Maxine told me on New Year’s Day that I need a new hobby. Other than art: “Look”, she said: “I like art too Mum, it’s just that I don’t feel like I need to talk about it allllll day.” Heeding the advice of the child and knowing she knows me better than I know myself, […]
Category Archives: Australian Art
May
03
Controversy Sells: The Representation of Girls and Women in Art and Culture
posted by Natalie Thomas
In an art world overflowing with unhealthy relationships, the old guy photographer and the hot, young, eager, barely legal female model is a tried and tested formula. It’s a look that ain’t going out of style yet. The photographer can always find an audience, a market, a home, a collection, a retrospective, a publisher for […]
April
04
20th Biennale of Sydney
posted by Natalie Thomas
Melbourne had a Biennale once, back in 1999, before you were born. Curator Julianna Engberg called it Signs of Life. But it died. Reputedly went three times over budget it did and Melbourne University (who had underwritten it) decided they weren’t rich enough to go into the red for culture, so they canned it. A […]
March
11
Fashion vs. Feminism:
posted by Natalie Thomas
The Politics of the representation of women in Museums and Art Galleries. I’m in a dream. I’m Carrie Bradshaw from an episode of Sex and the City. Due to popular demand, me and my galpals are back. This time we’re older, richer and somehow whiter. As Carrie, I’m a writer with strong circulation, trying to […]
March
05
Former Babe: Reflections on my brief career as a Teenage Model
posted by Natalie Thomas
Have I told you about my brief career as a teenage model? When I was fifteen, my physicality meant a whole lot to the people I knew. They’d make well intentioned, but insensitive statements to me. Observations often posed as questions; questions with no answers. Something like: ‘You have very big white teeth, don’t you?’ […]
February
23
Selfie Shite Night
posted by Natalie Thomas
I like a brightly coloured, shiny diversion from reality as much as the next person. But White Night Melbourne joins a global trend of governments corroding away democracy, while simultaneously presenting increasingly populist cultural programmes. White Night started in Russia, there’s one in Paris and Canada and in Tel Aviv. Cities presenting major events that […]
January
23
FEMMO™
posted by Natalie Thomas
Recently, cartoonist First Dog on the Moon wrote And now all Australians are forced to ask themselves ‘are we just a nation of entitled misogynist thickwits?’ Obviously the answer is yes but it looks like we need to go through it one more time so……….. The best thing about Tony Abbott’s reign, was that his […]
January
09
Scandals from the Art Gallery of New South Wales
posted by Natalie Thomas
While holidaying at the beach recently, I began daydreaming. Without too much thought (and no research what so ever), a list of exposés and scandals were pieced together in my minds eye, regarding one state funded Australian art gallery. The Art Gallery of New South Wales. Scandals so salacious, you feel like you’ve been watching another Four […]
December
22
Miss Universal
posted by Natalie Thomas
During a Contemporary dance performance, they close the doors to the theatre behind you, and don’t let you out until they’re finished with you. This simple device enables the choreographer to make you sit through fluid, passionate tracts (long bits) of a variety of modern dance moves including: the rolling foetal; frantic bendy torso; the […]
December
03
Gilbert and George Disappear Women; MONA
posted by Natalie Thomas
Gilbert and George met at art school in 1967. They were so poor and alone; they had to turn to themselves to make art. They inserted themselves into the gallery and declared themselves the art. Hence the birth of their Living Sculptures, performed for their Graduate Show. Men take up the spotlight with such ease. Gilbert […]
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