What was the most interesting story in the book?
I like the story where they spotted him (Monet) painting in the snow.

Did you have a favourite painting in the book and why?
I liked Rough weather at Étretat (Gros temps à Étretat), 1883, because it looks like the people are standing on clouds.

Can you remember a fact about Claude Monet?

Monet was an artist and he lived on beans.

Which drawing of Pierre (the bird) was the most fun?
When Pierre was wearing sunglasses and eating ice-cream. Fun.

Complete an activity from the book and tell us why you liked it.
Making paper flowers was cool. They really opened up and I made a movie of them.

Monet’s Garden: A Book for Kids is available in the NGV Shop and all good bookstores for $14.95.

The history how this painting of mine came about in 1993  spans four decades.

As a student I advanced my painting skills by copying  the painters of the Renaissance and the Flemish School. Later I was influenced by German Expressionism. After a short abstract period I was strongly influenced in the 70′s by the art of tribal people. A cancer scare brought me closer to nature in my work. From then on for a period I painted flowers and birds in a romantic imaginative style which was contrasting with the bulk of my other work of strong, fauve-like images.

At the time of my Monet painting I had already adopted a strong geometrical style reflecting modern technology and its impact on our contemporary world.

From then on I alternated images executed in a symbolic and fantastic language with nature related motifs, which were rarely painted in situ but mostly taken from other references.

I came across a photo in a magazine that featured a black and white photo of Monet in his garden. As an artist who relies totally on imagination it was natural for me to fill in the colours in my own way and I consider it as homage to Monet.

The current exhibition moved me deeply, because now that I live in the country I can sympathize more with Monet’s constant love and involvement with his intimate environment. The viewer might also detect the veils of colour over which more expressive brushstrokes float and take on a kaleidoscopic rhythm of light in nature.

The NGV is hoping to acquire a dressing table which is of the same model created by de Feure for 1900 Paris World Fair and was manufactured around the time of the original displays. The form of the dressing table features the organic-inspired, whiplash curved lines which are a signature of French Art Nouveau furniture. This will be the first work by Georges de Feure to enter the Collection and will make an outstanding addition to our holdings of Art Nouveau design. Assistant Curator, International Decorative Arts,  Matthew Martin, tells us about the importance of this acquisition.

How much Art Nouveau furniture does the NGV currently have in the Collection?

Whilst the NGV has rich holdings of furniture in the closely-related, but slightly later, Viennese Secessionist style, there are currently no examples of French Art Nouveau furniture in the Collection.

How important is the Art Nouveau movement in relation to the development of Modern furniture?

Originating in Belgium and France, the Art Nouveau style represents the first self-consciously modern design style. Art Nouveau designers set out to create a new style which made a clear break with the past and reflected the needs of a modern person living in a modern world. It was also the design style where the debate about the relative merits of handcraft and machine production reached a critical juncture, paving the way for industrial design, a foundation of twentieth century modernism.

Are examples of Art Nouveau furniture design easily found in Australia?

European Art Nouveau furniture is rare in Australian public collections, with only a handful of works across the country.

How important is this acquisition for the NGV Collection?

The absence of a fine example of Art Nouveau furniture is a major gap in the NGV Collection and impairs our ability to tell the story of the development of modern design in the twentieth century. This dressing table will rectify this omission and allow us to better represent this extraordinary moment in design history.

The National Gallery of Victoria needs your support to acquire this important work of art. Please click here to make an online donation.

Departing from the ornate gilded frames that defined the Salon works of their predecessors and most of their contemporaries, many Impressionist painters began experimenting with simpler frame shapes (or profiles) that were finished with painted, stained or raw timber surfaces and which lent their works an unmistakably modern feel.  Illustrative of the care that some of these artists took with their frame designs Edgar Degas documented his picture frame designs in a sketchbook, while the preferences of other Impressionist painters can be reconstructed from letters between the artists and their dealers, or through the close examination of early exhibition photos.

Sadly, only a few of these artist designed (and occasionally artist made) frames remain as the majority of these works were reframed by various collectors and dealers over the course of the previous century.  Nevertheless, in the lead up to the Australian Impressionists in France exhibition, the NGV Frames Committee (jointly comprised of conservators and curators) has been working hard to help rediscover the possible framing styles preferred by artists such as John Russell and to reproduce credible versions of these frames with the aim of best representing the paintings as the artist may have intended.

I count myself lucky to be a citizen of Melbourne; at my leisure I have multiple reasons to pop into the NGV with my family.  And these little power visits are perfect bite sized experiences that keep us wanting to come back for more.

Charlie (age 4) and I visited Robin Rhode: The Call of The Walls and can report back that there really is something for every age in this exhibition.  The first section of the space is dedicated to the more interactive aspect of Robin’s work.  On one wall we see the collaborative piece done with local school children (as well as the giant crayons on display and a video record of what took place) and on the other wall we are presented with the opportunity to contribute our own “mark”.

It didn’t take too much encouraging for Charlie to take up the challenge of drawing on the walls… really for most of us this is something we just never do (unless we are being naughty).

The room is filled with worktables sporting crayons and booklets reflecting the work on the walls (so you can also create your own take home artwork).  The center of the room is dedicated to beanbags and a projection of work by Robin.

Enter the second room and you are presented with a more traditional gallery experience – artworks on walls, more stop motion animation and so on.

Our guest blogger, Kate Nelson, writes meetoo.com.au, a website where you can find individually reviewed activities, classes, events, playgrounds and school holiday programs for children and families.

National Reconciliation Week was initiated in 1996 by Reconciliation Australia to celebrate Indigenous history and culture in Australia and foster reconciliation discussion and activities. It is held between 27 May and 3 June each year. The dates that signal the beginning and the ending of Reconciliation Week hold special historical significance. The former marks the anniversary of the 1967 referendum in Australia and the latter marks the anniversary of the High Court of Australia Judgement on the Mabo v Queensland case of 1992.

It was not until the National Referendum of 1967 that Aboriginal people were given the same legal rights as other Australians, enabling the federal government to assume responsibility for Aboriginal people and allowing them to be counted in the census.

The historic Mabo Judgement of 3 June 1992 established that the Meriam mir people of the Torres Strait hold native title over Mer (Murray Island). The ten year fight was led by a Torres Strait Islander from Mer, Edward Koiki Mabo. This judgement transformed the legal framework of Australia, setting aside the then existing legal fiction of terra nullius — that Australia was land belonging to no-one when the British settlers arrived in 1788. The judgement opened the way to other claims from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders based on their historic and traditional connection with their land.

Join Judith for a talk on Wednesday as she describes the Dreaming associations and Ancestral narratives related to fire, water, earth and wind that are explored in the current exhibition in the Qantas Airways Indigenous Galleries.

On 26 May every year, ceremonies, marches, speeches and presentations are
held around the country to commemorate Sorry Day, the day on which
Australians express regret for the horrible mistreatment of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people, and in particular the forced removal of
Aboriginal/TSI children from their families. This day gives people the
chance to come together and share steps towards healing for the Stolen
Generation, their families and communities.

On Sorry Day, I will talk about what ‘stolen children’ means, some examples of how they were stolen from Melbourne itself, and where we are now in terms of compensating for what happened and what needs to be done in the future.

Floor Talk: Sorry Business

26 May 2013, 3:30pm

Free entry

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square
Indigenous Art, Qantas Airways Indigenous Galleries
Ground Level

We asked Ronnie a few questions about his experience working on the  Top Arts 2013 publication and his advice for young writers.

1.    Can you tell us about the process of authoring this publication?
My job was really to figure out each student’s story. It’s interesting to hear about processes. My favourite part of the process was trawling through the minute details of what went into each artwork because the artists had usually tried so many ideas before they landed on something that worked.

When you’re writing about these processes, you really need to hang them off a story. I needed to figure out what each artist wanted – their motivation -– and show how the quest to make an ideal artwork was really a quest to answer some deeper, more personal question. It helped that the artists were so articulate about why they were making this art; they’d clearly spent a tonne of time hunting around within themselves.

2.    What surprised you about the students’ work?
I wasn’t surprised by the depth of engagement or the variety of the ideas I encountered – teenagers are brilliant thinkers, which we know. What absolutely blew me out of the water was the advanced SKILL on display, the raw technical firepower. Since when can people paint like that before they’re 50? It’s criminal.

3.    Do you have a favourite work of art in the publication? Which artists do you think are worth keeping an eye on?
My personal favourite was Michelle Zhong, because I have a soft spot for line drawings. At The Lifted Brow, where I was Editor and Publisher for five years and nowadays am Art Editor, most of my job involves commissioning line art – so I see a lot of great stuff, but a lot of average stuff too.

Michelle has a great philosophy underpinning her practice; ultimately, she just wants to entertain herself with whatever she draws. Somehow the free play has led her to create these incredibly rigorous works, with lots of little motifs – like a personal mythology – strung through.

4.    Do you have any advice for students who wish to become writers?
There’s only so much you can teach someone who isn’t writing every day – it has to be regular and you have to be producing a lot of it. You get a better grip on sentences the more you use them. Raw experience is the most important thing.

The Top Arts 2013 publication is available in the NGV Shop for $19.95
Visit the Top Arts 2013 exhibition page for more information.

Being the Tops Arts 2013 intern was a really valuable learning experience. Not only did I gain indispensable skills and experience for my future career but I also go to encounter what goes on behind the scenes at the Gallery. I was given tours of sections of the Gallery I never knew existed – the labyrinth of departments downstairs, the curatorial department with its treasure trove of art books and our office where I had my own desk. A highlight was seeing the conservation department where I was shown a recently restored triptych by Rogier van de Weyden and taught about the conservation process.

Tops Arts 2013 was a great exhibition to work on because there is always a wide variety of artistic talent on display, including photographs, paintings, drawings and installations. It was lovely to meet many of the artists who were exhibiting as they were just as excited as I was to be involved. I am very grateful to Jess, Erin, Jemma and Liz for being so kind, helpful and entertaining as well as the Gallery for giving me the fabulous opportunity. I already miss walking through the Great Hall each morning on the way to the office.

Certainly very pretty, these shoes were displayed in the ‘Exposition Universalle de Paris’ of 1867, which was a trade show which featured the very best that French industry and commerce had to offer. These four pairs of dress boots were made in the same basic style – an ankle boot shaped with a slightly pointed toe and a Louis-style heel – but created in different materials. It was common practice for winter boots to be made out of velvet or heavier materials, while summer boots were made of lighter materials.

Startlingly narrow, these shoes represent the fashionable ideal for small feet which lasted from the 1830s to the 1890s. It’s also likely that their impossible slimness prevented them from being able to be worn, which has allowed them to remain in near perfect condition.

Romance Was Born
Outfit, 2008 {Garden of Eden Collection} 2008
V
Crocheted Food Covers

Image: Kate Longley and Zoe Allnutt from Wardrobe V Pantry couldn’t decide if they liked fashion or food more so they just stuck ‘em together.

The funds raised go towards maintaining the collection, which is based at Labassa in Caulfield.

It’s my very pleasant task to price the clothing for sale on the basis of era, condition, style, fabric and designer label. It’s a highlight of my year, and while I want to take a lot of it home with me, they won’t let me. The best pieces must go to those who queue up early on the day.

Arriving the morning of the sale, Saturday 16 March, it all looked very impressive: the Como House ballroom is a glamourous venue and it makes everything look sumptuous. In one room was a grand collection of haberdashery from the ‘20s and earlier but it’s to the frocks that I go first.

This year there were some exceptional ’20s and ’30s gowns, plus some Victorian and Edwardian pieces – rumour has it that the ABC Phrynne Fisher costumers bought some pieces for the next series.

Currently I’m on the hunt for cotton print ’50s dresses, especially with full skirts – I can’t get enough of them. There were four, and I quickly snapped them up along with an adorable cotton Hawaiian and tiger print swimsuit by Cole of California. I’ve been looking online hoping to find a vintage ad for the style, but no luck so far.

I also fell in love with a late ‘40s small overnight case, like the one that Grace Kelly used to great effect in Rear Window (1954), it’s a small black box lined in red with compartments for my nightie and toiletries: perfect for a modern vintage shop owner with a sense of romance. After wishing everyone a good sale, I rushed off to my own shop, opening late and hoping no one minded – and returned the following day for the end, when everything was half price.

I found a few more items for my collection including some brand new early ‘50s shoes, a ‘60s wedding dress by South Yarra label ‘Bazaar’ and a cute early ‘70s Prue Acton set with a quirky apple and worm print.

Nicole Jenkins

www.circavintage.com.au

Akira Isogawa
Singlet 2005 {spring-summer}
v
French Lavender Brownies

Working class girl

For many of us the iconic white Bonds athletic singlet top conjures up images of burly sun-bronzed Aussie men and working class roots. This classic Australian garment was first introduced in 1920 and went on to inspire the ‘Chesty Bond’ character, logo and cartoon strip.

This rather more feminine interpretation was one of a collection of nine Bonds tops designed in 2004 for Akira’s Red Label 2005 spring-summer collection. As a diffusion line, the red label offers more casual interpretations of Isogawa’s Black Label range. Re-contextualising ready-made items and vintage elements in his designs is a signature of Isogawa’s approach to fashion design. Here, the plain white cotton rib singlet is decorated with a large vintage inspired panel of floral embroidery.

Isogawa’s work generally sits outside of standard Western tailoring traditions. Garments are loosely structured and inventive, and often reference aspects of his Japanese material cultural heritage. Many of Akira’s early collections are characterised by a soft, layered aesthetic that includes the use of vintage fabrics or a play of textile and colour contrasts. In recent years, Isogawa has explored the use of particular textile techniques and motifs such as hand-beading, shibori, orgami, digital printing and screen printing for decorative effect.

Katie Somerville

Image: Kate Longley and Zoe Allnutt from Wardrobe V Pantry couldn’t decide if they liked fashion or food more so they just stuck ‘em together.

Navy blue and white is never out of style.

Melburnians love classic dressing and fashion purists always have handsome navy and crisp white in their wardrobes as Leo Greenfield has observed.

Greenfield has identified how navy and white can be regal—as in this Karl Lagerfeld creation from 1987, with its tulip-shaped skirt bursting from a figure-hugging bodice—or appropriately understated for the street.

The horizontal Breton stripe, as worn by Melburnians in Greenfield’s drawings, was first introduced in France in the 1850’s and is sometimes called a matelot stripe.

Greenfield’s subjects are wearing simple T-shirts and dresses, ideal for everyday, but as style icons Marilyn Monroe and James Dean prove, the Breton stripe makes even the humblest garment eternally stylish.

Emily Power

fashionistasguide.com.au

Image: In the guise of fashion illustration Leo interrogates street culture and imagery and posts these drawings regularly on his blog www.leogreenfield.com.

Paco Rabanne
Evening dress c1973
v
Champagne

Golden girl

Fashion designer Paco Rabanne adored his ladies in all manner of things. In the 1960s it was tiles of paper, metal or plastic. Often large and outlandish, some say his designs were the reference in was the subject of the wild pop-art fairy tale Who Are You, Polly Magoo? (1966), a film that presented a satirical swipe at the sixties fashion world and its excesses. By the 1970s Rabanne was designing dresses of gold. He shrank his disks and curved their edges linking the tiles to make shimmering metal cloth. Here, in Evening dress c.1973, metallic mesh transforms its wearer into a golden statue; a priceless and seductive femme fatale that channels Cleopatra, one of history’s most powerful and infamous legends.

Paola Di Trocchio

Image: Kate Longley and Zoe Allnutt from Wardrobe V Pantry couldn’t decide if they liked fashion or food more so they just stuck ‘em together.

Opening with vast red desert plains the mood for the eclectic cool began with Ginger & Smart’s Geometric prints and warm coral shades. Transitioning to frolicking flamingoes on Alice McCall’s deco inspired collection followed by the bohemian nomad looks unmistakably Tigerlily. Showing for the first time at LMFF was YB J’Aime by Yeojin Bae who’s collection took us for a walk through the designers strong tailoring sensibility and Michael Lo Sordo with moody lightning to kick off the first strong look of a turquoise coat and leather sleeves. Ksubi’s nod to religious iconography was somewhat appropriate to the current media on the Catholic Church.

 The models were rebellious with wet look waves and piercing turquoise eyes, flirty and cool for this independent women. The grand finale of LIFEwithBIRD  focused strongly on their vibrant print that is vastly becoming one of the hottest prints this season. Sophisticated and simple, this runway was for a modern uptown girl.

LMFF team

lmff.com.au

Piercing sound, lights hit, beat kicks in and the audiences attention was captured. The atmosphere was buzzing as we sat on the edge of our seats anticipating the first L’Oréal Paris Runway for 2013. Expecting only the best from the calibre of designers participating in the vogue.com.au presented Runway. Suffice to say we were not disappointed.

The energy, the drama, the art was all there amongst the likes of Josh Goot, Toni Maticevski and Willow, to name a few. Models impeccably groomed with slick buns and rouge lips transported us down the runway to the sounds of Jamie xx and Grizzly Bear. Across the showcase of Australia’s top designers was an edgy take on feminine yet sleek sophistication.

 Scanlan & Theodore’s powerful and sexy elegance juxtaposed agianst Collette Diningan’s romantic feminism Akiras delicate oriental infusion juxtaposed with Josh Goots bold sculpture silhouettes.

 Highlights from the Runway included an impeccable Toni Maticevski white gown, statuesque with volume in all the right places, embellished gold hip sculptures, Willow’s leather minimalist bodice dress with a metallic skirt, Carla Zapatti’s white Cape and dress and Josh Goots structured yet flowing a-line skirts.

Ultimately, the Runway was high impact, completely desirable and above all another seamless fashion moment for vogue.com.au.

RUNWAY 2

Don’t abandon your printed fantasies for monochrome dressing just yet, the L’Oréal Paris Runway presented by InStyle was thick with luxe fabrics along with graphic and illustrated prints. All of which were exhibited at the top of the runway enhancing the detailed artistry that these renowned designers distinguish themselves with.