Late night art

 

It was a latish night, late informed, run to the National Gallery and our new and most expensive art work.  It was an opportune outing, actually, and much enjoyed,  not so much for the art work itself, but for the late night crew that congregated there.  I have watched the conversation on this and I feel just a little informed having seen the perforated egg outside the SA Gallery, by the same artist and I think purchased under the same director.  Putting aside the price and thinking what could have been otherwise, I enjoyed the sight at night, lonely as it was, with first up a photographer with his tripod, then another photographer who talked of photographing the security guard, then the security guard himself, then an author.  Otherwise the night was cool and still and the traffic was limited.  I heard of a probable threatened graffiti job on the work by 2 blokes who sounded a little threatening, and how the police were there at very short notice (apparently several cars are located in the Parliamentary Triangle overnight so no surprise there).  And what the 12-hour shift is like and how Canberra is a wonderful, different, educated place.  So true.  And later chatting with Daniel O'Malley about his published sci-fi trilogy starting with The Rook while I promoted my album to be released the next day and thus art breathes art.  Back to Ouroboros.  It was a pretty sight at night, but I was surprised by the rough welds and jagged cuts and obvious internal cabling especially given the regaled hours of work involved, but maybe it's inevitable with stainless steel?  I dunno.  Would I have made that choice?  Well, I wasn't on the Committee but probably I wouldn't have but I am no expert.  I wouldn't have bought the tram, either.  I wonder if those who like the Turrell pyramid would also like the Ouroboros (and maybe light rail).  Neither are bad but I don't particularly like either: they seem to me to be simple ideas expensively created by people other than the artist.  But maybe LL defined the location and size of every hole so there are complexities I don't realise and then I think of Blue Poles and how we are so proud of it now and how that story is similar.  Or maybe I am just a laggard given my claimed collection favourite is a German Renaissance triptych despite enjoying much else when I visit.  Whatever and  regardless of the art, I certainly enjoyed the late night visit and the people I met there.

The Ouroboros by artist Lindy Lee is in a public space at the National Gallery of Australia.