Sometimes lowering the bar opens some strange doors.
It was one of those things that everyone had told us was a “must see” when we recently spent some time in Broken Hill.
There is a curious juxtaposition in this town. Thriving alongside the mines and the slag pile and the sacrifice of men underground is an illustrious art culture. We spent a few hours underground in a silver mine and a few hours on top admiring works created with the silver. We spent time at the Pro Hart Gallery and even had a bit of a chat with landscape artist Jack Absalom himself before he took off on another inland art escapade.
But the must see was the Big Picture. To see the Big Picture cost $7.50 and so we deliberated for a time whether spending a collective $15 was worth while. But the animated faces and the encouraging remarks of people coming out of the exhibit pushed us forward and in we went. The Big Picture is, surprise, surprise, a big picture. It is a landscape in the round and you pay to enter its room and marvel at its size and proportion.
I spent a good amount of time there, mainly because I had paid $15 to do so. Otherwise, I would have popped my head in, noted that the picture was big and was a landscape and left. But I had to get my money’s worth, so I checked out all the flora and fauna and wandered that room twice, hoping to see more the second circuit around. It made me look harder and that alone was a lesson in appreciation and time. Nevertheless, it was a good experience, but I remain undecided whether the experience was worth the entry price.
What the Big Picture did for us however was open doors to an even bigger picture. No longer did any entry fee seem too much. Every experience was likened to our circuit around that room. A new bench mark had been set for our mini Australian road trip.
And so, we didn’t hesitate again. We paid entry fees all over, popping into caves, checking out exhibits, sailing on rivers. If we could spend the money to see just one big picture, we could spend it to see other things too. The Big Picture steered our way forward and in so doing, opened our eyes to the wonders of the big Australian picture.