Last weekend was pretty perfeck from the classic country/culture/lifestyle perspective…

Granny and Minnie travelled from Melbs and the ‘Berra respectively for Nicky Dickson’s opening at the BVRG on Friday night; now that’s dedication for you – and neither was even faintly disappointed…

 

 

Too divine for words…

 

 

Birds from a New World was inspired by the Ducie Collection in the National Library of Australia. This collection of 56 illustrations created in 1788-9 is attributed to George Raper, a midshipman aboard the First Fleet. It forms part of a substantial body of drawings and maps made by several people in the early years of European settlement of Australia. Unlike the Cook voyages, there were no professionally trained artists aboard the First Fleet. Amateur artists, like Raper who drew birds and plants, knew and obeyed fewer of the usual restrictive conventions of formal natural history illustration. Instead they revealed glimpses of their personalities and tastes in the way they composed their illustrations. This means that the body of First Fleet art exists as a record of cultural tastes and interests as well as the birds and plants found in the young colony.

In this exhibition the subjects of Raper’s paintings have been quoted and re-presented in a different context. The paintings aim to convey the wonder and fascination experienced by Europeans when they were introduced to Australia’s flora and fauna. The gun, sword and navigational equipment are also included in the paintings and refer to the fact that colonisation of Australia occurred due to the development of technologies that enabled Europeans to spread over the globe and exert their will.

Nicola Dickson 2012

 

 

Bird lovers, ignoring the turning weather, flocked to the gallery for Helen Maxwell’s official launch of the show…

 

 

Actually, peeps had been streaming in long before it was open to the public – despite the ‘gallery closed for changeover: beware of curator’ signs!! – so we anticipate it’s going to be immensely popular. Fair enough and all, it’s gorgeous.

 

(Taxidermied specimens courtesy of the Bombala National Parks and Wildlife Service)

Seriously worth the drive. More snaps here.

Saturday was cold and rainy – perfect reading/movie weather…

 

 

…and from there on in it was total indulgence. We’ll spare you all the galloping gourmand-o-rama (for once!!) bar this treat of a snap of High Tea in the Banksia, spotted through the bathroom window (yep, here at the Hideout!)…

 

 

Oh, and maybe a little more slab wetting…

 

 

[This could go on for a while… n(Ed)]