Category Archives: Meroogal

Roadtrip between the Old and New

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Last weekend it was the new MCA on Sydney Harbour, all white and glittering, smick and slick.

This weekend was the National Gallery Canberra, all orange and autumnal, crackling underfoot, old and gold.

They are about  280 kms in difference but as they say, a world away, a pack of Jelly Belly Jellybeans, mandarins and a couple of Freakonomics podcasts.

I enjoyed the Renaissance, I was desperate to see Titian and Raphael but was more impressed with the early gothic painters and some of the lesser known. Of course Titians’ composition was important – Aida Tomescu had shared her passion of his structure that influences her work- the old meets the new. There was one small Titian painting and there would have to be more to make any sort of lasting impact on me.Fortunately composition can be studied in books and on-line but in the flesh it is so much more important about the quality of the paint.

This is why I felt drawn more towards the Gothic art, small tightly fascinating work, textural and smoothed, glistening and flat.  It’s the sort of art that has always held a fascination for me, perhaps it may be the flattened areas compositionally that has proven intriguing. I did reference this art in a previous work of mine for the Meroogal Womens Art Prize but I am also fascinated by the small Persian paintings that have the same appeal.

Once again the NGA had the drama of deep dark colours but that’s whole other freakonomic blog!

By the way thanks Artshub for the tickets that I won – almost as good as the years supply of Tim Tams I won a while back.

Old Meroogals never die they just hang in the laundry……

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Take notice! This will be my last Meroogal entry.  Every year I say this and every year this happens! Meroogal is a wonderful old house – the sort that smells of Nanna. It’s this reason and the fact that I am usually bogged down in oils in the midst of winter, nothing dries and I start that wander round-the-house fidgets.  It usually culminates with an art vs craft eruption and my obsession with a strange collection of objects.

When I first saw the Meroogal exhibition, it was little old lady watercolours, quilters and the odd assemblage – a bit like the old house itself.  The Meroogal Womens Art Prize has now grown into a slick exhibit and the cost? The loss of the kitschy, badly done and  for me, the feel of anything is acceptable as long as you have that love of Meroogal.

Last years theme Books, as pictured here, had me in Lilliput awakening to Meroogal women who had tied me there.  So once again it’s that time of the year – and once again I feel I am tied to this strange land.  What else would I do with a collection of ephemera from the last 10 years?

Theme: Generations (or something to that effect) 2007

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Yet another that I can’t find the image of as yet.  This work referenced the poetry of Judith Wright and poem -The Sisters. A work that had always spoke to me of Meroogal, the idea of stories being passed through generations, of lost loves and what could of beens. The work comprised a lot of complex pieces one being a digital sketch of Meroogal -I could fine that one.  This work was also Highly Commended and received The Packers Prize too. Another talk at The Mint and Wollongong Gallery where I was so nervous I swore I would never do that again.

Theme: Recycled & ReUsed 2006

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Another work where I can’t locate a photo – but this was a work recycling and re-using my past Meroogal entries, quite small, and a very tight cohesive work.  It was Highly Commended for this year and the first time I gave a talk on my work at the Shoalhaven Gallery, very daunting. Vic Morrison who was the judge talking about the works made me comfortable and I’m sure if it wasn’t for him I would have run away before the audience gathered.