Melbourne Places » Federation Square

Australian Made: 100 years of Fashion at the Ian Potter Centre, Federation Square

Melbourne — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:02:09 +0000

This is an exhibition of frocks from 1855 to 1960. It is interesting to see how design and fashion has changed over those 100 years. Especially when you think it reflects enormous social and lifestyle changes for women.

Day dress 1865-1870 sold in Geelong

The exhibition focused on where the dress was made and sold – that is what department store retailed it.
What I missed was how they were made especially those from the 1850s. Very elaborate garments with tucks, ribbons, bows, flounces, puffs etc. Who cut the patterns and what sort of sewing machine sewed with such intricacy? How much was done by hand?

Handmade dress 1850s

We know that one garment was made completely by hand. When you look at the frock and think about that, it is awe inspiring to consider the skill and time needed. You would also need good eye sight – although I’m sure people wore glass in the 1850s.

We know that in the 1950s dressmakers used tissue paper patterns – they can still be seen in op shops and at markets but how did they cut the design in 1850s – the same way?

The bodice of a wedding dress 1907

It is interesting to note that the 1950s fashion was more restrictive and formal that that of the 1920s. The 1920s garments are free and fun whereas the 1950s are designed to a ‘female figure’ with emphasis on the waist and full skirts with stiff petticoats.

1950’s day dress with stiffened petticoat

A disturbing item in the exhibition is the cape made of platypus fur. I worked it out that several of those charming beings gave up their life to make this cape.

Cape of platypus fur 1890

There is also a glass cabinet of accessories with descriptions of each one.

Perhaps the success of an exhibition is that when you leave you want to know more – your interest has been roused. I want to know more about the early frocks and how they were designed and how they were made. I want to know what the very early sewing machines looked like and easy they were to use.

What:-Australian Made 100 Years of Fashion.

Where:- The Ian Potter Centre: NGV, Federation Square

Opening Hours:- 10.00am to 5.00pm daily, until 23 Jan 2011

Admission:- Free

Rupert Bunny Exhibition – The Ian Potter Centre – Federation Square – CBD

Melbourne — Thu, 13 May 2010 09:24:25 +0000

Rupert Bunny is an Australian Artist who having been born here in Melbourne left for the cosmopolitan world of London and Paris. You can imagine how different life in Europe was at the beginning of the 20th century to life in Melbourne or any Australian city. His paintings depict it.

Rupert had grown up in an affluent household and learned to speak French and German fluently. He became much better known in Paris for his art than in the country of his childhood. He made a good living in France.

The exhibition at the Ian Potter Gallery at Federation Square is a very comprehensive look at his work, covering the different styles that evolved over the years

Rupert Bunny has become a news item over the last few weeks. His exhibition opened at the Ian Potter Centre in Federation Square and a painting of Rupert Bunny’s that was stolen 19 years ago was found in a house in East Malvern and was seized by the police during an early morning raid. The painting is called Girl in Sunlight and it belongs to my favourite era of his paintings – the Belle Epoque - meaning beautiful era

He excelled at painting beautiful women in beautiful frothy clothes showing a graceful and languid life style with a background of colour, texture, light and warmth from the Belle Epoque period.

These are the paintings I enjoyed. These are the paintings I bought post cards of. The NVG shop on the ground floor has a French inspired display in their window and you can buy a rose or poppy parasol/umbrella.

Those of us with a touch of the Francophile in us can’t resist.

A bag decorated with poppies is just another beautiful reminder of that time and place in history.

Here is an example of a completely different style that he painted. It reminds me of some of the Indian miniatures I have seen.

Rupert Bunny Exhibition:-
The Ian Potter Centre
Federation Square
CBD Melbourne

Opening Times:-
10.00am to 5.00pm Daily
The Exhibition lasts until July 4th

Admission:-
Adult $15.00
Concession $12.00
Child (ages 5-15) $7.50
Family $42.00
NGV Member $7.50
NGV Family $21

Mary and Max Exhibition – see their miniature world FREE at ACMI Federation Square.

Melbourne — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:18:32 +0000

Mary and Max! Did you see the movie ‘Mary and Max’? It is an animation classic that tells the story of two unlikely pen pals. Mary from Mt Waverley Melbourne is 8 when she writes her first letter to Max. He is a chubby 48 year old Jewish man with Asperger’s Syndrome living in fast paced New York. It is a story about friendship.

Mary

Max

The letters cover 20 years of their lives and as the film progresses you become part of their lives. If you have seen the film the miniature world you step into at the Mary and Max Exhibition at Melbourne’s Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is full of friends.

You don’t have to have seen Mary and Max to find the exhibition fascinating. It gives an intriguing insight into how such animation movies are made. If you have ever wondered what happens behind the camera this is the place to find out.

Mary at home.

Max at home
You walk into a darkened gallery – a little disconcerting until you realise that this lack of light enables you to see the audio visuals. These bring you up-to-date with the story and show all the behind the scene activities that went into making the film. There are interviews with the crew who describe their part in the process and take you step by step through their jobs.

The process is painstaking and exact. The models and all the props like the old typewriter are perfect.

Max typing his letters to Mary

There are the letters that Mary wrote by hand to Max, the toilet in Max’s home that has the old chain-pull. I could go on and on. It is intriguing and it held me entranced for a long time. With this new insight and knowledge of how it was all put together I plan to see the film again. It is out on CD and available at all Video Stores.

Mary’s pet rooster Ethel.

Information:-

Mary & Max: The Exhibition Runs until 6th June 2010 at the ACMI Gallery 2 Federation Square.

Getting there: Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne. Follow the signs to the ACMI. There are usually volunteers just inside the door to direct you.

Opulence and Food, the Melba Room at The Langham Hotel,CBD

Melbourne — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:49:55 +0000

It’s a weekday and you have time on your hands and you’re hungry? One way to spend part of the day is eating in the Melba Room at The Langham Hotel, 1 Southgate Avenue, Southgate.

The Langham Hotel overlooking the Yarra River catching the last rays of the day’s sun.

This hotel used to be called the Sheraton Towers. It retains the sophistication, service, stunning entrance foyer and has an easy welcoming ambiance.

The Melba Room hosts a buffet luncheon every day. It is at the top of the Grand curving staircase that has a centre fountain which takes your breath. The feast is an extravaganza and it is well worth missing breakfast for.

I was there to celebrate a birthday. We had booked a table by a window that looks onto the Yarra River.

At one stage clouds came over and the skies darkened, “How cosy! How wonderful,“ We exclaimed. We gazed onto the river with the rain spotting it and watched people along the Promenade scuttling for cover. We relaxed in our comfortable chairs and wondered what to eat next.

I am the first to admit that there is something rather uncouth about a buffet. My group behaved as if we hadn’t eaten for a week. Other groups did likewise. There was a group celebrating the end of a year twelve commitment. They were very dressed up and sophisticated but they couldn’t resist the temptation to pile their plates and then go back for more and more.

This can be a leisurely feast. Start with soup, three choices, then move to the seafood and fill your plate with oysters, prawns, crab and a choice of mayonnaise. That just gets you started. A couple of year twelves had several seafood courses before they progressed. They mentioned this to me as I was wondering about more prawns.

That is the beauty of it. You can make your whole meal of prawns and oysters. But why would you when there is every variety and mixture of food possible including Japanese? A Japanese chef is there to help you make choices.

The desserts are interesting and the chef knows you are going to want to try everything. Mini, individual servings are produced of dozens of items. Rather like mini works of art.

There was coffee and cheese and biscuits to finish.

The quality of the food? It did vary a little but I loved the Japanese, the seafood and the curries and also the breads.
We plan to return for another celebration.

A very different light fitting hangs over the Japanese food.

Times:
The Melba Room starts serving luncheon at noon, the hot food is removed at 2.30 and the restaurant closes at 4.00 to prepare for dinner.
Costs:
Monday to Friday is $47.00 with a reduction for senior card holder of $4.00 and on Monday $8.00
Prices in the weekend are higher with no concessions:-
Saturday $69.00
Sunday $75.00
I understand that the prices will go up nearer Christmas when they provide a special Christmas menu.
It is suggested you book especially on Saturday and Sunday when it can be very busy.

Getting there:
The Melba Room, The Langham Hotel, 1 Southgate Avenue, Southgate 8696 8888.

You can enter from The Southbank Promenade along the river or it is just off St Kilda Road, in Southgate Avenue
Trams:
Any tram that goes to Federation Square or Flinders Street Station will get you there.
If you take your car there is valet parking.

Peace and relaxation in the Tropical Glasshouse, Melbourne’s Botanical Gardens, St Kilda Road,

Melbourne — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:27:45 +0000

Your’re in Melbourne’s CBD and you want time out – peace, time away from crowds and the concrete jungle and some tranquility? How about the Botanical Gardens and in particular the Tropical House?

The Melbourne Botanical Gardens are at the edge of the CBD – walking distance if you are feeling energetic or a few minutes on a tram – see below.

As soon as you open the sliding doors and walk into this heated Glasshouse the atmosphere changes. You may say of course it does but you don’t expect the feeling of peace that comes with it. I expected warmth but not the peace. Warmth and peace may go together and perhaps that is what happens when you walk into that heated space.

The air is heavy and slightly damp and perhaps that is why it is relaxing. It quietens us. We start to speak in soft voices almost whispers and we notice the people around us are doing the same. We walk gently and we slow down. There is a background hum of machinery that goes on and off. You do notice this as it changes from on to off and then a bit later on again, but it is still peaceful.

As you enter there is a free pamphlet that directs your viewing of the plants. These are described as ‘vital plants’, that is vital-tropical plants that effect our every day quality of life,for example coffee, rubber and cocoa are identified by numbers. The pamphlet gives you interesting information about each of them. For example did you know that Attila the Hun demanded 3000 pounds of pepper in ransom for the City of Rome in the 5th Century. It’s probably not information your are ever going to need; just something to file away.
More useful, perhaps, is the information that a pineapple plant can produce a pineapple every year, for up to 50 years. Now that plant is a good investment.

Paths wander through banks of greenery and overhead foliage. There are splashes of white flowers and every now and again a dash of a bright coloured flowers. There are some strange and wonderful plants, too.

At the far end of the glasshouse water runs over rocks and splashes into a fish pond complete with fish. There are benches to sit on while you absorb the atmosphere of water and the tropical forest.

The Botanical Gardens are open from 7.30 to dusk every day of the year and the Tropical House or Glasshouse as it is called on most of the signs around the gardens is open from 10am to 4pm.

How to get there:

Any tram from Federation Square that runs along St Kilda Road as far as the Domain Road Intersection, or if you want to get off in Domain Road and enter from there catch the No 8.

The Tropical glasshouse is at the Domain Road end of the gardens but you can wander into the gardens anywhere along St Kilda Road and you will find good signage leading you to the glasshouse.

Remember it is called the glasshouse – there’s nothing about the tropical plants.

Beautiful glass at the Kirra Galleries Federation Square CBD

Melbourne — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:10:51 +0000

Every month or so I drop into the Kirra Galleries in the Atrium of Federation Square to catch their latest exhibition.

This gallery is full of wonderful and magical glass. It specializes in Australian Glass and we’re not talking wine bottles and chunky water glasses, we’re talking delicate and whimsical designs made from hot glass by glass artists. When you look at these works of art it is hard to believe that these artists use the same material that makes that empty vodka or wine bottle you chuck into the bin.

The exhibition at the Kira Gallery at the moment is the work of Nick Mount one of Australia’s leading glass artists. It runs until the 16th of August when it will be replaced with another exhibition of amazing glass sculptures. The Kirra Galleries are all about glass.

These photos were taken from the Atrium looking into the gallery. They give an idea but you need to see each piece individually. There is a ‘no photographs’ sign at the entrance to the gallery and felt I should respect that.

Since I found this gallery I have come to love their exhibitions. The glass can be so mesmerizing. Its beauty and fragility feeds my senses. I need to keep getting the fix.

Nick Mount’s work is an example of what I’m talking about. It is breathtaking with clear vivid colours. But there’s no magic in the titles. They’re named rather prosaically. The big red one in the front window is called ‘Scent Bottle Combination Piece’ and it has a number because there are many pieces with the same name.

This one, my favourite, is called ‘Bob in the Landscape’. Such a dull name for something so beautiful. I have gone back to look at this piece a couple of times and I would love to know who buys it and where it is going to hang. I thought of a large vestibule but it would need to be high up or you would have people wanting to touch it and fiddle with it……I thought of my place, there is no harm dreaming but there isn’t a spot that comes to mind that would show it off. Where do you hang these beauties other than a gallery?

The gallery has a shop next door selling smaller glass items. Creations that you would find a place for in the home. I have bought several presents here. You don’t have to spend a lot to get something unique. For example there are some charming glass earrings.

Getting there:

The Atrium in Federation Square opens off Flinders Street. This is the easiest way to access it but you can enter from the main square.

Kirra Galleries opens from 10am to 6pm every day. Check out their web site here

Explore the Books @ the Fed Square Book Market CBD

Melbourne — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:10:05 +0000

A regular Saturday Book Market is held in the Atrium of Federation Square from 11am to 5pm. There are over 5,000 books displayed at a variety of stalls that command the entire floor area of the atrium.

It is a great place for a market – warm on a cold winter’s day and cool in the height of summer and it has got atmosphere. The books create a welcoming and relaxing vibe – ideal for browsing. You can browse. No one pressures you to buy.

There are books on Oriental art, poetry classical literature, music. One stall specialized in Russian literature while another has Australian books. There are stalls for children’s books. I saw an elderly lady buying a very vintage copy of ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by L.M. Montgomery. I got an instant head picture of her going home reading it and reliving a period of her childhood. The book was first published in 1908.

It is a good place for a trip down memory lane. It’s the place I find books that I had always intended to read and then forgot about and books I’ve read and loved and want to dip into again. I found ‘Justine’ by Laurence Durrell. A book that gripped and fascinated me as a teenager.

Then there are those books that grab your attention. How can you resist a book titled ‘Espresso with the Headhunters’ by John Wasser. This unlikely title is about a trip through the jungles of Borneo. With an espresso machine? The blurb doesn’t say

If you want your own espresso or latte without the Headhunters the market is surrounded by cafes.

It is a friendly market, the books easily accessible for browsing and the stall holders knowledgeable. Most of the novels are priced about $8 to $10 and all books are in good condition.

The market will be held on every on every third Sunday of the month for a trial period. This is happening at the moment and will go on for an indefinite time. The same time as Saturday – the Atrium Federation Square, 11am to 5pm.

John Brack @ the Ian Potter Center, Federation Square, Melbourne CBD

Melbourne — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:04:08 +0000

The Ian Potter Center in Federation Square is a great way to spend a damp and misty winter’s day.

The Atrium Ian Potter Centre.

This wonderful space houses part of NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) . This Gallery shows only Australian Art – which, as far as I know, makes it unique in Australia. Take one of the lifts to the galleries.

There are permanent exhibitions in NGV such as Indigenous Art and selections from the Australian Collection. Then there are special exhibitions. A year or so ago I saw one of Margaret Preston’s work.

At the moment there is an exhibition of John Back’s works. The collection is wonderful, spanning works from all periods of his working life.

The NGV shop’s John Brack display and you can buy postcards etc of his works and of other artists.

My favourite paintings are his suburban ones. These were mainly painted in the late 1940s and 1950s and are painted in browns. I’m not sure what that says about Australian Life at that time but it does conjure up a fascinating atmosphere when viewed all these years later.

These are two of my favourites.

The ground floor of the Ian Potter Centre, the atrium, is a huge open space available for exhibitions, market-style stalls and entertainment. There are also permanent retail outlets selling exciting Australian craft work and design.

Something is always happening in the Atrium.