Career milestones big and small.

Finally reached over 100 posts! Thanks for all the support and reading what I hope was interesting content over the last couple of years. As you may of noticed constructing art has been increasing its social interaction of late, so please make sure you are following me on twitter.

Speaking of career milestones of obviously slightly larger proportions Edmund Capon AM, OBE has released a book, "I Blame Duchamp" (Penguin Books, 2009) an autobiography which focuses on the collections he has been involved in and his relationship to art 'My musings on art could be described as a benign diatribe; one inspired by a genuine if watchful passion'. I am certainly hoping for some behind the scenes gossip - someone who has been in the role of Director and Chief Curator at the Art Gallery of NSW for so many year must have, this book will do little discourage rumours that Mr Capon may soon be moving on.

(Untitled) movie

ABC launches new arts website

The ABC was all over the arts this week as it launched a new arts website and held the "Revealing the Arts" conference in Sydney. The event included much fanfare about their new social media connectivity and partnership with the Australia Council. The website will a portal for both the arts programs on the ABC as well other arts content from all genres. This seems to be part of a larger push by the Federal Government and the Government 2.0 project to get government organisations to get filter their content through "younger" eyes. Let hope these programs increase creative production and build relationships rather than just present what we already have. That being said they are a lot prettier than previous government websites!

Phantom New York City comes alive.

This amazing new iphone application makes me 1. very happy and 2. at the same time very jealous. Why?

1. It is a remarkably clever idea considering New York must be one of the most redesigned (in theory that is) cities in the world and has had so many projects designed and exhibitions made about this great city just in the last couple of years. Rather than living in the past or the present the application shows user what might have been. Living under a dome or walking in the sky, the designs and projects will be presented as the user walks through the city streets.

2. Why now when I am not in New York?


The iPhone at work, detecting the Phantom City.
Images and research BLDG BLOG.


Museum of the Phantom City by Cheng+Snyder for the Van Alen Institute.
Images and research BLDG BLOG.

Check out http://phantomcity.org/for full project.

Stuff white people like - Bansky!

This is an absolutely hilarious article about Bansky and the complicated relationship "indie white people" have with street art. I was lucky enough to go to a talk with Christian Lander (and have a photo with) the creator of Stuff White People blog and now book. He talked about going to ivy league universities and experiencing a certain type of white person obsessed with coffee, indie music no one has ever heard of. This of course hit a chord with me with my personal favourites being Architecture, Liking Bob Marley and Taking a year off.


Also hope are checking out my current project and the behind the scenes photo:
2042artonthest.blogspot.com

2042: art on the street

I am so happy to let you guys know that a project I am working on is starting to ramp up. 2042: art on the street is a community artwork in Newtown where for one weekend (24-25 October) you will see the heart of Newtown turned into a giant 3-dimensional colouring book just waiting to be coloured by you and filled with your stories. Please visit the 2042 website for more information and I hope you will all join me on this adventure for the next couple of weeks. (I will also be cross-posting so you will be kept up to date on both blogs).

Sarah Scout Presents Andrea Tu

Check out images from Andrea Tu's current exhibition at one of Melbourne's newest galleries Sarah Scout Presents. Andrea Tu is graduate of Monash University and a recipient of both the Australia Council for the Visual Arts, Barcelona Studio Residency and Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Studio Artist Residency. These beautiful folded sculptures play with the patterned 2D works also included in the exhibition and demonstrate an exciting technical skill that really caught my eye. Sarah Scout Presents is also a gallery to watch in the coming months.










Andrea Tu, Black Flux 2009, installation view at Sarah Scout, Melbourne care of artist and Sarah Scout Presents.

Olafur Eliasson's 'Take Your Time' to come to Sydney

Olafur Eliasson, One-way colour tunnel, 2007 (digital rendering of interior view); site-specific sculpture to be made at SFMOMA on the occasion of Take your time: Olafur Eliasson; stainless steel, color-effect acrylic, and acrylic mirrors; 100 3/4 x 70 7/8 x 413 3/8 in.; Courtesy the artist; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York; and neugerriemschneider, Berlin; © 2007 Olafur Eliasson

This amazing retrospective of Olafur Eliasson's work 'Take Your Time' is coming to Sydney in December. A massive coop for the MCA the exhibition has been shown at the MOMA, NY and MOMA, San Francisco and an unlike the many times I have seen his work as one stand alone installation some of his most inspiring works will now be shown alongside each other. Below is a video that they showed at the media preview last night.

http://www.moma.org/explore/multimedia/videos/15

Only in his 40's Eliasson has created some my favourite public works including the waterfalls he installed in NY last year through the New York Public Art Fund. This is possibly the MCA's biggest and most expensive exhibition to date and I am personally so excited that an installation of this quality is coming to Sydney. The exhibition is set to include some of his maquettes and models which should be an amazing insight in the way his team of 30-35 staff members work.

Take Your Time, MCA Sydney
10 December 2009 - 11 April 2010

James Angus wins WA's most expensive public art commission

Images (pdfs of proposal submission to situate prize 2009 by James Angus)

situate an international sculpture prize in Perth, Western Australia announced yesterday that James Angus' proposal has won a $1 million public art commission. To be located in Perth's CBD - it is the largest ever public art project in WA and will be produced by some of Australia's great public art and engineering talents. Although the principal artist and designer is James Angus, Douglas Knox (Principal Engineer), Peter Mclean (Lighting Engineer), Sebastian Adams, (Industrial Designer), Tony Oxley (from Oxley9 Gallery and Angus' representing gallery and project coordinator) and Jaime Marina, (Fabrication) will help the project to come to fruition and hopefully produce an artwork that the public really enjoy. Both a state and local council venture it is a glimmer of hope that often expendable public art funding is still available and open to new techniques and ideas. Check out the finalists online as the project has attracted some great proposals and concepts well beyond the typical promenade style city art.

Frieze Magazine "Whatever happened to art theory?"

Frieze Magazine has dedicated its latest edition to the state of art theory. Although this might seem ironic coming from the magazine that has brought us a highly commercial and personality driven art fair, which champions seemingly superficial artists such as Damien Hirst. It is probably a good place to start when looking at the current ways in which artists and writers approach art theory. Sam Thorne the associate editor of Frieze has the lead article entitled "Back & Forward" which looks at the controversies and discussions around art theory that many modern art student are not exposed to. Artists who work within particular parameters are unlikely to be challenged on their view of art theory or history and as Thorne suggests "we should pay attention to its past – not only how it has been marketed and circulated internationally, but how it has been misunderstood." Essentially when artists do not have to question these artistic concepts on a base level they do not have to have the hard conversation and that is clearly where the best art theories have sprouted.

Behind the Art of Fashion

"It's a famine of beauty, honey," said Andre Leon Tally (editor-in-chief of Vogue) in The September Issue, a new documentary on Vogue and their biggest edition in history. However it is certainly not the case in Australia with our online fashion culture gaining momentum and producing some beautiful behind the scenes footage along the way. These videos (a few examples below) becomes art pieces and marketing opportunites all wrapped into one, but most importantly bring a little depth to online fashion.



There is a major clothes swapping event, Rethreads planned at Carriageworks at the end of September, through the Clothing Exchange with 2SER and FBI radio.




And the launch of Fashion magazine Tangent and its blog which has behind the scenes videos and photos.

Seaside Cultural Renewal

Boscombe Pier, Bournemouth, Dorset. Bournemouth Borough Council architects, reopened in 2008. Photograph: Geoffrey Swaine/Rex Features, Guardian.co.uk.

The Guardian has released an article discussing the merits of cultural and artistic investment in England's impoverished seaside towns, Can art put new heart into our seaside towns?. And although Newcastle in Northen NSW could not be seen as a direct comparison - it is a city which main source of income has been mostly removed, and an economic situation that has resulted in many empty commercial spaces. Whilst the article discusses large and architecturally over the top investments, Renew Newcastle has taken a more grass roots approach and worked with the empty space directly rather than adding another possible white elephant. Clearly a top heavy cultural investment does not always best serve the artistic community despite increasing tourists.

NEW EVENT ANNOUNCED: ART MONTH SYDNEY 2010

Vasili Kaliman (Co-Founder and a member of the Advisory Board for the event and Director of Kaliman Gallery) has announced via his facebook page a new art event Art Month Sydney. Art Month Sydney 2010 will take place from 1-30 March 2010 where "Fifty art galleries, art auction houses and public art institutions across Sydney will join together to demonstrate the importance and diversity of Australia’s art scene."

The event will function similarly to Sydney Design Festival as it promotes and links art events across the city. Although the elements have yet to be announced is will be very interesting to see the depth of this event and whether it will provide a real contribution to the Sydney art scene. Although I am very excited to see the what this esteemed group of galleries and art lovers will produce, we will have to see whether the Sydney audience can sustain enthusiasm for the many events that will happen across the year including the 2010 Biennale of Sydney in May.

ADVISORY BOARD

Julia Champtaloup
Kate Dernezaulds
Sarah Hetherington
Vasili Kaliman
Dr Dick Quan
Michael Reid
Andrew Rothery

PARTICIPATING GALLERIES INCLUDE:
Anna Schwartz Gallery
Annandale Galleries
Artbank
Australian Galleries
BREENSPACE
Chalk Horse
Charles Hewitt
Christopher Day Gallery
Conny Dietzschold Gallery
Darren Knight Gallery
Dominik Mersch Gallery
Eva Breuer Art Dealer
Firstdraft
Flinders Street Gallery
Gallery Barry Keldoulis
GRANTPIRRIE
Hordern House
James Dorahy Project Space
Josef Lebovic Gallery
Kaliman Gallery
Liverpool Street Gallery
Martin Browne Fine Art
Maunsell Wickes at Barry Stern Galleries
Michael Reid at Elizabeth Bay
MOP
Museum of Contemporary Art
N G Art Gallery
Rex Irwin Art Dealer
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery
Sarah Cottier Gallery
SH Ervin Gallery
SNO
Stills Gallery
Sullivan + Strumpf Fine Art
Tim Olsen Gallery
Utopia Art Sydney
Watters Gallery


PARTICIPATING AUCTION HOUSES INCLUDE:
Christie’s Australia
Deutscher + Hackett
Shapiro
Sotheby’s Australia


ART MONTH IS SPONSORED BY:
King & Wilson
Best Cellars
Bresic Whitney


ALLIANCE PARTNERS:
Allens Arthur Robinson
MBT
Hayman Design
Tsuki


Information Art Month Sydney

McGregor Coxall Ballast Point Park Design

McGregor Coxall is currently involved in some of Australia's most important and interesting Landscape Architecture projects including the Green Square Town Centre Public Domain, commissioned by the City of Sydney in which the landscaping and urban design will be an essential part of the puzzle in making Green Square a community environment. As well the redesign of the public space and landscaping at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra as part of the general revamp and a new wing.

However possibly their greatest project is the Ballast Point redevelopment which is one of Sydney's best new Harbour parks. Having grown up near Ballast Point I remember it in its unused and sad state that separated the other great parks surrounding it.

The highly successful Ballast Point Park revamp is being hailed as one of Sydney's best new public spaces and was an amazingly enjoyable place to visit especially with the great Sydney's weather of late. This beautiful space both acknowledges and goes beyond the sites original use as a Caltex Oil property.
















Photos and Copyright held by Constructing Art Blog.
If you do share please remember to attribute and link back to Constructing Art.

Bravo's latest reality show based on the art world

Todd Heisler/The New York Times


The New York Times is reporting that hundreds of people (across the US) turned up a to a series of casting calls for a reality TV show based on contemporary artists for BRAVO and to be produced by Sarah Jessica Parker. Of the hopefuls that turned up 13 finalists will be announced and one artist will win "a gallery show, a cash prize and a sponsored national museum tour". It is a little surprising to note that representation by a high level gallery is not part of the prize, although no specifics have been confirmed. This could be similar to the response the technical and skill based reality shows such as Project Runway and So You Think You Can Dance received where industry people were extremely skeptical until a few season in. The prizes therefore often increased once the show had proved itself and become reputable. It will be great to see how the contestants will be tested and surely that in itself will create some interesting TV.

40 years Kaldor Public Art Projects

2 October 2009 – 14 February 2010
Art Gallery of New South Wales

An extensive review of works comissioned by Kaldor Public Art Projects is set to open in October '09 at the AGNSW. The exhibition looks at the amazing projects and performances that Kaldor brought (and continues to bring) to Australia as a pioneer of large scale public art events, that are now typical of Australian art galleries and festivals . These projects not only lifted the level of installation expertise and conceptual standards in the Australian art scene but most importantly brought memorable art projects to the general public. People still (well some people I unfortunately was not yet born) remember when Little Bay in Sydney was wrapped by Christo and Jean-Claude in their work Wrapped Coast (1969) or when Koons' Puppy (1995) (this one I do remember) was on the front lawn of the MCA , and that is something that is worth celebrating.


Puppy 1995
Copyright (c) Jeff Koons 1995

artnet Urban Art Sale

Fairey Shephard Peace Bomber (Red Edition), 2008

Urban Art continues to be legitimized in sales across the world, although artnet Auctions is no Sotheby's is does represent a huge section of the online art market and therefore is especially suited to urban art which has found a special place online.

The Urban Art Sale which will be held until the 23rd of July sale will include work from today back to 1972, covering the spectrum of urban art of the last 30-40 years. Special mention goes to Fairey Shephard who shot to fame with the Obama "HOPE" poster and subsequent controversy on the ownership of the work, Peace Bomber, 2008 (above) is included in the sale.

ART & ELECTRONIC MEDIA

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Homographies, 2006, Subsculpture 7, DVD documentation of installation at Sydney Biennale, 2006, video length: 10 min, loop, 24 light fixtures, motors, sensors, plasma screen, custom software.

Art & Electronic Media released this year by Phaidon Press is also being celebrated with an exhibition by bitforms gallery NY. The book by edited by Edward Shanken is as survey of over 150 artists working within electronic media . The book (and exhibition) includes work by Laurie Anderson, Jim Campbell, Tim Hawkinson, Michael Joaquin Grey, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Robert Lazzarini, Golan Levin, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Mark Napier, Manfred Mohr, Tony Oursler, C.E.B. Reas, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Lillian Schwartz. A video of Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's work at the 2006 Biennale of Sydney is included in the exhibition (see image).



On until 10 July

529 West 20th Street
(between 10th and 11th)
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10011
ph. 212 366 6939
fx. 212 366 6959
SUMMER HOURS
Open Monday - Friday, 11AM - 6PM

YINKA SHONIBARE MCA exhibition begins stateside tour

Gallantry and Criminal Conversation, 2002
Courtesy the artist and the Stephen Friedman Gallery, London
Image: http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/turnerprize/2004/shonibare3.shtm


A developed retrospective of YINKA SHONIBARE MBE's work is currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The exhibition was originally organized by MCA Sydney and curated by Rachel Kent.

Mr. Shonibare (who is British-Nigerian) has come to represent 'Post-colonial art' of the late 90's and early 00's. His work 'Gallantry and Criminal Conversation' 2002 was praised and analysed around the world when included in Documenta 11 in the same year and the 2004 Turner Prize. The exhibition's next stop is the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC.

COFA Spring Fair stalls up for grabs

This event is usually on a beautiful spring day with a friendly atmosphere and is a lot less sweaty than the COFA Annual. To be held this year on the 19th of September the COFA Spring Fair Art and Design Markets provide huge exposure for COFA's artists and designers. Stall priority is given to current students and then graduates. Stall holders take 100% of profits with a $25.oo stall fee, however with 5000 people visiting each year this does not seem much compared to possible profit. Contact the COFA Marketing Department for more info.

Free contemporary art e-cards

In the middle of winter we all need a little bit of colour. Artbank has provided this service for a while but these FREE e-cards might be just the ticket to give someone or a group of friends a little colour in their inbox (beyond the usual spam and videos of Kittens falling asleep). The quality is a hell of a lot better than some poorly designed singing ones and promotes the work of whatever artist you pick. The choices are pretty varied and are changed over every couple of months.Current artists include David Griggs, Petrina Hicks and Lucy Culliton.

TimeBomb artist to present at Dorkbot

Time Bomb - Interactive Graffiti (StupidKrap & Holler) from Mike Hill on Vimeo.

Many of you may have seen the interactive graffiti work Time Bomb which was presented at the Opening night of Creative Sydney '09, 2 weeks ago. One half on the TimeBomb team Lukasz Karluk will be discussing his work at a Dorkbot event in Sydney. Dorkbot Sydney is the local chapter of an international group which has artists and creative people in fields such as electronics, science and technology present on projects they are doing. Thus giving artists and people interested in working with electronics in a strange way a chance to collaborate.

The event where Lukasz Karluk will be presenting is on the 23rd of June at Serial Space in Chippendale. See dorkbotsyd.boztek.net for more info.

Biennale Round-up: Venice 09/Sydney 10

Todd Heisler/The New York Times
“The Collectors,” an installation by Elmgreen & Dragset.

The New York Times is reporting that this year's Venice Biennale is a more somber, quiet affair with several budget cuts making the infamous parties and events more low-key. One of the biggest hits according to the Times was the installation, “The Collectors,” by Berlin-based team Elmgreen & Dragset who set up a house of dysfunctional family members including one dead in the pool. Installed in the Danish and Nordic Pavilions, it is clear that the North Europeans sure know how to despair well.




http://www.biennaleofsydney.com.au/bos17/


The Biennale of Sydney has also launched their 2010 theme and website. Entitled ‘THE BEAUTY OF DISTANCE: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age’ and curated by David Elliott, the Biennale of Sydney will be held from the 12 May – 1 August 2010. According to Elliott, the title of the 17th BoS;‘Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age’ is inspired by Harry Everett Smith (1923–91)who compiled a historic recording, Anthology of American Folk Music, known to many blues and roots enthusiasts and released during the combative 1950's.

Resale Royalty debate continues to drag on

Image SMH: Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri in front of his artwork Warlugulong, quoted in the article as an example of an indigenous artist who could have benefited from the Resale Royalty scheme. This work sold for $1200 in 1977 and then in 2007 for $2.4 million.

Louise Schwartzkoff reported in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald on Peter Garrett's response to the Resale Royalties Bill Inquiry. Mr. Garrett has recommended (amongst other things) that the 5% royalty that would be given to artists with each sale of their work would not be placed on works that are currently owned by the collector and then sold, only on the second time around, "A retrospective scheme would be unfair to current artwork owners who bought works without knowing that a royalty would be payable on resale," said Mr Garrett.

However the art market is a fairly slow one and artworks are kept in families or collections often for decades. Therefore this was would not effect many older artists and particularly older indigenous artists whose works has steeply increased in value in recent years. However in the long-term this is great for younger artists who will make some money off the sale of their artworks as works gain value as they are sold and re-sold over time. The Bill has yet to go to the House of Representatives so we will not know for quite a while to full ramifications of decisions being made.

Creative Sydney Starts Tomorrow

Creative Sydney starts tomorrow with events over the next 2 weeks, this event has really snuck up on me but should be a great fortnight of exciting and engaging events. I am endeavouring to go to as many as possible and will review any events I attend - to be posted during the next couple of weeks.Check out their website (click image above) for all their details or see their page on facebook.

Highline Project Update 2

Photos courtesy of Joel Sternfeld
Rendered images courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Inhabitat

The first Section of the New York Highline project in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan is set to open in a weeks time. I have kept you up to date on this project in previous posts and with the great photos by artist Joel Sternfeld. Check out the new photos out in conjunction with the launch of a documentary about the project which will air this week in America. This project never ceases to make me smile and I look forward to checking it out in person as soon as I can (the project was in very early stages last time I visited).

TV Moore wins Anne Landa Award 2009

IMAGE CREDIT: TV Moore Nervous Sleep, 2009
video and mixed media assemblage (details). © TV Moore

The Anne Landa Award celebrates the increasing quality and variety of media and video art internationally and abroad and is honour of Anne Landa, who was a Trustee of the AGNSW before she passed away in 2002. TV Moore's video work has received attention particularly since his installation at the 2008 Biennale of Sydney, which was a stand-out at the amazing Cockatoo Island venue. The exhibition is an acquisitive award which hopefully increases the depth and credibility of the galleries contemporary film collection as well as the prestige of new media in the greater community.


Double Take: Anne Landa Award for video and new media arts 2009 is on at the Art Gallery of NSW until 19 July 2009.

John Waters: Director and Artist

JOHN WATERS
Children Who Smoke, 2009
Chromogenic color print
8 photos: 20 x 14 inches overall (50.8 x 35.6 cm), Ed. of 5, Gagosian Gallery

Cult film director John Waters' (best know for the original Hairspray) photographic and sculptural work is currently on show at leading gallery Gagosian (Beverly Hills), under the exhibition title "Rear Projection". Waters utilises the medium of cinematography which he often uses absurdly and boldly in his own films to create hybrid stills which depict unreal or imagined situations. To Waters, "There is no such thing as a bad movie frame", although there certainly must be a disturbing one. Waters manipulates stills to include actors with cleft palates, speaking pig latin, holding product placements and a cheeky nod to the exhibition title, films projected onto bottoms (not all in the same still). Click here for a video of John Waters talking about his work and artistic practice.




JOHN WATERS
Pig Latin (detail), 2009
Chromogenic color print
8 photos: 14 3/4 x 86 3/4 inches overall (framed) (37.5 x 220.3cm)
Ed. of 5


Rear Projection
April 11 - May 22, 2009
Gagosian Gallery (Beverly Hills)

Broadway Malyan's Green Heart Centre

This is the kind of building that makes me smile. In the centre of Singapore this Heart Centre will be sustainable not only in terms of materials and structure but they have also responded to the ever changing nature of the medical system by including building modules which can be replaced. Hopefully in the future all buildings will have this attitude as a normal part of the design process.

Image and info INHABITAT

Artists raking it in?

Your Cash at Work - pdf link


The Herald Sun online has published two articles over the weekend damning the way Federal and Local Government agencies (in Melbourne) are allocating grant money to artists.

Entitled The many ways artists gain grants from government by Fiona Hudson and Carly Crawford and Savvy artists collecting multiple grants from federal and state government by Fiona Hudson questioned tax payer money being spent on grants while many other other budgets are being cut.

In the first article they criticize artist Christian Capurro who is currently in a residency in New York, although they mention that he exhibited at the Venice Biennale. Any athlete working at that level would gain funding or sponsorship if they were training overseas - to me there is not much difference. The second article questioned the grants system writing that "Savvy artists are collecting multiple grants from federal, state and local government honey-pots for an array of fringe projects." Both articles also link to a pdf entitled YOUR CASH AT WORK in which they have clearly found unusual projects to make it seem as though most projects that are funded are silly and/or irrelevant, although to me most seemed engaging, interesting and fresh.

These two articles are offensive for several reasons but most obviously the idea that artists are savvy by simply trying to have enough money to complete their work and still be able to eat is absurd. I am sure plenty of artists around Australia would like to know where this honey-pot is before it is used to make something much more "useful"...

Melbourne's Neon Parc Gallery to be in London art fair

Neon Parc is set to be part of the first annual FRAME, a section of Frieze Art Fair in London. This brand new section for 2009 will work differently in a couple of ways. Unlike the main event FRAME will have presentations of a particular artist curated by the gallery rather than a selection of different artists work. This bold and exciting program will only be showing young (running less than six years) international galleries with the selected galleries chosen by Daniel Baumann and Sarah McCrory who will curate the program. Neon Parc is the only Australian Gallery to be included so congratulations to them. For the full list of galleries see below:


* Altman Siegel Gallery, San Francisco
* Amp, Athens
* Ancient & Modern, London
* Balice Hertling, Paris
* Laura Bartlett Gallery, London
* Bugada & Cargnel (Cosmic Galerie), Paris
* Lisa Cooley, New York
* Gaudel de Stampa, Paris
* Hoet Bekaert Gallery, Ghent
* Hunt Kastner, Prague
* Ibid Projects, London
* Galerie Parisa Kind, Frankfurt/Main
* Tanya Leighton Gallery, Berlin
* Limoncello, London
* Lüttgenmeijer, Berlin
* Marz Galeria, Lisbon
* Andreiana Mihail Gallery, Bucharest
* Monitor, Rome
* Neon Parc, Melbourne
* Neue Alte Brücke, Frankfurt/Main
* Project 88, Mumbai
* Rodeo, Istanbul
* galerie schleicher+lange, Paris
* Galerie Micky Schubert, Berlin
* Seventeen, London
* Franco Soffiantino, Turin
* Supportico Lopez, Berlin
* 023 Sassa Trülzsch, Berlin
* Tulips & Roses, Vilnius
* Jonathan Viner Gallery/Fortescue Avenue, London

Laith McGregor - cover artist

Laith McGregor's artworks are all over Australia's art magazines this month, having been featured on the cover of both the art guide and ART MONTHLY. There is something obviously enticing and interesting to viewers about this artist who uses biros to create magical and strange bearded people. To be upfront I am not the biggest fan of beards, but in a way these drawings both celebrate and poke fun at facial hair and its place in our culture. McGregor is currently on show at the MCA, Sydney as part of the I Walk the Line: New Australian Drawing and a solo exhibition of these latest works is opening this week at Helen Gory Galerie in Melbourne.



Images: artguide, Art Monthly and the artist, Laith McGregor.

Helen Gory Galerie
Prahran, Melbourne
Laith McGregor, So It Goes
5th - 23rd May 2009

I Walk the Line: New Australian Drawing
MCA Sydney
17 March - 24 May 2009

Sotheby's downsizing in more ways than one.

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

The New York Times has reported that Christies and Sotheby's (US branches) are downsizing their catalogues. Collector's shoulders will be thankful but for researchers and historians catalogues are also a great resource for studying an artist's work in the art market. Catalogues often include long (sometimes tedious) histories of the artists and their artworks but they can also be invaluable later on in reselling or studying a painting or object.

Christies are cutting down the size and page number, while Sotheby's are sending collectors usb catalogues which they can also view online, as well as maintaining printed catalogues. The quality and colour of prints can be extremely important when viewing an artwork for sale and the colour differences in screens could cause a problem but the online catalogue has its upsides. Both auction houses have searchable catalogues which are still useful for research, including condition report and background information but do not have the depth of knowledge usually presented in print catalogues. Catalogues are still a money spinner for auction houses, particularly high profile auctions so they will most likely never be completely discountinued, of which art historian are probably quite relieved.

Romance Was Born, with shoes

I don't usually report on fashion events but I just could not go past the amazingly sculptural and ridiculously high shoes that were on display at the Lisa Ho Fashion Show, Romance was Born at Australian Fashion Week 2009. The show included an amazing of Marie Antoinette level extravagance. Surely the influx of "recessionistas " (which buy the way is a silly and absurd term and offensive to both the recession and people who enjoy fashion), would have been applaud. But isn't fashion more about having a little fun and adventure than being serious, although maybe not in those shoes. You can see the rest of the show online.

The Romance Was Born show at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week. Photo: Getty Images

The Cullen Hotel

Image: APCB

With a recent cocktail preview of the Cullen Hotel currently being constructed in Prahran, Melbourne, the series of art hotels is back in the spotlight. The Cullen is the third of seven artist themed boutique hotels (the first to open was Tim Storier in Sydney, the second, The Makin in East Melbourne) planned by the Asian Pacific Building Corporation to be built around Australia. Other names to be included are Charles Blackman and Brett Whiteley and other significant Australian artists. Unfortunately not one female artist has been named - which is equally expected as it is disappointing. Although I am sure each of the artist represented is deserving I wonder why this decision was made. The inclusion of an artist's name clearly attaches the hotel to concepts of inventiveness, creativeness and vision - do no Australian female artists have these?