My eyeballs first fell out, then in love, at the Gallery of Modern Art.

Im a bit sad to say I visited this show on the very last day. In true style on my lonesome. Wish I had gone a little earlier ... give you, reader,  some kick in the ass enthusiasm to go too! But everything is always so much more pretty, interesting and meaningful when in retrospect. On Tuesday, I went to Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art. This is what I saw.

‘21st Century: Art in the First Decade’ exhibition highlights the Gallery’s extensive contemporary collections, and showcases works acquired over the past decade from Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North, South and Central America, Asia, The Pacific and Australia. Here is the exhibition blog which GoMA launched just for the exhibition : http://21cblog.com/ 

Highlights include: 

Yayoi Kusama’s installations Narcissus garden 1966/2002 and Soul under the moon 2002. Every Yoyoi work is kick ass!

(For local Brisbane readers, if you remember in the old Gallery, the Narcissus garden was installed into the interior pond. I will never forget seeing 3 adults and 1 child accidentally walk into the pond with all he steel sphere's. Funniest thing I have seen. I sat and watched the exhibitor for hours that day) I know now why they re-installed it in GoMA, without the water.

Stockholm-based artist Carsten Höller’s installation of two spiral-shaped slides in GoMA’s foyer. The slides allowed viewers to participate in the work – sending them hurtling from the Gallery’s third floor to its ground level.   It was pretty rad to see the oldies get more excited about the slide than the kids. The kids just got scared and cried ...  sweet baby jesus why isn't there more fun thinks like this in public spaces for us adults? God I love interactive art in galleries.

Oh and an artist that I adore, Chinese Australian Ah Xian. his life castings are ah -mazing. His work has been popping in and out of Galleries that I have been visiting ever since i was little annoying teenager. I want to marry, or meet him. 

So If you are coming to Brisbane - put this gallery on your itinerary - http://qag.qld.gov.au/ 

Follow GoMa on twitter > here

Oh and Starting yesterday until 5th June > Let their Be Rock http://qag.qld.gov.au/cinematheque/current/let_there_be_rock > showcasing a whole bunch of rock documentaries and feature films. Looks like a gem!

contact me if you require an artist credit list for all the images > joannethies {at} gmail.com

Now i'm off to crack my first coffee for the day then hitting the sunny streets in the most floral of floral dresses!

Enjoy your Saturday! x

Anzacs + Easter Eggs.

HUZZAH EASTER TO YOU READER!

 Australia has an unheard of 5 day long weekend. Its due to the Easter break and our Anzac Public holiday all falling in the same spot! The day the Australians landed on that beach in Gallipoli in the 1st world war was my Grandma's day of birth. I'll  never forget it. I read a story today about a Brisbane man who was shot down and fell to the ground in the occupied French Village > Villers-Sous_Prenyin.  The local French baker and grocer found him and hid him. The French were so wonderful to him. That seems like such a long time ago, but is only 3 generations away ... not long at all.

The break is for eating, drinking, sleeping in, hanging with the fam and friends, chocolate, constructing chicken kebabs for the bbq, drinking more beer and various other things, all good things. Its probably the first break I have had in about 2 years where i wasn't on my way to somewhere else, or somewhere strange and new. So it's nice to spend the time with no plans .... at all. 

I did these little doodles in my not book while waiting for a lift today. Have a sweet weekend! HORRAY! x

Thunder in the heart up on Castle de São Jorge.

No more Portugal pictures, I need to stop. I have too many and need to stop somewhere, so this must be the last. I could post on Portugal for months and months. My very last highlights here of Lisbon include finding a gun in Belem, spotting the best postcard I have ever seen (the dog smoking a cigar in a sailors outfit), Lisbon city lights and derelict delights in the daytime ... and  oh my god the undergarments. The plethora of undergarments wafting in the wind filling the alleyways! I will miss you.

While I was at the Thieves market in the morn, a burly hairy man yelled at me in Portuguese, his fist shaking in my direction after he spotted me taking pics of his collectables and wares (spot the blue blanket full of treasures!). I got a little scared. But I actually ended up buying a blue and white ceramic bowl from him for my mum. He turned out to be quit lovely actually. Gave me a sweet deal.

So, farewell my modest Lisbon lover!

Happy Weekend to you viewer! While I dream about my days in Lisbon, I'll really be sleeping, taking some snaps and drinking cold beers ALL weekend. HUZZAH!