Oct 24-Gallery Opening

Today went by so fast. The guy who came to fix the lock sounded like Oleg (a dear friend) so I asked if he came from the Ukraine . He was very surprised, said yes but most people ask if he is from Soviet Union or Russia. I told him about Oleg and he laughed, said , still to pick up accent is good. I could listen to him talk all day. I liked the way he spoke to his helper who is learning the trade, very patient man.
So once that was out of the way I started the eggplant. When the heck did that dish become so complicated LOL Oh the things we forget. By the time I peeled, sliced, breaded and baked the eggplant the day was half over,but  the kitchen smelled wonderful.
Dinner stayed warm while we attended the art Gallery opening. The Corban Estate Arts Center is an old winery, steeped in local history and a wonderful place for an art center.
I wasn't overly impressed by Jane Thomas and her paintings of children..they were painted in underwear  or bathing suit, sad looking and Rainer agreed with me that it looked like a display of sexually abused children. Very painful to look at actually. I was happy to see my interpretation was shared and I heard similar whispers. Carol Bisset on the other hand was light and happy with her use of recycled things and the use of light to reflect childhood memories. Not all shared my delight but hey..... That was in the Barrel Shed.
We then went to another building and enjoyed Judy Darragh's WALK THIS WAY (which always makes me giggle. Remember Bride of Frankenstein?)

Did I mention it was a floor sculpture ? She also had paintings on the wall which had the inner soles from old shoes and sneakers. It was a fun display. Her art uses discarded junk.
Odysseus was supposed to be loosely based on the ODYSSEY. Very loosely as in "Huh?" The Odyssey is kind of a love story..well to me it is, with the ultimate happy ending. All the bad people die and all the good people live happily ever after. Elliot Collins should have just named his work Odyssey as in a Journey. I took no pictures of this work but one was several tiny little ships done in enamel..Okay, journey? Ships? I get it.(cost $2250) Then there were wooden poles hanging from chains. The bondage of  Odysseus perhaps?(cost $3400) Then something that resembled the wheel of fortune word board.(Cost $6000).a framed photo of an empty sea..The journey perhaps...but not for $2250.The last was a print of a NZ marine chart, framed..cost $1800.
Moving on..my absolute favorite.In Absence is all that is left behind, artist Robert George captures the interior landscape of the human mind through large scale moving images and sound. He creates a space in which the waking mind gives way to the unconscious mind, where dreams, memories and symbolism take over.

Robert was there to explain his thoughts and technology and he was charming. His piece was breath taking in every way.

The awaken screen was too bright for the picture to show. This is all done in moving pictures. The left was the awakening and the right was the dark (or death and rebirth) Hard to explain but beautiful to look at. That man is Robert George, the creator of the piece. NZ is a cultural  feast. There is always something, some show, some exhibit of one of the many cultures that make up the fabric of NZ. It isn't just beautiful scenery and tourist traps. It's a wonderful experience , a delightful walk down the road  into many different and unique traditions.

Hope you enjoyed this day as much as I did. My eggplant was delicious so the day was a complete success. See you tomorrow.