone or was Jack with you?
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Jack was home alone that day, he felt like a day off… 🙂
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I was just curious. I was imagining it in my head. I would absolutely do this, wander the museum alone.
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We have a great relationship and if one of us wants to do some thing and the other doesn’t we don’t argue and sulk but just do what-ever on our own.
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Thats the only one that would be right for me at this stage in my life.
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They are not easy to find….
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A diamond in the rough; aren’t you a lucky gal. 🙂
I’ll bet is asked he would say the same about you.
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Thanks Dawn, yes we both appreciate each other
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🙂
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Nice ones Papua face and painting photos.
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Thanks for the comment Jack
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Love Jacarandas, and that painting is just so lovely. That elephant sculpture is very weird indeed. What a lot there was to see. I enjoyed your windows photos. Brisbane looks like a beautiful city.
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I do not go to the city very often but I enjoy it when I do. Brisbane is a clean, bustling, friendly sort of place.
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These are great photos. I love that Jacaranda tree! 😀
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Thanks Dianne, I love the colour of the Jacaranda, some areas have streets lined with them and they look stunning when in flower
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Everyday you have fun and share your enthusiasm with us. What could possibly be nicer!
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Thanks Cindy I believe you have to make the most of life, after all it is not a rehearsal… 🙂
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Great photos. My fave is the meditation photo. I could go for a glass of wine right about now.
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Every one else was drinking tea or coffee in the cafe, she looked so relaxed on the lawn with her wine. Cheers I’ve just had my glass of white 🙂
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Gorgeous photos of yours! 🙂
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Thank you
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