Dutch Masters

Dutch Masters Exhibition

When? 24 June to 2 October 2005
Where? National Gallery of Victoria
Cost? 15 bucks.

Info at: National Gallery of Victoria

Went to the Dutch Master exhibition at the gallery today with Karen, Sara and her friend Annie (or anne.. ?)

It was really wicked. Why?

At first there was a lot of typical portaits, much like the mona lisa. The attention to detail was immculate and every stroke of oil to canvas is immaculate.
Problem to me was the subject matter. The transcrib boxes said some things like "...given a erotic connotation" and it was just a lady looking at you doing nothing explicit. Maybe that's how "erotic" was back then, i don't know.

All i know was i didn't care too much. After seeing 10 odd portraits my enthusiasm slowed. So i tried concentrating on the stuff around the figures or how the subjects were positioned. Nothing. Colours were dull, lifeless and same could be said for the expression. My feedback: Rich 16th century blokes and gals smiling while a professional artist worked their magic. Once again the actual painting ARE amazing... i started to question how free these masters were able to work... seeing as their works did not hint signs of self concept, aspirations and interpretation.

I started to understand they worked much like in Star Wars, apprentice and master so much of the masters technique and "eye" was handed down to the pupil limited self-thought.

But i said this exhibition was wicked didn't i?

As the exhibition went on, the world of these masters opened up. Landscapes, using the flawless eye captures the life of commoners, towns, buildings right down to the last leaf on a tree. I could actually "feel" myself in a world that is not remotely close to modern times... beyond the sea merchants and rich pompous men with their family (going back to the portraits).

They were farmers, the buildings were crude and some works it seemed as though man and mother earth lived as one as there was no works depicting war and conflict (even though i'm sure this occured but the artist chose not to do this.) Facinating.

Self concept? The gallery answered my question as these artists thought about the value of their science and technology fabricated ingeniously with human skills, realising that death is a part of this "balanced" world.

Go see and feel this experience.

8/10.

---

Life is Beautiful.

Masterpiece. Perfectly written, directed and acted. Reminded me of "Caberet" from an italian flavour with the subtle insertion of the Nazis but no music and no Liza Minelli (music i don't mind, but liza minelli? God i hate her)

The story follows Guido (i think? Translation might be wrong) a man, a father and a jew in the time of nazi occupation in italy.

His imagination, creativity and charisma are the ingredients that kept his family bonded together one of the world's darkest eras.
It a movie that brings back the theme of "love conquers all" without the corniness and crap we are fed by hollywood.

Humourous and heart wrentching. I won't watch this movie again because i cannot bear some scenes that will rip me into pieces. Truly powerful.

A must see.

9.5/10

----

I will be updating Karen's visit in the seperate post since there will be photos and all that... I'm outties.

-Jay