The Muddy Archeologist presents a talk on Greek and Roman art Coffs Coast Highlight Section Nambucca Valley by News Of The Area - Modern Media - October 20, 2023 Gillian Hovell, aka The Muddy Archaeologist, is presenting the October ADFAS talk in Coffs Harbour. DUBBED ‘The Muddy Archaeologist’, British digger-upper of ancient sites and passionate historian Gillian Hovell will present the next Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society (ADFAS) Coffs Coast talk. The talk is titled ‘What Did the Greeks and Romans Ever Do for Art?’ and is on Monday 23 October at the National Cartoon Gallery. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Keen to share her delight for digging into history, Gillian shares examples of how archaeology and history are all around us, so much so that sometimes we don’t even realise how Latin and aspects of ancient culture are infused into our lives. “Ancient Greek art blossomed for hundreds of years before the Romans took that art – the sculpture, frescoes, vase painting, architecture and so much more – and made it their own,” said Gillian. “New media, new styles and new expressions burst forth, and this vibrant cocktail created the basis for western art for millennia.” Gillian shares her expert and life-experienced views on just what those Greek and Roman artists achieved that was so world-changing. “It wasn’t just the media they expressed themselves in and the unforgettable works they created which have been echoed over the millennia, it was a mind-set that established how we would look at art for centuries to come.” Gillian is an engaging speaker, an award-winning author, historian and archaeologist who brings passion, colour and depth to the here and now by visiting the past. After graduating in Latin and Ancient History from the UK’s Exeter University in 1983, Gillian spent several years working in BBC Television on everything from live television at No.10 to children’s programs, drama series and science and features. Looking ahead, Cath Fogarty from ADFAS Coffs Coast told News Of The Area, “The volunteer committee of ADFAS Coffs Coast has drafted up a program of exciting talks for 2024 which you can find on their website to continue to inspire the mind with a community of people interested in the arts.” Next year’s topics include: Well Heeled, Shoes through time; Friends, Fashion and Fabulousness, the Making of Australian Style; British Pop Art; and Ten Novels That Changed the World. For more information you can visit the ADFAS Coffs Coast website at www.adfascoffscoast.org.au. By Andrea FERRARI The statue of Laocoön and His Sons, also called the Laocoön Group, has been one of the most famous ancient sculptures since it was excavated in Rome in 1506 and put on public display in the Vatican Museums, where it remains today. Portrait of a young woman in red from the Roman period A.D. 90–120; an encaustic on limewood with gold leaf.
