The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize 2012

XX Mon. YYYY

I managed to catch the very last hour on the last day of the Small Sculpture Prize this year and I'm so glad that I did. It's always a fascinating show, with such diverse work from all round the country and this year I found it particularly inspiring.

One is immediately struck on entering the exhibition with the textural variety, the tactile intensity of the works. I think there is a heightened awareness of form that comes about as a result of so many interesting sculptures on a small scale displayed so close together. It would be an etremely challenging task to 'hang' the show but the organisers did a splendid job. The result was stimulating and very satisfying.

There were three glass artists selected for this year's show: Tavita Havea, Kayo Yokoyama and Jessica Tse. Without a doubt Jessica's tiny glass tear was the smallest, simplest and yet most profound sculpture in the exhibition. I had been enjoying the poignant whimsy of Kerrie Cannon's old lady putting on make up in preparation for her departure from this world when I came upon Jessica's metaphor for Time, "based upon Kant's crystalisation theory: Time is the intent and the intent is crystalised in a tear. It is the symbol for love... the contemplation of someone, the waiting and beholding of .. romantic fantasies."

A good exhibition should leave the observer in some heightened state of awareness and this small sculpture exhibition did precisely that. I slowly wandered out into the sunshine and stood for quite some time watching the ocean, contemplating the pinecones on the large conifer silhouetted against a clear blue sky.... and spent the next hour or so lost in Christopher Tsolkas' "Dead Europe". Gold.

Bennett @ Soldiers' Road

XX Mon. YYYY

Curator Daniel O'Toole has done it again with a brilliant solo exhibition by a young Surry Hills artist named Bennett. Their third show since opening earlier this year, Soldiers' Road Gallery goes from strength to strength, bringing a high level of professionalism to what is essentially an underground Artist Run Initiative on the 4th floor of a rambling warehouse inhabited by artists, musicians and rats.

These mixed media works show a surprising level of maturity for a young artist. They are pared back and beautifully restrained, satisfying yet simultaneously leaving you aching for more. I could live with every one of these images and relish the patina of the burnished surfaces and tiny sgraffito scratchings and minute but spare detail.

This body of work represents a paradigm shift for Bennett, with his earlier work apparently brightly coloured and quite 'pop'-y, so it will be very interesting to see where these explorations in cool retro imagery take him next.

Recent Installations

XX Mon. YYYY

Several new commissions feature in this blog: kitchen windows in Surry Hills, an entryway in a lovely old home at Milson's Point on Sydney's Lower North Shore and a private chapel at a country property near Cessnock.

The Milson's Point commission called for the replacement of the 4x timber infill panels with glass, which entailed quite a bit of onsite work. The photos were taken just as I'd completed the installation but prior to the stripping and painting of the timberwork. I used a collection of found bevels from old leadlights and while there was a need to respect the original fanlight I was asked to provide something more upbeat and contemporary.

The two photos above show a pair of windows installed as highlights over the back entrance of a Surry Hills residence just three weeks ago. I had a lot of fun with this design; it is intended to pay respect to an existing traditional leadlight in the adjacent bathroom and also takes its cue from the black and white rectangular tiling in the kitchen. Here again I've used some 'found object': an interesting bevel out of an old leadlight and some cast jewels and rondels.

This window was a really enjoyable project to work on. Commissioned by Liz Mullinar, Director of Heal for Life the window sits above a door leading from the bedroom to a chapel and was intended as an inspirational piece for private devotion. The house is situated on a beautiful property in the Quorrobolong Valley near Cessnock, about 2 hours north of Sydney, with panoramic views of rolling hills, farmland and distant bushy ranges.

Sam Mitchell-Fin and Mark Wotherspoon

XX Mon. YYYY

"Priori Bound: and what's left behind" is the mysterious title to a collaborative exhibition between these two Australian artists which has just finished its run at Kaleidoscope Gallery in Dank Street, Waterloo.

I've been following Wotherspoon's work for some time. He was one of the Founding Directors of ESP Gallery in Marrickville and I've been impressed not only by his prodigious output but by his inquisitiveness and sense of integrity that he brings to his arts practice. The recycling of glass from old cathode-ray TV screens was pretty interesting, though sometimes with mixed results in terms of aesthetics. The same could be said of his explorations with leadlight construction techinique; a certain 'clunkiness' sometimes prevailed.

However the work in Priori Bound pushes beyond previous limitations, taking the idea of three-dimensional leadlight (or copper-foil to be precise) to an entirely new level. These works are among the most successful experimental glass works that I have yet seen. The incorporation of mirror as a backing within the picture frame is inspirational and the use of a white frame with lots of clear glass and judicious bright colour provides a pristine quality to the whole. The glass construction leaps out of the frame and commands attention.

As Founding Director of Platform 72 (Darlinghurst) and Kaleidoscope, this is Sam Mitchell-Fin's first solo show in his own space. Apparently there was some angst to overcome in order for this to happen (an emotion I am all-too-familiar with, having run my own ARI in Lane Cove for some 13yrs)

I've not yet spoken with either artist concerning this body of work but I can see that the collaboration has been extremely fruitful. There was only one actual major work in which the two artists collaborated, "Nude Ascending Self with Light", but the whole exhibition hung together well with the pieces speaking to each other and the leadlight work often reflecting the neon.

The three figure sculptures above are by Mark Wotherspoon. "Visualisation" is a construction of copper tubing, an interesting extension of the sorts of techniques employed in leadlighting but with voids where there would be glass. The glass components are the cast head and pillow: the intention here is clear. Less immediately clear is the meaning behind the glass construction bursting from the heads of the dark, brooding figures on plinths. These are cast in recycled TV screen glass, looking very un-glass-like and on first impression what are intended as 'auras' appear as a kind of improbable head-dress.

It all becomes clear of course once you read the titles and statements and Wotherspoon is to be congratulated in attempting to render into sculpture something so intangible.

False Freedoms by Daniel O'Toole

XX Mon. YYYY

Daniel O'Toole, AKA ears, has leased a space on the 4th floor of Hibernian House, renovated it beautifully and opened a gallery called Soldiers' Road. On Thursday night, 26th July, he staged a solo show of his own work. It's a great show and was well supported with a big crowd of fans.

All the works were portraits of soldiers of one kind or another, all rendered in ears' characteristically enigmatic style of showing multiple views of the subject blended into one. O'Toole has been a prominent figure in the street art scene around Sydney for several years now, first coming to notice with paste ups of hand-painted faces built up from vigorous squiggles and line work. He is also a producer of contemporary music, responsible for Free the Beats.

In addition to the large paintings was a delightful collection of small works, several of them bas-relief constructions, continuing the theme of the soldier.

Coupla days ago I managed to engage Daniel in an interesting discussion of the ideas presented here in this body of work. He tells me that the resonance of the subject matter with the gallery name is actually pure coincidence: Soldiers Road comes from the street he used to live in. But there is an undeniable fascination with uniforms and what they represent and the enforcing of rules and regulations as a means of ensuring freedom.

His statement reads as follows:
The themes of uniformity and isolation offer a chance to consider the idea of freedom and identity, as we all at some point, have been institutionalised and held captive by false freedoms.

The uniform represents security and the comfort zone, and the idea that 'the institution' be it self-governing or external offers this comfort. The sense of empowerment of freedom within these constraints is an illusion; a false freedom.

Vale Aziz Ulas, 1952-2012

XX Mon. YYYY

Australian-Turkish artist Aziz Ulas died 22.05.12, losing his battle with lung cancer. He left a huge body of work and a young son, Joscha, who is living in Berlin with his mother. On Saturday night (July 21st) Tap Gallery in Darlinghurst hosted a memorial exhibition celebrating Aziz's life and work. Proceeds of sales are to benefit Joscha.

Aziz embraced life fully. He was one of those characters that makes an impression on everyone he meets. And his work demonstrated this passion. He explored his chosen medium of resin casting with admirable dedication but was continually frustrated with a lack of acceptance amongst the 'Art Establishment' in Australia, despite being well-recognised and supported in Germany where he lived for some years.

After several warm and uplifting addresses on the night the MC announced that a box of studio experiments, photos and paraphernalia were available free for guests as a momento of the artist. I now have a beautiful little resin piece in brilliant scarlet and cerulean blue to remind me of Aziz.

Yusuke Takemura at Sabbia Gallery

XX Mon. YYYY

You have less than a week to discover the exciting new work of Yusuke Takemura currently showing upstairs in Sabbia's Gallery no.2. Take's work is exciting, fresh and inspiring. Certainly there are nods to a number of masters of contemporary glass sculpture, as we would expect from a young, emerging artist: he nests multiple forms in the manner of Chihuly; he vigorously cuts away large portions of the vessel, echoing Tim Shaw; his work is predominantly clear glass, in common with Ruth Allen and many of the new guard. But cumulatively what we have here is a new body of work, pushing boundaries and exploring personal territory.

And naturally enough the work has a distinctly Japanese sensibility. The simplicity of the blown vessel provides a canvas for complex patterning of negative space, creating an intricate play of light and shadow under the Gallery's spotlights. The judicious use of limited colour pushes the clear glass to a higher key. The finesse of the cut and polished edge is breathtaking: inumerable hours are invested in achieving this standard of presentation. I look forward to observing the trajectory of this talented young artist's career.

Open House for the Breath of Compassion

XX Mon. YYYY

Last Sunday turned out to be the perfect sunny day for a viewing of my recent stained glass commission, the Breath of Compassion. Hung on the southern wall of the main stairwell, the brief for this work called for maximum reflection of sunlight so lots of iridised and silvered glasses were employed in the design.

Michael Ryan and Paul andrews were very generous in hosting the event and it was terrific to be able to share the work with a good number of friends: a very rare opportunity. Regular visitors to my website will recall seeing progress shots of the Breath of compassion on my ABOUT page last year. The work took a year to come together and was installed in November 2011. Claremont Joinery did a brilliant job of the framing; getting the work hung was quite a trick.

Down the Rabbit Hole

XX Mon. YYYY

White Rabbit Gallery is Judith Neilson's gift to the poeple of Sydney. And what a rare and wonderful philanthropic gesture it is! John McDonald writes glowingly of the establishment in the Sydney Morning Herald, and not for the first time. In an excerpt from the Director's statement Judith says: "We wanted to share with Australians and the world the best of Chinese contemporary art since 2000—a turning point that I think of as the Big Bang. I hope all visitors to the Gallery will experience the surprise, delight and fascination that the White Rabbit Collection's artists and their works have given the Neilson family."

Housed in a converted industrial warehouse, the gallery boasts 3x floors of the most diverse and fascinating artworks you could imagine. Every few months the owner, Judith Neilson, travels to China on a buying trip, collecting work from both well known and entirely unknown Chinese artists creating excellent work. Down the Rabbit Hole is a mix of mostly new pieces and work from the collection and is aptly named, as McDonald points out. It really is a journey into wonderland.

Sunday 10th was my third visit to Down the Rabbit Hole; I've been a regular visitor to the Gallery since its opening in 2009 and I'm now recognising some works in the collection. I found the current hang particularly uplifting. The 3x light sculptures are beautiful, lyrical works, engaging the attention for long periods of time. One in particular, which could not be photographed, produced quite profound images simultaneously evocative of planets and microscopy. And the workings of gradually shifting lenses and folded wire mesh were entirely exposed, immediately debunking the mystery of the whole artwork.

Scripting is accompanied by a meditative piano score, perfectly suited to an entrancing artwork.

I will finish this blog entry by quoting a rather poignant statement from the work of artist Liao Chien-Chung: "Part of aesthetics is getting rid of ugliness, reek, grime: art and life both depend on cleaning up." This accompanied the work Garbage Truck, mixed media, 2011- a full-size replica without the garbage.

ABLAZE WITH CULTURE

XX Mon. YYYY

I overheard a woman walking past in Crown St, Darlinghurst the other week saying, quite loudly and emphatically, "Sydney hasn't got any culture!"

I was quite shocked and disbelieving; does this woman live in a vacuum? An unbelievable array of cultural events is at our doorstep, waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. Hundreds of people were milling about Circular Quay and around the MCA last Thursday night, literally gawking at the amazing light shows that make up VIVID.

Customs House and the MCA are particularly exciting examples of animated lighting wizadry, with the MCA being very time-focused, in respect of the major work The Clock, which formed part of the new hang. So glad I managed to catch at least a few hours of this astounding cinematic masterpiece. There have been some excellent reviews of the work in various publications including the SMH and The Australian, so I won't go into detail here except to say that if it ever shows again I want to attempt to see the whole 24hrs worth. It IS that good.

VIVID has another 4x nights to go so if you've not seen any of the light displays yet then get out there! Some have said that the Opera House sails were disappointing this year; I found the work beautifully subtle and an excellent foil for the more outlandishly colourful pieces adorning Customs House and MCA.

This year the lightworks extend right round from the Opera House to Walsh Bay. And Walsh Bay is where you will find Garry Stewart's Be your Self, an astonishing piece of contemporary dance theatre. My partner and I, and many others in the audience last Saturday night, walked out of that performance gob-smacked. He said it felt like being on an acid trip! On every level it was a truly breath-taking performance.

The score was thrilling, comprising in the first 20 minutes or so a rapid-fire monologue of scientific data describing the human self. The minimal and surprising set was a perfect complement to the dance, which progressed from confrontational and sometimes violent expression through rythmic gymnastics and staccato procession to a very measured exploration of the individual parts that comprise a human body. The whole preformance was totally mesmerising and quite transformative.

The Head On Photographic Festival has just completed its run to great acclaim, with over 100 exhibitions around town and now the Redlands Westpac Art Prize has opened at the National Art School Gallery in the old East Sydney Technical College. It was formerly shown at the Redlands School and then Mosman Art Gallery. I stumbled across this wonderful show quite by accident this morning and took advantage of the spare hour I had to take it all in.

A very diverse show, the exhibition brings together works by those already well recognised in their fields, including Rodney Pople with a lovely triptych on Martin Sharp and Ben Quilty with a portrait of his Dad, together with some exciting and fascinating works by lesser known contemporary artists. It was guest curated by artist Lindy Lee and runs through until August 2nd. Definitely worth the effort.

No culture in Sydney? You're just not looking.