Architecture
Jane Austen, Mr Darcy, The Regency and Vanity Fair – Part 2
Jane Austen’s Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice is constantly recycled so succeeding generations of young women continually fall for his fatal lack of charm
Jane Austen, Mr Darcy, The Regency and Vanity Fair – Part 1
English author Jane Austen lived in one of the most eventful, colourful and turbulent epochs in the history of England and Europe.
A Symphony of Stained Glass – Flight of the Egret
There are some in our society who are blessed with great creative gifts. Imagination is surely one, however it is one thing to have the ability to form images and ideas in the mind, especially of things never seen or never experienced directly, but quite another to connect those to the totality of real things in the world in order to convey knowledge or influence our perception of them.
Vitruvius On Architecture – The Art of Enclosing Space
Architecture is all about the art of enclosing space something the Roman architect and engineer Marcus Pollio Vitruvius certainly knew about. He lived in the years straddling the old republican Roman world and the new Empirical era and was a champion of standards, of strength, function and beauty.
England’s Aesthetic Movement – A Beautiful Cult of its Own
A 19th century Aesthetic Movement in England drove a generation of artists and artisans musicians and architects to create beautiful and thought provoking works
The Quest for Nature – William Kent and the English idyll
William Kent was an English architect interior designer painter and landscape architect who ‘leaped the fence’ and saw that all nature was a garden’
Windows, Opening an Eye to the World – Casements are Classic
The design origins of casement windows are based in European classical architecture and usually had detailed curved stone headers, deep overhanging classical cornices and, the French essential, projecting attic rooms.
Art of Living Well – Antiquity to a Residence Australia
Today our art of living well has evolved since antiquity in Europe to a residence in Australia through a diverse and special mix of peoples and their cultures.
Chinoiserie – Pavilions, Porcelains and Passionate Pursuits
By the eighteenth century in Europe and England all things Chinese had assumed incredible proportions as fashionable society sought to transmit their ideas about the magical land of Cathay through a multiplicity of imagery.
Peabody Essex Museum at Salem – Opening Windows on the World
A connoisseur, scholar and devout Buddhist, within the forbidden city Chinese Emperor Qianlong created a luxurious garden compound to serve throughout his retirement as a secluded place of contemplation, repose and entertainment. When the city was shut down following the Chinese revolution of 1911 – 1912 many of its treasures gathered dust for a century. Now, through a great deal of international cooperation and negotiation they have been conserved and sent on tour.
The Culture Concept Circle – You Tube Channel
On our You Tube Channel you will find our mini-documentaries, which provide an insight into the evolution of art, design, music, fashion and style.
Nonsuch Palace – Henry VIII’s Favourite Heaven, or Haven
Nonesuch Palace Henry VIII’s favourite haven was a heaven on earth according to excavations carried out by archaeologists 1959-60 of the site where it had stood
The First Emperor of China – Seeking the Mandate of Heaven
Today the first Emperor of China’s terracotta army has no battles to fight, but rather it seeks to win the war for China about culture as art. Should they be displayed in an ‘art’ gallery or in a Museum whose premise is about presenting stories of cultural development and history.
Architectural Heritage – Integral to Cultural Development
The intellectual ideas of every period in world history have always been reflected in its architecture. It is important we consider well the consequences of the decisions we make in tearing down our living heritage, even in regard to modern buildings of great merit.
Reading, TV and Music Choices for Festive Season 2011/2012
Riveting reading, considered DVD watching and beautiful music listening are all great can-do activities for the festive holiday season, as are long walks each day. This is the time of year we all need to recharge not only our body batteries, but also refresh our mind, spirit and soul.
French Country Style – Provence and joi de vivre
Unpretentious, warm and welcoming, the interiors of Provence today reflect the heritage of Provencal life and the Provenceur’s enjoyment of the simple pleasures of life; the sharing of good food, the local wine and the art of good conversation.
Asides
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Shanghai Scenes
Explore the delights of the burgeoning Shanghai arts scene, including the visual arts music, dance and literature.
