JANUARY ROUND UP

Hello 2014, one month down (and a bit) already and what a splendiferous month it has been!!!

 

I spent more time in Sydney this month than I have spent in years. When I was much younger I was in and out of Sydney all the time, enjoyed it, had fun, shopped even...but then I discovered Melbourne and it kinda paled in comparison. I still went and there is nothing like driving over the bridge and seeing the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, and hanging out around those areas, but it's all a bit splashy with no soul, money but no sense if you will!

But Melbourne, ahhh, there is something that makes me feel at home immediately, the art, the ease of moving about, the later starts, the trams, I even shop in Melbourne (not normally a fan of shopping) mostly as you feel like you are exploring and not shopping at all, the food, the laneways, the architecture and the people...it's very European and cosmopolitan in a way Sydney just never will or can be.

 

Nonetheless I went to Sydney three weekends in a row.

 

First up was to see Sgt Peppers and Abbey Road played Back2Back by a range of Australian musicians at Sydney Opera House. We travelled down via Bobbin Head, had a wander and a meal at Circular Quay and loved the show.

 

The following weekend, we stayed overnight for Amanda Palmer's Sydney Festival Show, taking up the atmosphere at Hyde Park, before and after.

 

And then back the next Saturday for the Yoko Ono Exhibition and to see David Sedaris at Sydney Opera House, with a bit of chillaxing in between at the Garden Party just outside the Opera House.

 

The Australia Day weekend was relatively quieter, but the month was rounded out by a visit to Melbourne. I went with my good friend C and we had a blast. We saw shows and exhibitions, ate very well, and explored the streets and took photos.

 

Being the lead up to The Academy Awards, I have been also soaking up as many nominated films as I can.

 

I also saw The Secret life of Walter Mitty, which was lovely and sweet, I much prefer Ben Stiller in what I call his melancholy roles, it suits him better. Also two French Films as part of the Summer of Film Festival at The Towers, A Lady in Paris (starring Jean Moreau as a formidable older Estonian lady living in Paris but needing live in help, a black comedy with the usual French flair) and Looking For Hortense (another comedy with melancholy longing, affairs and double crossing was Tres Francais!).

 

As usual I've been out and about eating and being with my fabulous friends. We said hello to S with a group at Bar Petite, lunched at Beaumont Street with C, ate fish and chips in the mall, entertained B at Club Cathy, and had the most god awful meal and service at Pippis with M - thank goodness the company and alcohol was good - but won't be going back there in a hurry!

 

I also spent some time with my family, hanging with my niece and nephew, dinner with my parents.

 

The start to the working year has also been good, hectic in the right kind of way with many exciting projects that I am working on plus the usual stuff and all rather enjoyable.

Also managed a few walks and started a little photography project...more on that in weeks to come.

 

Yoko Ono exhibit at the MCA: War is Over!

Yoko Ono, what is there to say that hasn't been said before?

Much maligned and a divider of opinions, people either love her or hate her.

I fell into the later group for many years, but I saw an interview with her around 10 years ago. Her love for Lennon and the deep sadness over his loss was palpable and as if it had happened yesterday. I decided it was wrong to hate her, and when Paul McCartney 'forgave' her a few years later I knew I had made the right choice.

I will say upfront, I don't care for her music, but I love her art and her philosophy.

She is a little bit kooky, but the best people always are!

And it was her art and philosophy that was on display at the MCA.

I had not been to the MCA since the renovations, so A and I walked into the new entrance and went up large stairs that said 'WAR IS OVER! If you want it YOKO ONO'.

It was exciting, then we made out way to the 4th floor and the exhibit.

Inside were two screens, one playing her Cut Piece film from 1964 and the other, an updated version from 2003. In the earlier, she is young and seemingly vulnerable, the later one, older, wiser and quite formidable. Even though I had seen it before, it was fascinating to watch.

Beyond that was an area with many chess sets in white for anyone to interact with. This installation dates back to 1966 and the theory is once you being playing it is difficult to work out which piece belongs to which player and competition stalls.

Through that room was another of found family objects including what I guess are a pair of Lennon's glasses. I am unsure whether they were THE glasses, but given all the pieces were covered in a bloody red/brown pigment it was rather powerful. It sent shivers down my spine and brought a tear to my eye.

The other side was a room with posters, books, ipads with music, screens with moving images. Whilst in there listening to Double Fantasy on the ipad, they showed a clip of Yoko accepting a Grammy in 1981 for the same album when it won album of the year. I think I had seen the clip before, but such power and emotion, it was a lot to take in.

Many more pieces of found art and photos were displayed along a corridor before more interactive pieces.

Luggage and wire trunks were either side of a lovely writing table with pencils and pieces of paper. You could write where you wished to go and add it to the trunk.

Then a long and very full wall dedicated to mothers, again you were encouraged to write a note to your mother and add it to the wall.

At the end of the corridor was an installation of upturned war helmets, with pieces of peace jigsaws in them. The pieces of peace were blue skies with drifting clouds, an ongoing motif in her work, you were encouraged to take a piece with you to help build a new sky for the future!

  

Beyond that some amazing bronze pieces, including Endangered Species 2319-2322, I was really attracted to the beauty and melancholy of this.

Then double back to the peace wall, a wall of maps of the world and various places within it. A table was nearby with stamps in a jar. the stamps had IMAGINE PEACE on them in many different languages and you could put your stamp of peace on the world.

She also had a collection of pencil etchings, they were very eye catching.

The most remarkable piece is hard to describe, and will sound odd no matter how I do describe it. It was a room with a painted wall of Japanese calligraphy, and doors seemingly suspended filled the room at surreal angles. Each door had small handwritten messages of peace and love if you looked closely enough. 

The wall opposite the calligraphy had a long ledge with bottles of water filled all at the same level. On each bottle was a hand written label. On the label the name of someone famous (or infamous) who had died. The theory is we are all reduced to water and thus all the same. I was really drawn to this room and didn't want to leave, it is difficult to describe.

The love and peace and world views of Yoko are inherent in every piece, there was of course much more than I have described. The range in style and time periods she has been creating in was remarkable.

I felt very lucky to have seen the exhibit, it is difficult to explain how powerful it is, but it's a must see if you are in Sydney.

And don't forget to go up to the MCA roof and see the wishing trees Yoko donated, add your wish, and have a look at the amazing views of the harbour.