Exhibitions and so close sock

Isn't nature clever? Pink and purple flowers on the same phallic plant... I noticed it on my walk to work this morning. It's probably been in flower for days, but it's funny the different things you notice on different days.

On Saturday I went to Te Papa to see the 'Brian Brake: Lens on the World' exhibition. I hadn't heard of Brian Brake before, but I recognised his most famous image 'Monsoon Girl' - which apparently caused a bit of controversy as it was a staged shoot. It was a great exhibition, pretty big, with a huge range of subjects including another of his most famous images, Picasso and his son at a bull fight. One thing I was struck by was how many of the images looked like they could have been taken today rather than the 1960s or 1970s, especially those from India and Asia. Partly because some of the photos are of traditional festivals and places where obviously clothing and architecture remain constant, but I was still surprised by how many images wouldn't have seemed incongruous at the World Press Photo exhibition I went to the other month.

Also it was nice to find out about another internationally successful talented New Zealander.

While I was there I had a look around a small exhibition on some key events in New Zealand's social history from about the 1950s. It had bits on women's rights (legalising abortion in NZ), the homosexual law reform bill, and the 1981 Springbok tour. All things I know a bit about already thanks to history at high school and my Gender and Women's Studies major, but seeing footage from those events is still pretty confronting. I got a bit emotional watching the video about the homosexual law reform bill. Some man was standing on stage denouncing homosexuality and saying 'that sort' should be kicked to the gutter and left to die etc and it was so upsetting, to see people standing up and cheering at his words. And to think that was only just over 20 years ago.


There were some nice things though, this made me smile because that Crown Lynn dinner set is what my Nana still has. And I love the wedding dress.

There was also a small exhibition on fashion ('Enriching Fashion: An Eye for Detail') which included this amazingly detailed embroidered christening gown. I can't even imagine how long it took to embroider such tiny details. And it's white on white which must be hard on the eyes.


Not so hard on the eyes, but hard on the patience is my first sock. So close to being finished! Speeding down decrease lane I can almost taste the kitchener stitch (which I'm slightly dreading). And I'm feeling vaguely enthused about casting on the second one - even though I can't remember how I did it the first time around, considering it's been about 5 months.