New Beech Forest Review; Shaun Tan: Suburban Odyssey

I received the link to a new In the Beech Forest review today by the Sydney Morning Herald at http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/light-shines-in-the-darkness-20120607-1zx6p.html. The reviewer, Candida Baker, most generously wrote,

 " This beautifully designed hardback is reminiscent of Shaun Tan's books in the complexity and layering of its text and illustrations. An ideal read for children and adults alike, particularly young boys."

I must note here that such a thing could never be possible: Tan's oeuvre  is both unique and beautiful, never to be rivalled. On the weekend I had the pleasure to see his exhition: Suburban Odyssey, at the Fremantle Arts Centre (see: http://www.fac.org.au/events/110/shaun-tan-suburban-odyssey?mid=12). I thought it featured a small number of works but they were of high quality. I sat there for several hours studying how Tan applied the paint media to the wood and ground of the canvases and his use of colour and motion in line. There are large refined works of several metres in length, a collection of small plate plein air studies of various subjects, two of his sketchbooks to view as well as a series of composition studies, some from The Lost Thing. If you are in Perth between 19 May 2012 - 15 July 2012 , I would recommend a visit to the exhibition. The gallery cafe is also a nice visit, as I was allowed to sit in the courtyard and paint for another 2 hours or so on a single coffee. If you like/need ambience or coffee to work, it's a great place to visit. Some of his older books such as The Viewer and The Memorial (Gary Crew) and the Rabbits (John Marsden) are for sale as well in the FAC book shop and reception.