Friday 7 March 2014

Friday Five: Enlightenment.

I have mentioned before (about this time last year, funnily enough) how much I like the Enlighten Festival that Canberra puts on. Having wiffled on about it previously, I think I shall just highlight my top five architectural projections for this year.

5 Architectural Projections:
  1. The National Library is currently exhibiting Mapping Our World: Terra Incognita to Australia - the terrific collection of cartographic treasures is highlighted in the images on the walls of the building.


  2. The National Portrait Gallery exterior features animated designs which chase each other across the face of the building. One short story relates the theft and recovery of a precious artefact.


  3. The National Gallery of Australia follows up last year's outstanding Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition with works from Gold and the Incas: Lost Worlds of Peru. All of these images are fabulous, but obviously I like the one with the cat best.


  4. Old Parliament House provides a canvas for a number of cartoonish and surreal presentations. They are bright and colourful and some feature kangaroos.


  5. Parliament House displays projections of past politicians, national artworks and events of extreme importance (the signing of the Magna Carta) but my favourite is the wordscape of the constituencies that comprise the current government.

Tuesday 4 March 2014

My Newest Favourite Thing: Cate Blanchett's Opal Earrings



Yes, this one is very specific. But look at them - they are gorgeous! Cate is a beautiful women and an incredible actor. Her performance in Blue Jasmine was excellent, and her Oscar deserved. Her frock was a knock-out and her acceptance speech was divine, with all the right thanks to all the right people, mixed with a delicious blend of humour, self-deprecation, patriotism and gender politics.
"For so bravely and intelligently distributing the film and to the audiences who went to see it and perhaps those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the center are niche experiences. They are not. Audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people."
But mostly, let's look at that outstanding aural bling. They are made by Swiss jewellers Chopard with 62 white opals, and pavé diamonds set in white gold. Simply stunning.