If you’re a fan of the guitar, music’s most popular instrument, then a visit to Ballarat’s beautiful Art Gallery will put you in hog heaven!
Medieval To Metal, The Art and Evolution of the Guitar showcases the history and influence of the guitar utilising rare guitars, art, photography, live performance and some interaction for punters.
The guitars are stunning and come in all shapes and forms, certainly recognisable when you think of your favourite artists.
Australian rock photographer Tony Mott’s photos are in abundance and some have been blown up to cover walls which adds to the ambience.
There is even a live guitarist jamming away constantly in one of the rooms. We were there for over an hour and he didn’t stop so I’m hoping he got replaced at some stage.
There is even a couple of soundproof booths with guitars and tiny Marshall amps where you can jam alone. As demonstrated here, Lynda does actually play the guitar whereas the imbecile in the other booth has absolutely no idea.
The previous night we went to a panel show at the gallery hosted by the ABC’s Zan Rowe. The theme was music journalism and she had three veteran journalists, Jane Gazzo, Stuart Coupe and Michael Dwyer on the couch.
It was most enjoyable and there are tons of these after-hours events happening in conjunction with the exhibition including live bands. Here is a link to the program.
https://www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au/explore/exhibitions/medieval-to-metal
A huge bonus to the exhibition is a free retrospective of Josh Muir’s art upstairs at the gallery.
Josh was a brilliant First Nations artist from Ballarat who was on the cusp of greatness before passing away suddenly at the age of thirty.
This was a real treat as we had heard so much about him after moving to Ballarat. His work combines painting, sculpture, digital on metal and audio visual. Really beautiful work.
Josh’s exhibition runs alongside Medieval to Metal till February 2 2025. This is a link and some photos. Get to ‘The Rat’ and make a weekend of it. Hope we see you soon.
https://www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au/explore/exhibitions/jxsh-mvir-forever-i-live
