Symbols

I have just been to a retrospective of Julia Morison’s work that I found inspiring. It made me feel that I am where I should be, explained why I am here in this cool city where, though high summer, maximum temperatures are hovering between 14-17C.

It was an accident really that I saw the exhibition. I went to Modaks for a coffee and to paint but the parking spot I found was limited to 10 minutes so I just had the coffee and left. On my way out of town, which is 4 km from where I live, I found a 60-minute parking spot near the art gallery and stopped for a look. The Dunedin Art Gallery is one of the reasons I am here as I remembered how good it was when I was deciding where to do an art course. An excellent gallery says something about the environment it is in.

I seldom stay long in exhibitions but this one was different and I needed my hour.

Morison’s work is about the symbols we use in life and what they mean to us. She creates her own symbols and I was reminded of the symbols Schlingensief created for his Parsifal production. We all create our own symbols I suppose. In a way we create ourselves as well.