This is a really beautiful show, one of the best I have seen so far at this gallery, James Dorahy has collected some wonderful unique artist’s during his 5 years in his Potts Point gallery and to mark his fifth year we are invited to enjoy this diverse collection in all it’s glory...
‘A World’, watercolour on paper by Stephanie Monteith, is a very sensitive painting with her subject being a skeleton, like an x-ray of day to day life. I was introduced to Stephanie’s work way back in 2006 when I bought a tiny little painting called ‘Heat Wave’ and have since purchased another and have become a firm fan of her work...
Ali Noble’s ‘Woobley-Booble’, felt, interfacing, glue and foam core, which jumps out of the wall with a big hello in it’s striking fluro orange felt, seriously I just wanted to run my fingers over this one. ‘An act of disappearance I &II’, animal hide gesso on MDF, liquid graphite, ink wood by Sherna Teperson is another wonderful example of how her brain works, I purchased 1 of her works in 2006 of a thought bubble made out of green erasers and just love it...
‘SYMBIOSIS, Untitled #14’, polypropylene, wire, acrylic rod, by Annie Aitken reminds me of a plastic jellyfish, 1 that has been made with an attention to detail with more lean to the whimsical, it’s soft and delicate and dances with your breath. The glorious green oil & wax on canvas ‘Untitled (blue/green study)’ by Antonia Radich evokes memories of lush green pastures and green green grass between my toes. ‘Tukutuku’ & ‘Fabricate’, acrylic on marine ply by Julie Krone, are modules for life, perfect in size and strategy, each one telling its own story...
‘Subterranean Promise’, acrylic on wood by Nuha Saad is a sheer delight as has all of her works that have hung in the gallery. When I first saw her work I had thought Nuha has a wonderful understanding of wood, taking off cuts from building sites of skirting boards and architraves and rebuilding them into miniature structures giving them a new infusion and a new life. Antlers abound in the floor and wall mounted ‘Opiliones Rising’ and ‘Daddlylongreach’, both tinted varnish on wood by Paul Donald, these works aren’t meant to be touched but test your need to touch them just like those wall mounted animal heads that are just to high up the wall to touch...
Somebody get me a gun now, and make it a magnum.. ‘Toy Soldier (Grey Day)’, stainless steel, high gloss auto paint, shotgun hole. This work is actually quite beautiful, if you have a look at it from the side the ripped metal glistens in the light, it’s glossy and anything that glossy I always want to lick it. How cool it was to see work by Alexander James, after being introduced to his work At The Vanishing Point, ‘Laskar Sailor (Autumn 1797), type c photographs I fell in love with his story telling and these 2 works are just to die for, creating a snapshot from the past into the future...
It’s time to get down onto my knees with my arms outstretched and bow to the ‘Cotton Yarn Queen’ Sarah Newall, her work is just so beautiful, I have gushed about it before and I am still gushing about it. ‘Lotus flower & Lily pad (white & blue)’, cotton yarn, acrylic, pine and plywood, delicate, playful and sensual all rolled into one...
I have bought about 15 works from this gallery since 2006, past and present artists and planning not to stop. James Dorahy has a wonderful keen eye, he’s enthusiastic and not only is he the Director but also an Artist too, I like that, he has an understanding of what an Artist needs and a wonderful sense of humour as you can see in his ‘Economy Class (G8)’, lightbox, vinyl, power coated aluminum...
‘Untitled Diagram’, oil on linen by Marita Fraser is subtle but affective. ‘Birthmarks (Black)’, type c photograph by Nairn Scott is an amazing close up of the birth of a plastic bottle, unbelievable!!!
There is more wonderful works in the office, so take your time as you walk around the gallery but make sure you study each piece, as this is a very colourful exhibition and I’m putting it down in black and white...
Another wonderful Art history lesson for me... ‘A Catalyst for Abstraction in Australia - William Rose’.. These works are truly amazing, immense exuberance oozing from every work. An artist from the rich Australian art past and from one of my favourite towns, Newcastle...
‘Construction 21’, pen, ink, watercolour on paper, 1963, offers us poetic justice, launching itself off the paper and out of the frame, it’s a beautiful piece, but the name Construction always gives off a loud bang but for me this work is quiet and peaceful... ‘Construction 6a’, pen and ink on paper, 1957 an earlier one from the ‘Construction’ series, reflects a little more chaos from ’21’, but nicely balanced chaos...
‘Blue Painting’, oil on marine plyboard, 1960, looks like a dockland landscape, but has included the unseen inner space that most industrial sites have, it show’s the grey blue of the steel and the ocean it descends upon.. This one is one of my favourites!!!
‘Metaphysical Summer’, oil on board, 1993, is my favourite of all, it’s such a musical piece, jazz, rock n’roll and opera rolled into one dramatic painting, William obviously sees colour in music, a rare talent and it also shows in other works in this collection... That palette knife of his should be placed in a museum...
Paintings and Tapestries by the lovely Louise Tuckwell, I was introduced to Louise at her last show at Orson and Blake in 2009 and fell in love with her work, I’m a sucker for them, the tapestries are like stitched paintings and this new series is just Devinne!!!
‘Yellowcake’, acrylic on canvas, 2010, I love what Louise does with colour, love how she uses colour, opposites attract and vice versa... ‘Split’, acrylic on canvas, 2010, perfectly balanced, my eye was drawn to it, probably my favourite of the paintings.. Louise is not afraid of colour, as an abstract expressionist you can’t be afraid of colour, it would work against you and Louise has a strong appreciation of colour... Her approach to painting has become tighter and the response from her peers is even more adoring...
‘Musical Heart’, cotton on linen, 2011, this tapestry among many of the others is a strong favourite, it’s overwhelming in it’s simplicity, but at the same time it’s language is diverse...
‘Untitled, (abstracted from it’s object)’, cotton on linen, 2010, offers it’s viewer a subdued approach to abstraction, it’s true meaning hidden from public view, this is a really lovely piece...
I felt quite emotional when I first saw all of her works hanging in the project room, Louise is now one of favourite artists and seeing her work hanging in the same space as another great Abstractionist is, I could say and will say ‘Perfect Harmony’...