"Australia": Australian Art at the Royal Academy.

In spite of Waldemar Januszczak's embarrassing remarks (Sunday Times Culture Section, 10 November 2013) , I am really looking forward to seeing the Royal Academy "Australia" exhibition later this month.

Waldemar choses to have another go at the Australia show as part of his review of the V and A's Chinese Painting exhibition (until January 19). Does he just have a bee in his bonnet or is this a symptom of an inverted cultural cringe?

This is what he has to say about "Australia":

"Over at the Royal Academy, the awful Australia show has taken a pasting for trying to condense a mere 350 years of Australian art into a single event. And that was Australian art: shrill, provincial, unbacked by tradition".

Waldemar complains that he is banned by the Chinese authorities from visiting China, because of a film he made in 2003. "Let me in!" he cries.

He'll be lucky if he manages to obtain a tourist visa to visit Australia, either!

I'll try to see both shows. It's not often I go to London these days. Some critics really try to put you off.

See 22 September posting

30 April posting

1st October posting

Book Launch and Seminar, King's College, London, 13 November

AUSTRALIAN BEAUTY: ABSTRACTION, IMMANENCE AND THE AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE

Location K6.63  King's Building 13/11/2013 (18:15-19:30)

All welcome, no need to book. For queries contact menzies.centre@kcl.ac.uk

Social Issues in Australia:

Aljazeera TV Discussion on Aboriginal Australia