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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 ...
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.
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.
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.
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...
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