"I looked at the Rubens and Rembrandts. I liked the John Singer Sargents. He told me he liked Turner. Never have I turned since then"

- Rufus Wainwright, The Art Teacher


Yesterday was an ARTday, not a Friday for me.

It was pouring rain yesterday, all day, so I showed up to the Brunswick Street Gallery looking like a drowned rat. Yes, this is partially due to the fact that I refuse to buy an umbrella. However, I have never had an umbrella and not lost it, and frankly I'm convinced they don't do all that much good. If it's raining you will get wet.

Anywho- I arrived at BSG to help install their current exhibition, and they put me through my paces. I installed 4 artists' works, and I have to say I was pretty happy with the installations. The one artist I helped who was actually there was super sweet and I hope to remain in touch with her. I enjoyed her work and her company immensely. I also hope that in the near future I'll be helping install my own work at BSG. They have a small works competition coming up that I plan to submit to. The space is a residential building that the two top floors have become the art gallery (the ground floor is a shop and two restaurants). Windy steps, high ceilings, well lit, and there is even one room that is painted the same ox blood red that my bedroom was when I was in highschool. I love it. They get a wide variety of work and change it over frequently, which I think is a good practice to keep the space more vibrant and dynamic.

After helping with the installation I booked it down to Federation Square to hit the Ian Potter (the NGV Australiana collection). They were having a NGV Members free entry to the Fred Williams: Infinite Horizons exhibition, and I just had to see the Upwey Landscape and Silver and Grey again. I also did some sketching so I could better understand how Williams was abstracting the Australian landscape and basically distilling it down to its most powerful elements.

Fred Williams is an Australian born painter, from Melbourne actually. His works, in my opinion, are some of the most beautiful interpretations of the Australian landscape I've ever seen. Probably my favourite. You can read more about him here on wikipedia, but I think I'll write up a review of the exhibition as well in the near future.

Anyway, met up with e at Fed Square and headed to 1000£Bend for some mulled wine and dinner. I had the grilled roo burger of course. Then we headed up to Brunswick St to go to the BSG opening and then split a slice of 'death by chocolate' cake at Joe's Garage.