14-15 September 2017, Melbourne, Victoria

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(There will also be a deluge of posts in the next ten days, then few or none for the following three weeks).

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The Australian Museum was near where we were staying in Melbourne so we went for a look.  What we didn’t anticipate was that it would be like a giant overloaded primary school (the attendees, not the exhibits).

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One thing that did intrigue me was these moving sculptures in an Aboriginal awareness section.  If I remember correctly they represented eagle spirits in the context of particular mythical traditions.

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Clearly a Japanese wall hanging but I didn’t record the details for this one.

The next day we headed first to the National Gallery of Victoria.  There was an exhibition Jools wanted to see so while she was doing that I did a quick tour of the gallery.  You can always click the images for a larger view though there’s no substitute for the real thing.

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Camille Pissaro, The banks of the Viosne at Osne in grey weather, 1882.

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Paul Signac, Gasometers at Clichy, 1886.

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Wolfgang Paalen, Possible Men, 1934.

 

Remojadas, Veracruz, Gulf Coast Mexico:  Warrior priest impersonating Xiutecuhtli, Early Classic AD 300-500 earthenware, chapapote (bitumen).

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Mexica, Central Mexico:  Standing figure, Late post-Classic c.1300AD, stone (Aztec).

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Cyprus:  Amphora (Bichrome IV Ware); Iron Age, Cypro-Geometric III, Cypro-Archaic I, 900-600BC, fired clay.

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David Teniers II, The Skittle Players, mid 1640s (Dutch).

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Down in the entrance hall is the Water Wall.  You could stand here all day and photograph it and the interactions with people that it shows.

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Fern frond.

Next we headed for the Royal Botanic Gardens.  When we were most of the way, there was a downpour.  We sheltered under a tree for a while and then made a dash for the entrance building.

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Bamboo trunk with calligraphy perhaps from an unknown bamboo civilization.

The rain stopped so we ventured out into the Gardens.

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Tree fern.

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We could be in England….

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Then the deluge started.  We happened to be just near the tea house and scurried in before we got wet.  It was a good place to be.

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We didn’t have to sit out in the courtyard.

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… but were able to wait it out until it cleared and we walked back to our inner city accommodation without encountering more rain.

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