Oh well

We flagged Hallelujah Chaos in the end, opting to stay home and watch Rose's new Stan Brakhage DVD instead. This was kind of foolish, seeing as they were on for only one night and we could watch the DVD anytime, but hey. What we watched (by no means all of it) was very good (you can find out more about him here). I thought it a bit unfortunate that the back cover read, 'Brakhage pioneered the art of making images directly on film itself––starting with clear leader or exposed film, then drawing, painting, and scratching it by hand.' Um, sorry guys, but Len Lye was doing that at least 20 years earlier.

I don't see the need to make ridiculous and untrue claims about someone when they can stand on their own perfectly well. The City Gallery is currently doing something similar with Rosalie Gascoigne. They've got a big promo thing out the front of the gallery that proclaims she is 'Australia's best known New Zealand artist'. What a load of bollocks. She moved to Australia at 26 and didn't start making art until she was in her 60s. Her work's very much influenced by the Outback, which is where she lived. New Zealand's got nothing to do with it. It's just another sign of our cultural immaturity. But then the City Gallery does tend to be piss poor. The catalogue for last year's Shane Cotton show still isn't out. The show closed in mid-October. It's a disgrace.