Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Gallery 9 - Tonee Messiah


























































It had been a long week and we were very tired and grumpy.

Happily Tonee's show picked us up.

It's Wesserman and Hockney with a twist of today.

A very friendly crowd complete with the odd kooky few that always seem to turn up here and keep things interesting.

The verandah as usual proving to be a relaxing place to sit ... and boy after the last week we needed to do that ...


30th September - 17th October 2009
www.gallery9.com.au

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Kaliman Gallery - Guan Wei









Gene Sherman of course was there to open the show and to launch the book. It's when you run into Gene that you realise how much you miss Sherman Galleries as a commercial space, great that it's still there but we do miss a monthly show.

We love Gene for her nutty sense of style ... she made it to a 365 Happy Days pic on JP's website for her fantastical art based frocks ... so much fun to watch her and Anna Waldron running around Kaliman like naughty schoolgirls... refreshing to see art folk just having fun ... and even better when you realise that the pissed off cab driver standing outside the gallery beside his car is just waiting, with meter ticking, for Gene to decide when she wanted to leave...

Guan Wei's stylised fragments elude to a history that is all at once damning, confusing and incomplete ... referencing ancient maps the cleaness of the work is almost offputting ... and such sweet sculptures.

Alas, while we have the whole opening speech on video we were a little dazed and confused and forgot to video anything else ... oh well! pics will have to suffice.

www.kalimangallery.com
25th September - 24th October

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Stills Gallery - Robyn Stacey, Empire Line









The brightest of Spring Saturday afternoons made the darkened and hallowed Stills Gallery seem all the more sombre.

Robyn Stacey's 'Empire Line' pulls every Victoriana trick out of the box. Borrowing props from Nicholson Museum, she assembles opulent 'trophies' resplendent with rotting fruit, bugs and flowers past their prime.

Great to see Craig Judd at this one ... he was in particularly good form.

23rd September - 24th October
www.stillsgallery.com.au

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery - Justene Williams - Mikala Dwyer

















































Where was Jimmy?

I called. I rang. I tried.

Just where was Jimmy?

So I found myself as half of sixtoeight covering the RosOx shows...

Mikala's work has always been a strange amalgam of objects thrust together.

She seemed to be playing with the idea of art commercialisation. There was something for free and prices went from $100 to up to $25,000. So the canny shopper could feel like a real art buyer.

But where was Jimmy?

Justene's installation Femmzoil caught me by surprise, I walked into the gallery and found three videos all linked by a cardboard box floor... So instantly I felt part of it...

Now! I love my science fiction and this was like a mix between Dr Who and a Star Trek transporter... and all through the magic of foil and cardboard!

It left me feeling oddly validated... but where was Jimmy?

Probably lucky, we would have argued about these shows.

17th September - 10th October 2009
www.roslynoxley9.com.au

Martin Browne Fine Art - Linde Ivemy and Mclean Edwards









What a strange juxtaposition was this show.

One artist so intent on detail and new ideas ... and the other ...

The buzz around the room was that Edwards is in love. Could that be the reason we have no delicious glazes and that he no longer even has the time to stretch canvases? C'mon, plywood... warped???

Linde's work has moved soooo far ahead since the last show (which frankly was a tad scary ... what with those processions and all) this show is heavy on the pop and social referencing. It's really funny! and it's really moving and it's got a paintbrush head man walking a puppy ... Lawdy! what more do you want!

16th September - 11th October 2009
www.martinbrownefineart.com


Friday, September 18, 2009

Kudos Gallery - Tim Olsen Drawing Prize







We fell in love with Sophie Bray and her "Swell Study", detailed drawings of the ocean swell.

Joan Ross seemed very proud of her student Susannah Thorne, her mixed media work drew over what seemed liked 'starched' women's lingerie...

And where was Mr Olsen, we were expecting to see him at his own prize?

15th September - 26th September 2009
www.arc.unsw.edu.au/cofa/kudos/

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Albion St Gallery - Wayne Bonnici

GRAND TOUR - Venezia & Firenze











Bonnici's 'Grand Tour' photos seem to hide some secret narrative.

The most striking thing about these photos are their lack of people.

There's a definite romance involved, but it's a romance that has been stripped of it's players.

This was a fun opening, heavy on the family and they all seemed rather sweet.

11th September - 25th September, 2009

Tap Gallery Presents - At The Palm House













































A charming location the Palm House has, nestled in a cosy patch inside the Botanical Gardens in Sydney.

Tap Gallery presents a wide array of artistic perceptions and experience.

One stand out artist is Diablo Mode showcasing his extraordinary talent of weaving pine needles and other natural materials with everyday objects such as cutlery and violin bows to create objects of extreme beauty.

12th September - 22nd September 2009
www.tapgallery.org.au

Chalk Horse - 'The Golden Probe' and 'unhistorical'













































Our first trip to Chalkhorse and we we're impressed... it's a large and airy space that is relatively free of pretension.

Solid work in the two shows, 'unhistoric' and 'The Golden Probe' and in the stockroom.

The Golden Probe, is a quirky work blending documentation and drawing. We think it's celebrating the gold instrument used to test the authenticity of the holes in Christ ... odd thing to make a probe with, considering how soft gold is but we digress!

In 'unhistoric' the scene stealer has to be the Renny Kodgers video installation. Renny gives a life drawing class and shows off wearing an enlarged fake penis for some added shock value.

And the painting on masonite by Yvette Coppersmith in the stockroom needs to be seen by all.

10th September - 3rd October 2009
www.chalkhorse.com.au

Rex-Livingston Art Dealer - Peter Cameron









Paintings from Hill End (residency) and Millamolong Station.

Peter's work is covered in vertical lines... which shrouds the landscape and seems to imply some kind of structure... which he insists is time and history ... not so sure ... we always thought that history was laid down like slate, kind of horizontally in layers ...

Great nibblies from Ross Boss Fingerfood Specialist... a very lovely pate ... mmm ... glad that pate is making a comeback ...

9th September - 27th September 2009
www.rex-livingston.com

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Australian Galleries - Glenmore - Fairlie Kingston





If you didn't grow up in Australia then you just wont get this show, although it's definitely a show not to be missed.

The ceramic houses are quite extraordinary, with the most intimate detail, showcasing the architecture of the iconic Australian beach house.

9th September - 3rd October 2009
www.australiangalleries.com.au

Gallery 9 - Michael Lindeman





























This is Captain Ziggy who apparently wrote the catalog, named the show and was the inspiration (he is very cute)
Apparently you can hire him for desk top publishing work.





























9th September - 26th September 2009
www.gallery9.com.au

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Flinders Street Gallery - Halinka Orszulok





She's charming and articulate, Halinka's work is about public and private intimacies. They are dark and just a little surly with clouds which could be stills from a Disney Pixar animation.

We loved the dunnies (she does bricks so well)




3rd September - 26th September 2009
www.flindersstreetgallery.com

NAS Gallery - Blake Prize Exhibition







Ok, so when did short list turn into long list, when did it cease being special to be a finalist? This show has far far far far far tooo much work in it .

Every trick in the book has been tested, tried and abused in an effort to grab some small piece of spiritualism ... and it leaves a kind of icky taste in the mouth ... like some strange food additive that tastes ok at first and then later it's a bit bitter ... it's all a bit mock turkey ...

NOW ... having said that ... there are some really good things here and it's when the artist has taken the task seriously and not just tried to inflame/irritate/outrage ... it's just that you have to scramble around and find them ...

Mary Shackman's bright oil painting stands out, as does Simon Blau's commanding circular work... and the horse with the hands as feet, one holding a skull ... weirdly entertaining...

The Blake is well worth a look ...

And just how did video artists become sixtoeight pinups ... we are just mad crazy for Ms and Mr, the video in the Blake holds all of the melodrama and poignancy that leaves us wanting more of them.

3rd September - 3rd October 2009
www.blakeprize.com.au

Tim Olsen Gallery - Luke Sciberras







With Luke's gregarious nature, half of Woollahra ended up at Tim Olsens on Tuesday night.
Packed to the back teeth and if you were lucky to get near the air conditioner vent you were laughing...

1st September - 20th September 2009
www.timolsengallery.com