A bone of fact

David Walsh, creator and owner of MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) in Hobart has written this memoir, A bone of fact. Each chapter contains observations about a snippet from his life which together provide a partial insight into the mind of the author. There are references to his early life, the illness of his brother, Tim, his grade five teacher and the poems he taught the class, his gambling and how this helped him create his fortune, early upbringing in the Catholic church and schools plus the creation of his museums to house his collections as well as to give something back to the community and his views on collecting. Don't expect a chronological narrative. The 368 pages of the book provide short glimpses into an unusual mind which together provide a partial introduction to the life and interests and sense of humour of the author, The book contains many photographs. I did not read this book from cover to cover but rather dipped into it and read isolated chapters. This book can be read as a companion book to The making of MONA.

Car spaces at MONA reserved for the owner and his wife Nov 2015