Please don't actually use paint!

I went on a gallery dash last week, excited by my release from the necessity of being in my studio by the fact that I may actually have finished my paintings for Goulburn Regional Gallery!!! However, I was so disappointed with what was on offer, I had to ring a friend and have an early evening drink to bemoan the state of painting in Sydney. And I can only just bear revisiting the disappointment by writing about it now, a week later.

Have you noticed how much of the current work being lauded as "the new big thing" actually is boring as batsh*t and shies away from using paint to the point that you'd think there was a world shortage of mediums and pigment?

Excepting the wonderful show by John R Walker at Utopia Art Gallery (actually, now that I think of it, his paint was uncharacteristically thin, too) every show I went to was exhibiting repetitive, -and I mean the same image actually repeated- flat, with poorly considered colour or the same tube colours slightly mixed. In one set of paintings in an exhibition, the entry painting promised a good, painterly show - until rounding a corner and I saw every other painting in the gallery,except for one, was the same image, different scale, of a Chinese mountain with clouds at the peak and light shining through, using Raw Umber, Cerulean, white and perhaps, Van Dyke Brown. And after reading the gallery spiel, I learnt that these paintings "flowed from his Newcastle studio in a short space of time", in anticipation of his trip to China". Do tell!! I can only assume the mountain itself must have been copied, as it appeared to have been, from a Chinese ink painting (since he'd not actually been to China at this stage).

And, sad to say, this was the best of the rest of the offerings I saw on the day, because at least I could admire his brushwork (even if it was the exact same wrist wriggle = rock surface in every painting). One of the worst exhibitions saw every painting of two rocks parted with sky between (think Stanley Chasm) in flat, dirty brown with darker outlines, and sky blue paint. The amount of sky included in the picture varied between paintings. That's it.I kid you not!

Another had the same, large photographic image (itself quite beautiful) repeated three times and displayed together, with the (unknown) photographer's marker notes in the margins regarding how she would change it. Clever!

So...have you noticed this trend towards boredom? Is it the new post-post modernist intellectual stand - a comment on lack of real choice in our consumer society?? A test on our level of discernment and detail mindedness?? A sad example of Art today??Or am I just being an old modernist...

What do you think??

Guy Maestri- Google Earth

Attended the very crowded opening of this, Guy's first exhibition since winning the Archibald Prize with a painting of blind Indigenous singer Geoffrey Garrumul Yunipingu. I must concur with the oft repeated comment of the night, "this guy's got balls!" Maestri has done a total about face from his commercially successful, colourist, lyrical gestural landscapes, reminiscent of Cy Twombly, to monotone, realist, photography-based art which almost belies the “touch of the hand”. What continues is the concern with ecology and the landscape, enhanced in this show by a theme of human folly.

The unkind (and probably jealous) have speculated that Guy won the Archibald by changing his style, then thought he would/should capitalise on that in his next show. Do the maths! The number of paintings and cohesive quality and theme suggests he was painting in this style well before he entered the Archibald. Even if they’re right, he’s still a prodigiously talented, thoughtful artist because he could whip up such a show in a painfully short seven months since the prize announcement.

It doesn’t matter. What matters is on the wall – and that an artist made a choice to risk his “Brand” and his sales from followers, and go where he needed/wanted to go, to keep his practice alive and mentally energizing. What authentic artist really wants to keep painting the same thing? And isn’t a refusal to “play it safe” one of the characteristics that History has taught us is essential for creativity and great art practice itself?

Musings aside, the exhibition has a powerful, yet dream-like quality that sees a 60’s Astronaut standing on a crashing wave; a deep sea diver floating in a human chest; and boxing kangaroos obliterated by a slash of muddy, angry paint. My favourite was “Untitled, 2009”, a beautifully rendered though flattened (tenderized??) calf floating in infinity, with the bright yellow meat tag attached to its ear optically jumping from the painting. This was closely rivaled, in my estimation, by Trophy I, the head of an antelope(?) mounted in space in a frontal view that evokes it’s death by hunter and starkly contrasts in its beauty with the ridiculousness of placing animal heads in loungerooms as a measure of gamesmanship, skill or machismo.

The work still shows elements of Guy’s previous exhibitions’ risky execution – much of the paint surface is attacked by solvent or mediums to blister the otherwise smooth, varnished finish. But somehow, corrupted surfaces and slashing paint included, the images display a cold, removed beauty that nevertheless enigmatically draws the viewer in, leaving an image to be ruminated upon, in its quiet acceptance of death and new worlds past, present and future.

Tim Olsen Gallery 63 Jersey Rd Woollahra 13th October - to November 1^st

Images: Guy Maestri, Untitled, 2009 183 x 152cm

David Fairbairn, Stella Downer Fine

Went to see this really good exhibition last week.

David has broken out into colour – magnificent emerald greens with Indian Yellows (I think!) and pink/grey/black combinations which make me wish he’d taken the plunge earlier.

David Fairbairn was a teacher of mine at NAS – Life Drawing. I knew him to be very intellectual, quite attractive (to an older woman like me) and easy to engage in conversation. We were both selected for the inaugural Art on the Rocks in 2003, which David won. He has already won the Doug Moran Portrait Prize, which he accepted in his usual, modest way and put the money towards a new studio on his property in Wedderburn, the apple country just west of Sydney. His work, until this date, was all black and dark browns with white highlights, drawn in many layers on the one surface, as well as many versions of the one subject (usually depicting people of his acquaintance). In his words, David’s works “are a forensic mapping out of an energy field." FAIRBAIRN creates architectural portraits using angular lines. His densely layered works on paper portray the inherent fragility and transient nature of human existence - the shifting layers become markers of time, capturing every movement of the sitter and every mark made by the artist. FAIRBAIRN combines printmaking, draughtsmanship and painting. His works begin with a completed print which becomes the underlying structure for the layers of paint he uses to build the work.

Besides colour, the other surprise was the scale of a number of works, hung in the Depot II space and spilling over into the regular Stella Downer Gallery beside it. They hit you in the face like a wall - you can explore the lines and get lost in them, travelling into the picture and seeing the abstract qualities and depth in the execution. They are also reasonabley priced works, but this show may change all that for the next one. I was there the day after opening, mid winter in the GFC, and he had sold about half (the best of the large works gone but some still left). My favourites were these pics, the smaller one was my choice to buy if I had the money!

Well worth getting over there, folks

Stella Downer Fine Art (and Depot II Gallery) 2 Danks St Sydney 28 July - 23 Aug 2009

Image: David Fairbairn (Large) “VH no4” and (smaller) “DG No 12”

Did you like this exhibition? Post your comments here

Intensely Dutch AGNSW

Attended a corporate function and viewing of this exhibition (thanks to Paul of 10 group and artwhatson.com.au who kindly asks me to these things from time to time) at Sydney's Art Gallery extraordinaire. Henrik Kolenberg introduced the largely non-arty crowd to the rationale behind the exhibition - post war modern Dutch paintings, displaying both the huge influence of a short-lived art movement, COBRA (stands for COpenhagen, BRussels, Amsterdam the place of origin of the artists forming the group). It is an attempt to show that Dutch art consists of more than Rembrandt and Vermeer and was actively engaged in the freedom of expression that swept the world post WWII. It's an interesting exhibition, and well hung (according to artist, not time line) considering the variety of styles on show. However, it's not an easy exhibition...most people respond to the bright colours of COBRA but don't like the darker works. Typical German/Dutch concerns about order are most obvious in Riske work - an artist who was recently located by the curators in an apartment in Riverwood in the South Western Suburbs of Sydney. His thickly applied paint, seemingly squeezed from the tube directly onto the surface was intriguing and attracted a crowd of people discussing how it was done. The same happened with a large, Cadmium Yellow and white painting that was more like a sculpture, apparently made using resin with the paint, but appearing more like cement and requiring a metal brace to hold it upright against the wall. For my money, de Kooning wins hands down, with Karel Appel's Expressionistic swathes of colour a standout, especially the painting at the entrance to the exhibition. How did he get that red????. I liked not knowing what it was and seeing all the possibilities in the painting, but the title - something like Tuscan Hills Afternoon- made me see it for what it was - a hillside drawn with a quick line at the top third of the painting, with three trees which slashed across most of the length at almost regular intervals. I admit to being a little disappointed. Anyway, the exhibition is really worth seeing as an education and to pick which work reminds you of which Australian Artists - John Olsen gets the most comparisons, either because we know his work better than most artists or because he was in Spain around the time (or just after) a lot of this work was painted, and so may have been influenced by similar work seen in Europe. Until August 23. The work above is by Benner.

Ken Unsworth at Cockatoo Island

Went to see this exhibition which is a tribute by the sculptor to his late wife of over half a century, Elisabeth, a woman who was an accomplished pianist in her own right. Cockatoo Island is a fantastic setting for art and my friend, artist Ros Atkins and I, managed to score the one sunny(ish) day in the deluge that is Sydney this last week, so we were very happy attending this exhibition, indeed.

There are moments of incredible beauty here and I love the way the artist has managed the transitions from one room to another - a peak through a doorway to a coloured room, produces a rather surreal vision which excites expectations and adds to the whole experience. The Piano Room and the instruments room are stand outs, with others being a little predictable (the bed and video installation). I also think that more thought could have been given to the permanency of the formal room (where a banquet was held for invited guests at the memorial) so that those not lucky enough to score an invitation could have a better experience of the event, rather than viewing videos recording on the night (perhaps a hologram?). However, Mr Unsworth did sell an expensive car to afford this wonderful tribute, so who am I to quibble? Thank you for the experience, and I urge you all to get on a ferry and see it while it lasts -extended for another month through July

What did you think of this exhibition? Post your comment here

Always a Silver Lining-Waverley Art prize

Hi- after being rejected from the Mt Eyre Vineyards Final 25, I have now been selected via digital image (painting left, "Two O'clock in the shade") as a finalist for the Waverley Art Prize. Judges of the actual works will be Tim Olsen, (of Tim Olsen Gallery); Sally Hardy (Art Dealer) and Max Lieberman (Artist). The prizes will be announced on Opening Night on 15th July. Just goes to show that one door closes, and another opens. Keep your fingers crossed for me, won't you!

Hope House Exhibition opens 1st July

This exhibition raises money for widows and orphans from Afghanistan, to buy art supplies for them to use in both therapeutic manner (expressing their grief and the traumas they have experienced) and to provide materials for possible income support. I have donated the above painting which is on exhibition amongst donations from John Peart, Elizabeth Cummings, Euan McLeod, David Fairbairn, Lindy Lee and Suzanne Archer...amongst others. You can find out more information at: www.hopehouseart.blogspot.com and see the images of all donated items. I'm proud to be part of this very strong line up of prominent artists. The Auction will be held on Sunday 5th July at 3 pm, conducted by Andrew Shapiro of Shapiro Contemporary Art Auctions. The show will be opened by Caroline Jones at 5 pm tonight, Sydney Colleges of the Arts Gallery, Balmain Rd Rozelle

Great New Work at Harrison Galleries

Went to Harrison Galleries opening featuring Cate Maddy, Lauren Potts and Miranda Skoczek. This is the first show for all of these artists and it is a wonderful example of what is new on the art scene. These girls really know how to paint and their work manages to straddle the fine balance between decorative (Oooh! That would look good in my home") and Fine Art (with a capital F and A). Cate Maddy had one work acquired by Art Bank and another on hold - if only I had the meagre $3200 to afford the one on hold I would have asked to snatch it if Art Bank didn't! It was a ripper! But the fact that they have acquired her work means that this could be a good investment. My only criticism is that 6 of the works were outstanding, but the two blue animal ones didn't hit the mark and for me, and put a question mark as to whether the first six were all she had in her. (In my experience, it's always easy to do 4 of anything; 6 means you can it wasn't an accident, and a show of 15 plus means you have worked long and hard and are in your stride!) Anyway, I give her the benefit of the doubt, since her mastery of spray paint, traditional oil paint methods and stencil/graphic elements was beautiful and surprising. Both Potts and Skoczek also managed a lovely painterly balance to their otherwise graphic presentations - in both cases, the juxtaposition between naturalism and flatness worked well and brought their work on par with what is happening internationally. Skoczek's work was almost as good as Maddy's, but a certain preciousness or self consciousness of paint placement showed a little less confidence and the desire to make a picture rather than interact with the painting. Well done all of you. (Harrison Galleries, 294 Glenmore rd Paddo till July 2)

What did you think of the Exhibition? Do you like Graphic and naturalism together? Post your comments here.