Oils and oils
Real estate agent turned art promoter Nigel Satterley is back at it again.
Mr Satterley, who has an even softer spot for the arts than The Note and wallet to back it up, is embarking on his second major pop-up style exhibition of a major Aussie painter.
Following last year’s success with the Jeffrey Smart event at the Bishops See foyer, the property mogul is turning a residential property he owns in Peppy Grove into a gallery to show 20 works by Tim Maguire next month.
Currently in France preparing for the exhibition, Mr Maguire admitted to being a little in the dark about how many enthusiasts for his work were in Perth and saw this as a chance for an introduction to the market as much as for sales. He said his work was mainly appreciated in Australia, especially with the high dollar making it tough in the recession-hit developed markets of the northern hemisphere.
“My main market is in Australia, so we have to peg the price to what is happening there,” Mr Maguire said.
The works on sale next month will range from $30,000 to $200,000 in price.
Flight safety
The Note always loves devotion to a cause, even when the devotee knows it is pointless.
We understand that “doing something” often feels better even if there is not the slightest chance that it will make any real difference. We are sure there is probably a psychiatric term for it. We were prompted to think of this condition when we saw a media release by state environment minister Bill Marmion entitled ‘New signs to help reduce cockatoo deaths’.
At first we thought such an initiative was pointless due to the fact that cockatoos are generally illiterate, a feeling that was not relieved in reading the fine print and discovering the signs were intended to inform drivers.
If such informative roadside warnings really worked, then we would see a lot fewer bloated and bloodied kangaroos by the side of the road. Warning signs with roos on them have been with us for decades without any evidence that they’ve slowed the highway marsupial toll – and that’s taking into account that drivers actually fear hitting these muscular creatures due to the damage they can wreak.
We reckon a simulated shotgun noise-maker firing off every time a vehicle approaches might be more effective.
A real sizzler
Speaking of fauna protection, we could not help but be intrigued by a $300,000 tender let by the state’s Department of Finance. According to contract details we spied on the Tenders WA website, Bunzl Food Processor Supplies was awarded a two-year contract to supply and deliver sausage skin casings for the manufacture of predator bait.
While we suspect most of the alleged predators being targeted are foreign species, we are glad to see they, or more likely their descendants, have truly assimilated into the Aussie way of life.
We assume the idea is to use their keen olfactic abilities to lure them to captivity with the smell of snags on a BBQ? We are still looking for the brewing, aluminium can production and cheeky stubby holder contracts to complete the picture.
