Travel Theme : Eye to Eye…

A few months ago** (See footnote) when visiting the Brisbane Art Gallery I took a photo of this life-size elephant sculpture. It is rather magnificent, but a bit puzzling. Why is he standing on his head like a giant book end? I checked Google when I got back home…

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“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.

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On that day I only looked from one point and had not seen the “Kurilpa”. So decided that next time I went to the art gallery I would look at the other side. This weekend I went back to the art gallery

Look what I saw…

A footnote to this story: I did not take my camera, so for the first time I pulled out the IPhone and was very surprised, on an overcast day, at the detail the phone captured. I think I am a convert…

A second footnote: When I checked back I was astonished to find it was three years** since I took the first photo. Unbelievable! Where did that time go…

A third footnote : I am linking this to Ailsa’s (Where’s my backpack) “travel theme” of “close”

A look at art…

After a delightful stroll along the Southbank of the Brisbane River and lunch in one of the many restaurants I head to the Art Gallery.

The first gallery room showcased Aboriginal art. I am fascinated by the structure and design, and overwhelmed by the size and precise placing of the dots and crisscross patterns.

I stood for quite a while in front of this large painting. I wasn’t the only person finding it photo worthy.

I took a closer look and marvelled at the precise placement of the thousands of carefully placed dots that join into a seamless flowing of rippling water.

Look closer. It has a hypnotic, three dimensional appearance.

The tiny dots are so incredibly perfect, I wonder at the time and intense concentration needed to create this masterpiece. I am always pleased when galleries put background detail of the work.

I move on to another type of Aboriginal art. Again the canvas is large and the work very detailed and precise.

A gallery guide is giving an insight into the meaning of these works of art. This one is a story of a traditional ceremony. Again I look closely and am amazed at the delicate crisscrossing of lines, known as rarrk, every one perfectly placed. The colours used are the rich earthy tones of the land.

There were many more traditional paintings to admire but the final painting in this gallery is quite different. My eyes were drawn again and again to this shadowy, mystical image.

Moving into the next gallery it is a visual change from the norm. The walls have been painted to be part of the overall exhibition. I find it quite confronting to start with. But then, as I wander round, the background walls seem to enhance the paintings.

Women feature in all these paintings.

The next gallery, again, has boldly painted walls.

Then turning into the next gallery I am confronted with this…

A life-size, dead elephant…

Well, what do you think? I marvel at a person’s mind that would think of this. Then the actual creation of the form of the elephant, but then to stick thousands of tiny “bindis” all over the form. I had to look closer…

Jack says “that looks like thousands of sperm swimming for their life”…

Ok!!! Time for a coffee…

But the day is not over yet. The next post I will take you for a stroll through the Botanic Gardens and a ferry ride…

Brisbane South Bank and Art Gallery

It’s 5 weeks since we came back from New Zealand. Pottering in the garden, reconnecting with friends, enjoying the small place we call home. But I now feel like a day out exploring.

The weather is a perfect Queensland winter day, clear blue sky, fresh windless 22C. NO humidity… I bounce out of bed “let’s go to Brisbane”. It is quite a while since we went there. ( April 2013 see it here ) Brisbane is the capital of Queensland, it is a cosmopolitan and lively city that is home to many different types of scenery, including skyscrapers, parkland and even an artificial beach. Brisbane is a river city, with Brisbane River running through it.

It is a 100 kilometres from the Gold Coast. Not far in Australian travel terms, this land of vast expanses. But we still do not have a vehicle (though we are looking for one!). So it is a bike ride to the bus, then a bus ride to the train station and, from there, a 1 hour 15 minute commute to Brisbane.

On the way we fill the time in by sketching. We are both looking at the same scene from slightly different viewpoints, but look how different our styles are. 

Jack’s version

My attempt…

A great day for a stroll along the river and through the South Bank Parklands.

An enterprising young woman has set up her VW as a mobile coffee stand. But we do not stop here as I am planning to have lunch at the art gallery.

Before looking around the art gallery we stop for a cuppa and sandwich

 

It is a tranquil and artistically laid out space.

Yellow tables and chairs complement the vivid green of the lawn.

The sun highlights the fountains spinning wheel of water creating rainbows.

Every where there are ibis, waiting hopefully for crumbs. At the next table another diner takes out a note-book and starts sketching as she waits for her meal. I cannot resist asking her what is she drawing. She shows us, it is quick sketches of the ibis. We have an interesting conversation about art. Karen and her partner are both artists and she gives us her web address. Take a look. I was very impressed.

Now refreshed it’s time to immerse myself in the creative genius of the many artists work on display. I prefer the realistic art of the old masters and find modern art difficult to understand.

Here are some of my favourites.

I stood in front of this one for quite a while, it seemed to talk to me. I loved the 3 dimensional effect and the soft gentle feel of spring just awakening the blossom on the tree.

James Gleeson “Structural emblem of a friend” In quite a different way this one intrigued me. The lifeless gaze as the blood is sucked from him by a wife. The mortgage getting under his skin. Maybe the only beacon of light for him is the boy/son? There was no information about this painting so I made up my own story. What story do you see?

I’ve just been reading the life story of William Dobell, the book showed many of his paintings but it is never the same as standing in front of the work of art, studying the colours and the brush strokes and textures.

 The look around was taken slowly and really immersed in what I did have time to see, not a quick rush around trying to see too much. So much more to see, I will definitely have to come again.

As I left the sun was highlighting the branches of a frangipani tree and I noticed it still had one lonely flower defying the odds.

 

A last look at Brisbane as I head back to catch the train for the return journey to the Gold Coast.