strange one!....

Well...
the last week or so since coming back from Belongil has absolutely flown and dipping my body into the heavenly surf has now been relegated to the status of distant but beautiful memory.... What I have noticed is that with the heating up of the weather, time has moved faster + faster! I have been seriously busy i the last week or so and as ive attempted to get myself to more catch ups, events and appointments, the days have been getting hotter + hotter!

But one confession that I must own up to, is the fact that I LOVE this kind of heat! My body thrives in it... I know that this kind of confession makes me a complete nut-job but I cannot deny it any longer.... I feel really relaxed and comfortable when the mercury is high and the days seem long + languid! I guess that is why I seem to have accomplished so much since returning home?! A couple of things i have enjoyed are two totally different exhibitions that are at opposite ends of the scale.... the massive group show Sculpture by the sea + the solo exhibition 'thought crimes' by Angus Wood at ng gallery in Chippendale.



ng gallery was a revelation to me as Ive been meaning to take a look at this space for awhile ... So it was a great treat to take a look at this space when I took a quick stroll through Chippendale last week. Located in a loft space above a lovely restaurant called Mission in Queen st, ng gallery is a great light filled space for paintings to hang and that where i found Angus' work... Angus wood is someone who I had never heard of before so I went to see the show with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised...

Each oil on canvas was carefully executed in a realist style, portraying images that reminded me of stills from a Hitchcockian film! Atmospheric + dark, these images of owls, men in dark suits holding big firearms, and bright red shiny fire extinguishers were dark and told a silent tale of suspense and mystery...

It was a show that I would definitely take a look at if your in the area and its on at ng gallery until dec5...

And so onto the next show .... The massive extravaganza that is Sculpture by the sea!

SBTS is a show brimming with work by some 150 artists' and it is absolutely HUGE - which works for and against it!! For people who don't often have the chance to visit galleries + experience many forms of sculptural work, this type of show in such a beautiful setting is fantastic! As you casually walk from Bronte to Bondi you can see work after work from some of the worlds more interesting artists...

Paul Trefry. little boy lost. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

BUT and it is a big but - as you head off with the throng of thousands to see the pieces, no one can prepare for the gigantic task that awaits you! There are so so many works to look at , that at times you can easily loose focus and start to give up on looking or even acknowledging the sculptures ! I saw many people switch off halfway through; and it did not help that there were beautiful whales to watch just past the headlands....


Justin Drape / Simone Brandse. big drink. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.


In the end I enjoyed my walk before the storm spectacularly hit the city in the late afternoon... I had some favourite works (many of which you can see from my tiny pics)... but next time it would be great to see more of a curated show with half the works than this year on display. Just so I could walk away feeling like i could recollect every single piece that I saw and truly enjoy my time with each and every work...
I hope you like the pics though and that they inspire you to create something grand in your backyard!!

Congratulations to Mona for picking up an award but its a shame that the Australian government would not grant her a visa to come and accept it from Iran!!
Mona Aghababaee. where is the freedom?. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Kelly-Ann Lees. heliocidaris tuberculata. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

John Ramsay. abundance [calcidiscus leptoporus]. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Jean Downes. proliferation. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Favourite piece on the whole show I think!! Well at least with everyone under 5....

Jane Gillings. dream home. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Anthony Heywood. earth elephant. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Bjorn Godwin. sunken cathedral. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Alejandro Propato. arte de las playas. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Miik Green. yeah itï¾’s overwhelming but what else. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009

Now I know you recognise this work!

Lucy Barker. brain child 611. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009

Vojitech Mica. budka/kiosk. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Kevin Draper. fragment. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Phil Price. morpheus. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009

Yoshio Nitta. pot 09. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

An old old artbuddy of mine did this one! Congrats Philippe on getting into the show...

Philippe Moreau. a man above. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Christine Dyer. regenerate. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009. I love Christine's work and now wish I had bought a piece of her works from the Woven Forms Exhibition that we had at Object Gallery a few years ago.... Lovely woman too! The pieces of string are found on beach walks that she takes near her home in Victoria...The colours man!!!

Loved this work....

Sally Adair. density lessens. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Jie Qian. the shoppers. Sculpture by the Sea, bondi 2009.

Anyway....
Have a great Monday and enjoy the beautiful cool change that arrived in the city late last night!