Vale Robert Hughes
1938 - 2012

Damien Minton Gallery - Eric Niebuhr

Don’t think I’m alone in saying it’s all been terribly exciting about Eric’s first show with Damien Minton, since first seeing his work at MOP Projects. His work plays on your mind, it’s like the heat haze you can see in the distance on an empty highway, all a little blurry but with great intention of being there.

Love how there is flatness and a pool of paint almost like he has summoned an oil slick to sections of the canvas. ‘Funeral Fireworks (after Twombly) 1, acrylic and oil on canvas gives us a mesmerizing affect just before the explosion. ‘Hudson’ oil and acrylic on canvas is a beauty, think it’s my favourite as it’s awash with colour and it made me feel like I was there when it happened.

‘Mor Lovehours For Mike Kelley’ oil and acrylic on canvas another beautiful work of genius, luscious in chocolaty delight. Loved also the series of gouache on paper, one in particular ‘Night and Water (after Avery) moody and aspiring.

So glad Eric came to Australia as this was a great show, nicely hung and always a treat to go to Minty’s.

Fleur MacDonald
17th July - 4th August 2012
www.damienmintongallery.com.au

Gallery Barry Keldoulis - Debra Dawes

It’s a frightfully scary concept of being locked up in Prison, being away from loved ones, I can’t imagine what it would be like and hope it never happens to me. When I walked into Gallery Barry Keldoulis to see this show by Debra Dawes I was completely overwhelmed by the enormity of it.

It’s a BIG show and it was a commanding show to and I needed time to mule over this.

If you have been stripped of all your normal privileges except for a pen and paper then pen and paper it is, communicating in this way is the only way you can, back and forth, thoughts and feelings and the only way for the mind to escape.  At least in this inmates case he had someone to write to, Debra.

‘At Her Majesty’s Pleasure’ indian ink, gesso and paper is a story of a young man during his incarceration. His plight revealed, thoughtfully recreated within these works and hung on the gallery’s walls.

Do you think about Prison, do you think about how the family of the inmates feel and how the inmate got there and do you think about the inmate?

 Fleur MacDonald
5th May - 16th June 2012
http://www.gbk.com.au

Drawing Room - Linda Valentina Avramides

Just can’t stop thinking of that fabulous dance movie ‘The Red Shoes’ with Moria Shearer dancing across the stage in those lovely wicked red shoes. These works evoke memories of watching those old fabulous technicolour movies with wardrobes by Christian Dior, beautifully stylized to create magnificent elegance and Linda is reminding us not to forget such beauty.

 Fleur MacDonald

7th July - 28th July 2012
http://www.facebook.com/drawroom