Today I went to Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
I also had to see the re-installed and
and saw an exhibit of works
by Michael Shannon.
Any of them would be a
pleasure to view daily.
I also had to see the re-installed and revered Eureka Flag after the restoration work.
The room it is in is very dark and flash is not permitted,
so I am surprised at the image really.
Seeing this flag is my version of
hallowed ground.
"The design of the flag was taken by Captain Henry Ross, one of Eureka's miners and a Canadian expatriate, to three women, Anastasia Withers, Anne Duke and Anastasia Hayes, to sew up in time for a large rally at Bakery Hill, at 2.00 pm on 29 November 1854. ".
Can you imagine the life of a woman on the diggings? All mud, dust, and tired drunken men. A bit like waiting for a popstar boyfriend to strike it rich with a hit record.
As I came out of the gallery a bike club
was assembled to resume
their ride to Warrnambool.
If you click to embiggen, you will see
a Ned Kelly doll lashed to one bike and he
has a Smurf in his pocket. I had not
been aware that Ned's infamous suit of iron
even had a pocket, but I did enjoy
the outlaw confluence of bikers,
Ned, and
The Treacherous Event Of 1854.
From the bus stop on Sturt Street,
this alley next to the old post office has
a view of the Art School built behind the gallery recently ...
... and this is the view I had
... and this is the view I had while waiting to go
11 kilometres out to
the gum trees on the edge of town
where, in spite of the CFA advising
that the area is
not defendable should there be a bushfire,
it is very pleasant to be.
Update:
Didn't I just send you an email telling you to take it easy? Damn woman'll be the death of me.
ReplyDeleteI can believe Ned Kelly's suit had a pocket, for extra ammo and a hankie from his mum. What I acn't believe is the Smurf.
ReplyDeleteLove that flag, saw it just before it went off to be restored, will have to drag His Nibs up there to see it again, love that gallery.
ReplyDeleteJahTeh, River and Jayne - thanks for your visits, hope you are cool as can be. I have six bowls of water out on the lawns for the birds, and two big bird baths.
ReplyDeleteOne of The Best Places Ever. LC and I have often idly wondered if it would perhaps be a 'we'll retire there and have a one bedroom flat in Melbourne' option.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great to see that flag. Bump up your ISO when you are in low light and can't use a flash.
ReplyDeleteThat gallery looks amazing. Thank you - and the Eureka flag - seeing the grail.
ReplyDeleteA few years back I went to a dispaly at the National Gallery. The exhibit was a patchwork quilt made by female convicts on the ship on the way out - which was then presented to the wife of the then governor of NSW (sorry I forget which one). How they had sewed on the ship such detailed work escapes me. There were a few preserved blood stains and smears though.
thanks for that El Chi - I know that the London Womens Benevolent Society gave quilt materials to every female Transportee, thinking the quilts made on the long sea voyage would warm them at the end. Many of the convicts SOLD their quilts in Rio or The Cape, before they got here.
ReplyDeleteThere are great quilts at the Geelong Wool Museum and one of them inspired me to do a wool quilt I have been working on for YEARS and promise myself every winter that I will complete.
Ned Kelly and a Smurf...an interesting combination.
ReplyDeleteIt's really neat that the original Eureka flag is on display.
An Australia premium regional gallery, second only to Bendigo.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Ned Kelly was a time traveller ... which *gulp* may mean he's still alive??!!
ReplyDeleteWe were there a few months back and saw the Australian Masters exhibition. It's a really lovely gallery and the show was Great! A piece or two each from many major artists. We did a day trip to Sovereign Hill as well and enjoyed that thoroughly.
ReplyDeleteHi Bliss Hill the best thing in the Austn Masters was Margaret Preston's pink gumflower painting, and the Lloyd Rees blew the Whitely out of the water in my opinion. Wish I had known you were coming.
ReplyDeleteI sent my friends to Archies Creek thinking they would get a 5-star meal but they said it was closed. I hope all is good for your exhibition there.
I loved the Lloyd Rees, and also the William Dobell, 'The Strapper' (and Margaret Olley, of course!). It is wonderful to get in close to these paintings and see what they're doing.
ReplyDeleteRe: knowing you're in Ballarat? I didn't! Sorry.... we've lost touch with my wanderings elsewhere...
Back again... about your mates going to Archies.... Were they booked out or what?
ReplyDelete