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A guide to affordable art

The art world can seem intimidating from the outside, but buying striking pieces of art is one of life’s great pleasures and can transform a room instantly. What’s your style? Go and see as much art as you can to help determine the style you’re most drawn to. Look for student sales at art schools, auctions, antiques fairs and local galleries. Flick through art history books, go to museums and do some online research about any artists you like. Keep an open mind. When we think of art we tend to think of paintings, but look at photography and sculptures too. You might discover that’s where your art heart lies. Prints vs originals Many people write off prints as nothing more than posters, but a print is still an original work of art. The artist creates each print by hand, creating an original image on a surface such as wood, rubber, stone or metal, applies colour and then creates a print on paper. They make great entry-level art. Reproductions are more like inexpensive posters, and there’s nothing wrong with starting off with some posters you love, beautifully framed and well positioned. Original works are naturally the most expensive way to buy art as they are one of a kind. Imagine a best-selling author only allowing one person to own their book, or a director only letting one person see their movie. You are buying the art in its entirety: the idea, the craftmanship, the artists’ time, talent and the materials and any future gain in value. How do I make a good investment? Unless you’re planning to become a serious art collector, the most important two questions you should ask yourself when buying art are: do I love it? Can I afford it? Buying something in the hope its value might go up is risky. If there’s an emerging artist you like whose career trajectory seems to be on the up, then go for it and you might get lucky. But still don’t buy it unless you love it. Should I buy online? You’ll find an enormous choice online. Research the artist, try to see some of their work in the flesh before you take the plunge, and make sure you measure up so you know exactly the size of the artwork and whether it will look good in your space. How do I display it? If you buy from a gallery, ask them for framing advice or to frame it for you, or take it to a framer to make sure you’re making the most of it. Talk to them about whether UV glass would be suitable, to protect the art from sun damage. Always hang art at eye level and in a place where you will get the most enjoyment from it, and never in the bathroom where there’s too much moisture. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

Painting by four-legged Van Gogh sells for five figures

A very good boy named Van Gogh has raised a hefty sum of money for a good cause. The one-eared four-legged artist has used his extraordinary talents to create his own rendition of his namesake’s masterpiece Starry Night. At an online benefit auction for the <a href="https://www.happilyfureverafter.org/">Happily Furever After Rescue</a> in Connecticut, USA, pet food company Pedigree paid $10,000 for the artwork. The rescue home was the one that found Van Gogh his new forever home, after sharing his artistic talents online. All the proceeds of Van Gogh the dog’s auction will benefit the rescue efforts of Happily Furever After, which specialises in rehoming dogs like pit bulls, who can sometimes have a hard time finding homes. The paintings in the current auction, titled “Van Gogh Reimagined,” are all based on compositions by the original Van Gogh. However, unlike a painting by the Dutch master, the dog’s art starts the bidding at just $25 a piece. “Having Van Gogh create some of history’s most famous paintings felt like big shoes to fill,” founder Jaclyn Gartner told <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/van-gogh-rescue-dog-charity-auction-2264707">Artnet News</a>. “There was a lot more attention to detail this time around to make sure to incorporate all the colours and try to recreate the pieces as closely as possible.” Since finding his new home, Van Gogh has created more than 150 new works of art. To make each masterpiece, a person applies blobs of colours of paint to a canvas placed inside a plastic bag. The talented dog then completes the artwork by licking off a coating of peanut butter or other dog-friendly treats from the outside of the bag, making the artwork inside. “The most exciting part about Van Gogh painting is never really knowing what it’s going to come out to look like as it depends on how his tongue slides across the peanut butter coated bag,” Gartner said. “Since we did the art gallery in October, Van Gogh has explored more tasty toppings,” she added. “We have begun incorporating other things like ground up liverwurst, pumpkin puree, and goat whip. Painting has become an even more delicious hobby for Van Gogh!“ Image credits: Happily Furever After Rescue

Art

Queen Elizabeth II mural painted over

A mural of Queen Elizabeth II has been painted over with the Aboriginal Flag a few days after the monarch was laid to rest. Queen Elizabeth died on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and was buried on September 19 at King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George's Chapel. The day of her death saw local Sydney artist Stuart Sale paint the mural in the inner-west suburb of Marrickville. Bobby, another local member of the community, told OverSixty that Mr Sale had painted the mural at night, and had then come back the next morning to touch it up. “There was quite a crowd around him as he finalised the mural,” he said. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiZohGyPHkA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiZohGyPHkA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Stuart Sale (@stuartsale)</a> </div> </blockquote> The mural was left untouched for almost two weeks until Australia’s National Day of Mourning when it was painted over with the Aboriginal Flag. “It’s a very sensitive issue,” Bobby told OverSixty. Mr Sale shared an update to his Instagram of the altered mural with the caption, “Art can be so powerful”, along with three hearts in the Aboriginal Flag colours. He explained that the mural belonged to the people and that he did not have any plans on fixing it. “It belongs to the people in a way and that’s why I’m torn. I’ve painted this and given it to the street. I might let it stay for now.” Images: Sahar Mourad

Art

Russian guard sentenced after doodling eyes on exhibit painting

A Russian security guard has been found guilty of vandalism after doodling eyes on an abstract painting by avant-garde artist Anna Leporskaya last December. According to the <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/08/29/russian-museum-guard-yeltsin-centre-doodles-sentenced">Art Newspaper</a>, he must serve 180 hours of “compulsory labour” and undergo “psychiatric evaluation”. The painting, titled Three Figures (1932–34), was on loan to the Yeltsin Centre from Moscow’s State Tretyakov Gallery and valued at 75 million rubles (US$1.2 million). News of the vandalism broke when visitors alerted gallery staff of two crude eyes drawn on the painting’s faceless figures in a ballpoint pen. A police investigation revealed the culprit was 64-year-old Aleksandr Vasiliev, a security guard employed by a private company who was on his first day on the job. After the damage was deemed “insignificant”, it was restored and has since been returned to the Tretyakov Gallery. Vasiliev’s lawyer, Aleskei Bushmakov, shared a letter on his Facebook page that he sent to Zelfira Tregulova, the general director of the Tretyakov Gallery. He wrote that “taking into account the circumstances of the criminal case, the damage inflicted to the painting Three Figures” and “the high level of public attention in connection with the incident,” the museum considered closing the case “via reconciliation” but ultimately decided that it “does not regard it as possible to take such an appeal to the magistrate.” In an interview with Russian news site E1, Vasiliev said he believed the 20th-century work by Leporskaya was a “children’s drawing” and claimed he was goaded by teenagers to deface it. “I’m a fool, what have I done,” he said. Image credits: State Tretyakov Gallery / The Art Newspaper Russia

Art

Male artists dominate galleries. Our research explored if it’s because ‘women don’t paint very well’ – or just discrimination

In the art world, there is a gaping gender imbalance when it comes to male and female artists. In the National Gallery of Australia, <a href="https://nga.gov.au/knowmyname/about/">only 25%</a> of the Australian art collection is work by women. This is far better than the international standard where <a href="https://nmwa.org/support/advocacy/get-facts/">roughly 90%</a> of all artworks exhibited in major collections are by men. The <a href="https://www.artsy.net/artwork/georgia-okeeffe-jimson-weed-slash-white-flower-no-1">most expensive</a> painting by a female artist – Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 – does not even rank among the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_paintings#List_of_highest_prices_paid">100 most expensive paintings</a> ever sold. Why is women’s art valued so much less than art by men? Some economists <a href="https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2005/02/why_do_women_su.html">have suggested</a> the greater burden of child rearing and other domestic duties means women have had fewer opportunities to succeed in the art world. Others have blamed the “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/report-names-laggers-as-women-artists-win-parity-20191029-p534vy.html">quality</a>” of women’s art. In 2013, German painter <a href="https://observer.com/2013/01/georg-baselitz-says-women-dont-paint-very-well/">Georg Baselitz said</a> “Women don’t paint very well. It’s a fact. The market doesn’t lie.” We wanted to know: is work by women generally valued differently to work by men because it is of a lower artistic quality, or is it just discrimination? <h2>Which painting do you like better?</h2> In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268122002669?dgcid=author">our new research</a> we showed average Americans pairs of paintings, painted between 1625 and 1979, side by side. Each of the pairs are similar in style, motif and period, but one work was by a male artist and the other by a female artist. Participants were in two groups. One group saw the artists’ names and the other didn’t. We wanted to see whether more people among those who saw artist names preferred the male painting. If seeing the names – and thereby inferring artist gender – causes more people to prefer male paintings, then there is gender discrimination. Before we tell you the results, think about what you would have expected. And <a href="https://rmit.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e4JBs0wxKeftYF0">take a look</a> at our actual painting pairs and see if you can guess which is the male one (hint: you can’t). We were pleasantly surprised to find our participants did not give a hoot about artist gender. In both groups, 54% preferred the painting from a woman. We repeated this experiment, this time rewarding participants if they could accurately guess the preferences of others – the people in the first experiment. Again, 54% of the people in each group picked the female paintings. <h2>Which painting do you think is worth more?</h2> Next we wanted to find out if people picked male paintings for reasons other than personal taste. Art isn’t just bought and sold on aesthetic value: it is a speculative market, where art is treated as an investment. We conducted two more experiments. In one, participants were rewarded if they picked the more expensive painting. In the other, they were rewarded to pick the one painted by the more famous artist. Gender discrimination emerged in both these experiments. When asked to predict the value of and creator fame of paintings, people suddenly swung towards picking male artists. Preference for female paintings fell by 10% and 9% in these two new experiments. Gender discrimination in art comes not from personal aesthetic preference – Baselitz’ argument that women “don’t paint very well” – but people thinking paintings are more valuable and famous when painted by male artists. <h2>A question of fame</h2> In our fifth experiment, we again rewarded participants who could correctly guess which painting would be preferred by others. This time everyone saw the names of the artists. But only one group was told which of the two artists was objectively more famous – the male artist in 90% of cases. The group with that information was 14% more likely to pick male paintings. People used fame information to predict the painting others liked better. If women artists were discriminated against just because of their gender we would have seen a higher premium put on the male artists even in questions of aesthetics. Here, discrimination only occured when our participants were asked to assign a monetary value to the art works, or when they were given information about the level of fame of the painter. This means our art appreciators discriminated not on gender, but on something closely associated with gender: fame. And because male artists have, historically, been given <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1574067606010234">more opportunities</a> to become artists – and therefore become famous – artwork by men is perceived as having a higher value. Policy is slowly starting to recognise and target institutional factors that perpetuate male dominance because of historical notions of fame, like the National Gallery of Australia’s <a href="https://knowmyname.nga.gov.au/">Know my Name</a> initiative. Discrimination in the arts exists, but it often comes from people’s beliefs about what others care to discriminate about. The task ahead is to change perceptions of people and institutions who do not discriminate – but merely conform to others’ discrimination. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/male-artists-dominate-galleries-our-research-explored-if-its-because-women-dont-paint-very-well-or-just-discrimination-189221" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

Woman cons her mother out of $82 million artwork by claiming it was “cursed”

A 48-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of swindling her elderly mother out of a painting worth $82 million, by making her believe it was “cursed”. Sabine Coll Boghici allegedly tricked her 82-year-old mother Genevieve into handing over Sol Poente (1949) by Tarsila do Amaral. The artwork belonged to Genevieve’s late husband, who was an art collector, as the artwork had previously been exhibited at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Sabine’s art con is just one part of a haul of cash, art and jewellery worth almost $200 million allegedly defrauded by the Brazilian woman. The scam to obtain Genevieve’s artwork began in 2020, when a psychic approached the elderly woman with prophecies of her daughter’s imminent death. The victim was then taken to several more psychics, who police say used personal information provided by her daughter to scam her distraught mother into transferring money to pay for “spiritual treatment”. Sabine and an accomplice posing as a psychic “began to take the artwork from the (mother's) house, claiming that the painting was cursed with something negative, with negative energy that needed to be prayed over,” said Rio de Janeiro police officer Gilberto Ribeiro. After almost a year of being mistreated by Sabine and her accomplices, Genevieve decided to go to the police. Police say 16 paintings were stolen, including works by renowned Brazilian artists like Cicero Dias, Rubens Gerchman and Alberto Guignard. Police say seven people are suspected of involvement in the years-long crime, facing charges of embezzlement, robbery, extortion, false imprisonment and criminal association. Image credits: Rio de Janeiro Civil Police / AFP

Art

Hidden Van Gogh self-portrait uncovered

A previously unseen self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh has been discovered behind another one of the artist's iconic paintings. The self-portrait was found behind Van Gogh's Head of a Peasant Woman when experts at Edinburgh's National Galleries of Scotland x-rayed the canvas before it was put on public display. The artwork is believed to have remained a secret for over a century, as it was covered with layers of cardboard and glue before it was frames in the early 20th century. The Dutch artist was known for painting on both sides of a canvas to save money. The portrait shows a bearded sitter in a brimmed hat, with experts saying the subject was instantly recognisable as the artist himself, and is thought to be from his early work. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/Van-Gogh-x-ray.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Van Gogh's left ear is clearly visible in the painting, leading experts to believe it was created before 1888 when he cut his ear off. Frances Fowle, a senior curator at the National Galleries of Scotland, said the discovery was "thrilling". "Moments like this are incredibly rare," she said. "We have discovered an unknown work by Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most important and popular artists in the world." The gallery said they are evaluating how to remove the layers of cardboard and glue without damaging the original Head of a Peasant Woman artwork. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H6KR2HTPIXI" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Image credits: National Galleries of Scotland

Art

101-year-old reunited with painting looted by Nazis

A Nazi-looted painting has been returned to its owner after being lost for 75 years. 101-year-old Dutch woman Charlotte Bischoff van Heemskerck was reunited with the 1638 portrait of the Dutch merchant Steven Wolters, which was stolen by the Nazis during the occupation of The Netherlands in World War II. The painting had once hung in Charlotte’s childhood bedroom and was a much-loved possession of her father, who went into hiding after refusing to accept Nazi orders. Charlotte’s father had stored the painting in the Amsterdam Bank to protect it, where it was later stolen, along with countless other works, by Nazi invaders. The portrait was then lost for decades before being acquired by a private collector in Germany in 1971, where negotiations with the collector led to the painting being returned to Bischoff van Heemskerck in 2021. Recalling the moment that she saw it again, she told the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/12/i-am-amazed-101-year-old-dutch-woman-reunited-with-painting-looted-by-nazis?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR1Xn3-h5Nt_HwsEJ3yE8S-HXjc1A0iw5paSLZEQ2JUEp3h1P7pMSWi3JC4">Guardian</a>, “I was amazed.” Charlotte’s father died in 1969, but she said he would have been “so happy that it came back”. After treasuring the painting in her possession for six months, the family have decided to sell the portrait at Sotheby’s auction house in London, where it is expected to sell for between $50,000 and $90,000. She said: “I had five brothers and sisters. There are 20 offspring and they are very sweet, so I never had the feeling that it was mine. It’s from the family.” Image credits: Getty Images

Art

Witness accused of painting Chris Dawson in “most monstrous” way possible

A witness has claimed that Chris Dawson allegedly pushed his wife Lynette against a trampoline and screamed at her before she disappeared. Lynette Dawson disappeared from the family home in Bayview in Sydney’s northern beaches, leaving behind her two children in January 1982. The 33-year-old has not been heard from since then and her remains have not yet been found. Dawson, a former professional rugby league player and teacher is accused of killing his wife Lynette. He appeared in the NSW Supreme Court on Monday where he claimed he was in fact the victim of improper police investigations following the disappearance of his wife. In the judge-alone trial, witness and former neighbour Julie Andrew alleged that Dawson was “shaking” his wife moments leading up to her death. "He was screaming at her and she was crying. He was towering over her … he was roaring at her,” she said in court, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-16/witness-tells-court-she-saw-chris-dawson-screaming-at-lynette/101069734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a> reported. A few hours after the alleged incident, Julie went to check in on Lynette who informed her that Dawson was going to make room for the babysitter to move in because he was infatuated with her. Julie told the court that she tried to explain to Lynette that it was her house and she should not allow that to happen. She also recalled the moment Lynette revealed that she came home from work one day to find Dawson and the babysitter in bed together. "She said, 'I'm sure she just wasn't feeling well and he was looking after her'," Julie said. She noted that that was the last time she saw Lynette and would try calling the home phone to which no one responded. Julie only spotted Dawson, the babysitter, and the two children in the house - claiming she was too scared to go to the house and check on the situation. Defence barrister Pauline David accused Julie of painting Dawson in the "most monstrous" way possible. Julie denied the accusation saying she was there to tell the truth and said she didn’t go to the house after noticing bruises on Lynette’s arm, ABC reported. Dawson continues to claim his innocence after being arrested for the murder of Lynette. The trial continues. Image: Nine News

Legal

Chloé: how a 19th-century French nude ended up in a Melbourne pub – and became an icon for Australian soldiers

Chloé, the French nude by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Joseph_Lefebvre">Jules Joseph Lefebvre</a>, is an Australian cultural icon. Chloé made its debut at the 1875 Paris Salon and won medals at the 1879 Sydney and 1880 Melbourne international exhibitions. In December 1880, Thomas Fitzgerald, a Melbourne surgeon, bought Chloé for his private collection. Two years later, when Fitzgerald loaned Chloé to the National Gallery of Victoria, a furious debate erupted in the press. Public opinion was <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224814361">sharply divided</a> over the propriety of displaying a French nude painting on the Sabbath. Chloé spent the next three years at the Adelaide Picture Gallery, before Fitzgerald <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/94392855">removed her</a> from the public gaze. After the surgeon’s death in 1908, Henry Figsby Young bought Chloé for £800 and hung the famous nude in the saloon bar of Young and Jackson Hotel, opposite Flinders Street Station in Melbourne. Enjoying a drink with Chloé at the hotel has been a good luck ritual for Australian soldiers since the first world war. <h2>Longing for her lover</h2> According to the 1875 Paris Salon catalogue, Chloé depicts the water nymph in “Mnasyle et Chloé” by 18th century poet martyr <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Ch%C3%A9nier">André Chénier</a>. Toes dipped in a puddling stream, longing and heartache etched on her lovely features, she listens for the voice of her lover. Chloé was created in the winter of 1874-75. France was still rebuilding after its defeat in the <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/the-franco-prussian-war-150-years-on">Franco Prussian War</a> and the Versailles government’s brutal repression of the revolutionary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWrnGZ_975I">Paris Commune</a>. Newspapers in France and around the world described women who supported the Commune as lethal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A9troleuses">pétroleuses</a>, or petrol carriers. The women were often blamed for destructive acts of arson carried out by Versailles troops during <a href="https://www.historytoday.com/miscellanies/paris-communes-bloody-week">The Bloody Week</a>. <a href="https://index-journal.org/issues/identity/evanescence-of-an-artist-s-model-by-katrina-kell">Jules Lefebvre claimed</a> his working class model for Chloé was involved with former Communards. She may have fought alongside other girls and women, and witnessed the widespread bloodshed that stained the streets of Paris red in 1871. This volatile chapter in French history has been absent from <a href="https://index-journal.org/issues/identity/evanescence-of-an-artist-s-model-by-katrina-kell">Chloé mythologies</a>. But Chloé was painted in the wake of war and revolution and of women’s inspiring activism, as women challenged the class and gender barriers that had limited their opportunities. <h2>Chloé and the Australian soldier</h2> The ritual of having a drink with Chloé at Young and Jackson Hotel, opposite <a href="https://heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/get-involved/tours/melbourne-at-war-hidden-histories-1914-18-audio-tour/melbourne-at-war-stop-2a/">Melbourne’s busiest railway station</a>, began after <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89096318">Private A. P. Hill</a>, who was killed in action, put a message in a bottle and tossed it overboard. When the bottle was found in New Zealand in January 1918, his message read, "To the finder of this bottle. Take it to Young and Jackson’s, fill it, and keep it till we return from the war." The <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article148561880">hotel and Chloé</a> proved irresistible for returning soldiers. By the start of the second world war, Chloé and Young and Jackson’s were so enmeshed in military mythology they were included in the 2/21st Australian Infantry Battalion’s <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11305333">official march song</a>: "Good-by Young and Jackson’s, Farewell Chloé too, It’s a long way to Bonegilla, But we’ll get there on stew." Tragically, on February 2 1942, the B and C Companies of the 2/21st Australian Infantry Battalion were massacred by Japanese forces at Laha Airfield on the Indonesian island of Ambon. Those who weren’t killed became prisoners of war. After Japan’s surrender in 1945, the Australian prisoners’ hopes for liberation were frustrated when Japanese officers refused to give them radio access. When they finally got a radio transmitter their SOS message was received on the neighbouring island of Morotai. The men were asked questions to prove they were “dinki-di Aussies”. One of the first questions Melbourne soldier John Van Nooten <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23494802-ambon">was asked was</a> “how would you like to see Chloé again?” When Van Nooten replied “Lead me to her”, the operator asked “where is she?” Van Nooten responded with Young and Jackson’s, finally convincing the operator he was Australian. <h2>A soldier’s consolation</h2> In his 1945 article <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/38559150">Seein’ Chloé</a>, West Australian journalist Peter Graeme claimed, "Chloé is to Melbourne what the Bridge is to Sydney. From the soldier’s point of view of course. All over Australia you meet men who have seen her […] Chloé belongs to the Australian soldier." Graeme recalled meeting a soldier at Young and Jackson’s who drained three drinks in front of Chloé. When he asked the soldier why he drank the beers in quick succession, the soldier said he was honouring a promise he and two mates had made to Chloé. The three of them had pledged to have a drink with her when they returned to Melbourne. His two friends never returned, buried at Scarlet Beach in New Guinea. As Graeme concluded in his poignant tale, Chloé may have been, "the symbol of the feminine side of his life. That part which he puts away from him, except in his inarticulate dreams." The soldier’s grief for the mates he lost, and the comfort drinking with the painting gave him, seems to resonate with the longing in Chloé’s melancholy expression, and the war-torn history behind this celebrated Melbourne icon. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/chloe-how-a-19th-century-french-nude-ended-up-in-a-melbourne-pub-and-became-an-icon-for-australian-soldiers-180032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation. </a>

Art

Meet water tower mural artist Joel Fergie

Known as the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/meet-water-tower-mural-artist-joel-fergie">Banksy of the bush</a>, Zookeeper is an artist who travels around outback Australia painting giant murals. Unlike Banksy, the Zookeeper doesn't hide his identity.Joel Fergie aka "Zookeeper" is based Sunshine Coast. His large-scale artworks span inner-city laneways to remote silos and water towers across central Australia.Some of his biggest works can be seen on painted tanks and silos in Cloncurry, Mackay, Hughenden, Thallon as well as interstate.Joel says he got the name Zookeeper from his childhood love of wildlife. "As a kid I was obsessed with animals and I was a huge David Attenborough fan and as I learnt to paint, animals became a big part of that," he said.The 32-year-old artist, who studied fine art at QUT and graduated in 2011, said art was a big part of his life growing up. "I wasn't born great at painting; it was something that I had to put a lot of time and practice into and gradually over time I got better."I started by doing my bedroom wall and then under our house, then a few friends asked me to do their café and then a I did a soccer club and the more I did the more opportunities arose."The biggest job that Joel has done was seven silos at Sea Lake in north-west Victoria which took him over three weeks. When tackling the big jobs, Zookeeper collaborates with his mate and fellow artist Drapl aka Travis Vinson."We meet in 2010 and we had heard of each other and ever since then, when there's a big job that requires many hands, we collaborate," he said."The big jobs can take weeks and weeks of planning and we can use over 500 litres of paint."Most of Zookeeper's and Drapl's work comes from community grants or funds raised by the community, and over the past decade he believes he has painted more than 1,000 murals."My favourite part of painting in the outback is the openness of people. There's fewer people, so they have more time for you," he said.Joel's last big mural was a water tower in Middlemount which he finished in December and last week he finished a retaining wall in the Pioneer Valley community at the Marian State School which was only 20 metres by 2 metres. Image: ABC

Art

Banksy the dog recreates paintings of his namesake

A rescue dog named after the elusive street artist Banksy has recreated his famous works to raise $1,000 for charity. Seven works were created by Banksy the dog, who uses his nose and paws to recreate the iconic pieces. The money raised is going to the Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, which Banksy has called home since August 2021. Spokeswoman Gina Jones said, "We're absolutely thrilled. The money will make a big difference to the lives of vulnerable animals in our care."As well as helping to raise money for the rescue centre, Banksy’s art has been part of an appeal to find his forever home.The seven artworks were auctioned off on the centre’s Facebook page, with the dog’s recreation of Good Panda drawing in the biggest bid of $230.<img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/banksy-dog-1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />Image credit: Bristol Animal Rescue CentreMs Jones said that even though Banksy the dog’s works have been auctioned off, he just keeps painting. "He just keeps going and going, he loves spreading the paint around," she said."I think he secretly really enjoys the attention," she said. "When we had some cameras in, he's like 'yes, you may film me'. He's really come out of his shell."Staff at the rescue centre said that with all the attention his art is getting, they hope he will be able to find a new home after being at the centre for an “unusually long amount of time”."We've had a few expressions of interests and we are still going through the adoption process with everybody," Ms Jones said. "Obviously we do check for everyone who applies that it is a suitable home for him... and we are really hopefully we will find somebody great and get him that forever home."Image credits: Bristol Animal Rescue Centre

Art

Studying wasp nests to put an age on art

<div> <div class="copy"> Scientists believe well-known pre-historic rock paintings in Western Australia are younger than previously thought after dating the remnants of mud wasp nests found over and beneath them. The study, which is described in a <a rel="noopener" href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/6/eaay3922" target="_blank">paper</a> in the journal Science Advances, is one of few in recent decades, they say, to successfully use the novel and challenging <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/how-mud-wasp-nests-help-delve-our-countrys-past" target="_blank">approach</a>. The <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.kimberleyfoundation.org.au/kimberley-rock-art/rock-art-sequence/gwionbradshaw-period/" target="_blank">Gwion</a> paintings of the Kimberley region have been notoriously hard to date, but evidence has suggested they were painted as far back as 17,000 years ago and over the span of several thousand years, pointing to a remarkably long-lived artistic tradition. Now a team led by Damien Finch from the University of Melbourne, with input from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, has presented its findings suggesting they were more likely painted during a narrow timeframe, about 12,400 years ago. To do this, they used radiocarbon dating, which can determine how long ago living material died. Working with the traditional owners of the Aboriginal sites, they analysed the nests of wasps that build mud nests on rock walls, sometimes incorporating charcoal from regular local brushfires. By dating the charcoal in the nests, they estimated when the nests were built. By dating nests that had been painted over, they determined the maximum age of the artwork. By dating nests on top of paintings, they found minimum ages. The possible age ranges of 19 of the 21 paintings studied overlap during a brief period between 12,000 and 13,000 years ago. Two samples fall outside of that range. One, which was found under a painting but dated at only 6,900 years old, is thought to be unreliable and possibly contaminated. However, the second was found over a painting and more reliably estimated to be 16,600 years old, complicating the findings. Finch and colleagues suggest more nest samples need to be identified and dated to get a clearer picture. Nevertheless, the results “confirm that rock art was being produced in the Kimberley during the terminal Pleistocene”, they write in their paper. “Notably, as the Gwion paintings are not the oldest in the relative stylistic sequence for this area, earlier styles must have an even greater antiquity.” Originally referred to as Bradshaw paintings, the Gwions are feature finely painted human figures in elaborate ceremonial dress, including long headdresses, and accompanied by material culture including boomerangs and spears. Image credits: Getty Images</div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/studying-wasp-nests-to-put-an-age-on-art/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Nick Carne. </div> </div>

Art

Self-taught 14-year-old artist offered thousands for paintings

During lockdown, it was not uncommon for most people to try a new hobby they had been putting off. But for 14-year-old Makenzy, it was a starting point for incredible success. During a period of self-isolation in Wales, Makenzy Beard found some old acrylic paints and an easel that once belonged to her mother, and decided to try her hand at painting. Her first piece, an incredible portrait of her farming neighbour John Tucker, went viral on social media. She told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-57670603">BBC</a> that the portrait took about 20 hours to complete over a three-week period. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/COGXvlHH1Ax/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/COGXvlHH1Ax/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Makenzy Beard (@makenzy_beard)</a> </div> </blockquote> "I was very busy at the time I decided to do this one, so I was taking five minutes before school, an hour after school before sport. It was all broken down, I never spent one long extended period of time on it", she said. Makezny said her subject John “is a wonderful person and has a really lovely, kind and friendly demeanour," and thought he would be the perfect person to paint. The post racked up thousands of likes online, as she was encouraged by art fans around the world to keep up her extraordinary talent. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSpfvXipcmU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSpfvXipcmU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Makenzy Beard (@makenzy_beard)</a> </div> </blockquote> After adding more works to her collection, Makenzy has had her works displayed in a gallery in Cardiff. Some pieces have captured the attention of international art dealers, with one of her paintings selling for $18,000AUD. One of the pieces in her showcase is a portrait of her grandfather Bernard Davis, but Makenzy said she will be keeping the artwork due to its sentimental value. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUid6kGo0n6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUid6kGo0n6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Makenzy Beard (@makenzy_beard)</a> </div> </blockquote> Despite having international offers on her artwork, Makenzy is still keeping her options open in regards to her future. While she is passionate about art, the 14-year-old is happy just keeping her talents as a hobby as she focuses on school. Director of Blackwater Gallery, Kimberley Lewis, said, "I think anyone can be a good portrait artist, but I think it takes a lot to show real personality and the soul of a person through their pieces and I think for someone so young, Makenzy does this brilliantly." Image credits: Instagram @makenzy_beard

Art

The offence of a child possessing spray paint without a lawful purpose in NSW

Image: Getty Once just an American holiday that Australians would see on the big screen in movies like ET, Halloween has slowly, but steadily made its way to our shores. And every year it just seems to get bigger here. The shops have been full of decorations and paraphernalia for weeks, and now that Sydney, and most of New South Wales, are no longer under lockdown restrictions, it’s likely that many families are looking forward to participating on 31 October 2021, taking the opportunity to get together with the neighbours, have some fun and feel a sense of ‘normalcy’. But what’s it going to be like to celebrate Halloween in the time of Covid? Well, it’s undoubtedly going to be an event that puts health and safety first. Health Advice Families are being encouraged to check in with the NSW Health website to check on any restrictions in their local area. These are likely to include using hand sanitiser and face covering, only handing out and accepting individually wrapped treats, keeping group and visiting sizes down, and exercising physical distancing. Stay on the right side of the law! Of course, children should always be supervised by a responsible adult who can oversee their personal safety. Anyone driving should remember that Halloween tends to be a night that kids rule the streets, so drivers need to be wary, particularly at dusk when visibility is reduced. Pedestrians should stick to footpaths and designated crossings, and also be aware of road safety. Unfortunately, this is also a night where the kids can get out of control! ‘Sugar highs’, peer pressure and the false confidence provided by a superhero costume can lead to some kids and teens behaving badly – potentially even finding themselves on the wrong side of the law by engaging in activities like egging houses and cars, damaging plants and foliage, and other acts of vandalism and graffiti. The offence of graffiti in NSW Section 4 of the Graffiti Control Act 2008 (NSW), a person who marks a premises or property can face a penalty of up to 12 months in prison and/or a $2,200 fine if the prosecution is able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that: <ol> <li>The marking was done intentionally,</li> <li>There was no consent from the owner of the premises or property that was marked on;, and</li> <li>Either:</li> </ol> <ul> <li>A graffiti implement was used for marking the premises or property. This includes, spray paint, maker pen, or anything designed to produce a mark that’s not readily removable by wiping it (or by use of water or detergent); or</li> <li>The marking was done in such a manner that it isn’t readily removable by wiping it (or by using water or detergent).</li> </ul> The offence of a child possessing spray paint in NSW Section 8B of the Act makes it an offence for a person under the age of 18 years to possess spray paint in a public place. The maximum penalty for this offence is 6 months in prison and/or an $1,100 fine. A ‘public place’ is defined as a place (whether or not covered by water), or a part of premises, that is open to the public, or is used by the public whether or not on payment of money or other consideration, whether or not the place or part is ordinarily so open or used and whether or not the public to whom it is open consists only of a limited class of persons, but does not include the premises of a school or other educational establishment. The defences to this particular offence are where: (a) the spray paint was intended for a defined lawful purpose, being the lawful pursuit of an occupation, education or training, or (b) the spray paint was for another defined lawful purpose and was at or in the immediate vicinity of the place where the spray paint can was being used or intended to be used for that defined lawful purpose. The offence of intentionally or recklessly damaging a property in NSW Graffiti vandalism by way of marking surfaces can also result in criminal charges of intentionally or recklessly destroying or damaging property, which is an offence under section 195 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) and comes with a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. Intentionally means wilfully or purposely, while recklessly means foreseeing the possibility of damage or destruction but proceeding regardless. Courts have found that property is considered to have been damaged where: <ul> <li>There is permanent damage,</li> <li>There is temporary functional derangement,</li> <li>There is temporary impairment of usefulness,</li> <li>The physical integrity of the property is altered, or</li> <li>The property is rendered imperfect or inoperative.</li> </ul> Some examples of conduct found by the courts to constitute damage include: <ul> <li>Placing a blanket in a toilet and flushing,</li> <li>Letting down the tyres of a car,</li> <li>Painting graffiti on walls or floors, and</li> <li>Breaking a raw egg on the windscreen of a car.</li> </ul> The offence of trespassing in NSW Trick or treaters should also be aware that not everyone participates in Halloween and for some it can be a real nuisance, and if you’re on someone’s property and they don’t want you there, you can also be charged with trespassing. Trespassing – which is also known as entering inclosed lands without permission – is an offence under section 4 of the Inclosed Lands Protection Act 1901 (NSW), which makes it an offence to enter inclosed lands without permission which carries a maximum fine of $550. Section 4A of the Act imposes steeper penalties for remaining on the premises after the owner or occupier directs you to leave. In such a case, the maximum fine is $2,200 where the land is a ‘prescribed premises’ such as a school, hospital, child care centre or nursing home, or $1,100 in all other cases. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-offence-of-a-child-possessing-spray-paint-without-a-lawful-purpose-in-nsw/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</a>

Legal

Artificial intelligence recreates destroyed paintings

A new interactive hub founded by <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/gustav-klimt/m03869?hl=en">Google Arts & Culture</a> is showcasing an exclusive Gustav Klimt exhibition that offers insight into Klimt’s biography, artistic inspiration and legacy. As part of the initiative, Google has digitally recreated three iconic Klimt works that were previously lost to a fire in 1899. By utilising artificial intelligence, technology has colourised the black and white photographs of the artworks. The three paintings, titled Medicine, Philosophy, and Jurisprudence, collectively form the “Faculty Paintings,” which were commissioned by the University of Vienna. Officials at the university originally deemed the works “pornographic” and “perverse” upon their unveiling, before ultimately being sold to a private buyer. The paintings were lost in a fire during the final days of World War II in 1945, and only survived in a series of photographs. AI researchers and Klimt scholars were supported by those at Google to bring colour to these enigmatic paintings and give them a second opportunity in the spotlight. After much back and forth to make the recreation as accurate as possible, the AI-coloured images provide what might be the closest we will ever get to seeing a complete image of those lost paintings. In a statement from Franz Smola, curator at the Belvedere museum, he said “The result for me was surprising because we were able to colour it even in the places where we had no knowledge, with machine learning we have good assumptions that Klimt used certain colours.” The use of this revolutionary technology shows hope for the future of famous painting recreations that would have otherwise been lost forever. Image credit: Google Arts & Culture

Art

6 colours you shouldn’t have in your bedroom

A bedroom is a sanctuary where we can be our most authentic selves. Most people want the colours of their bedroom to feel intimate and to reflect who they truly are, but at the same time, a bedroom should feel cosy and provide the best night’s sleep. Believe it or not, colour choices in your bedroom can largely affect how calm you feel and how well you rest in the evenings. According to experts, keep these colours out of the bedroom. Black Besides just darkening a room, a colour such as black will create an illusion that a room looks smaller than it actually is. While the darkness may aid in falling asleep at night, it will consequently inhibit your ability to get up in the morning, as well as psychologically decreasing your energy. “I suggest avoiding painting all four walls top to bottom and instead getting creative with paint placement and choosing a feature wall or leaving the trims out etc,” said Home Décor Designer, Shani Moran. Neon “You should always avoid using neon colours such as electric lime and magenta as they bring excitement and energy into the bedroom,” explained property developer Shad Elia. The vibrance will create a space that makes it more challenging to wind down, which is the whole purpose of a bedroom. Instead, Elia recommends using lighter shades of grey and beige, as “these colours are warm and help the body relax when it comes time to sleeping.” Yellow Yellow is a highly stimulating colour as we mostly associate the brightness with the sun and mornings, a time when we are most alert. “While the cheerful tone may be great for daytime, those who opt for a lemon-hued room are more likely to experience difficulty falling asleep at night,” claimed Kimberly Smith, a property marketing manager. Red Like yellow, red is a striking colour. While bold colours, particularly warm-toned reds and bright pinks, can look stylish, they can also evoke feelings of unrest or agitation. “These colours are often used in marketing as they stimulate the senses, and this is not something you want when trying to fall asleep,” explained Karin Sun, founder of a luxury bedding brand. These colours are better suited for places that encourage activity, like a gym, or a warmth, like a family room. Orange “In the early days of our marriage, my wife and I thought it would be a good idea to paint our bedroom orange,” said Daniel Carter, founder of an online business. “Not the bright, saturated shade you’d normally see on the fruit of the same name, but a lighter hue. We then added green and purple accents. It looked cool and eclectic.” “We loved how it turned out until we actually had to go to sleep. The room still looked bright even when we only had a night lamp on, so we had to pull the shades down and have all the lights switched off come bedtime, not always an ideal situation.” Dark brown The darkness of the colour provides a sense of heaviness and gloom, which may decrease the motivation of waking up in the morning. “However, if your heart is set on painting your bedroom walls with a colour that is deemed not wise, you can opt for their muted counterparts instead, or use them as an accent colour, instead of the main colour,” explained realtor Tal Shelef. This article first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/home-tips/6-colours-you-shouldnt-have-in-your-bedroom" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. Image credit: Shutterstock

Art

Banksy pandemic painting sells for record amount

Banksy has achieved something not many others can claim by raking in an incredible £16.8 million ($30.18 million) for Britain’s frontline workers during an auction. After selling an artwork, Christie’s auction house has said the sale would be used to fund health organisations and charities across the UK. The work titled "Game Changer", features a young boy sitting on the floor playing with a nurse superhero toy while Batman and Spider-Man figurines lay in a rubbish bin next to him. The picture appeared on a wall at Southampton General Hospital in southern England in May of 2020. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840433/banksy.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/cb3d9e75e6144335be3ff1f5530cf8d1" /> The hospital said Banksy had left a note for workers that read: "Thanks for all you're doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it's only black and white." The sale price was a world auction record for Banksy and Christie’s, the auction house said it will donate a "significant portion" of the buyer's premium to health organisations. "Banksy is an extraordinary artist who is a constant barometer of nationwide sentiment," said Katharine Arnold, who runs the European post-war and contemporary art era at the auction house. "With the perfect image of a little boy playing with his superhero doll, a nurse sporting the international Red Cross, he perfectly captured the essence of this moment in time."

Art

Mystery family breaks Australian art auction record with one purchase

<div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> A large Brett Whiteley painting was sold for $5 million in just five minutes to an unidentified Sydney family – for a grand total of $6.136 million including the buyers' premium charged by the auction house. The sale of the painting set a new record price for an Australian artwork at an auction, and the new owners – a family from Sydney's lower north shore – remain anonymous to the wider public as they have chosen not to be revealed as yet. The painting, Henri's Armchair, measures almost 2 metres high by 3 metres in length and is a reference to French painter Henri Matisse, who Whiteley admired. Elizabeth Evatt sold the painting and hoped that a public institution would buy it so it could be enjoyed by the public. "In parting with it I'm coming to terms with parting with Clive two years ago, it's a huge wrench," she said. "To have this amazing painting in our life everyday was magnificent," Mrs Evatt said. Her husband, art dealer Clive Evatt, died in 2018 and bought the painting directly from Whiteley in 1975. She explained the story behind her husband acquiring the painting, as it had never been offered for sale before. Her late husband stopped in at Whiteley's house on his way home from the races and offered to buy the work on the spot. He led Whiteley out to his car, popped open the boot of his car and showed him his winnings from the racetrack. The pair then grabbed the money, counted it together and the sale of the painting was done and dusted. The auctioneer, Justin Turner, said he felt "really great" after the sale. "This has been an amazing year for the art market, it took us all by surprise, we expected the worst when COVID hit," he said. "I thought if we could get through the year without laying off staff that would be a success," he said. The artist's ex-wife Wendy Whiteley, who controls his estate, said before the auction that she hoped for a good result. "I'm not involved with it at all and I certainly can't afford to buy it," she said. Photo credits: <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/markets/brett-whiteley-painting-breaks-australian-art-auction-record-selling-for-dollar6136-million/ar-BB1bnx5x?li=AAgfYrC" target="_blank">abc.com.au</a> </div>

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