the gallery of unchallenging art

A now departed Dean at the Melbourne University Law School felt that the artworks from the University collection displayed on the walls of his faculty were rather too ‘challenging’ for his personal taste. In response, faculty member Ian Malkin instituted on the noticeboards outside his office a ‘Gallery of Unchallenging Art’. This slowly expanding collection of works includes to date several prints from the once ubiquitous series of dogs playing pool and various other indoor recreations (my short poems entitled ‘Dogs’ were once to be called ‘Dogs Playing Cards’). Also represented are examples of ‘tourist art’, bad amateur oil portraits, whatever Ian can lay his hands on. It’s all very much an overflow from his own office (pictured above). These two photographs can only hint at the contents of that amazing space.