Canberra Sculptures

(Yet another catch-up post.)

As I already mentioned, Canberra is a city of museums. And most of them are free. I was stoked to go to the National Art Gallery and, once I noticed that photography was verboten, I really just enjoyed walking the halls. Not taking pictures was grrrreat. I saw Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles, a Monet, a Lichtenstein, lots of Aboriginal art, a few Warhols and, my favorite, not one dying Christ or crying Madonna. Actually my two favorite pieces in the National Art Gallery were James Angus' A Lot of Bright Ideas (a collection of about 100 lightbulbs in which the filaments are all different shapes- mostly modern culture references) and Fiona Hall's Paradisus Terrestris (while it has an erotic element, I really liked the detail of these tiny metal sculptures).

But all was not lost in the art department as Canberra has bunches of sculptures just laying about. Mostly they're in the sculpture park but scattered around central Canberra are lots of other sculptures too.

Some Rodin.

This was a piece dedicated to the Lost Generation- the Aboriginal children that were taken from their families and relocated to orphanages or to live with white Australian families.

The back of the sculpture is covered in stories such as these.

Small Town AUS

I've been WWOOFing with a woman named Evelyn who lives in the small community of Tomerong. Anyone who's ever lived in a small rural community would feel right at home here. There's one shop that also serves the role of the post office and local hang out, a small primary school and a community center. Folks in town banded together over the last couple of years to fight a proposed landfill nearby and just this past month or so it went final that the landfill (tip, as they call it) was dead in the water. At the occasional (three a year in 2011) Tomerong Community Night the mood was celebratory as they marked the end of the landfill issue. Community night consisted of a potluck, an open mic session and some karaoke as well.

The sunset out the back of the community center was so much more beautiful than my blasted camera was willing to show.

Bev read two pieces of original poetry; one about community involvement that involved flaming sambucas out of eucharist cups (no lie) and another about using the f-bomb when folding fitted sheets. Bev recently won a prize at the Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival for a poem about the refugees on Christmas Island. Her book is sold at the local shop/post office. I might rustle one up.

Chris and Jordy, recent additions to Tomerong, performed Hit the Road Jack even without the father who typically plays guitar but he's in the Royal Australian Navy and out on exercise in Townsville.

These four sisters performed a stand up routine, of sorts. Jokes included:
-What do you get when you cross a crocodile and a rooster? Crocodoodle-doo.
-Did you hear about the two fish that went all the way around Australia? Yeah, they end up in Cairns. (Aussies pronounce "Cairns" as "Cans.")
-What do you get when you cross a kangaroo and a sheep? A woolly jumper. (A jumper is an Aussie term for a sweater.)

Jamarama Outcasts, a local ukelele club, performed You are my Sunshine and Waltzing Matilda (the crowd sang along, me too) and a precious little song I'd not heard, Pearly Shells.

MoMA - the bad.

TRUE or FALSE:

The following four pictures all depict art displayed at the Museum of Modern Art.

(Answer at the bottom.)

The answer is...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

False. Pictures 1 ("Cloth Octagonal2"), 3 (neon and plastic that sits on the ground) and 4 (hay in a six-foot cube) are all displayed art. Picture 2 is a piece of repaired flooring that I think might be a contender if it schmoozes enough.

MoMA - the good.

I didn't come to NYC with much of an agenda. Obviously, I came to visit with a dear friend, but I also want to see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the Museum of Modern art. Last week I knocked out MoMA. My big to-do's there were to see a Lichtenstein and a Pollock (a fine Wyoming boy) which I did manage to see- other than that, it was just a treat to wander around and look at the the creative ways artists can express themselves and their worldviews.

I'm no Lichtenstein-phile but this is my favorite piece of his so I was happy to see it.

I believe this was the only Pollock piece displayed. It was upwards of 20 feet long.

This installation, Sum of Days, was 2 to 3 stories tall of sweepy gauze, dangling microphones and speakers and, at its center, a piano. When I experienced it, it was silent but just a short time later I heard the piano being played beautifully.

I couldn't quite capture this fisheyed beach panoramic head-on.

 Titled: Punch and Judy II Birth & Life & Sex & Death

 I really liked this one.

And this one too, Box of Wishes.

I was pleased to see a whole area reserved for the (now defunct?) Guerilla Girls.

This installation, Images of War (at a Distance), included 15 or so projection screens filled with videos centered on war: wargaming, videos from surveillance aircraft, lectures of battle breakdowns, equipment testing, etc.

Another fine meal in Barca

My last day in Barcelona, I took Mizz S to a quaint little cafe, 4 Gats. The cafe first opened over a hundred years ago, at the time known to be a haunt of the Barcelona art scene, and the place where Picasso had his first informal show. 4 Gats has an intimate feel, quirky and artsy- doesn't hurt that the food is damn good.

Pimientos de padron (fried sweet peppers- yes, I'm an addict) along with escalivada (a potato, onion, pepper, eggplant and tuna dish).

A recent discovery (to me!), orujo de hierbas, an herby liquor served cold and oh so yummy.

Next post: Romania!

Motown Tellin' It

This is Coqueta, The Giraffe. She's at Rambla de Catalunya and El Diagonal (I do believe). 

Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart

Baby, baby

I'm aware of where you go

Each time you leave my door

I watch you walk down the street

Knowing your other love you'll meet

But this time before you run to her

Leaving me alone and hurt

(Think it over) After I've been good to you ?

(Think it over) After I've been sweet to you ?

Stop! In the name of love

Before you break my heart

Stop! In the name of love

Before you break my heart

Think it over

Think it over

I've known of your

Your secluded nights

I've even seen her

Maybe once or twice

But is her sweet expression

Worth more than my love and affection ?

But this time before you leave my arms

And rush off to her charms

(Think it over) Haven't I been good to you ?

(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet to you ?

Stop! In the name of love

Before you break my heart

Stop! In the name of love

Before you break my heart

Think it over

Think it over

I've tried so hard, hard to be patient

Hoping you'd stop this infatuation

But each time you are together

I'm so afraid I'll be losing you forever

Stop! In the name of love

Before you break my heart

Stop! In the name of love

Before you break my heart

Stop! In the name of love

Before you break my heart

Baby, think it over

Think it over, baby

Ooh, think it over baby...

A Night of Dance

At the recommendation of Martha, I went to the final showing of Dunas at Gran Teatre del Liceu. The dance was breathtakingly beautiful- a combination of flamenco and contemporary with bits of Arabic influence thrown in. Largely the story of human isolation, attempts to connect, heartbreak and redemption; by the end when they danced next to each other, the feeling of relief was palpable in the theater.

I found a 'cliffnotes' version on YouTube. While I'm generally quite reserved with emotions in public, within seconds of the first dance where they're separated by fabric, I was reaching for my handkerchief.

I didn't take my camera with me but fortunately I had my cell, which brings us this craptastic photo of the very very end of the applause (which lasted, I swear, ten minutes).

Relaxing Sunday at Guell Park

After yesterday's torrential downpour, the humidity was way way up today and Saturday's shut-ins were out in force. Given that Guell Park is up a substantial hill from where I am staying, and much of the 15 hectares are hill-covered I had the, sad to say not unusual, experience of sweating worse than a construction worker. Hill upon hill, followed by stair upon stair, but the view of Barcelona toward the sea was worth it.

Although this park was designed by Gaudi, much of it reminded me of the Flintstones.

But there was still classic Gaudi to behold.

Let's not forget it's an actual park with nooks and crannies (one where I came upon a man ostensibly urinating, although he was facing the walkway and vigorously shaking...sadly, my unimpressed expression was obscured by my oversize glasses), birds to make even Alfred Hitchcock blanch, and many actual beautiful flowers.

Tonight I believe I am going to head back downtown to catch a blues act, Big Mama and the Crazy Blues Band. Here's a song from YouTube, Don't Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down (word to my sisters, yo).