The biggest thing to hit Hobart

In January this year, Hobart was treated to the ultimate luxury - an outstanding art gallery of world class standard. All thanks to multimillionaire David Walsh, a local boy wot did good.
Unfortunately we missed the opening night, due to being in France. I believe it was, as they say, "a good bash".
 
The Museum of New Art (MONA) is privately owned by David and it is a credit to his foresight, architectural taste and generosity. We are indeed lucky to have it in sleepy old Hobart.

It has been open for 6 months and, as promised, the gallery is changing some of its exhibits, so if you haven't seen it all yet, then get along there before they disappear. Some artworks are permanent but his huge collection will rotate gradually through the gallery for a long time to come.

With the theme of sex and death it may not all be to your taste, but trust me, there are treasures not to be missed.

Here is a sample of what will probably be a recurring post on this blog......  Artwork from MONA

First a wide shot of the exterior - an amazing building with huge sandstone and rusty metal walls down to the waterline.

One of the exhibits - beetle wings and a dead bird

Our friend Geoffrey Dyer - eminent Tassie artist, entered this portrait of David Walsh in to the Archibald Prize in Sydney this year. He was favourite to win but was scuttled by Margaret Olly. In my humble opinion the prize went to the sitter not the painter.

Anyway - here's David

 

For the first month or so there was a large display of gradually rotting meat hung in the large hall of the gallery.  Geoffrey was very taken with this and put David in with it for the portrait