National gallery Australia

I met up with friend Gerry Silk for lunch and we had a coffee in Fed square (deploring the plans to open an Apple Store there) And before lunch at Young and Jackson's and the Chloe portrait, we went in to the national gallery 

From Gerry's Facebook post I realised she had never been there before, She said she not keen on modern art but we wandered 3 exhibits and had lively commentary 

These works are from Del Kathryn Barton an Australian artist, who won the 2008 and 2013 Archibald Prizes

This exhibit is called The Highway is a Disco

Her work is  renowned for her highly intricate and distinctive hybrid forms and kaleidoscopic portraits

 

Not knowing her name I looked up the Archibald prize wins 

In 2008 (I was away that year) she won with a self portrait  

You are what is most beautiful about me, a self portrait with Kell and Arella

In 2013 she won a second Archibald Prize for her “sincere, deep, generous and creative” portrait of actor Hugo Weaving.

Triennial: Guo Pei

Guo Pei Legends was an exhibition of this Chinese designer's elaborate creations.
Guo Pei’s couture was launched on the international stage in May 2015 when pop star Rihanna wore her canary yellow fur-trimmed gown to the Costume Institute’s annual gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The designer’s 2017 spring–summer couture show in Paris, Legend, was inspired by her encounter with the Cathedral of Saint Gall in Switzerland leading her to spend the next eighteen months designing a bespoke fabric with haute couture fabric manufacturer Jakob Schlepper.

Amazing embroidery on the train of dress

This has been made of gold weaving thread she found in an antique shop 

The ceiling Mural of the Cathedral

Fabric printed in design of the ceiling 

The shoes were amazing 

Feather fringe

Tulle petticoat of dress 

A balloon dress

Around the Globe in Sixty Minutes

Today I went to my last of the Pop Up Globe performances An hour long play.

Around the Globe in 60 minutes 

The Plot

1643. Ever since the first Globe Theatre burnt down thirty years ago, the second has been the most sumptuous theatre in Europe. But now it stands empty. Closed by order of Oliver Cromwell, the puritanical leader of the parliamentary forces fighting King Charles I in the bloody English Civil War.                     

A stand in Oliver Cromwell Even reading from script was fabulous!

Davenant and his work experience Servant disguised as a woman for an audition for his play

For playwright William Davenant, (Calls himself D'Avengnon) favourite of the King, con man and once regarded as the heir to Shakespeare (rumoured even to be his son??) this means a sudden end to his livelihood.

Cromwell had all the Groundlings down to pray!

The seductress LOL!

The only way Davenant can re-open the Globe and restore his fortunes is to offer to write a propaganda play for Cromwell. But the only way he can finance the project is to get the King to pay for it…

The Play "Snakes on a Plain"

The Queen and Davenant

 She was asking what you call the people standing "Munchkins? Bogans? Collingwood supporters?"

One part of the dialogue had Davenant's wife telling him this was a chance to do great things...

We have the chance, to turn the pages over. We can write what we want to write
We gotta make ends meet, before we get much older. How long can we look at each other
down the barrel of a gun? You're the voice, try and understand it, Make a noise and make it clear"

The play in full swing With both the Queen and Cromwell taking part!

John with Davenant
A hoot of  time 

A Day at the Cricket

I had the chance to go with Sue to the Boxing Day test and spent 2 relaxing days taking in a slow test match.

A sea of yellow supporters

Lots of waiting around 

The slips

This was a new one on us!

Bowler in flight

Lunch break activity

future cricket stars

Returning form lunch 

OUT!

Drinks

Not Australis best  days 

Cook in Action went on to get 2nd century