Luminous World
Light.
Nuances.
Shadows.
Endless variations and spectra.
The perception and (dis-)appearance of contours.
Wavelengths.
The intersection of the spiritual and the mundane.
Enlightenment.
Seeing the light as the ultimate spiritual experience.
Light can be many things and exists in manifold incarnations, no matter if it is absorbed, reflected, transitioning or else to shape and bend our perception.
Luminous World is a beautiful tome that accompanied the exhibition of the same name and presents a compendium of different media ranging from sculpture via paintings to photographs with the common denominator being that they are based on how contemporary artists either use or revel in the phenomenon that is light.
Curated through the Wesfarmers Collection over three decades, it is interesting to see how perception and interpretation has changed throughout the years, despite chronological order not being the red thread as far as the arrangement of the book is concerned as the sequence follows more the ‘dusk to dawn’ principle.
It gets specifically interesting when our mundane spheres are left behind, and the respective artists takes a couple of steps back to look at culture at large and our cycle of life. The accompanying essays help to frame and embed the artworks as they add a philosophic angle and a depth that often inspired me to revisit some of the works.
Given that over fifty indigenous and non-indigenous artists and their works are represented, quite a bit of diverse territory is covered and there is a lot to discover – intellectually as well as in an experiential manner.
Light
Let’s stay on topic, shan’t we?
Compared to Luminous World, Light is more of a visual monograph to the photographer Christian Fletcher, whose focus is firmly set on capturing images that highlight the different facets the Australian landscape has to offer.
If you have ever had the privilege of experience the more remote parts of Australia and the awe they inspire, you would need no convincing to grasp that channelled through the lens of a professional with more close to three decades of experience, there is eye candy galore.
What Fletcher manages to portray is not merely the depiction of great motives, but his photography highlights the connection each and every one of us has with our natural surroundings.
Having honed his photographic skills in an analogue age, Fletcher has experienced the rise and evolution of digital media and perfectioned the interplay composition, colouring and post processing.
There is a lucidity to the photographs and Fletcher’s discernment elicits nuances that invite to reinterpret what we perceive to be set in stone.
Homemade
Anna Gare
Yup, Fremantle Press covers quite a range that goes beyond the realms of art, with accessible cook books being a dedicated category. Homemade is one of those ones that will make you hungry instantly as it is not only illustrated in an appealing manner but offers simple, easy-to-follow recipes that even the most luddite can use and modify to whip something palatable up in no time.
Anna Gare’s family friendly recipes are organised in a loose manner, giving attention to both sweet and savoury dishes with affordable ingredients that can be easily sourced and the way it is presented makes you want to get cooking straight away.
