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Category: visual arts

Winter light, Flinders Ranges, 05/06/2023 (#15 in series: from Stokes Hill, looking south)

 

Stokes Hill provides many different views – all, splendid – in literally every direction.

When rapidly moving clouds scatter across an otherwise intensely-blue winter’s sky, even someone who looked in only one direction would still enjoy a constantly-changing vista.

This is most spectacularly true during daylight’s first or final two hours.

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Triple K “expedition” (#14 in teaser series: Lahore Fort’s picture wall)

 

 

Arguably, India’s Taj Mahal is the most world’s most sublime building.

However, Agra is not the global hotspot for prime examples of Mughal architecture and its decoration.

Lahore – Pakistan’s second largest city – has the largest number of bona fide “jaw-dropping” Mughal constructions.

(I think Lahore is also a much more generally-rewarding/likeable destination than is Agra)

The last Mughal mosque – the world’s largest mosque, when constructed in 1671-73 – is in Lahore.

Lahore’s Old City is much less frenetic than Old Delhi, but the former is much the richer, architecturally.

Agra’s Red Fort is stupendous, but Lahore Fort is even more so.

Above, you are looking at merely a small section of Lahore Fort’s picture wall.

The world’s biggest such “mural” occupies circa 6,600 square metres of the fort’s exterior.

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“Outback Art” #2 (#21 in SA/NT “outback” single image teaser series)

 

 

“Plane Henge” is the signature “permanent exhibit” in what at least one writer has described as “the world’s largest art gallery”.

Mutonia Sculpture Park sits beside the Oodnadatta Track, less than one hour’s drive west from Marree.

If you were overhead, in a functional aircraft, Lake Eyre South would also be within your field of view.

The “park” includes the ruins of the Alberrie Creek Siding, on what once was “The Ghan” railway line.

Arguably, Mutonia strains to near or beyond breaking point any reasonable definition of “art gallery” or “park”.

Inarguably, its sheer unlikeliness leaves a lasting impression on most visitors.

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“Outback Art” #1 (#8 in SA/NT “outback” single image teaser series)

 

 

The pictured art object sits outside the front door of The Prairie Hotel, which is surely Australia’s most wonderfully-unlikely – and downright wonderful – outback pub

Be sure to read the “artist’s statement”.

The hotel pretty much is the hamlet of Parachilna, which a colourful signboard proclaims THE EDIACARA CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, where fossils rock!

That declaration is no idle boast.

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Word power: tax (cartoonist’s, economist’s & songster’s perspectives)

 

Australians’ 2022 views on taxation – and on taxation “reform” – are “informed” by a confusing array of truths, lies, twaddle, insight, credulity, chicanery, chutzpah, self-interested opportunism (sometimes naked, sometimes disguised) , rank hypocrisy, timidity, virtue-signalling, obfuscation, indifference, compassion, cruelty, ignorance, knowledge, and honest uncertainty.

The featured image is (Jon) Kudlelka’s cartoon for the 08 October 2022 edition of The Saturday Paper

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Word power: on Putin’s nigh-inevitable but Pyrrhic “victory”

Combine Putin’s utter lack of scruples/decency/humanity with Russia’s overwhelming military superiority, and the result of the  invasion of Ukraine is almost inevitable: Russia “wins”.

However, ultimately, Russia loses; almost as inevitable as its initial “success” is Russia’s eventual failure – an inability to rule Ukraine, the collapse of Russia’s economy, and a decline in the “greatness” of Russia as a “world” power.

This post links to two of the better articles that seek to explain the nature of Putin’s miscalculation, and how “success” can be just another word for failure.

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