I'm Going Where?!: Art History, Galleries, Family Dinner, and Babies

Yesterday started off with class on Australian art history. It was really interesting! Lorraine, our professor, spoke about various artists and how European art greatly influenced Australian art, even though some people believed that the Aboriginal art style should be incorporated before creating an Australian style. We talked some about symbolism and how artists differed when choosing to focus their pieces around landscape, social aspects, etc. After class, Kate and I headed back to the apartments, and I read and relaxed before we all headed out to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, to which I led a big group of people (woo!). There, we saw a lot of the same works that we were shown on the powerpoint in class. It was really interesting seeing the actual sizes and textures of the paintings, which we couldn’t pick out on the powerpoint. There was also a contemporary art wing and an entire floor devoted to Aboriginal art. The Aboriginal wing was being redone, however, so we couldn’t go in. The contemporary art was interesting, but I never feel like I actually understand any of it. There was one interactive piece that required that you go inside a dark room and close the door behind you. It looked like an unfinished closet in a basement, and there was a wooden staircase that led up to a locked door. I’m not sure that we were supposed to climb up it, but we did… oops?

After the museum, Kate, Lianne, Kara, Sarah and I went back to the apartment and cooked a homemade meal! We bought a rotisserie chicken and made beans, peas, and Mexican-style rice, and we had leftover guacamole with corn chips. It was delicious, and the first real homemade meal I’ve had for a couple weeks. I ate so much! Then, we stayed up and talked around the dining table for three hours or so when we realized that it was almost midnight. We had a great time bonding!

This morning, I headed to Bondi Junction with Kara to attend an information session with Birthing Rites Australia, which is an organization that promotes a very wholistic approach to pregnancy and childbirth, and provides support for families through midwives and counseling. It was really interesting learning about Australia’s system and about how pregnant women are treated and cared for, which seems to be remarkably different from how we do it in the United States! On the way back, we walked through a really cute produce market that also had some really cute dresses. I was tempted, but I kept my distance. Kara and I took the train back to Central and then walked back to the apartments because it’s such a beautiful day! We passed dozens of clothing shops and boutiques, which were adorable! If I want to do some shopping before I leave, I now know where to go! We also passed the most precious bakery, and we decided to buy lunch instead of make it. I got a small veggie pizza and some cinnamon donuts, and they were delicious! Next door, there was a really cute coffee shop that we want to stop into some time. There are so many places to visit!

This evening, some of us are going to try to go to the Sky Tower to take advantage of the view. I’m not sure it’s going to happen, but I hope it does! It’s a lovely day, and I really want to do something!

This artist matched each color with a note on the musical scale so that the paintings would create a "harmony".

This was the first piece of abstract Australian art, and it was extremely controversial. I really like it!

Our professor, explaining a painting of Martin Place, which is just outside this gallery! These buildings are still standing, but the square is no longer recognizable because there are skyscrapers behind it!