March lecture
On 30 March, we opened our evening with three songs, including the resonant rendition of ‘Stars’ from Les Misérables sung by Finn Lochrin, a music student of Olivia Corish Studio. We enjoyed an enthralling and entertaining evening of court drama, Whistler vs Ruskin presented by Alan Read of London. At the heart of this trial is the same old question that we are still struggling with today: What is Art?
In the words of Pamela Wilson:
“Alan Read presented the different perspectives of Whistler and Ruskin on what art actually is by weaving court testimonies and contemporary caricatures flawlessly into his lecture. Whistler’s ‘Nocturne in Black and Gold’ was confronting to many. There had been nothing like it before and it disrupted the familiar. It led to one of the earliest debates on modern art. Alan highlighted the sincerity of both men and the passionate way they defended their own beliefs. His own passion and empathy for these events and how they led to changes in modern art was palpable. Alan Read is an inspiring lecturer.”
Our 2023 lecture series have continued to appeal to many in the Shoalhaven. We have been voted by Alan Read who spoke at 15 other societies as the most “splendid and engaged audience”.
We look forward to welcoming you and your friends to another enthralling evening of music, quiz, lecture and champagne.
June lecture
Don’t miss our 1 June lecture – Gender and the Body: Kept behind Curtains, the Story of the Nude by Leslie Primo – at 7.30pm, at Berry Uniting Church Hall, 71-77 Alfred Street, Berry.
The nude is still seen in our modern age as the pinnacle of creative artistic perfection, but throughout the course of art history the notion of the perfect body and consequently gender has been constantly reshaped and redefined. Leslie Primo will take us through the continuing fascination with representation of the body in sculpture and in painting across the ages. This span of time will encompass iconic works within this lecture by Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Bernini, Degas, Renoir and Velazquez, to name but a few.
For more information on this lecture visit our website:
www.adfas.org.au/societies/shoalhaven/
Maebehe Garcia
Publicity Officer