GOMA + QAG

Today was an Amanda day.
I went on a date with myself.

That sounds very enlightened and adult and everything, except that I had initially planned on going with a friend - but she got held up having way too much fun with a date.

And also I didn't feel very much like an adult due to the fact that I had to wear a scarf to hide a giant hickey on my neck.

Nonetheless.

I started off with a magnificent haloumi sandwich and a long black at the QAG Cafe. Then moved on to the GOMA to see the Hiraki Sawa exhibition. Which was so amazing. So simple. But so ... meaningful? Broad? I don't know. I could have stayed in there for an hour at least. (I didn't - too many people got in my way).

Then I walked around some more exhibits - Japanese Art since 1989 was very interesting and beautiful. I think I'll have to go back to make more notes, but the themes and ideas that have been played around with would never occur to me. I loved it.

And then I headed over to QAG and looked around the Madonna Staunton exhibit.

• Amazing early abstract stuff- her understanding of colours is amazing
• The collage work is suprising - I mean, it all seems so accidental, but ends up making very strong statements...
• The assembly piece that was fixed on the wall was awesome: 2 folding chairs attached to a canvas frame (sans canvas), with a piece of wood that had obviously been used to prop up paintings (splatters of colour haphazardly across it, dripped), and a hidden vinyl cover. It is so simple, and yet it invites you in; asks you to participate.
• The smaller pieces made on September 11th 2001 were amazing too. Just ink on paper, with impressions of her hands and arms. 

Finally I wandered into the Australian Art section - just the 40s-70s section.

• James Cant - the Lunch Hour 1945. Very striking. Big message, under layers of deep colours.
• Geoffrey Miller - Forrest and Trees in the Moonlight: oh my goodness. I need those prints. Exquisite use of line and colour and so very careful, but not tight.

In the end I spent about 4 hours there, and it was just lovely. I find when I go to an exhibition with someone else, there is always a reflexive sort of self-awareness: have I been looking at this for too long? I don't understand this - what if I look dumb? Have a skimmed over this too fast? Are they bored?

On my own, I was entirely able to look as long or as little as I wanted. And because the galleries are in my city, I can rest assured that if I want to return to understand something better, or look again, I can. Easy.

Plus - bonus: I wrote a poem with random thoughts that occurred to my during my time there. As ever, it says more than I intended it to. So I like it.

Gallery of Modern Art - 11 January 2015

The art is behind you, Amanda.

Come to an image by its words
and forget the context. Come to an image
by your tongue.

Come closer to see yourself in the glass
and step back to see better, the contrast.

Your shadow is pressed on the paint,
your thumbprint stain.

We’ve stumbled into a room
full of safety pins, reclining and open
in expectation of pin pricks blooming blood -
tuck in your thumbs.

It isn’t safe, after all.