Apologies for the lateness of this week’s newsletter and posting. I’ve been in Bangkok for the city’s first-ever Biennale and – aside from an insanely busy schedule – I didn’t have a reliable Internet connection. In addition, the mail box associated with the site filled up for the umpteenth time and couldn’t be emptied. So if you’ve tried to send an email to john@johncmdonald.net.auand had it bounce back, please be patient. It’ll be business as usual within a day or two. In the meantime, you could try jmcdonald@artistprofile.com.au, the address connected with Artist Profile magazine, where I’ve taken on a role as principal writer.
I’m writing at least two pieces every issue for AP, with the next issue due out in November. When the website gets revamped I’ll make a section for those pieces, but will delay until each new issue is published.
I hadn’t been in Bangkok for a long time so it was amazing to find the city’s skyline studded with futuristic-looking buildings. It probably shouldn’t be that surprising because every major city in Asia is starting to resemble Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. The Biennale was a lively affair, on the ambiguous theme: Beyond Bliss. Director, Apinan Poshyananda, had the idea of putting a range of emerging Thai artists alongside the biggest names he could secure in world art. From Australia, that meant Fiona Hall, which seemed a pretty sound choice.
The art column remained in Sydney this week, featuring the new exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery: Supernatural. It’s a show about nature, not about ghosts and witches, but nature transformed by Chinese industry and imagination. There have been White Rabbit shows with greater impact, but every exhibition at this venue has been a quality production. What’s heartening is the number of people going through the gallery nowadays. Those who once said: “Why should we be interested in Chinese art?” have discovered there’s nothing more interesting in the contemporary realm.
There are eight sculptors from Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts exhibiting in this year’s Sculpture by the Sea, which has just started at Bondi – reliably bringing storms. Instead of being doom-laden about the drought, rural communities should commission an installment of Sculpture by the Sea. It’s a sure-fire way of bringing rain. I’ll be talking about the Chinese artists at the SXSconference at the Opera House on 5 November.
The film being reviewed this week is A Star is Born– which turned out to be much better than expected. Bradley Cooper makes a creditable debut as a director, and Lady Gaga is just perfect for the role of the ugly duckling wannabee who becomes a superstar while her once-famous boyfriend and mentor goes on the skids. It’s a tale that Hollywood never tires of reinventing, from one generation to the next. With most remakes the quality only tends to plummet, but every so often a film comes along that makes one feel there’s still some quality work being turned out by the old dream factory.