⚪️🔴🟠🟡🟢🔵🟣⚫️ NEW DIRECTION   Ed. No. 79 - CHANGE THE FOCUS  

Reference photograph by Neville Williams  ©️Arts Law Australia

for an artwork titled "HOME ON A HILL" about simplicity in life.

WORK IN PROGRESS (2025)

(Detail from concept visual digitally enhanced)

                  

A few weeks back I took in the movie “Unstoppable” about an out of control freight train being the result of human distraction. Worth a look. Just marshalling all of the heavy machinery here alone is an achievement for the creators for this juggernaut of a feature film. The heart stopping cinematography orchestrating the heavy haulage alone is worth mentioning. I couldn’t help but see the parallels between the film and the times we are living through presently.

OUT OF CONTROL FREIGHT TRAIN

from "UNSTOPPABLE" (2010 Film)

20th Century Fox

Since we have emerged from the COVID hibernation humanity seems to have created its own unstoppable out of control angst ridden train ride. 

What is going on? Where to start? Can we subject ourselves to anymore change, unpredictability, distraction, disconnection, fear, anger, confusion? I can’t remember a period of time when being faced with so many experiences that are so new to me. It is totally wearying facing one new challenge after another (whether good or bad). Sometimes we are being hit with multiple challenges at the same time across the most diverse spectrum of situations possible.   

Stop the hurtling freight train I want to get off. 

Can I just pick one item of human senselessness out of a plethora of choices. In Australia one of the current hot topics being railroaded is us putting ourselves through the somersaulting course of purchasing nuclear submarines costing gazillions of dollars and these things when in action can be taken out in seconds with the right technology. Truly crazy logic here. 

Multi billions of dollars defending our very own fears but not a cent on a consciously planned preventative 'peace plan'? Please explain! 

You’ve gotta reckon that humanity is off the rails. 

If we can’t see that fear is running the show then we are blind. 

In stark contrast I was sitting silently waiting for a taxi the other day with my 92 year old Mother. She said to me “Look at that”. Two dead leaves had been wind blown into our view. My Mother was completely overjoyed and enthralled by one of the leaves saying “It looks like a mouse!”  And it did. She was beside herself laughing about this simple act of nature. And this was a reminder to me that simplicity in life is something to be valued. 

Life is for living. 

I was encouraged by this occurence into purchasing a quite expensive canvas being motivated to do what I do as an artist...paint a picture. And it will be a picture of simplicity. As simple as I can possibly make it. I found the subject … a white block house on a hill. A place where I’d like to live amongst a whole lot of trees with a perfectly clear infinite blue sky only broken by a single line of palm trees. 

Shifting our focus to the clear and simple might be worth considering for these headily busy times. Artists can lead the way here through this "Winter of our discontent/disconnect" by showcasing better alternatives. - Neville ☺︎

• 

Celebrate life!

_________________

What is your vision for YOO?

👋 Celebrate yoo!

⚪️🔴🟠🟡🟢🔵🟣⚫️

⬇️ MEDIA LETTER

SHIFT THE FOCUS: MAKING US UNSTOPPABLE

THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS ALSO SUPPLIED TO THE EDITORS OF THE DAILY TELEGRAPH & THE AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER

From: NEVILLE WILLIAMS <bigbennelong@optusnet.com.au>
Date: 14 April 2025 at 14:04:56 AEST
To: The Editor THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD <letters@smh.com.au>
Subject: SHIFT THE FOCUS: MAKING US UNSTOPPABLE

Dear Editor, 

SHIFT THE FOCUS: MAKING US UNSTOPPABLE

The out of control freight train of media coverage afforded Trump only fuels his driving force. i.e. the emptiness of his own ego self.

Perhaps it is timely to shift the focus of these energies from Trump onto creative solutions for cleaning up our own backyards. While we are busily distracting ourselves from reality those with a plan undoubtedly keep forging forward.

We are behaving like spoilt children.

Politicians from the major parties are treating us in the way we’ve been weaned over generations by giving us lolly.

Commonsense alone would tell us that is not the way to build a resilient nation.

Sure, it is extremely tough on many levels presently and the truth does hurt. We need to hear more of it even though unpalatable. The first step in moving forward is facing up to the fact that we have a problem.

Isn’t the bottom line here about finding the discipline and understanding ourselves better?

We in Australia need to get ourselves a flexible overarching plan and move on it.

Kind regards, Neville Williams

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