arts

Review: ‘The Lovers’

René Magritte’s Les Amants (The Lovers) (1928) is a wonderful allegory of the ‘Love is blind’ adage. It is one of four artworks similarly composed, with different poses and backdrops. Each has the same image of two veiled lovers. Magritte has a flair for creating surrealist pieces with deeply evocative tones and simple themes.  The La Trobe regional gallery in Morwell, Victoria, was fortunate enough […]


‘Show Me the Way to Go Home’: the short, splendid career of Mavis Ngallametta

Some paintings look impressive from a distance, others entice one to step closer to explore the details. Mavis Ngallametta’s remarkable large-scale works manage to do both, luring one in for a closer look, much like a fairy tale book with magnificent illustrations. ‘Show Me the Way to Go Home’ is a magical exhibition that showcases […]


Lana Lyric – a look that captures attention

By day Lana Lyric is a security professional, training security officers around the globe with a file hosting service. By night she is an artist in the music industry (as well as a performing artist, music producer and sound engineer) with her own company, working on her music as well as producing other artists’ work. […]


Dr Feelgood drummer Kevin Morris is an emotional rock

At 63, Dr Feelgood’s leader Kevin Morris still tries to thrash the drums as hard as he did when he joined the band in 1983. He seems reluctant to pass the torch to a generation either unwilling or unfit to wrest it from him. “We carry on touring because we all love it,” he told […]


Hipster-cool comes to the suburbs

Hipster trend no. 54 – open a café in a previously uncool suburban shopping strip, add some bare brick and graffiti, offer simple but appealing and well-cooked fare, and voila – you have a bustling hipster-cool business. Hipster-cool has come to the semi-rural eastern Brisbane suburb of Gumdale in the form of Cement. It’s so […]


More than lines on a page – the power of drawing


Prepare to have your appreciation of drawing stretched beyond comprehension when you visit the Sunshine Coast University’s Art Gallery current exhibition, showcasing works from the Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award. The light, open space at the gallery is filled with a collection of travelling works from the Grafton Regional Gallery. So much more than lines on […]


Crowds flock to film and video exhibit

If you’re itching for something out of this world what could compete with travelling back in time with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image? Australia’s national museum of film, tv, video games, digital culture and art is in Melbourne’s Federation square. Screen Worlds is an exciting and free new exhibition at ACMI showing the […]


How to make a monster

Artist John Cox’s exhibition at the Gold Coast Arts Centre, How to Make a Monster, is a winner for family-oriented fun. The colourful, interactive and slightly scientific exhibition offers a unique insight into the intriguing world of animatronics. The first hall of two is home to the Academy Award presented to John Cox’s Creature Workshop […]


Make thyme for this five-star buffet restaurant

Thyme2 Interactive restaurant, Brisbane CBD This buffet-style restaurant is located within the Sofitel Brisbane Hotel, and as you would expect from a five-star hotel, the décor and atmosphere as you walk in are just beautiful. The buffet selection includes a variety of cheeses, salads, sushi, a brilliant selection of fresh seafood including Moreton Bay bugs, […]


Art or just a crock of s—? Both!

Hidden deep in the bowels of the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart is the Cloaca, known as the Poop Machine to fans and critics alike. It was designed and built by Belgium man Wim Delvoye who wanted to recreate the human digestive system as close as scientifically possible. The monstrous machine […]


Stunning display of best photojournalism

A striking image of African migrants raising their phones to catch an elusive signal took out first prize in this year’s World Press Photo contest. The image, “Signal”, is on display at the New South Wales State Library in Sydney as part of a touring exhibition of the best photos. The year-long exhibition, which travels […]


Prado masterpieces bring the heart of Spain to Brisbane

The masterpieces of Prado take their audience on a journey of religion, mythology and sainthood in the Queensland Art Gallery exhibition “Portrait of Spain”. As you step into the largest most significant international loan undertaken by Madrid’s museum, Museo Nacional del Prado, you feel as though you are stepping through the corridors of Madrid. Dr […]


Photo exhibition tells of the horrors of war

A mother comforts her injured son. The scene echoes the Christian iconography of the Pietà – Mary holding a crucified Jesus. Except this mother and son are inside a mosque. On display at the Brisbane Powerhouse as part of the 55th annual World Press Photo exhibition is the Photo of the Year for 2011, taken […]


Review: Bitter Greens

Kate Forsyth’s novel Bitter Greens interleaves the scandalous life of Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de la Force (1650-1724) with Persinette (“Little Parsley”), her retelling of Petrosinella – the first published Rapunzel tale – by Giambattista Basile (1634). Mademoiselle de la Force changed the ending to have the prince’s eyes healed by Persinette’s tears and to redeem […]


Festival to focus on urban design

Brisbane’s inaugural urban design and film festival will be launched tonight at the State Library of Queensland. The design festival called U.R.(BNE) will focus on Brisbane’s public spaces throughout May. The Films project seeks to raise the awareness of urban design and the built environment and generate a greater interest in architecture, public spaces and […]


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