Not long ago I was looking to find a small display stand for mounted A4 artworks, and a friend suggested I try my local Men’s Shed. What a great idea that was! I hadn’t realised they made things on commission like that – I’d always thought they were there, tinkering away on whatever they wanted to do themselves. I was welcomed by a number of very willing and capable men as I tentatively made my way into the Shed (a much bigger outfit than I had expected), and explained what I was after. My stand was made within a couple of weeks and is exactly what I wanted, so here’s my huge thanks to Ross, who made it (but who I didn’t meet), Mal who helped coordinate it and the others I met on my way through. You guys are champions!
And for something completely unrelated, I read a small piece some weeks ago about damage done to a Mark Rothko painting (valued at almost A$90m) in a Dutch museum in Rotterdam. It was scratched by a child during an ‘unguarded moment’ and the rule apparently goes that anyone who causes damage like that is to pay for the repair. The article went on to mention damage done to a large installation back in 2011 in the same museum. The installation was called ‘Peanut Butter Platform’ and it seems that on more than one occasion, unsuspecting visitors stepped in a thick layer of peanut butter that was smeared on the gallery floor. They were given the clean-up bill.
And while there is nothing so exciting (or potentially tasty) in the artworks I produce, if you’d like to see any of them, read on.
Coming up:
Northern Beaches Art Society’s Annual Awards Exhibition, The Tramshed Community Arts Centre, 1395a Pittwater Road, Narrabeen (NSW), from Wednesday 1 to Tuesday 7 October
Drummoyne Art Society’s Members’ Exhibition, Drummoyne Civic Hall, cnr Lyons Rd and Marlborough St, Drummoyne, from Friday 3 to Sunday 12 October
Gallery 11:11 Art Prize, Gallery 11:11, 227 Malton Road, North Epping (NSW), Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October, and Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October
MAC yapang Art Prize, MAC yapang, 2A First St, Booragul (NSW), from Saturday 18 October to Sunday 7 December
Australian Society of Miniature Art’s Annual Awards Exhibition, Ewart Gallery, Willoughby Arts Centre, 33 Laurel Street, Willoughby (NSW), from Friday 24 October to Sunday 9 November
‘Out Back’ at The Garden Gallery, Sydney Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, from Wednesday 12 to Sunday 23 November
Until next month!