Art Basel | Miami 2008

Art Positions - Young Art by The Beach is part of a series of events put on by Art Basel Miami and is set to be part of the new and young art galleries peppering the usual suspects. Zoo Art Fair in London and the number of street art fairs blooming across the world indicate that fresh young galleries are in high demand and counteract the monopoly that many gallery "brands" have over festivals. At our own Art Sydney, Off The Wall and Next Generation exhibitions within the overall presentation are always a highlight.

Image: One of the artist at Art Positions
Rivington Arms: Darren Bader, as = poaching the poachers.
(Back Room Installation Shot), 2007. Mixed media, dimensions variable.

COFA Annual 2008

Roaming the sweaty hallways of the COFA annual is was made abundantly clear that the artistic taste for multiple layers was not going to work, and that is it very hard to look cool while sweating through a red beanie and black leggings.

The typical COFA visitor seemed to be around 23 yrs old and it is at these events that I discover that I have absolutely no individual dress sense since there are are about 1000 people dressed exactly like me. However as usually the art is interesting and engaging with the touch of the self absorbed but overall a very inspiring outing.

This exhibition is always worth a look and a great place for talent spotting. As usual the sculpture department on the Ground Floor really shines and visitors seem to really get involved with works. Although enthusiasm usually starts to wain by the 3rd floor so any comment on this area is bound to be off.

Soda_Jerk @ Primavera

Primavera at the MCA, Sydney is once again a fun and interesting look at the work of young somewhat unknown contemporary artists around Australia however the contribution by the not so unknown Soda_Jerk was a standout. Having seen a little of their process of mixing different films together on Not Quite Art I was so excited to see an example of this process at the MCA.

Soda_Jerk (with Sam Smith) Astro Black: A History of Hip Hop (Episode 1) (video still) 2008 digital video, 6.35 minutes. Courtesy and © the artists

PRIMAVERA 2008: EXHIBITION BY YOUNG AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS is on until the 30 November 2008 so don't miss out.

GRANTPIRRIE

... is set to open tomorrow night with two great exhibitions and really seems to be continuing the great work coming out of the Redfern and Waterloo galleries including gbk, BREENSPACE, Anna Schwartz @ Carriageworks and the usually Danks St gang. This stuff is definitely making it worth the schlep out there - good work!


GRANTPIRRIE
19 November - 20 December 2008

Lionel Bawden
New works on paper

and through the square window

Cash Brown
Priceless

Degree shows coming up!

From November onwards it is degree show opening season all over Sydney. These exhibitions always remind of the start of the x-mas season and are lots of fun especially if you like cheap white wine and squashed sweaty hallways but on the upside these shows are filled with some amazing and exciting new works. There are of course a few that are a little school (high that is) art show but in saying that the good overwhelming out ways the bad. The big three coming up are:


The COFA Annual, Paddington:

Opening on Thursday 27th Nov
Thu, 27 Nov - Sun, 30 Nov 2008



Sydney College of the Arts, Rozelle:

Undergraduate Degree Show
Opening on Tuesday 18 November
Tue 18 Nov - Sat 29 Nov 2008

Postgraduate Degree Show
Opening on Tuesday 9 December
Tue 9 Dec - Wed 17 Dec 2008



National Art School, Darlinghurst

Opening on the Friday the 5th of Dec
Fri 5 Dec - 13 Dec 2008

Not Quite Art

The first series of Not Quite Art was the most talked about arts programs amongst my friends and colleagues that I can remember. The second broadens the scope of discussion to our understanding of cultural change within the arts. The old story of "how the Internet is changing everything" through the eyes of Marcus Westbury is a fresh take on somewhat stale the subject.

It seems that Australia as a geographically isolated country has certainly been affected by this change and very quick to jump on the bandwagon. Frankly many aussies are over having television series presented late at night and months behind and artists who are apparently protected by copyright laws seem just to want to get there work out there. As usual there are few scrooges raining of the creative parade although most artists just pop up there umbrellas and keep creating - good on them.

Side note:
Not to make this the Marcus Westbury fan club but he is also involved in a great new project Renew Newcastle which he broached in the first series of Not Quite Art. Marcus also has a blog http://www.marcuswestbury.net/ which has lots of updates of what he is up to.