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LIVING AND DYING AS AN ARTIST

by | Jul 28, 2022 | , , ,

The national conversation towards A new National Cultural Policy building upon the initiatives of the Gillard Labour Government in 2011 is a good place to start. The five areas below are currently up for discussion and you could hardly argue with any of them. Let’s hope that the current government isn’t going to be a one term affair saddled with debt from its predecessor and on the skids before its time is up or at least before discussion on a cultural policy can reach some sort of conclusion and pass into law. We can but hope, but don’t hold your breath.  No doubt the Gillard government said the same thing.

HERE WE GO AGAIN. THE CRIMINAL ARROGANCE OF BIG ORGANISATIONS NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME.

by | Jul 16, 2022 |

I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the British broadcaster does or doesn’t do but given the history of British arrogance and indifference to the plight of subject nations over the centuries of the Commonwealth, I wouldn’t be holding my breath. After all the Stones, the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Queen are considered to be national treasures and public property so if ‘We are the champions’ rings as a Brit steps up for a gold medal no doubt a case could be made for in ‘the public domain’ as could ‘Start me up’ as sprinters take up their positions at the start of the hundred metres. The Beatles could get in on the act with ‘Twist and Shout’ as general motivation but of course they borrowed the song from the Isley Brothers, so strictly speaking they aren’t eligible but then again the agreement of all four members of the Beatles would be required to give such permission unless everyone dead or alive ceded such decisions to Paul and there is anyone still around who remembers the brothers Isely.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PORTRAITURE

by | Jul 13, 2022 | , , , , ,

Is there a future for the painted portrait? The annual rush to present a work for selection to the NSW Archibald committee never seems to diminish and nor does the disappointment in being passed over yet again. The archies aren’t the only portrait prize either. But just who gets their portrait painted anyway these days when the camera phone can capture every waking moment in perpetuity?

STICKING YOUR NECK OUT AND THE PERILS OF PROGNOSTICATION

by | Jun 24, 2022 | , , ,

So, it all comes back to whether you accept the prognostications of others or not. The ‘next big thing’ of the music industry often comes down to a ‘one hit wonder’ heavily promoted and quickly forgotten. Is it any different with art? In one respect it isn’t. An art book lives a very long time and its digest of its time lives with it. Books, after all, are precious symbols of culture and civilisation to be preserved at all costs in spite of the remainder bins filling faster than they can be emptied and their contents pulped. Any predictive art compendium will no doubt follow suit as it its premise is overtaken by reality.

NOTHING IF NOT CRITICAL [to quote Robert Hughes]

by | Jun 7, 2022 | , , ,

Promoting locally made products in any arts field is a necessity and whether that is down to critics, radio hosts or the press, there is little being said or heard other than on an artist-to-artist level. Surely, we can do better. Or is even that question irrelevant when mind-numbing screen-time experience swamps all others?

IN IT FOR THE MONEY

by | May 13, 2022 | , , ,

So, according to a shocked pundit, people are into NFTs for the money. Wasn’t that the point? Any pretentions towards promoting the work of artists went out of the window when every man and his dog jumped on the bandwagon in the thrall of the investment property syndrome and the potential of making a killing, as they say in stocks trading.

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