Style
Getting Dressed to Kill for Bill – Bill Cunningham New York
This story is all about photographer Bill Cunningham in the here and now and, about how and why he has become a living national treasure on the streets of one of the world’s most exciting cities, New York.
Perfecting The Blow Dry
As a hairdresser, the one question I am always asked is “how do I get a salon finish blowdry at home?” Here are my top tips to make styling so much easier. I believe the key to a fabulous blow dry is a great base. In this I mean a quality haircut, so the style [...]
Weary Thought Hat Emblem
Renaissance goldsmiths were often trained, not only as jeweller and goldsmith, but also as painter and sculptor. Allegorical designs were incorporated into decorative devices and used in many ways including as an enseigne, a type of badge worn on the hat or cap of a man of prominence. The charm of such an emblem is [...]
PostModern – Pursuing the Past to Attain the Peak of Chic
Postmodernism (1970-1990) ranged from fashion to folly, from the luxurious to the ludicrous, from theory to theatre as it spawned out of control consumerism. It also grew a corporate design culture, which became encircled by money, wealth and power. Stylistically and realistically it all had to come to an end. Finally it collapsed under the weight of its own success.
Women of Influence – Painter Angelica Kauffmann
As far as women are concerned the Age of Reason in the eighteenth century was inappropriately named. This was a period when the role of women, especially in a professional sphere, took a retrograde step. Private salons hosted by wealthy and powerful women reached the height of their influence at this time with many voices raised in favour of women’s rights, but usually to no avail.
Alexander the Great – God, Legend, Immortal on a Grand Scale
There has been much written about Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) since his death. Hero, adventurer, King and conqueror Alexander has achieved legendary, ‘godlike’ and immortal status on a grand scale.
Napoleon’s Desk – St Helena to Sydney, a Story worth a Smile
That someone in the Antipodes would end up sitting at, and using the same desk as he did would have given deposed French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte great cause to smile.
Portraits – Restoration to Revolution & the Age of Romance
Portraiture, established as a genre in England during the sixteenth century, became part of a national ‘persona’ style during the eighteenth century
King Charles II – Restored to Rule Britannia Gloriously
King Charles II (1630 – 1685) was responsible for putting in place new rules for the preservation of excellence in the arts. He so successfully revived local tradesmen’s skills, that in a remarkably short space of time they began to exceed their continental counterparts, achieving new heights of technical skill. Together he and his noble peers would become arbiters and rulers of taste who observed universal rules of classical proportion in buildings and in the making of every conceivable article from a silver cream jug to a sedan chair.
Art Nouveau – Was this Style More than a Tendril in Time?
At the turn of the 20th century Europe was inspired by the style Art Nouveau as artists and architects produced sensuous, sinuous lines far more eloquent than words
Portraits – From The Middle Ages to Restoration England
Portraiture is a language of expression with its own grammar and vocabulary. During the fourteenth century paintings of individuals were given a third dimension
The Arts in the Next Decade in Australia – Ideas & Outcomes
Helping to shape savvy citizens for a bigger society will be a business of the arts sector during the next decade. Australia is a creative nation, but there are tough times ahead and arts organisations will continually need to convince the public of the benefits they provide.
Recycling Grandly – Pre-Loved, Vintage and Antique Pieces
Holiday periods and long weekends give everyone opportunities to catch up on jobs left undone, or pleasures denied. A favourite pastime in our family is hunting for that special piece of furniture waiting to be recycled grandly
Women of Influence – Noblewoman Diane de Poitiers
If beauty was accompanied by intelligence those who used both attributes skilfully seemed to have been the most successful. Fifteenth century beauty Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566) was considered an ‘ardent feminist sure of her own worth – and a child of her time’. She had all the attributes, plus a strong will and a great strength of purpose. These were both very necessary skills for survival in the world of political intrigue that surrounded the court of the last medieval and first Renaissance King of France Francois I whose court was the envy of Europe.
Antiques & Art, Culture & Commerce for Breakfast @ Tiffany’s
One of of the most enduring shows on television since the end of 70’s is about antiques and art. It’s all about finding out if an object is a valuable antique or a worthless copy from someone able to decode its message and decipher the truth about its authenticity and origins.
Castle – He’s Armed, She’s Dangerous and Together, a Classic
Award winning ABC production Castle’s two main characters won the American TV Guide Favourite Couple for 2011. They enjoy close encounters of the murderous kind.
Asides
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Shanghai Scenes
Explore the delights of the burgeoning Shanghai arts scene, including the visual arts music, dance and literature.
