The Friday Report

Hossein Valamanesh
Leave Your Shoes Here (detail), 2008 ©
voile, felt, steel, lights, persian carpets

This morning I listened to a repeat of Margaret Throsby’s interview with Hossein Valamanesh on ABC radio. Hossein, who works with ideas of place and the displaced, talked with passion about how he bonded with Australia as he saw the country outside Perth and the outback. When asked to describe his art he replied that he made stuff. Wonderful, beautiful stuff indeed. You can hear the interview online. Next week there will be a series of interviews from the Melbourne Arts festival.

I attended the opening of Tickled Pink at Artereal Gallery in Sydney on Wednesday evening. The exhibition was, as I always want to say ‘well hung’ and, included works by 26 artists Cash Brown, Damian Dillon, Janice Kuczkowski and me. Funds from any sales will go to Breast Cancer Network Australia so if you are in Sydney here is the chance to support a good cause.

While in Sydney I also visited several other galleries.

Sarah Cottier Gallery was showing some whimsical works by Huseyin Sami, Liverpool Street Gallery featured work by Jeanette Siebols. A series of charcoal and burnt sienna works with layering and text reminiscent of CY Twombly’s work.

Grace Burzese. Seeker of Light 2009 ©
acrylic on canvas 168 x 152 cm

Ray Hughes was showing Sichuan Hot, a group show of young artists from Sichuan whose work combined traditional technique, brushwork and calligraphy, with contemporary themes. Grace Burzesse’s exhibition in the back gallery was a series of gestural works with yummy colours.

Penny Byrne Guantanamo Bay Souvenirs 2007©, vintage figurines, metal chains, epoxy resin, plastic, re-touching medium, powder pigments, 14 x 32 x 10 cm.

My favourite show was Penny Byrne’s exhibition of altered figurines at Sullivan+Strumpf. Her lightness of touch and use of humour engaged and challenged me to think again about ideas of power, the macho, horrors of war and the victims of fundamentalist regimes.

The big (really big) news of the week is that the windows are now in my studio and the lining will go in next week. It was approved by council this afternoon.

It will look better with landscaping!

The electrical wiring went in today.

This will be the view from my desk which of course will be tidy.

Oh, and I need to mention that the radishes are up and potatoes are doing well in the vegetable garden and here are two very pretty but unrelated garden shots.

Waterlogged tree peony, bluebells and cavolo nero.

So green after the rain.

Finally, I made it into my temporary studio today to do some work on my entry for the Chapman and Bailey competition today and I have prepared a submission for a Paper Works exhibition next year so I can finish the week on a virtuous note.