Klee (July)

Paul Klee’s ‘Exhibition Buildings’ is a dome like a crown, reminder of their historical self-congratulation. ‘Casino’ doesn’t get off so easily. The Crown lights need repair, while Yarra waves imitate banknotes into which gamblers drown. Is this satire or dreamscape? The landscapist presents and moves on. Who would choose to live in Yarraville? Klee’s streetscapes are meeting places of waking and sleeping. Colours are shared language with their own local dialects. His celebrated ‘Yarraville Weekend’ arranges geometric shapes using dots and shadings of blue, brown, white, green, and pink. Facsimiles cannot replicate its immediate child-like grandeur. (Echidna Galleries, 1-22 July)