Swirly, worldly Surry Hills

It's a great place to visit, Surry Hills, where Linda and Phil's inner city terrace is. Full of interesting corners and artworks and parks.

Today is a perfect Sydney Sunday so we headed out for a wander and a forage for breakfast. On the trendy streets of inner city Sydney I'm struck by the phenomenon of fashion in cars. Just a few years ago everyone had to have a medium sized black car.  But have you noticed, these have now all been superceded by small gunmetal grey cars? Why gunmetal grey? The colour of wet roads? It's not a good colour, only looks good in the showroom. I know this because that's the colour Rover is and he always looks like he needs a wash.

A visit to The Book Kitchen for breakfast was mandatory. We slid into the last free table and ordered juice and coffee and boiled eggs with sourdough soldiers and date and walnut loaf with passionfruit butter. It was all so good. Have you been watching The Slap on ABC TV? Where Hugo the obnoxious child gets slapped by someone at a party and his Gen Y parents go to the police over it? Hugo was at the cafe this morning. David and I agreed we wanted to slap him. Or perhaps his parents. He arrived in a stroller the size of a volkswagon and every time he squealed they gave him a morsel of food. I'm glad I'm not toddler wrangling all day any more. It's a young person's game.

This (below) is the happening scene outside the Bourke St Bakery.  Or more correctly, Boulangerie.

After breakfast we walked around the corner to the Brett Whiteley Gallery. This is the actual artist's home and studio where he was working on a series of huge panels about Australian life, when he died of his heroin addiction in 1992.  How poignant is the sculpture outside the door? The redhead that flames brilliantly and briefly, that was him.

He is best loved for his drawings. This one (below) was done in his Lavender Bay studio when he and Wendy were young and crazy. "Life is all about sex" he said.  He was friends with Patrick White, Francis Bacon. There are a few words on this drawing, here is what they say:

               Still life
               ...is there!
               still - life yes there still is life
                       steel   steal
               no STILL tranquil...movement...loss

You probably can't make it out, but on the sketchpad on the bed is a part of my personal favourite Whiteley work: Interior with Time Past. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhiKyaDkjB0

And here is his last unfinished work, scenes from Bondi. The actual studio was just fascinating, complete with his personal bits and pieces, photos and musings scribbled on the white walls, as well as the brushes, the paints and most importantly, the light.