Bookmarks

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Change the way you see your world.

STYLE —— Bookmarks

Still Life by Amber Creswell Bell (Thames & Hudson, $65) Fruit bowls and flower-filled vases may be still-life mainstays, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that makes this type of art in any way banal. As Sydney arts writer, curator and author of this illuminating book Amber Creswell Bell explains, although they’re frequently more familiar and accessible than modern art, still-life works can contain significant meaning, exploring the senses and moral and intellectual ideas via glimpses into our everyday existence.

Forty-one Australian artists are profiled here, all with distinct styles and all to be celebrated for their skill in conveying human narratives in the absence of an actual human. Among them is Julian Meagher, who’s become known for painting cask-wine bladders as a way to investigate our relationship with alcohol. Meanwhile, Jane-Frances Tannock works only with found arrangements — domestic scenes that come together through unplanned acts, like the stack of dishes next to your sink — as a reflection on the rhythms of family life.

Given its subject is the depiction of things that generally just sit there, this read is thoroughly absorbing and thought-provoking. The often-poignant sense of connection these paintings offer is well put by another of the interviewed artists, Andrea Huelin, who says, “I think still life is a kind of communication — a way of saying, ‘Do you see this too? It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’”

HOW TO HANDLE THE HOUSING HEAT

ABOVE Big Harvest by Lucy Roleff, who loves the sense that an arrangement “has been left to sit quietly while other life goes on elsewhere… It’s a moment ‘in between’.” BELOW Near the Fridge by Jane-Frances Tannock. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT I Folded My Body Through the Dark by Bronte LeightonDore; Study for There is Hope to the Last Flower by Julian Meagher; Shelf Still Life by Cressida Campbell. There may be talk of imminent changes to the Kiwi housing market but the reality remains: New Zealand homes are hot property.

Largelythankstofiercecompetition, searching for your dream build, old or new, continues to come with challenges, yet for those who are willing to do their homework and stay the course, the right home surely awaits. New Zealand’s number-one real estate buying website, Trade Me Property, is an excellent resource to help you understand the risks and benefits while gaining insider information to ease your anxiety.

According to Trade Me Property experts, the high demand for housing is still predominantly driven by consistently low interest rates; this makes buying more affordable for many, as borrowing from the bank essentially costs less. The demand can also be attributed to the fear of missing out that brings emotions to the fore, elevating prices in auction rooms and on negotiation tables.

Whatever happens in the coming months, you can stay abreast of any changes in the market via the Trade Me Property website and app, while searching for accommodation types, suburbs, highest and lowest prices, latest listings and open homes.