Party Party

Justice Virginia Bell explains some of the tensions in contemporary art movements as she opens stylish exhibition ... Official launch party for Guardian Australia ... Sharp elbows at Carriageworks 

Syon House by Tony Edwards: "much of the realism is faux"

LAST week Justinian, clutching an empty champagne flute, was out and about on the party circuit. 

Glittering event of the week was the launch by Justice Virginia Bell of artist Tony Edward's exhibition. 

The collection of Edwards' formal works is on show at the Historic Houses Trust members' lounge at the Mint. 

Bell performed the honours in her trademark deadpan manner and impeccable timing. 

The usual crowd of celebrities, which included David Marr and Neil Armfield, was on hand to hear Bell say that Edwards' current formalism, showing the influence of Robert Adam, is a style of which she approves. 

Palladian splendour, stately homes, the folkloric glories of Sicily are all captured by Edwards' brush and, as Bell observed, are the very places where judges like to take their holidays. 

It wasn't always so. 

In the 1970s Edwards was the artist who created the comic character Captain Goodvibes, described by the High Court judge as a "sexually inadequate surfing pig". 

The pig's life has recently been reprised in a book, My Life as a Pork Chop.  

Barry Humphries on the back cover of this work remarks: 

"I rarely complain to artists, but I'm beginning to form a strong resentment towards your book." 

Bell sought to explain to her spellbound audience the confusion between the School of Bad Painting and the Lowbrow School. 

The School of Bad Painting is "just that", however the Lowbrow School is criticised for its emphasis on narrative and because its artists generally possess technical skill. 

Edwards' technical skill developed during his five years as an architecture student - "all of them in first year". 

In his "London Period" Edwards worked as an architectural draftsman, which included the plumbing designs for refurbishments at Buckingham Palace. 

Justinian's artist-in-residence, Jenny Coopes, pointed out that "much of Edwards' realism is faux". 

In his painting of Syon House, home to the Dukes of Northumberland, the judge questioned the presence of goats grazing in the Capability Brown designed parklands. 

"It's the little details that give the faux artist away."  

She said the exhibition is "civilised and civilising" and for that the credit should go to the artist's wife, Sally. 

Justice Bell congratulated the Friends of the Historic Houses Trust for sticking by their name and not adopting the rebadged moniker of Friends of Sydney Living Museums. 

Disclosure: The Justinian Gallery has been a keen collector of Edwards' work. 

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Editor Kath Viner (right) in celebratory mode at Guardian Australia's launch

THE night before at Carriagework's Cornerstone Bar required very sharp elbows. 

It was the launch party for Guardian Australia and there were more refugees from the mainstream media than asylum seekers on Christmas Island. 

If a bomb had gone off half the leftie tribe of the city's journalists would have been wiped out, leaving the field for Rupe and his pack of performing seals to squawk and flap freely. 

The ABC's top panjandrum, Mark Scott, did the honours, saying that the arrival of The Guardian may distract the Akermans and Bolts of the world and draw their flak away from the ABC. 

The online newspaper's publication in Australia also presents special problems for Dear Old Gerard Henderson, who was sacked as a columnist by The Age and ever since has referred to the Melbourne paper as "The Guardian on the Yarra". 

Now that there is a real Guardian on the Yarra, Gerard will have to reach into his grab bag of hilarious wise-cracks for something fresh: Izvestia on the Yarra ... Pravda on the Yarra? 

Whatever professional resentments can be conjured about the new arrival, one thing is sure - this is a quality publication, tapping into correspondents around the world, with no paywall. 

Kath Viner, the editor of Guardian Australia reminded the throng that the company is owned by the Scott Trust - it is not answerable to shareholders and therefore, "allows us to do a more interesting, truer sort of journalism". 

Starting in Manchester in 1821 with 1,000 readers it now has 42 million readers worldwide and 1.5 million in Australia. 

It is the third most read news site in the world. 

This has not stopped Ms Viner misreading Australian cultural values and appearing in public wearing Ugg Boots. 

Seen in the crush were famed journalist educator Jenna Price (clutching her MacBook Pro), Fran Kelly from Radio National, Pam Williams from the Fin Review, Raymondo Marr from Guardian Australia, Chaser man Julian Morrow and Lisa Pryor (ex-Herald), odds and sods from the Media Alliance and Amnesty International, New Matilda owner and editor Marni Cordell, plus Mike Seccombe and Lauren Martin from Guardian Australia's sister organ The Global Mail.