From Andrew Frost…
Ringo 12:10: And God said unto his people, “In the 12th month there shall be group shows, be they curated exhibitions of gallery artists and invited others, or standard stock-room leftovers, for the gallerist has worked hard these last months and they shall rest, and run out the year, and it shall be good.” And the art industry obeyed the word of god, etched into the obverse of a Dl sized invitation, and it was good.
And who should we be to disobey the word of the LORD? At Artereal is Paint 12, a gathering of artists Karena Keys, Hyun-Hee Lee and Giles Ryder “…the first of a series of annual exhibitions that will consider contemporary approaches to painting.” In this outing a mixture of approaches from wall works to sculpture-as-painting are covered, giving all and sundry the hope that painting is still alive and well.
Can two artists be a group show? Maybe. Annandale Galleries is staging Master Draughtsman/Master Colourist featuring the work of Jim Dine [draughtsguy] and Sam Francis [colourist bloke], where both the width and quality of the offering is said to be superb, alongside a parallel exhibition Master Visions, with a who’s who of 20th century art including the work of Andy Warhol, Chuck Close, Frank Stella and Helen Frankenthaler How many artists can you have in a group show before it becomes a throng? Christmas 2012 at Kerrie Lowe Gallery has the work of ONE HUNDRED artists, including ceramics, painting, prints, sculpture and even jewellery.
A tricky way around the will of God is to stage online exhibitions, which seems like it’s within the law but has a whiff of heresy about it. Nevertheless, Michael Reid presents Pop Tarts: Something Naughty or Nice?, the work of duo Rebecca Richards and Nicola Townsend who share “…an obsession for the wicked, quirky, comical and affordable in contemporary art.” Also in the mix is Maz Dixon, Cecilia Fogelberg, Kirsten Fredericks, Dai Li, and Lucie McCann. Rex Irwin is also having an online show in advance of his union with Tim Olsen, perhaps cutting out that dead wood he mentioned in the press, and featuring a whole range of gallery stalwarts including Peter Booth, Nicholas Harding, Paul Ryan and many more.
Paint 12
Until December 22
Artereal,Rozelle.
Master Draughtsman/Master Colourist
Until December 15
Annandale Galleries, Annandale.
Christmas 2012
Until December 24
Kerrie Lowe Gallery, Newtown.
Pop Tarts: Something Naughty or Nice?
Until December 19.
Michael Reid, Elizabeth Bay.
Christmas Exhibition
Until December 15
Rex Iriwn Art Dealer, Paddington.
Pic: Giles Ryder, Space Donut, 2010. Artereal.
