McQueen M’Quakes – Mind, Mythos, Muse, Minis

June 28, 2023 | Posted by Lesley Jakobsen | ART, CRAFT, Embroidery & Stitchery, HISTORY |

(Special display at NGV, Melbourne, April 2023) The blurb – “Alexander McQueen (1969–2010) is one of the most original fashion designers in recent history. Celebrated for his conceptual and technical virtuosity, McQueen’s critically acclaimed collections synthesised his proficiency in tailoring and dressmaking with visual references that spanned time, geography and media. Showcasing more than 120 garments and accessories, Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse offers insight into McQueen’s far-reaching sources of inspiration, his creative processes and capacity for storytelling…” All true of course. And the NGV has put on a show for the ages; to see these works up-close is a great…

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The Cube

October 27, 2022 | Posted by Peter Jakobsen | ART, AUSTRALIANIA, TRAVEL |

d’Arenberg winery, October 2022 d’Arenberg Cube is a five-storey, double-tempered glass building situated within the Mourvèdre vines of d’Arenberg winery in the little town of McLaren Vale, itself a great stop and gateway to South Australia’s famous Fleurieu Peninsula. The design concept for the Cube came from d’Arenberg’s Chief Winemaker, Chester Osborn, by way of inspiration from Toyo Ito’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London and Ernõ Rubik’s famous puzzle. Built in 2014/17 at a reputed cost of $15 million to $16 million Australian dollars, it rises, or ‘floats’ above gently rolling hills and vines, in no way creating an eyesore. You…

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NGV Musings

July 26, 2022 | Posted by Peter Jakobsen | ART, TRAVEL |

(Melbourne, May 2022) We Love the NGV very much (but not everything In it). NGV Waterwall In May, there was a wonderful display of Asian Art (NGV began collecting items in 1862 – no doubt the fruit of the Victorian Gold Rush – and now has over 2000). But first we had to re-visit (being white supremacists) the European galleries: We liked Chen Yongcai’s Harvest Season prints on paper (c. 1972): …and these superb Javanese puppets (1960s): The whole collection on display in May included ceramics, bronze vessels, mirrored and jade objets d’art, funerary designs, as well as some contemporary…

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‘Nothing Better than the First Attempt’: Cabaret Life Drawing

June 11, 2022 | Posted by Peter Jakobsen | ART, AUSTRALIANIA, THUMBNAIL REVIEWS |

(Cabaret Life Drawing, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, 11 June 2022) A very pleasant hour passed in the Cabaret Festival’s Spiegeltent on the Festival Centre Plaza. This was a life drawing session (not really a lesson, more like a brief taste with a light touch). The assembled throng, their creative impulses enlivened by a glass of wine and some piano and bass versions of songs such as Puttin’ on the Ritz, Tea for Two and All of Me, attempted to depict model Letitia, striking various classy poses in an elegant gown (see below). It was conducted by Adelaide Central School of Art…

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Queensland Art Gallery: The Good

December 4, 2021 | Posted by Peter Jakobsen | ART, TRAVEL |

November 2021 After a few nasty snickers concerning the quaint homage to the Louvre (below), we entered the Gallery after finally mastering the Queensland QR codes.  It’s full of good stuff. We have traversed the pitiful pieces: but  thankfully there was plenty of fine art to be found here.  Apart from the sublime Dürer woodcuts, and Artur Loureiro’s Study for “The spirit of the new moon” (1888)(see main image) inspired by the Luciads by Camoens, there were: A Madonna and child encircled by flowers and fruit (c. 1615), attributed to Andries Danielsz: “Wisdom supporting Liberty” by Jules Dalou (1889): No…

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