Author. Thinker. Other things.
About two weeks ago the level of activity in my household was added to significantly by the addition of a miniature pinscher, Electra. She's 5 months old, incredibly friendly and relatively non-destructive. This photo taken at the pet shop makes her look the size of a shepherd, but in fact she's not much bigger than... Continue Reading →
I was at a dinner party the other day when I overheard one of the guests describing a living room in disparaging terms because it was too filled with chintz. I have to admit it's not a fabric I spend much time considering, nor before writing this post even knew anything about (except that it... Continue Reading →
When Juan Ponce de León traveled from Spain to the New World in 1513, he was looking for immortality. Legend has it that he was looking for the fabled fountain of youth. During his journey he named the state of Florida and his quest catalyzed the name of the Florida town of Ponce de León,... Continue Reading →
As I prepare to leave New Zealand I am, not surprisingly, thinking about Andrew Carnegie and his contribution to uplifting an understanding and appreciation of culture in the United States and further afield. In 1911 he established Carnegie Corporation of New York to "promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.” Carnegie Corporation has... Continue Reading →
The other day I was sent a beautiful short film of the Castlecliff Driftwood and Sand Sculpture Competition for 2105. As I gear up to leave Whanganui in a month, it's started me thinking about what being here has meant and what I've learned along the way. It's the last place I will live on... Continue Reading →
I have the very good fortune to have a wall in my office that is ideal to hang large artworks. It was very recently painted an deep forest green and, even more recently, was installed a magnificent painting of the Whanganui River, by Thomas William (T.W.) Downes in 1896. Earlier this year the work was... Continue Reading →
I'm just about to give a public lecture. It will be at Whanganui Regional Museum in a couple of days' time. The talk is, with some modification, one that I delivered in Japan last month, as a guest of the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tsukuba. The topic of the gathering was the... Continue Reading →
I recently gave a talk to students graduating in Computer Graphic Design at the Universal College of Learning (UCOL) in Whanganui. Here's the talk I gave. Tēnā koutou katoa. Ka nui te mihi atu. Mayor Annette Main, Deputy Mayor Hamish McDouall, Councillors, Trevor Goodwin, distinguished guests and especially graduands, I’m very pleased to be asked... Continue Reading →
Having just posted a book announcement on Art and Ethics on the website of ICOM NATHIST Ethics Working Group (click here for that) has given me pause to think about how the ethics of art touches on natural history. There are many facets to this. For instance, wildlife photography. When we sit down to our television... Continue Reading →
One of the things I've long found interesting is the importance of context in determining our perceptions of what we see. In the context of heritage, the difference between science, art, music and even rubbish, can be determined by the value conferred on it by its context. Last night I had the pleasure of attending the... Continue Reading →
ERIC DORFMAN 