MOP - Charles Dennington, Eric Niebuhr & Nicola Smith

I love MOP... I don’t go very often but I love MOP!

Charles Dennington and his 'Face like Figures, Floored', is a small world, of time before, time now and future time, placing objects in a not so haphazardly way, creating his own mission statement within the placement of the objects, the work on the wall and wall projection. I liked it, just kept looking at it and kept finding something that I had missed.

‘Picturedrome’ by Nicola Smith is a series of re-created images from other mediums, telling a story from a time gone by but very effectively. Loved them all so much that I can’t pick favourites, love the oil wash technique and the colours used and looking forward to seeing more of Nicola’s work in the future.

‘Not Found’ by Eric Niebuhr is a rather awesome series of new paintings, they seem like tiny sections of moments in time, captured via a digital media and thus recreated into a painting. I love the flatness of the background which brings the subject to life and the bold colours Eric has used.

This whole show is spectacular, each artist compliments the another and balances beautifully. It is one of the nicest I have seen so far at Mop.

Fleur MacDonald

20th October - 6th November 2011
www.mop.org.au

James Dorahy Project Space - Ali Noble

I love it when an Artist is not afraid to use a vibrant colour palette when colour can be such an amazing tool. The vibrancy of these works make them stand out, changing the perception of how big a small room changes to or vice versa. The ability to affect the on lookers mood is a skill not many artist’s have.

My truely favourite pieces are ‘Stack Up’, paper, glue, pigment and shelf, and ‘Line-Up’, paper, glue, pigment and shelf, both works give off this air of contentment as if to say, we are fragile but we are happy. ‘Big Pink Circle’, hand cut felt, interfacing and glue is a very attractive hot pink circle and as I am attracted to bright objects and hot pink circles, not sure why but they seem to make me happy and I think that’s important.

It’s the last day of this show and I must get this post up and if your in Sydney then pop over to Potts Point and see this hot pop show.

Fleur MacDonald

4th October - 30th October 2011
www.jamesdorahy.com.au

Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery - Angela Brennan & Nyapanyapa

I’m not an expert in Aboriginal painting, sometimes I wish I were, these works by Nyapanyapa are really quite fantastic. I just wish I knew more about them so I could understand them a bit better, but at the same time I understand beauty and technique and the need to paint, being a painter myself.

Really loved the ‘Birrka’mirri’ series, paint pen on clear acetate plastic as they were intensely beautiful and profound.

With ‘Infinity plus One’ series of work from Angela Brennan, I have to say this is the best work so far I have seen from Angela, sheer vibrancy where passions collide and entertain the senses to clear a way where abstraction rules ... ‘Like’..

Fleur MacDonald

6th October - 29th October 2011
www.roslynoxley9.com.au

Stella Downer Fine Art - Viola Dominello

Another post I’m late putting up and I missed the opening of this too due to the flu, so I went on the last day and shot my video and photo’s and got to have a really good look at the work. This was actually the first time I’ve been up close to Viola’s work, we’d met through another gallery and became friends so I really wanted to see her show and thankfully I did.

‘Riverside, The Hawkesbury’, oil on canvas, offers added strength in it’s duality, one is just not enough. Gentle romantic swaths of colour reveal the beauty of Viola’s landscape.

With ‘Coast III’, oil on board, as a tall vertical piece, it shows us just how versatile this painter can be, to show us another angle of an idyllic setting. ‘Harbour Walk (after C.B), oil on board, pulled me in with it’s lush greens and yellows, it’s calm and serene and I can see myself walking the harbour walk.

‘Ocean Path, Mornington Peninsula’, oil on canvas has a gathered energy with it’s distant soft hues building up towards the lush coast. Loved also ‘Tinnie’, oil on canvas, with it’s quiet solitude.

But ‘Wild Solitude’, oil on canvas has an eerie light about it, capturing that silent moment between twilight and daylight. I love the colour’s used, reminiscent of an old graceful Chinese painting and ‘Beach Road’, conte, charcoal and oil on paper showing us the way home, it’s a beauty.

It was a beautiful show and I look forward to seeing what Viola offers us next... Well done!

Fleur MacDonald

20th September - 15th October 2011
www.stelladownerfineart.com.au

Alaska Projects - Lorem Ipsum

Like a cool breeze in a stuffy room, Alaska Projects has arrived.

love this location, how many galleries do you know that are in parking stations, making full use of an empty space that I had no idea was there. Wow, wow and wow! It really is a novel idea when you think about it especially since there is a shortage of spaces, affordable spaces that is.

I’m not a driver but this could be a new trend so I guess from now on when a go past a parking station I’m going to wonder if there is an ARI inside with the likes of Sebastian Goldspink.

Everyday items that we take for granted such as the small gold safety pin (dress maker pins) has been given a new lease of life in the four works by Bernadette Jones, in which they exude an air of high couture. Lusciously gorgeous in the golden bling which dances in the light, ok they might be a bit hard to wear but I wouldn’t, I would just let them hang from the ceiling and gaze upon their loveliness.

Loved ‘Souvenir (Australian Idols) by Sarah Contos and love her sense of humour, assembling found objects to form a shrine in a very affecting way. Tom Polo has a knack for playing mc at the event of our everyday life, ‘Judge/mental’ is profound.

Silver glistening insulation tape, ‘Above and Below’ by Bilijana Jancic is a work to be reckoned with. And a big WOW also goes to Jess Olivieri, Sarah Rodigari, Jason Mailing, Nigel Brown, Sam Hodge, Rupert Reid, Siouxzi Mernagh, Nick Collerson, Bababa International, chloe Hughes, Bridie Connell and Phil James as these Artist’s will go a long way if they keep doing what they do.

Fleur MacDonald

5th October - 23rd October 2011
www.alaskaprojects.com

King Street Gallery on William - John Edwards & Martin King

Ok, this post is a bit late getting up, I had been fighting a bad flu bug which was making doing anything difficult. I even had planned to film John Edwards talking about his work but that had to get shelved.

In ‘Edited Letters from the New Frontier’, John Edwards has portrayed some of his figures with their arms up as if jumping for joy or ready to embrace you in there loving arms. Recreating happy and sad from his imaginative world, reflecting his mood or just commenting on the world around him.

Some of the works are quite emotional ‘Caught in the cross fire’, m/m on paper, is a prime example, it’s melancholy with it’s bold blue emoting doom and gloom and the pensive figure looking out not sure whether to leave the safety of the shadows. This one has to be my favourite.

‘Gottcha’, oil on canvas is another favourite with more boldness you can poke a stick at, I love the big eyed figure in the background, is he hiding from the storm and the lushness of the colours on the right. ‘In Flight Awakening’, oil on canvas is one more favourite, it’s a wonderful happy and sprightly painting, lush in pinks and reds depicting the flight to ultimate happiness, casting away the emotional upheaval with a lucid colour palette.

John has offered us a wonderful story line, one with mixed emotions for us to take our pick.

Martin King and his ‘Secret Life of Birds’ has revealed a more intimate approach to the feathered kind. ‘The Plains II’, etching watercolour pigment encasutic is an incredibly sensitive piece, a detailed work of the wing of an Owl, the Artist’s observation as to correct the nature of things. I love the background of this work and painterly brush strokes at the bottom as if to test the colour.

‘Raptor’, etching red wine stain does the same thing for me, it’s intense but beautiful and I remember talking to a friend about this work, we both stood in front of it and argued for a while about the red being blood, but it’s not. It’s great to get a reaction! A clever approach to ‘Both Ways’, etching on paper and drafting film is yet another of intense beauty.

It’s so obvious that Martin has a strong love of birds and who else should record them as his approach is breathtakingly novel.

Fleur MacDonald

20th September - 15th October 2011
www.kingstreetgallery.com.au

Robin Gibson Gallery - David Eastwood & Kyra Henley

Unfortunately I wasn’t well enough to attend the opening, so I arranged to meet up with David Eastwood to film him talking about his work, he seemed a little apprehensive when I arrived but he did a really great job and David thinks he did his best Sister Wendy. There’s only 1 way to find out and that’s to watch it.

Decoy Decor is an intensely beautiful show and shows a great love of perspective and an attention to detailing every aspect of the composition. A strong unity between historical reference and or stage prop, hidden elements and left over refuse from the studio’s of Francis Bacon. I love each work whole heartedly but my tick goes to ‘Prop’, acrylic on polyester, it has a serene sense to it, it’s cool, calm and collected in it’s soft hues and the intensity of the detailing in the perspective is magical. It’s always great to see the results of an Artist testing their ability.

Kyra Henley and her work was a bit of a surprise to see for the first time, with her fancy pop culture references and her lovable gouaches. A nice little holiday in the sun. Well done Kyra!

Fleur MacDonald

17th September - 12th October 2011
www.robingibson.net

UTS Gallery - The Fall Before Fall

When I think of death I think of floating souls transferring to other bodies, I use to think they floated upwards to a heaven like place but reincarnation is much more believable.

I was at home washing the dishes and watching the late news when I first saw the images of planes flying through the World Trade Centre, I didn’t and couldn’t believe what I was seeing and as most of us were in shock for days afterwards. Those images have remained etched into my brain more so than man’s first walk on the moon.

Daniel Mudie Cunningham has produced a hauntingly beautiful piece, deeply thought provoking, melancholy in it’s subject and at the same time helping us to smile in the face of adversity. Also balancing wonderfully is the work by Elvis Richardson, which remains for us as a reminder that not every thing lasts, as most of what we have today will in the future be most likely dust.

The Fall Before Fall is also etched into my brain as when I saw it I became transfixed and when I returned home I found myself sitting quietly in my room as if returning from a funeral ... A beautiful funeral.

Fleur MacDonald

13th September - 14th October 2011
www.utsgallery.uts.edu.au