Protest @ M16 Artspace

This exhibition ranges through some fabulous artifacts of the protest movement. The one that I love the most is a hash tag sign photoshopped onto a railway station sign – #I’ll ride with you. The richness of these creations takes the viewer into all sorts of thought processes about protest in its various forms. There are protests that have political, sexual, religious elements and the artists use materials ranging from children’s dolls to simulated grave stones.
There was a delight about these objects in their thoughtful representation of the human desire to protest.

Barak Zelig – All ready-made @ M16 Artspace

Barak Zelig’s work is fascinating in the ways it brings together disparate elements to tell a story. Each of the objects shown below has been created by Zelig and each has a remarkably engaging presence about it. There is politics and social commentary woven into these objects in a delightful way.

Manuel Pfeiffer – Water Aspects @ M16 Artspace

A great thing about the Canberra art scene is that you often get to chat to the artists. Yesterday we went to M16 Artspace and landed in the midst of a set of lectures and other social activities. We looked through the galleries and finished in the corridor space Gallery Three. The paintings on the wall were striking stylised Australian landscapes. We were chatting about how marvelously they got the Australian distinctive light and colours in modern styles and up walked the artist.
He only started doing this when he got to Australia in 2010. The clear representation of early foggy mornings, gorgeous sundowns and other great elements of our landscape have been strikingly presented on canvas are very attractive.
Pics and gallery sheet below:

A Charmed life – Archie Day and Robin Ezra @ The Milk Factory Gallery Bowral

The flyer for this show at the Milk Factory Gallery says “An exquisite exhibition of etchings and lithographs from printmaking sisters Archie Day and Robin Ezra featuring cats and dogs set in exotic, elaborate and lush interiors.” That says it all. The card below shows some samples (No photographs allowed) and the gallery has a great web page for this.
http://www.milkfactorygallery.com.au/announcements/next-exhibition-a-charmed-life

Rethinking the city – Steven Liaros and Nimini De Silva @ Connection Arcade Parramatta

In an arcade at Parramatta the other day I had a conversation with Steven Liaros and Nimini De Silva in a Pop up gallery. They are collaborating to have conversations with the public about cities, their qualities their futures, people and their participation in their cities. It was fascinating to chat with a town planner and a water focused photographer and I bet a project like this has started lots of interesting conversations. A great idea.

Fate or Destiny – Nimini De Silva @ Connection Arcade Parramatta

There are a series of pop up galleries in the connection Arcade on Church St Parramatta. I wandered in to one the other afternoon after a training session nearby. On the walls were a fabulous set of photos accompanied by brief explanatory text and poetry. The photographs focused on water and its role in our experience They were urban and rural and seemed to span the world.

Quick Fix – Danny Wild @ Canberra Contemporary Art Space – Manuka

Danny Wild has a video installation running at the Canberra Contemporary Art Space – Manuka. The blurb reads “Quick fix is an immersive audio visual installation that looks at the effect of toxic materials on the natural environment.

An evolving video collage is created in the space using multiple projectors and screens. Fragments of cheap plastic household items smear across a large image of a constructed natural landscape. The work fluctuates between the ‘Quick Fix’ that these cheap materials suggest and the long term and irreversible damage that they cause to our delicate landscapes.”
It is a wonderful free flowing interwoven set of images that tell a confronting story in a colourful and engaging way. The picture on the CCAS website tells a bit of the story.

Kai Wasilkowski – Taking Liberties @ M16 Artspace

The exhibition that was held at Photoaccess Huw Davies Gallery by Kai Wasilkowski last month was fun. The photographs are composites of different layers that have the viewers engaging in working out what is going on and what its significance is. There is a wallpaper element and a video projection element defined by stark colour charges.
Samples and gallery sheet below

Asian women at work @ Hurstville Gallery

A new gallery to me is at Hurstville in southern Sydney.At present there are three exhibitions but the only one I have good pics for is called Asian Women at work. This consists of delightful nature pictures in styles that all have traditional Asian aesthetics about them. There are birds, flowers, animals and plants painted in simple and attractive styles.
Images are below with an introductory poster.

Stephen Best – Out West @ Huw Davies Gallery

Stephen Best has displayed a fabulous set of landscape photographs taken in and around the area through which the Darling River flows in NSW. He has some gorgeous antique wooden structures and striking landscapes shaped by water both present and absent. I have included the gallery sheet and some great pics below