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Vicki xx

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Art for arts' sake.


Ethel Carrick's 'French Flower Market, 1909.
There have been thousands of opinions expressed about art but I like this quote by John Updike, American writer and Art Critic...

What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit.
Chantal taking in the space of the outside area.
And so with a need to breathe, just for a few hours, we made our way to the Art Gallery in Brisbane.

The exhibition was titled, Art, Love and Life, the works of Ethel Carrick and E. Phillips Fox. What a gifted couple, studying at the Paris and London Academies, mixing with the impressionists, what a bohemian life, living in Paris at the turn of the 19th Century, painting the market and beach scenes, the flowers, the children, traveling around Europe, they had marriage, love, art, adventure and space for the spirit....but only for ten years, when sadly and to soon Emanuel passed away at age 50.
In summer the tree on the right is abundant with frangipanis. 

The Arbour. E Phillips Fox. The little boy in the sailor suit, Len Fox,  was his nephew, well known Australian Journalist, Artist and social activist who lived in Kings Cross with his wife for 50 years.



I loved the furniture exhibits, Chantal loved the sculpture gallery and Alexandria loves, loves the masters.

When our senses had had a little polish and our need to paint was at it's peak we sought out the shop for my little passion...bookmarks. The shop has jewellery, books, stationary, cute things, ceramics and glassware, fragile and delicate, the purest of colour, truly objects to be admired if not used.



Lunch in the cafe.

I don't know if any other teenagers do this but whenever we are out, at lunch, sitting quietly, the girls make up stories about people who walk past, a serious looking young man in dark jeans, dark bomber jacket and thick grey scarf was to Alexandria a highly intelligent Romanian orphan who teaches the violin and who seeks out art to satisfy his love for it, inherited from his grandfather,who was a famous portrait painter,  a 50-something couple in stylish clothes were to Chantal fashion designers from Copenhagen, she an ex-model, who live in a minimalist apartment, here in Australian to arrange an exhibition of their innovative designs at the gallery and possibly to purchase some property...etc, etc.  Imagination is a great thing!

  
...then home to the paints...we had a good time.
Thanks for visiting
Vickixx


9 comments:

Helen said...

Hi Vicki, I love the idea of imagining these wonderful lives for all the interesting people we notice in our days, what fun and how very creative! It seems you had a most lovely time :)

deux chiens et un garcon said...

What a lovely day filled with beauty, inspiration, imagination and then a little dabble of your own.

xo jill

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this illuminating and inspiring "visit" to the art museum in Brisbane! It looks like you absolutely made the most of it, extending to painting at home. My teenage daughter also loves to make up stories about people we see passing by - we play this game on the bus coming home at the end of the day. She likes imagining where other people are going and what lives they lead.

Vicki said...

Hi Christine,
Oh so happy there are other teenagers who play this game, I have to say it can be illuminating for me and at times I wonder if they could be halfway onto the truth!Hope all is going well for you at home, will be looking at your photos soon!
Vickixx

Dmarie said...

such a great little imagination practice for your teens. maybe they'll grow up to be writers! Thanks for sharing your art outing! My DH isn't keen on art museums, so I mostly satisfy myself by finding public art (outdoor sculptures/great architecture) when we travel.

Olga said...

Thank you for visiting and commenting.
There are very beautiful pictures in your blog, love them all.

James said...

Hi Vicki, I find the (old) Qld art gallery is perfect for gazing at artworks and casually observing others. I especially love arriving ar the water feature in the central hall. Cool idea too to imagine stories for the characters one meets.

Susan said...

It was lovely seeing the collection through your eyes.. all those treasures, thank you.
I had a chuckle at your teenagers... um, it's something I do - make up stories about passing strangers. Whole scenarios. Guess it's similar to what authors might do (my excuse anyway!!).
Cheers :D)

Paris Rendez-vous and Beyond said...

Loved this post Vicki...had a little chuckle too. A bientot.