Here’s one of the most striking exhibits I enjoyed this afternoon at the Art Gallery NSW. It’s set of sculpted fruit bats hanging not from trees as per normal but from a washing line tree. There’s a lot of detail you can’t see in this little picture and it’s executed exquisitely. It’s from an exhibition of aboriginal art which made me realise that I have this stereotypical idea that it would stay the same for all time, rather than respond in a variety of ways to the culture of modern Australia.
It’s really arresting for all sorts of reasons, including its humour but also the fact that as you approach there is a phalanx of fruit bats staring at you. For me it speaks of boldness, unashamedness and quirkiness, something maybe I’d like to embody more in my work in future.
There were many other fabulous pieces of work there, if you’re in the area I highly recommend it.
