Category Archives: DecorativeArts

Here Comes the Bride

Posted on July 4, 2019 by maryannadair

Australian crepe wedding dress (1953) made by Violet Cocking (nee Dowey) who had resided in North Street, Castlemaine, prior to her marriage to Stanley Cocking in 1924. The dress was inspired by the gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II upon … Continue reading →

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Heads Will Roll…

Posted on March 16, 2019 by maryannadair

Here is a “Heads Up” on three different artists who have headed-up in the name of art. Sarah McConnell ‘Dropped Heads‘ (2008) [Ceramic 140 x 80 x 18 cm overall] from Access Gallery exhibition, Bayside Arts & Cultural Centre in … Continue reading →

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I Found it at the Dock

Posted on February 9, 2019 by maryannadair

Barbara Rowe artist and Melburnian Docklands resident, uses material found throughout the Docklands area for her art. Rowe has also taken inspiration from the immediate surrounds to produce these woven forms. Harbour Ball (2012-13) palm inflorescence. Found: Harbour Esplanade. Technique: … Continue reading →

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All the Camp Dogs Sing This Song

Posted on January 12, 2019 by maryannadair

Ku (2012) [Natural ochres with acrylic binder on milkwood] by Garry Namponan; and Ku (2012) [Natural ochres and charcoal with acrylic binder on milkwood] by Roderick Yunkaporta. Garry Namponan (born 1960+) is a Ku (camp dog) sculpture artist, home is … Continue reading →

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I Can’t Quite Get the Hang of It

Posted on November 28, 2018 by maryannadair

[Elizabeth Newman: Untitled (2013) cotton thread on canvas] Elizabeth Newman was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1962 and studied at the Victorian College of the Arts in the 1980s. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions and more than twenty … Continue reading →

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Kiss Me Tootsie and Then Do It Over Again

Posted on October 31, 2018 by maryannadair

[Untitled (1990) glass sculpture by Toots Zynsky] Mary Ann ‘Toots’ Zynsky was born in Boston, Massachusetts on 25 March, 1951.  She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence (1973). During her studies, … Continue reading →

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Cake Stool or Fake Stool?

Posted on October 20, 2018 by maryannadair

[Above: ‘Cake Stool‘ (2008) by Humberto and Fernando Campana (Designers) and Estudio Campana (Manufacturer) from Sao Paolo, Brazil.  (Made from soft toys, steel, and canvas).] Brazilian designers, “The Campana Brothers” are Humberto Campana, (b. 1953) and Fernando Campana, (b. 1961).  … Continue reading →

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Katnjupayi Benson | A Tale of Two Sittings

Posted on October 10, 2018 by maryannadair

Katnjupayi Benson (Ngaanyatjarra) born c. 1933 comes from Papulankutja (Blackstone Community, 300 kms west of the Western Australia (W.A.), Northern Territory and South Australia borders); and spends time between Blackstone and the Docker River communities. She began to make baskets … Continue reading →

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Rucker’s Musical Ruckus

Posted on August 29, 2018 by maryannadair

[Two-manual harpsichord by Andreas Ruckers, Antwerp (ca 1628) inscribed Joannes Ruckers] The Ruckers family were harpsichord and virginal makers from Antwerp in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Their influence stretched well into the 18th C and to the harpsichord revival … Continue reading →

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The Spring Cycle

Posted on August 18, 2018 by maryannadair

[Above: Spring Cycle by Wen Jun (mixed media) 2013]. This colourful artwork is in the form of a pedicab, which was once commonly used as transport in Chinese cities. Painted in the traditional Spring Festival style, the eight paintings on … Continue reading →

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A Bit of Hanky Panky

Posted on June 30, 2018 by maryannadair

“Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases – So Trap Them in Your Handkerchief.” A handkerchief also called a handkercher or hanky, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square and made from thin fabric that can be carried in the … Continue reading →

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You Must Be An Angel | I Can See It In Your Eyes

Posted on June 27, 2018 by maryannadair

Deborah Halpern (born in Melbourne in 1957) is a public art sculptor, mosaicist and ceramic artist. Halpern lectures and conducts workshops in ceramics in Melbourne. Her parents Sylvia and Arthur Halpern, were ceramists and artists and two of the founding … Continue reading →

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Hard to surpass the class of this glass

Posted on May 9, 2018 by maryannadair

French glass artist Émile Gallé was born in Nancy, 8 May 1846 and is considered to be one of the major forces in the French Art Nouveau movement. Gallé was the son of a faience and furniture manufacturer and studied … Continue reading →

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Dare To Wear Ogilvie’s Jumpsuit With Flair

Posted on April 18, 2018 by maryannadair

FLAIR – From Salon to Boutique, Australian Fashion Labels Through the ’60s (The Ian Potter Centre, National Gallery of Victoria Australia, 2013) This exhibition rekindled some of the magic of the psychedelic ’60s era. Named after the fashion magazine Flair, the … Continue reading →

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Scusi, Venice the Next Vaporetto to Murano?

Posted on March 24, 2018 by maryannadair

Murano Glass is a famous product of the Venetian island of Murano. Most Murano glass art is made using the lamp working technique, where the glass is made from silica, which becomes liquid at high temperatures. As the glass passes … Continue reading →

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