Kate/Alison Contemporary Art Blog

melbourne art fair (the New Zealand players)

2010-08-23T14:09:00.241+12:00

View of the Fair and Sally Gabori show at
Alcaston Gallery

Alison and I returned to the Melbourne Art Fair this year, having thoroughly enjoyed our first visit in 08. This biannual art event attracts about 30,000 people over six days and is housed in the spectacular Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens. The post Fair press release stated that this years Fair (the 12^thso far) generated 11 million dollars in sales for the 77 exhibiting galleries. Interestingly 76% of works sold were in the $10,000 or less category. While they were quick to point out a 56% increase in the volume of sales it was later clarified that overall sales were slightly down on 08, which is really no surprise.

Tim Melville, Emma Fox, Jenifer Buckley

From a New Zealand perspective it was sad to see the participating kiwi gallery numbers significantly down on last time, with many of the heavy weights staying home this year. However, the three gallant galleries that did take part all finished in good cheer - with keen interest in their artists work expressed by many and reported sales making it well worth while.
Conscious that I may be sounding a tad parochial, I’m going to say it anyway – the NZ galleries not only stood up to their Australia counterparts but they were shining beacons of great art, tastefully presented and eagerly discussed.

Helen and Dallas Fisher and Alison Ewing

Each of the stands seemed a buzz whenever we visited and by the end of Saturday all three dealers were showing signs of weariness brought on by so much art chatter. Orexart and Tim Melville Gallery were there for the first time with two very different approaches. Tim Melville choose four of his artists – Joe Sheenan, Elliot Collins, Roberta Thornley and Wayne Youle. And in his inimitable way the presentation of the work was as elegant as ever and he was friendly and keen to engage all who stopped by. Orexart choose to profile one artist - Richard Lewer, fresh from his New York residency, where he has been tuning into police radio frequencies once again.

Rex Armstrong and Alison

The exhibition looked fantastic and the stand was extremely well positioned among the first few at the entrance of the building.

Andrew Jensen

The Jensen Gallery looked slick and stylish and was generating great comments from visitors with good sales and strong interest from some Australian collectors, so we heard. But for me it was just too much like last time, and I felt I had seen many of the works before, or if not at least ones very like them.

Artspace Auckland also had a part to play presenting projects by Campbell Patterson and Seung Yul Oh. I took quite a fancy to that little mouse considering the egg.

Peter Madden show at Ryan Renshaw Gallery

While there were only three NZ commercial Galleries is was great to see another NZ artist receive the royal treatment. Brisbane gallerist Ryan Renshaw took on Peter Madden after his residency at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane last year and he was their solo artist displayed at the Fair. This was a very busy stand and word was all works had sold.

We were joined at the Art Fair by two member of the Hamilton Sculpture Trust so when we weren’t at the Fair attempting to make sense of 77 Galleries and the artists they were profiling, we were deep in conversation about public sculpture - that is when we weren’t discussing the best Cantonese or Sicilian food in Melbourne - but that’s another story.

work by Seung Yul Oh

Our Local - the Framing Workshop

2010-07-02T14:23:00.000+12:00

As many will know, Hamilton is not exactly renown for its art destinations, and while there are actually a few gems hidden in our fair town that are worth a visit, it’s simply not good enough for a city of this size. However, one such glimmer of hope is the Framing Workshop - positioned in the quiet and out of the way (especially if you are not a local) little block of shops on Silverdale Rd, east of the University.

Sarah Marston has been in business as a very fine framer since 1993, and has occupied her current spot for the last five years. Some may remember her in Naylor Street before that.

Thinking about that special quality possessed by Sarah and her staff I would say it has to do with the way they look at and understand the works they frame. Whether it’s a work of historical importance, an art work by a leading New Zealand artist, an ancient tapa cloth, Grandma’s old tapestry or a piece of family memorabilia, the same artistic eye is applied to each, to determine just the right frame, the proportions and the finish. I wasn’t surprised to learn that Sarah is a graduate of the University of Canterbury, School of Fine Art, where she studied book design, because she has an artist’s eye for the way a thing should look.

Beyond the great service providing quality and clever framing, the Framing Workshop has quietly, over the last four years, been making a name for itself of a different kind. They have dedicated some of the workshop space to make a very small gallery to exhibit the work of local artists. So, the same eye for a good frame is extended to the curating of some quiet shows of great quality. And the exhibition programme is attracting a growing following from those in the know. It has become a great place to see work by some of the most interesting artists working in the Waikato. In a town that has not been able to support a fully contemporary dealer gallery the Framing Workshop is doing its bit to fill this embarrassing gap in a small but vital way. It also happens to be good for business, which has got to be good for everyone.

Mark Davidson has been working as a framer with Sarah for nearly eight years and has recently begun showing his work in the gallery space. As an artist Mark has a craft background and worked as a glass artist for more than 12 years. These images from his show in May are of his paintings inspired by cell structure and the way paint behaves. Beautifully rendered, Mark has a firm hand on the paint as he skilfully controls its play with space and colour contrasts. The resulting works are visually delightful as they capture the magic of paint.

I have known Sarah since I first came to Hamilton and have had many things framed by her and recommended her to countless friends and clients. However, last year I approached Sarah with a very different hat on. I was working for our local school and had created an Artists in School programme for term 3. This brought six local artists into the school to work along side the children and teachers. A big part of the project was endeavoring to convey to the students the idea of an art world and the various people and parts that made it tick. I asked Sarah if she would sponsor this by running a framing workshop for a group of senior students who would be charged with framing some of their fellow artists' work. It was a hit, and all due to the patience and skill of Sarah and Mark.

Peter Dornauf's show has just finished and next up is

Gaye Jurisich show titled Frame of Being opening today and running till 5 August
Following this is Genevieve Jones - a recent Wintec graduate and then Maree Glass

Be sure to pop in if you get a chance or email Sarah to be sent show invites.

The Framing Workshop

120 Silverdale Road

Hamilton

s.marston@clear.net.nz

Art Dealer as Curator

2010-05-29T13:14:00.001+12:00

NAKED - curated by Andrew Jensen of Jensen Gallery, Newmarket, Auckland
www.jensengallery.com/exhibition/

I was in Auckland briefly last week, in the rain, which I can only describe as shocking (the rain that is) since we had been so long with out it. I had great plans to do many art things, but pared these right back due to driving conditions. A late lunch and long overdue catch up with the lovely Linda Tyler, in her office looking into the under branches of very old pohutukawa trees, was a definite highlight and if it hadn’t been for fear of parking wardens I would have happily whiled away much longer with her sharing art news and many views. But moving on I headed to NAKED, the current show at Jensen Gallery. I had been tempted by the big international art girl names (Tracey Emin, Marina Abromovic, Louise Bourgeois and Carolee Schneemann) that Andrew had mentioned when he called Linda and urged us to come see.

With little other build up than that, it was a show out of the blue, and I declare - it’s a knock out. An extremely thoughtful, surprising and brave show that would be at home in bigger art capitals than ours and what’s more would sit very comfortably in the programme of many an esteemed public art gallery in such cities.

John Hurrell has written a sterling review of it on the eye contact blog that has moved to a new website, so check that out. No point me doing the same job, and nor would I be able to come close to his informative and erudite writing, so go to

www.eyecontactsite.com/2010/05/inspired-survey-of-the-humanform

I enjoyed talking about the show with Andrew and urged him to publish an accompanying essay since his curatorial eye is good and his thinking on the subject deep and intense. The show has been brewing for several years and it shows, its scope is wide but well honed and the resulting choice of artists and work is quite astonishing.

The show runs until 16 July.

Just a note about one of the works I would have taken home given half a chance..

Jude Rae Drawing No. 101 (Nude) 2010

This is a self-portrait of the artist yet breaking with centuries of tradition she has turned her back on the viewer. Her identity is hidden or protected as she shields herself, which is a strong statement in itself. However, what is revealed is the tremendous strength of the figure. Balanced on one standing leg, holding the weight of the body in a yoga like pose, only the clenched toes suggest the muscle work and balance required, while in contrast the torso is folded in on itself with a remarkable and relaxed softness. It made me think of contemporary dancers whose movements come out of a classical tradition and yet physically and conceptually depart dramatically from it.

An Art Weekend in Melbourne - Ron Mueck and the new Art Series Hotels

2010-05-13T10:18:00.004+12:00

Our friend and associate Liz Fraser recently enjoyed a weekend of art in Melbourne - highlights were visiting the Ron Mueck hyper-realist exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria and staying at one of the new Art Series Hotels - The Cullen in Prahran, based around the artwork of the infamous contemporary Australian artist Adam Cullen. Click on the read more link to see her full review and more photos....

Mask ii, 2000 , Ron Mueck

Our room at The Cullen, Melbourne

Ron Mueck – disconcerting hyper-realism

Queensland Art Gallery: May- August 2010
Christchurch Art Gallery: October – January 2011

Two Women, 2005, Ron Mueck.

While staying in Melbourne we couldn’t avoid the hype surrounding the Ron Mueck exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. The work of Ron Mueck, an Australian born, London based sculptor, is touted as astoundingly lifelike and disturbing contemporary sculpture of human figures. Included in this collection of 13 sculptures, the first of Ron Mueck to be shown in the Southern Hemisphere, is his iconic Dead Dad, 1997 which first came to attention in Charles Saatchi’s 'Sensations' show.

Our visit to this exhibition confirmed the hype - it is extremely powerful work. The technical expertise in creating such fine, perfect detail is extraordinary, but it is how Mueck plays with scale – gigantic or small, that makes this exhibition so emotionally jarring and moving. Some of the sculptures are monumental in scale and their effect is a powerful sense of awe and shock, while others are 'smaller-than-life' with less immediate impact, but prove to be equally disturbing in conjuring the frailty and vulnerability of age. A personal favourite was A Girl, a giant sized sculpture of a newborn baby girl – profoundly moving but almost shocking in its lifelike detail. The bloody smears, the umbilical cord, the tiny(but huge) fingernails, the squashed new-born features were surprisingly emotionally moving. On a completely different scale but equally profound, was the tiny and frail Old Woman in Bed - a touching look at our own mortality.

Next time, I’d take the kids – it’s the sort of art where nobody could possibly get bored, and everybody, even the most uninterested in art, leaves feeling gob-smacked and talks about it for days! Worth looking out for when it comes to the Christchurch Art Gallery later this year.

http://www.christchurchartgallery.org.nz/Exhibitions/2010/RonMueck/

Old Woman in Bed, 2002, Ron Mueck

A Girl, 2006, Ron Mueck

Art Series Hotels, Melbourne -‘ art inspired luxury’

While in Melbourne we stayed at The Cullen, the first of three luxury boutique hotels in the Art Series Hotel Group in Melbourne, inspired and designed around the artwork of prominent contemporary Australian artists.

The Cullen, features original artwork and prints throughout the hotel and rooms from the vibrant and energetic work of Adam Cullen, ‘enfant terrible’ of the Australian art scene. A great location ( 100m from boutique shopping mecca Chapel St and just over the road from the glorious Prahran Food Market) combined with excellent design and luxury made this a very pleasant stay. The vibrant artwork, plus extra little artistic touches, such as the pile of quality art books to browse through in each room added to the unique art-inspired experience.

The other two Art Series Hotels will be opening in Melbourne this year – The Olsen has just opened on Chapel St and The Blackman on St Kilda Rd opens in August and look to be equally interesting for the art loving traveller.

http://www.artserieshotels.com.au/

Portraits exhibition in Auckland

2010-05-06T13:43:00.012+12:00

Friday 23 April 6pm till late

Kate/Alison hit Auckland with the Portraits exhibition take 2. For one night only and the following sunny Saturday.

Presenting portraits by Anton Parsons (sculpture), Mark Smith (photography) and Meredith Collins (painting)

This venture was a fantastic opportunity to work with my dear friend Janie Browne again. We were last seen in cahoots at the Auckland Art Gallery back in the late 90s and somehow that experience has bonded us for life. Not much is as fun as talking art/fashion/kinship with Jane, and this was a very good excuse. And, from an art point of view, Alison and I felt that the Portraits exhibition we curated last year needed a bigger audience than we were able to give it in Hamilton.

The gracious white villa of Mike and Jane Browne, with two big rooms downstairs, nestled into leafy Herne Bay, seemed perfect. Here we gathered a merry band of the artists, friends, supporters, art followers and the like and had ourselves a great evening, culminating with a very late night supper within the exhibition for those with endurance.

On reflection our enthusiasm and gung ho attitude may have made things a trifle unclear for new viewers. Not many catalogues, no numbers, most not for sale (the idea was to generate commission for new and personal portraits of one kind or another). And then the confusing fact that we showed two very different aspects of Mark Smiths work. His large format bnw contact print portraits together with his more personal body of work that reflects his own sharp eye for the painfully wonderful in the everyday.

However, despite these minor irks, we are calling it a success. For me it was especially nice to be back in Auckland talking art, to see faces for my past art life there, and to introduce Kate and Alison and what we do – art whispering among other things.

details from the catalogue..
ceramic and glass work on table by Trudie Kroef
for further details please contact Kate or Alison through our website

Commissioning a Portrait
A Portrait by painter Meredith Collins

Meredith Collins has a amazing ability to capture that something special in a child, that quality we instantly recognize, yet find so hard to define - a combination of innocence and knowing. Life like and recognizable her portraits also possess an ethereal quality that seems to capture the essence of childhood. Not confined to children her portraits of adolescence and adults similarily capture that hard to define truth about an individual.

Cost - A commissioned painting the size of those in the show 710 x 555 mm is

$ 3500.00 incl gst and other sizes can be easily arranged.

The portrait price includes meeting with the subject, taking photographs and the following discussion about an appropriate photograph to base the portrait on. This process is very much a collaboration between the artist the and commissioner of the portrait. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required at the beginning of this process.

A Portrait by photographer Mark Smith

Most of us will at some time in our lives find the papery portraits made available through photographs deeply compelling and comforting. Mark Smith reemploys the technique of those old school photographers with his 5x4 large format camera.

The unique qualities of Smith’s portraits are brought about by the 19th century technique he employs with this camera, a process that despite great leaps in technology still produces one of the most secure archival images possible today. Perhaps more ironic than this, and certainly it will be a great loss, is the fact that this process will before too long, become extinct, as the film and paper is now a very finite resource. Constantly increasing in both cost and scarcity, Mark imports both his paper and film from New York in order to get the quality he needs.

The results of all Smith’s portrait sittings are catalogued and indexed for the protection of the negative and ease of reordering at a later date. The photographic prints are printed on fibre-based silver gelatin paper of the highest archival quality.

Cost for a portrait sitting - $1,500 - $1,800 depending on number of sitters and time

This includes Marks time, travel, processing and material costs, contact prints on 10x8 paper of all images taken. Larger images are an additional cost, for example an 11 x14 inch print is $120 per print.

All portraits are taken with the large format camera producing a 5 x 4 inch negative, which the contact prints are made from.

A Portrait or commemorative work by Anton Parsons

The seemingly abstract number blocks by Anton Parsons can in fact be very specific and extremely personal. A unique and creative way to commemorative a birth date, anniversary or special event. They can even be extended to create a family group and in doing so a stunning contemporary sculpture for your home by a leading New Zealand artist.

Cost - from $850.00 per block

note - In Auckland Meredith Collins is represented by Whitespace and Mark Smith is represented by Artis Gallery

Commissions of portraits can be commissioned through Kate/Alison

Art in the School hols

2010-04-26T17:12:00.007+12:00

School holidays and there was a desperate need to get them out of the house, catch up with friends with like aged kids, and all the while fostering a life long love of art in our youth. So, for me and mine, it was up to Auckland for a few days, kicking off with a day at the Brick Bay Sculpture Trail, followed by my second go at the Auckland Triennial, this time with the big noise at the Auckland Art Gallery.

Day 1

Brick Bay Sculpture Trail

Before I begin with a rave about this outing, I have to fess up to my vested interest, by way of a professional association with the place and the people. I acted as project manager back in 2006 when they were just getting going and was invited back in 2008 as one of the advisory panel, a position I still enjoy.

However, while I have been involved in many discussions and decisions about the sculpture on the trail over time, it’s hard for me to get up there and this was my first visit in ages, with a lot of new works I was very keen to see in situ.

The day was near perfect, with enough cloud to protect, and sun to warm, as three adults and five kids piled out of cars and set off. The kids simply loved it, and engaged with the works, the landscape and native flora and fauna, in equal measure, running from one art work to the next, at speed.

However, four-year-old Maggie in our midst deserves a special mention, possessing the most stamina and a boundless enthusiasm to find every last sculpture on the map. She also embraced the drawing we did after lunch with such gusto, included not just sculptures she had seen but a fair few imagined as well! So I include her work here as one to watch out for.

The highlights for me were Judy Darragh’s temporary summer work Bottle Run and Peter Lange Brick Corkscrew. So perfectly placed and in conversation with their surroundings. For that reason they may not be the easiest to sell. But, if I were suggesting a commission for an interesting site these artists would certainly be contenders. Tumbling Albatross by Greer Twiss and Virginia King’s Step Lightly were also gorgeous.

The older boys loved Aiko Groot’s Discs and were well impressed with the solar powered component. Drawings by Edward 9 and Gus 7.

The staff were super friendly and helpful and it certainly has the feel of an international attraction (the food and wine an excellent case in point). There can’t be many places to find a better casual lunch in such an idyllic setting.

So, on the day I was just anther visitor to the Trail with friends and this is definitely a rave review.

Check it out - www.brickbay.co.nz/

Day 2

The Auckland Art Gallery is the biggest venue and HQ to the Auckland Triennial, so here I was expecting the stars of the show to be shining brightly. On this particular expedition we were three adults and eight children from 6 – 12 years.

First up, I have to give full credit to the younger members of the team, they gave each and every work their attention and benefit of the doubt. Quite honestly they were more forgiving and inquiring than myself. They tried on every headset they could and watched part of all the video works. We had a great discussion about Alicia Frankovich work Revolution (Martini Fountain) 2010 although I did have to dissuade Edward from tasting it, as he was very keen to do. However, dodging that gallery no-no we did have one other mishap. It really was a sincere attempt to understand the seemingly empty room of Walid Sadek’s work Koza Okamoto when the girls thought the slidey finish on the floor (created by fine lead pencil drawing) was to be experienced! And of course one fell over, smudged the work and was very distressed herself as the lead got everywhere (not least on her best gallery going dress!). This sort of thing I know to be a gallery management nightmare having been in the management seat myself, and having experienced some of the drama that ensured when my nephew fell into sump oil in a big beautiful Stephen Banbury show some years ago.

The question is how do Galleries deal with smart and inquisitive kids in a way that is safe and happy for all? I offer here a suggestion. As well as the more guard orientated gallery attendants, telling the kids not to take photos or touch etc, perhaps a kid friendly “exhibition friend” be set loose, one that has a more upbeat uniform on, has an interest in alternative interpretation methods and whose sole job is to engage and discuss. The current attendants do a fantastic job and this is by no means a criticism of that, rather an observation of the hard task of combining the roles of guard (keeping you away) with interpreter (drawing you in). An exhibition friend could be a permanent weekend and school holiday phenomena that works along side the fun workshops and special kids tours that the gallery already does.

I really believe that kids are underestimated as art viewers and it just takes the right person to engage with them. Like Greg O’Brien’s wonderful NZ art books aimed at 8 – 14 year olds the Gallery could find that there is a much bigger audience for this type of art interpretation well beyond those school aged.

While there certainly was some sparkle, cause to pause, and lightness of being in the exhibition, such as Gerard Byne’s work exploring the myths and enduring mystery of Nessie the Loch Ness monster and the vying forces of imagination and cold hard facts that surround us. At the end of the day though I was left wanting just a bit more to really thrill me.

Finally, the kids’ pic – Robert Hood and the exploding car of course! Although the younger boy members of our group have a few questions for the artist that I will endeavour to get to him and get back here with his response.

First Foray into the 4th Auckland Triennial - not without a hitch

2010-03-28T16:25:00.001+13:00

I guess I am now officially an out of towner, and so, in Auckland briefly last week we decided to take our first bite at the 4th Auckland Triennial. We set off with instructions from an art local to find Shed 6. Not easy - no signage to speak of and a complete nightmare in terms of parking and three point turning out of tight spaces. However, as committed art people we did persevere, but the bigger question is, was it worth it? And I have to say if it wasn’t for a restorative lunch in the cool biker surroundings of Deus Ex Machina at Shed 5, the answer would be No. Saved only by a chicken salad and the work of Richard Bell.

The other work probably suffered from my mood at having had to work so hard to find it. Consequently the only thing big and bold enough to knock me out of it was Bell's work. It packs quite a punch and pokes you in uncomfortable places as he examines racism (in Australia) in ways that made me wince. He is an extremely interesting artist, and these works certainly got to me. I spent a year in Queensland in 2001, searching for like minds to talk art, books or even movies and they were very thin on the ground. So, I turned my energy to contemporary aboriginal art, which unsurprisingly turned out to be a subject not popular with most locals. In that year I began to get an inkling of what lies beneath (and not that far) – what Bell is on about. He jumps whole-heartedly into these murky waters with intent to make the art world and others squirm.

Example - on receiving the 2003 National Telstra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art he collected the prize for his wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words "White girls can't hump". Needless to say it caused way more fuss than his winning work and people have been talking about it ever since. In Scratch an Aussie 2008, one of two works at the Triennial, Bell takes on the role of an aboriginal Freud psychoanalyzing racist white Australians clad in gold bikinis. A lot has been said of his works and I won't do more of that here suffice to say that, to find out more – make the trip.

These work really deserve to be seen by more than just by a few sturdy art folk and I really question the chosen venue for them (and indeed the other poor refugees hanging out at Shed 6). Would a contemporary art film festival or theatre have been a better venue for Bell, with time in the programme for guest commentators to generate discussion? The candidates for this are endless and reach well beyond the art mob. Or even TV, crazy idea I know but that really would be wild.

4th Auckland Triennial

Richard Lewer at the Waikato Museum

2010-03-08T16:23:00.000+13:00

Richard Lewer
'I must learn to like myself'
Waikato Museum
Until 15 August 2010

Alison and I had a coffee with Richard just before the show opened and before he jetted off to New York to take up the Wallace Award residency. This exhibition celebrates the work of a Hamiltonian who has gone on to develop a significant reputation both in New Zealand and beyond. His work is intensely personal and auto biographical, bringing up often painful memories of childhood and adolescence in medium sized town, New Zealand. From the huge charcoal wall drawing of his Glenview, Hamilton childhood home, to the pegboard confessions and the partially obscured family portraits, Richard speaks cathartically of who he is and where he has come from. If at all possible make the trip to this show at the Waikato Museum, you won't be disappointed.

Underwater Collective :

Following their show at Ramp Gallery in Hamilton last year we roped these dynamic and extremely energetic artists into a project with Tamahere Primary School. Where local artists were invited to inspire the students and create works together, it really was a blast.
You can see their collaborative drawings performed live along side visiting American graffiti artist Eric Orr in Sharing Space.
At: Qubic 154 – 160 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland
March 19, 6pm

Portraits in Auckland

2010-03-07T15:35:00.000+13:00

After the success of our Portraits exhibition in Hamilton last year we are taking it to Auckland for a Friday evening and Saturday exhibition. A slightly different premise for a show, in that none of the works are for sale, instead the intention is to introduce the artist’s works and inspire you to commission your own personal portrait by painter Meredith Collins, photographer Mark Smith or sculptor Anton Parsons.

A date for the diary -
Preview : Friday 23 April and Saturday 24 April
To be hosted in a private home in St Mary’s Bay, Auckland.

Recent Visits to Australian Galleries

2010-03-06T12:55:00.000+13:00

National Gallery of Australia
New Gallery space does Ned Kelly paintings proud:

The new gallery space, recently completed for the permanent display of Sidney Nolan’s famous Ned Kelly paintings is a triumph. They have created a wonderful place to immerse yourself in these powerful, iconic and truly Australian paintings. On my recent visit to the NGA I ended up skipping the blockbuster show of heavy weights such as Cezanne and Van Gogh, and opted instead for the modern and contemporary collections (a decision driven partly by the length of the queue that snaked across the vast foyer and out the front door). Since I only had a precious three hours (sans kids) to look at art, I certainly wasn’t going to waste it standing in line. This turned out to be a great decision as I revisited some truly wonderful works in the collection, in galleries so quiet they really were like temples. There were many standouts - like just how great Jackson Pollock really is and how his painting Blue Poles manages to look better and better every time you see it. However, the highlight was probably seeing Nolan’s Ned Kelly series in their new home. The semi circular gallery provides a great rhythm and pace to experience the story of these paintings.

Nolan first exhibited his Ned Kelly series in Melbourne in 1948. As an artist he was captivated by the story of the Ned Kelly Gang of outlaws in the Australian bush. Inspired by Kelly’s own words and his blend of poetry and political engagement he was drawn to the overarching notion of the power of a person's actions to incite change. Technically they are raw and rather brutal, using simple brightly coloured enamel house paint, and drawn from his admiration of the 19th Century artist Henri Rousseau. Nolan himself describes the works as more than a simple narrative, rather it is a story bound to the landscape. “A story that began in the bush and ended in the bush” So, if for any reason what so ever, you find yourself in Canberra make sure you drop into the National Gallery of Australia to see this masterful display of iconic Australian paintings.

Liyen Chong:

While exploring the Modern and Contemporary collection exhibitions at the National Gallery of Australia I was interested to see they had included four New Zealand artists. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for these inclusions, the labels did state the artists were from New Zealand, but otherwise they were nestled among the Australia story of contemporary art with no further explanation. There was a work by Colin McCahon (not surprising) Gordon Walers (ditto) and among the living, a big bold and beautiful Shane Cotton painting that surely confirmed his standing as one of our greatest painters today. More curious and intriguing however was the small and highly refined work by Liyen Chong, a skeleton embroidered in her own hair. It is amazing for such a young artist to be included in such a prestigious and very grown up collection, but there she was. Following the NGA I was also able to see Liyen’s latest works in Sydney at Martin Browne Gallery where she was showing in Strangelands with two Australian artists. Her work for this was even more extraordinary and I’m guessing it won't be long before those Australians are claiming her as their own. See the Liyen Chong works that we presented on our exhibition page of our web site http://www.katealison.co.nz/

Art Gallery of New South Wales
Sydney Until April 11 2010

On a recent trip to Sydney, Alison and her two sons aged twelve and seventeen happened upon this quirky installation 'War and Peace and In Between' by Tatzu Nishi as part of the 19th Kaldor Public Art Project. Nishi's project takes two well-known public sculptures, which sit on either side of the Art Gallery’s entrance, and rescues them from the invisibility that over familiarity can bring. The public can enter two elevated rooms via a ramp from the steps of the gallery, finding themselves in a living room on one side and a bedroom on the other. Everything seems completely normal except that parts of a giant bronze horse and rider are wedged into the coffee table in the living room or that wade through the disheveled bed.