Saturday, February 20, 2010

The Report.

On Wednesday I went to Sydney to visit several galleries. Instead of driving I took the train and had a much less stressful day. It was one of those sparkling sunny days that Sydney is famous for and as I walked through Paddington the air was heady with the scent of Murraya.
First I visited James Dorahy Project Space in Potts Point. colouring-in (material) is group show  group  by the galleries artists. There is a strong and consistent aesthetic to the artists James represents and the exhibition sat really well in the curved walled space.

Sullivan and Stumpf also had a group show of the galleries artists. I enjoy these shows as I am introduced to the work of artists I haven't seen before and can watch out for their solo shows.

Sherrie Knipe's Waterways above was a watering can made from plywood butterflies and in the downstairs galley there were two gouaches by Sydney Ball which unlike his usual minimal work were layered images of drops of paint and which were testament to his skills as a great colourist.

From there I went to Danks Street after a costly retail detour in Oxford Street.

Dominik Mersch had a group show where the Stefan Thiel woodcuts were the standout works for me. I enjoy the shifting grids he creates in works like Ali.
Stefan Theil, Ali, 2009, 44 x 38 cm, cut- out.

Conny Dietzschold was showing the sculptures and drawings of Robert Schad.  The drawings  explore the line with great elegance and when translated into delicate sculptures the works occupy space in an improbable manner and seem to dance above the floor belying their construction from sturdy steel quad. I would like to have seen them in a larger space to fully appreciate their lightness of form.

Robert Schad, Steel Sculpture.
   


Thursday, February 18, 2010

Tanmaya Bingham


I first met Tanmaya Bingham when I was showing work in off the wall at Art Brisbane in 2008. Tanmaya was assisting Cash Brown in running the off the wall space and her energy and warm spirit were really infectious. Later I found out that we were represented by the same gallery in melbourne and this is how i came to know her work.
Tanmaya makes beautifully crafted intricately executed works which explore deeply personal and at the same time universal issues.
She recently had a solo show at Anita Traverso Gallery in Melbourne and was interviewed by the Age and National Times produced a video about how she works.

I love to hear how other artists work and look inside their studios and wanted to share the video. Be patient as the video takes a little while to upload.

Monday, February 15, 2010

The Late Report.

The last week was very busy and very rewarding.
On Wednesday I made the three and a half hour trip to Liverpool to pick up my work from the Liverpool Art Prize and finished work on a grant application.
I spent Thursday hanging some works from 2006 and 2007 at the Robertson Gallery. It was lovely to be reunited with the work. I have had a couple of them hanging in the house but most have been in my storage racks. Some of the works had to be delivered by ute (pickup) as they are too big for my car and we arrived at the gallery literally minutes before an enormous storm. Pi Wei Lim, who is director of the gallery, hung the works with a little help from me. I had never used a hanging system before and I was impressed with the ease of hanging.



The majority of the works are hanging in the front room of the gallery with three works in the back room that is painted a beautiful warm dark grey and looks wonderful with the colours of the work. More photos to come.
On Friday I cleaned and tidied my studio in preparation for my studio warming on Saturday night. I hung some of the new work I am making for my show at Anita Traverso in May. Getting the studio looking good was a mammoth task so I didn't get to hang the works until Friday evening. Screws in the wall - no fancy hanging system.


Saturday turned out to be misty and very wet so 'you are invited to drinks in the garden' turned into I hope they will all be comfortable in the studio.

This was transformed

into this


and, I had such a wonderful time I forgot to take any photos after the guests arrived. ***!!?

On Sunday we went to the opening of the Southern Highlands Printmaker's Association exhibition at the Sturt Gallery in Mittagong. A lovely buzzy opening and exhibition of some exciting work in a great space. I met several local artists and crafts people and have invites to visit studios.

The studio still looks tidy and now I get to spend some time with my new work.




Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Open Studio.

Susan Buretmist 2, (detail),© 2010, acrylic on linen, 150 cm x 105 cm

I am opening my studio on Saturday evening to preview works for my exhibition at Anita Traverso Gallery in May. I am a little nervous as it will be the first time many of the people have seen my work. It's a different setting to having an opening in a gallery with a new studio, new work and new audience. I hope I am not so overwhelmed that I won't be able to observe and assimilate the reaction to the work. Stay tuned for a report and in the meantime have a look at Joanne Mattera's excellent report on the pros and cons of self marketing as opposed to using the gallery system. 

Monday, February 8, 2010

Cy Twombly

Cy Twombly, Leaving Paphos Ringed with Waves 111, 2009, Acrylic on canvas, © Cy Twombly. Courtesy Gargosian Gallery.
I find Cy Twombly's work very, very beautiful. I saw this image from an exhibition in the Portland Art Museum on the art daily newsletter and I had to share it.

in her high heels revisited.

Susan Buret, free from the onerous task of filling the fruit bowl, 2007,
acrylic on canvas, 100 cm x 130 cm. From the 2007 exhibition in her high heels.

In 2007 and I had an exhibition at Unplace Project, a pop up gallery in New Farm, Brisbane. The exhibition which looked at ideas of power, beauty and gender was partly inspired by the media focus on female politicians when Anna Bligh became the first female premier of Queensland and Julia Gillard became the deputy leader of the opposition in the run up to the 2007 federal election. Fashion magazines were also filled with images of impossibly high stilettos and I used the following quote as part of my artist statement for the exhibition.
'You need to wear them with confidence and find a balance between the strength they give you and the fragile (state) into which they put you'
Pierre Hardy, shoemaker, Vogue Australia, April 2007.
I have been invited by the Robertson Gallery in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales to have a solo exhibition showing some of the works from the 2007 exhibition.
I'm excited by the opportunity as it will be my first exhibition in the area and, as New South Wales now has a female premier, Christina Keneally, the theme of the exhibition is again topical.
The exhibition in her high heels revisited, opens at the Robertson Gallery, 28 Hoddle Street, Robertson, NSW 2577, p 02 4885 2569, on 12 February and runs until 1 April 2010. 

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The ?Wednesday Report

I've had a busy few weeks making deadlines and new work.
I submitted images of work for inclusion in the Paper Works exhibition at Brenda May Gallery in March. I had to photograph some of the work myself, hopefully for the last time as I now have a contact for a photographer in the area.
Susan Buret, The Gardens of the Alhambra, © 2009, Mixed media on canvas,100 cm x 70 cm.

I have also sent off  the exhibition title, images for publicity and a new artist statement for my solo exhibition at Anita Traverso Gallery in Melbourne in May. Writing a new artist statement was once an angst ridden activity but is now a pleasure rather than a task as I condense and sharpen all the ideas and influences that have been milling around as I make work. 
Last week I worked with Brisbane Artist Nicola Moss on our collaborative project. The work went well and we managed to complete and package the video for exhibition later this year. Working with another artist is always good not only from the perspective of sharing the creative process and ideas but also because it gave me the opportunity to get valuable critical feedback about me new work and to discuss the business and promotion side of my practice.
As a result I have decided to apply for a couple of grants ...... more paperwork and deadlines but in the meantime I am off to Sydney to see Marianne Faithfull at the Sydney Opera House tonight as reward for all the hard work. Here's a little taste of Marianne in Paris last year courtesy of YouTube.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Goulburn Regional Art Gallery

Last Thursday I finally got to visit my local regional gallery. I had been to Goulburn a couple of times before but the timing was never right.
The Goulburn Regional Art Gallery is a fabulous space which exudes energy and passion for regional and contemporary art.
Sculptured Recyclables in the Caroline Chisholm Courtyard showed the work of Dave Ball, Karen Edin, Catherine Falk, Steven Holland, Tracy Luff, Andrew Townsend and Suzie Bleach, all local artists. Here in this courtyard in Goulburn is an exhibition which could easily be in any of the sculpture gardens of the worlds major art museums. All the works were conceptually powerful and beautifully crafted.

Grey Blanket,(detail), Steven Holland, 2010, installation shopping bags and metal frames.

A Subterfuge, Andrew Townsend and Suzie Bleach, 2009.

Inside the gallery I caught the last day of three exhibitions.
Strange Semantics featured the work of Walter Brecely, 3D winner of the 2008 Goulburn Art Award and Hyper Vigilance, the work of Maxine Green the winner of the 2D Award.
The rest of the Gallery was given over to Skeletons in the Collection, the annual exhibition of works from the permanent collection. The gallery must have a really good collection as this beautifully curated exhibition included works by Tony Ameniero, Ben Quilty and Willow Pattern, 2004, by Steven Holland. I love Steve Holland's work and can't wait to see more.