It was a treat for my birthday – a trip to Sydney for the day with my family to attend the book signing for Jeannie Baker’s latest book Mirror at the Museum of Sydney.
In addition to the opportunity to meet Jeannie, which was enticement enough, the artworks used for the illustrations for Mirror were on display and the book signing was accompanied by Moroccan musicians, Moroccan tea and Turkish delight.
I saw Mirror for he first time at the exhibition and I was fascinated, as I always am, with the incredible detail in Jeannie’s illustrations. Being able to view the 3D collages gave me a new appreciation for just how clever and beautiful and precise the work in these incredible artworks is.
One of the things that struck me most about the crowd that had gathered for the Moroccan tea and exhibition was the diversity in ages. There were children such as my own there with parents through to a group of three older women visiting the museum together. Singles, couples, families, old and young, the artworks obviously struck a chord across a range of demographic groups and experiences.
With the visual attraction of the artworks, hypnotic beat of the Moroccan music, warm tang of the green tea with mint and the sticky sweetness of the Turkish delight, the Mirror exhibition room was a feast for the senses. Occasionally someone would start dancing or clapping to the music and there was a wonderful festive atmosphere in the room.
Meeting Jeannie was delightful and she was incredibly friendly. The museum giftshop had copies of most of Jeannie’s books available, many in both hard and soft cover as well as larger formats suitable for classroom or library reading sessions with groups of children.
For those who can get to the exhibition at the Museum of Sydney, you might be particularly interested in visiting on the final date of the display, Sunday 10th October 2010, when Jeannie will be giving a talk about the development and inspiration for Mirror.
Don't miss KBR's review of Mirror.
