inside the waterfall : The Annual Rave

  

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ABC chair Ita Buttrose writes letter to Communications Minister day after job cuts announced

What would Australia look like without the ABC?

The ABC has not only helped shape Australia, we are the national voice that unites us.

It’s about democracy. Without the ABC we would have a balkanised and parochial bunch of broadcasters that are in danger of being compromised by profit and more intent on dividing than unifying.

Imagine what it would be like during the bushfire season if we had to rely only on state-based or even regionally based media outlets. When we are in the middle of bushfires, don’t we want to know that they are being covered by a knowledgeable and experienced network of journalists with all the supporting infrastructure of a large national network?

The ABC, funded by all of us, regardless of our creed – race, age, political beliefs – is us. It’s the way we build cross-cultural understanding, the way we help each other in times of need. It’s who we are collectively. Why would anyone want to diminish that and make us less than who we are?

This has been a devastating week for the ABC. With unemployment at an all-time high to have to inform up to 250 people they no longer had a job has been an incredibly difficult task.

Cuts to services caused by the ongoing reduction in our budget forced this action upon us and although we knew what had to be done, our hearts were with our employees.

Let me clarify the cuts because there seems to be some confusion in Government circles about them. The 2018 Budget papers clearly state that the Government’s savings measures reduce funding to the ABC by $14.623 million in 2019-20, $27.842 million in 2020-21, and $41.284 million in 2021-22. This reduction totals $83.75 million on our operational base.

It is true that over the three years the ABC budget does still increase but by a reduced amount, due to indexation on the fixed cost of transmission and distribution services. Previously, it was rising by a further $83.75 million over the same three years for indexation on our operational base. This is the funding that has been cut and considered a saving by the government.

These funding cuts are unsustainable if we are to provide the media services that Australians expect of us. Indexation must be renewed.

The strength of the ABC and its relationship with the nation comes from the very people who work for us. They are passionate about public broadcasting and are prepared to work for less than they would be paid by commercial media to deliver it. The creativity in the programs they produce, the dogged and independent journalism they pursue and the connection with communities everywhere they provide through conversations is at the very heart of what the ABC delivers to our audiences.

The ABC has a statutory requirement to operate as efficiently as possible. We have a strong track record in identifying savings and reinvesting them in services. This is how we created ABC News 24, ABC iview and a range of packages to boost services in rural and regional Australia.

There is no other authority better placed to manage the ABC than the ABC itself. We know our business and we are determined to honour our commitment to independence. All Australians expect this of us just as they expect the Government to provide the appropriate funds to allow us to do so.

The ABC is essential in generating and preserving Australia’s democratic culture. An independent, well-funded national broadcaster allows Australians, wherever they live, to connect. It is how we share our identity, how we tell our stories, how we listen to each other, how we ask for help and how we give it.

Ita Buttrose AC OBE

ABC Chair

Posted 26th June 2020

Same as it ever was. ABC supporters, including Kerry O’Brien, left, and Allan Hogan, make their feelings known in 1976. 

photograph by Binna Burra Media 

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modern Aussie shed

A few days ago we reported on the downgrading of The Humanities in Australia, from without and within. More such :

National Gallery of Australia to shed staff and slash acquisitions from 3,000 to 100 a year

Stephanie Convery / The Guardian

Tuesday 23 June 2020

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/23/national-gallery-of-australia-to-shed-staff-and-slash-acquisitions-from-3000-to-about-100-a-year

...that the organisation would be undergoing a restructure to “modernise” the gallery and ensure its continuing sustainability.

The restructure requires shedding between 10% and 12% of its more than 300 staff to make up the remaining $1.5m of a $3.26m shortfall...

The gallery is simultaneously planning to dramatically cut its art acquisitions as part of a strategy to focus on “masterworks rather than volume”.

....this year the gallery controversially spent almost half its annual acquisitions budget on the $6.8m artwork Cube by the US artist Jordan Wolfson...

        photograph : Lukas Coch/AAP  

The Debt Collection, Canberra  

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Critical Infrastructure v critical infrastrucTAR

     

Today, two announcements from the Australian government.

First announcement : a prepared statement read by the Prime Minister Scott Morrision is serious and concerning : re. computer attacks on Australian "critical infrastructure" by "a sophisticated state-based actor", presumed by many to be the Government of China.

"This activity is targeting Australian organisations across a range of sectors, including all levels of government, industry, political organisations, education, health, essential service providers and operators of other critical infrastructure."

T S Eliot, six days after being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, as artist-in-residence at Harvard (1948) lecturing about the structure of his play 'The Cocktail Party'

Joey Ramone (The Ramones, 1979) 'Rock N' Roll High School'

Second announcement : delivered by a less sophisticated state-based actor, Education Minister Dan Tehan : business-oriented education courses will be halved in their cost to students. This will be balanced (paid for) by doubling the cost of Arts and Social Science degrees. Again, serious and concerning. Again, an attack on critical infrastructure. This time from within. 



Last week Prime Minister Scott Morrision stated, in relation to Australian #blacklivesmatter protests, "there was no slavery in Australia"... thus demonstrating his ignorance or spin mis-use of Australian history.



Responding to the objections of historians, the Prime Minister : 
So I don't intend to get into the history wars, my comments were not intended to give offence and if they did I deeply regret that and apologise for that. This is not about getting into the history wars.

So the Liberal-Nationals  assault on critical thinking/criticism continues : Peter Costello v student unions; John Howard v Black Armband History; John Howard v Political Correctness; Tony Abbott v Climate Change science; Tony Abbott promotes teaching of 'Western Civilisation'; ... ongoing cutbacks to ABC National Broadcaster; George Brandis v arms-length Arts funding; Scott Morrison abolishes Arts Ministry*; Scott Morrrison v whistle-blowers & journalists (raids by AFP on ABC and Annika Smethurst); Australian Government Secret Trial since 2004 bugging East Timor Govt v Bernard Collaery and Witness K; Scott Morrison vs COVID-19 JobKeeper payment to Arts sector and Tertiary Education sector; Scott Morrison v Humanities courses...

* "Thursday’s ministerial restructure creates a situation where, for the first time since the existence of a cultural portfolio, there is no government department with the word “arts” in its title."

- The Guardian 6 Dec 2019

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auction tomorrow - Lot 32 : Sale LJ8364

as represented at Leonard Joel

as represented at HOWARD ARKLEY AND FRIENDS 
TarraWarra Museum of Art exhibition publication (2015)

click above to see double page 

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domenico de clario + tonglen* (from the opaque)

domenico de clario +
tonglen* (from the opaque)
from 6.15 pm good friday march 30 2018
540 morpung avenue irymple / mildura
(entry and parking via 73 coorong avenue irymple)

On Good Friday March 30, upon the rising of the full moon the third and final tonglen performance will accompany the planting of seven trees atop the burial mound.

At 6.30 pm the artist, in conversation with Helen Vivian and Ross Lake, will describe the development of this major installation, from its beginning to the final covering of the archive and the building of the mound. The ritual planting of seven trees (an Olive, a Flame tree, a Jacaranda, a Murray Pine, a Eucalyptus Woodwardii, a Grevillea Robusta, and a Eucalyptus Erythronema) will begin at 7.16 pm (sunset) accompanied by a collaborative sound performance. A BBQ and wine will be served at 8.00pm and you are invited to explore the garden and continue the conversation.

The tonglen burial project began on the southern winter solstice of June 21 2016 and included a performance presented by Domenico de Clario, Ren Walters, Carmen Chan, Tony Yap and Juana Beltran. The second stage took place on the spring equinox of 22 September 2016 and included a performance presented by Domenico de Clario and David Palliser.

*

underneath my feet then above my head while my body is somehow placed between these timeless transactions yesterday i watched the earth cover the cars the trailer the mattresses and a few other objects that had spilled from the ledges onto the lowest level of the burial site and i imagined the mound and the seven trees atop it red bottlebrush an orange tree a yellow lemon a green cypress a blue royal empress a lilac and a jacaranda growing together fed by and manifesting all of the numberless energies underneath resting at last destinies inextricably woven together my mother’s shoes my father’s winter trousers my children’s toys my cricket gloves pads shelves my entire collection of art magazines from the seventies my faithful vw beetle and my father’s toyoa corolla and its trailer til now covering the earth upon which all else rests this venture begun under the full moon winter solstice and ending under the new moon’s first day of summer all that i’ve gathered and treasured and held and touched and left in forgotten corners all of it together in a most democratic final embrace in no order whatsoever in a respectful adherence to the seemingly random nature of it all the benign indifference of the universe and at each turn sung to sleep via the intoning of lullabies the ones i’ve listened to all my life the ones i sang as a child and now for the last time i offer to the shreds of things underneath my feet not as a goodbye but as an agreement to now transfer all of our common stories from touch and sight to memory spoken by southern zephyrs breezing through leaves delighting in their future manifested colour from both afar and right inside the palm of my hand welcoming rain heat wind sorrow and the endless flurry of feathers in nests

*

I hope to see you at the burial site on `march 30 and I thank you for your continued interest in and your support of tonglen.

domenico de clario

march 2018

] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Accordionist of TAR ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

   
That most of us maintain - and effectively are - our own museums is the premise of “The Object Lesson” 
Ben Brantley / The New York Times (6 Nov 2014)

In a Jungle of Boxes, Terrors of a Psychic Spring Cleaning: 

Geoff Sobelle’s ‘The Object Lesson’

Geoff Sobelle  

HAND SPACE 

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re. Four Single Owner Collections

   
A Gentleman of Property 
regards 
cataLOGOS/HA HA 
lot 224 :

_______

Lot 224

ATTRIBUTED TO ANDREW GEDDES (British, 1783-1844) 
Portrait of John Kelman, Esq. 
oil on board 
22 x 16cm 

PROVENANCE: 
Lyon & Turnbull, Edinburgh, 1950 
Collection of Michael Galloway, Sydney 
Estimate $ 200-400

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First Look : Members Opening Week

                   

We're opening a new location, and

Members get the first look.

Reserve your spot at the opening celebration for The Met Breuer .

Members get first access to the iconic space, featuring inaugural 

exhibitions and performances by our artist-in-residence, Vijay Iyer.

Want to see it even earlier? Join as a Sustaining Member to explore 

the space after hours at a private viewing on March 7.

Come for the art. Stay for the Membership experience.

Browse Membership options below.

Categories

Select a Membership category below to view the benefits associated. 

Memberships

•  $80 Met Net
•  $110 Individual
•  $210 Family/Dual
•  $600 Sustaining
• •  
  Special Membership Groups
  •  $1,200 The Met Apollo Circle
  •  $3,500 The Met Apollo Circle Patrons
  •  $4,000 The Met Family Circle

Supporting Memberships

•  $1,500 Contributing
•  $2,500 Donor
•  $5,000 Sponsor
•  $10,000 Patron
•  $15,000 Patron Circle
•  $25,000 President's Circle
• 
  
• National and International Memberships
  •  $70 Associate
  •  $300 Friend
  • 
    

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