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18th Nov 2005
Bonsai and seared kangaroo
Friday, 18th November, 2005
Up at 8. Breakfast an elaborate concoction of fruit and yoghurt; delicious fresh mango, strawberry, kiwi fruit and museli.
We had a bit of time afterwards to be able to look through some of Vicky’s work. Vicky works mainly in pinhole and is increasingly interested in camera obscura. Her major recent work in addition to the artist’s books is a photoshop compilation of images into long scrolls, delicately printed in a limited edition on to special rice paper.
The scrolls represent ‘journeys’ through a landscape, where the observer tracks a path or a route, within the picture and explores the theme.
The presentation of the scrolls is part of the art itself and the Perspex boxes are individually designed and built and ‘decorated’ (scratched) using locally sourced rocks on the outsides. The scrolls are lifted from their cases (gloves on) and hung from hooks on a wall. The term ‘scroll’ is perhaps a pun as these are long – five feet or so – images which on a computer screen you ‘scroll through. In printed form their rolled storage re-enforces the title.
Across in the darkroom, we looked at her current work; microscopic images of water borne fungi. A strange mixing of the scientific and the artistic, which has resulted in the discovery of at least one new species, so far. The work, part of Vicky’s PhD theses is taking place up at the top of the catchment to the north of Brisbane and the connection of this river to others and the thread of the water resource through the country is something she is trying capture in her photographic work.
Doug and I were booked in to Toowoomba gallery to see a collection of retakes commissioned by the gallery in order to visit location of paintings held within their public collection. Its an interesting and possibly unique project, conceived by the gallery and blending the classic artists media of oil, watercolour and print, with photography.
We were also able to have a look through a quite recently acquired archive of caliotypes, including images of Fox Talbot himself and other members of the Edinburgh Caliotype Club. Anne visited a nearby quilting shop and then went and did a bit of internetting.
Back for lunch, which we took outside and we finally left them in peace at c 2.30 in order to set off back towards Brisbane.
There was a minor crease over Anne’s hat, which it transpired was in the shop of the art gallery and was resolved by swing past on our way to the Japanese garden. The gardens were recommended to us by the lady at the tourist information office on the basis that it was her understanding that they were the sixth best in the world … whether this was in terms of scale, variety or whatever, I have no idea. Anyway in reality it covers the area of a football pitch … maybe a little more … and has bridges and islands, bonsai and raked gravel. Its fairly young, having open only about five years ago as part of the University campus, so the trees are still being trained and the bridges look awfully new.
Anne had managed to research a couple of motels on the net and on we drove to Brisbane. We didn’t actually find any of the ones from the web … or at least we did, but it had the no vacancies sign outside, but through a helpful shop assistant we checked into the South Bank Motel which is primarily set up to provide accommodation for folk visiting the nearby hospital. Anyway, it did the job.
En route we made contact with Grayem’s brother Peter and arranged to meet him and his partner Mary for a drink down on the South Bank. Anne and I needed food and we walked up and down the South Bank trying to get into a restaurant, all of which seemed to be over subscribed. We went to the River Canteen twice and on the second time, after a phone call from the front desk, we landed one of the best balcony tables in the house – I guess they realised that time was running out to fill it and so we were as good a bet as any.
Peter and Mary joined us and it transpired that they'd not eaten either. We ate Kangaroo for main course, seared and tender and very reminiscent of beef without any hint of a gamey taste whatsoever. A great evening which Peter very generously treated us to. Back at the hotel just after midnight !
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Diary Photos
| 18th Nov 2005 |
| The bougainvillia walk |
| Along the South Bank in Brisbane |
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| 18th Nov 2005 |
| Japanese Gardens |
| In Toowoomba ... apparently the sixth best / largest / nicest / whatever in the world |
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