melbourne art fair (the New Zealand players)

View of the Fair and Sally Gabori show at 
Alcaston Gallery

Alison and I returned to the Melbourne Art Fair this year, having thoroughly enjoyed our first visit in 08. This biannual art event attracts about 30,000 people over six days and is housed in the spectacular Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens. The post Fair press release stated that this years Fair (the 12^th so far) generated 11 million dollars in sales for the 77 exhibiting galleries. Interestingly 76% of works sold were in the  $10,000 or less category.  While they were quick to point out a 56% increase in the volume of sales it was later clarified that overall sales were slightly down on 08, which is really no surprise.

Tim Melville, Emma Fox, Jenifer Buckley

From a New Zealand perspective it was sad to see the participating kiwi gallery numbers significantly down on last time, with many of the heavy weights staying home this year. However, the three gallant galleries that did take part all finished in good cheer -  with keen interest in their artists work expressed by many and reported sales making it well worth while.
Conscious that I may be sounding a tad parochial, I’m going to say it anyway – the NZ galleries not only stood up to their Australia counterparts but they were shining beacons of great art, tastefully presented and eagerly discussed.

Helen and Dallas Fisher and Alison Ewing

 Each of the stands seemed a buzz whenever we visited and by the end of Saturday all three dealers were showing signs of weariness brought on by so much art chatter. Orexart and Tim Melville Gallery were there for the first time with two very different approaches. Tim Melville choose four of his artists – Joe Sheenan, Elliot Collins, Roberta Thornley and Wayne Youle. And in his inimitable way the presentation of the work was as elegant as ever and he was friendly and keen to engage all who stopped by. Orexart choose to profile one artist - Richard Lewer, fresh from his New York residency, where he has been tuning into police radio frequencies once again. 

Rex Armstrong and Alison

The exhibition looked fantastic and the stand was extremely well positioned among the first few at the entrance of the building.

Andrew Jensen

The Jensen Gallery looked slick and stylish and was generating great comments from visitors with good sales and strong interest from some Australian collectors, so we heard. But for me it was just too much like last time, and I felt I had seen many of the works before, or if not at least ones very like them. 

Artspace Auckland also had a part to play presenting projects by Campbell Patterson and Seung Yul Oh. I took quite a fancy to that little mouse considering the egg.

Peter Madden show at Ryan Renshaw Gallery

 While there were only three NZ commercial Galleries is was great to see another NZ artist receive the royal treatment. Brisbane gallerist Ryan Renshaw took on Peter Madden after his residency at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane last year and he was their solo artist displayed at the Fair. This was a very busy stand and word was all works had sold.

We were joined at the Art Fair by two member of the Hamilton Sculpture Trust so when we weren’t at the Fair attempting to make sense of 77 Galleries and the artists they were profiling, we were deep in conversation about public sculpture - that is when we weren’t discussing the best Cantonese or Sicilian food in Melbourne - but that’s another story.

work by Seung Yul Oh

Our Local - the Framing Workshop

As many will know, Hamilton is not exactly renown for its art destinations, and while there are actually a few gems hidden in our fair town that are worth a visit, it’s simply not good enough for a city of this size. However, one such glimmer of hope is the Framing Workshop - positioned in the quiet and out of the way (especially if you are not a local) little block of shops on Silverdale Rd, east of the University.

Sarah Marston has been in business as a very fine framer since 1993, and has occupied her current spot for the last five years. Some may remember her in Naylor Street before that.

Thinking about that special quality possessed by Sarah and her staff I would say it has to do with the way they look at and understand the works they frame. Whether it’s a work of historical importance, an art work by a leading New Zealand artist, an ancient tapa cloth, Grandma’s old tapestry or a piece of family memorabilia, the same artistic eye is applied to each, to determine just the right frame, the proportions and the finish. I wasn’t surprised to learn that Sarah is a graduate of the University of Canterbury, School of Fine Art, where she studied book design, because she has an artist’s eye for the way a thing should look.

Beyond the great service providing quality and clever framing, the Framing Workshop has quietly, over the last four years, been making a name for itself of a different kind. They have dedicated some of the workshop space to make a very small gallery to exhibit the work of local artists. So, the same eye for a good frame is extended to the curating of some quiet shows of great quality. And the exhibition programme is attracting a growing following from those in the know. It has become a great place to see work by some of the most interesting artists working in the Waikato. In a town that has not been able to support a fully contemporary dealer gallery the Framing Workshop is doing its bit to fill this embarrassing gap in a small but vital way. It also happens to be good for business, which has got to be good for everyone.

Mark Davidson has been working as a framer with Sarah for nearly eight years and has recently begun showing his work in the gallery space. As an artist Mark has a craft background and worked as a glass artist for more than 12 years. These images from his show in May are of his paintings inspired by cell structure and the way paint behaves. Beautifully rendered, Mark has a firm hand on the paint as he skilfully controls its play with space and colour contrasts. The resulting works are visually delightful as they capture the magic of paint.

 I have known Sarah since I first came to Hamilton and have had many things framed by her and recommended her to countless friends and clients. However, last year I approached Sarah with a very different hat on. I was working for our local school and had created an Artists in School programme for term 3. This brought six local artists into the school to work along side the children and teachers. A big part of the project was endeavoring to convey to the students the idea of an art world and the various people and parts that made it tick. I asked Sarah if she would sponsor this by running a framing workshop for a group of senior students who would be charged with framing some of their fellow artists' work. It was a hit, and all due to the patience and skill of Sarah and Mark.

Peter Dornauf's show has just finished and next up is 

Gaye Jurisich show titled Frame of Being opening today and running till 5 August
Following this is Genevieve Jones - a recent Wintec graduate and then  Maree Glass

Be sure to pop in if you get a chance or email Sarah to be sent show invites.

The Framing Workshop

120 Silverdale Road

Hamilton

 s.marston@clear.net.nz

Art Dealer as Curator

NAKED - curated by Andrew Jensen of Jensen Gallery, Newmarket, Auckland
www.jensengallery.com/exhibition/


I was in Auckland briefly last week, in the rain, which I can only describe as shocking (the rain that is) since we had been so long with out it. I had great plans to do many art things, but pared these right back due to driving conditions. A late lunch and long overdue catch up with the lovely Linda Tyler, in her office looking into the under branches of very old pohutukawa trees, was a definite highlight and if it hadn’t been for fear of parking wardens I would have happily whiled away much longer with her sharing art news and many views. But moving on I headed to NAKED, the current show at Jensen Gallery. I had been tempted by the big international art girl names (Tracey Emin, Marina Abromovic, Louise Bourgeois and Carolee Schneemann) that Andrew had mentioned when he called Linda and urged us to come see.

 With little other build up than that, it was a show out of the blue, and I declare - it’s a knock out. An extremely thoughtful, surprising and brave show that would be at home in bigger art capitals than ours and what’s more would sit very comfortably in the programme of many an esteemed public art gallery in such cities.

John Hurrell has written a sterling review of it on the eye contact blog that has moved to a new website, so check that out. No point me doing the same job, and nor would I be able to come close to his informative and erudite writing, so go to

www.eyecontactsite.com/2010/05/inspired-survey-of-the-humanform

I enjoyed talking about the show with Andrew and urged him to publish an accompanying essay since his curatorial eye is good and his thinking on the subject deep and intense. The show has been brewing for several years and it shows, its scope is wide but well honed and the resulting choice of artists and work is quite astonishing. 

The show runs until 16 July.

Just a note about one of the works I would have taken home given half a chance..

Jude Rae  Drawing No. 101 (Nude) 2010

This is a self-portrait of the artist yet breaking with centuries of tradition she has turned her back on the viewer. Her identity is hidden or protected as she shields herself, which is a strong statement in itself. However, what is revealed is the tremendous strength of the figure. Balanced on one standing leg, holding the weight of the body in a yoga like pose, only the clenched toes suggest the muscle work and balance required, while in contrast the torso is folded in on itself with a remarkable and relaxed softness. It made me think of contemporary dancers whose movements  come out of a classical tradition and yet physically and conceptually depart dramatically from it.

An Art Weekend in Melbourne - Ron Mueck and the new Art Series Hotels

Our friend and associate Liz Fraser recently enjoyed a weekend of art in Melbourne - highlights were visiting the Ron Mueck hyper-realist exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria and staying at one of the new Art Series Hotels - The Cullen in Prahran, based around the artwork of the infamous contemporary Australian artist Adam Cullen. Click on the read more link to see her full review and more photos....

Mask ii, 2000 , Ron Mueck

Our room at The Cullen, Melbourne

Portraits exhibition in Auckland

Friday 23 April 6pm till late

Kate/Alison hit Auckland with the Portraits exhibition take 2. For one night only and the following sunny Saturday.

Presenting portraits by Anton Parsons (sculpture), Mark Smith (photography) and Meredith Collins (painting)

This venture was a fantastic opportunity to work with my dear friend Janie Browne again.  We were last seen in cahoots at the Auckland Art Gallery back in the late 90s and somehow that experience has bonded us for life. Not much is as fun as talking art/fashion/kinship with Jane, and this was a very good excuse. And, from an art point of view, Alison and I felt that the Portraits exhibition we curated last year needed a bigger audience than we were able to give it in Hamilton.

The gracious white villa of Mike and Jane Browne, with two big rooms downstairs, nestled into leafy Herne Bay, seemed perfect. Here we gathered a merry band of the artists, friends, supporters, art followers and the like and had ourselves a great evening, culminating with a very late night supper within the exhibition for those with endurance.

On reflection our enthusiasm and gung ho attitude may have made things a trifle unclear for new viewers. Not many catalogues, no numbers, most not for sale (the idea was to generate commission for new and personal portraits of one kind or another). And then the confusing fact that we showed two very different aspects of Mark Smiths work. His large format bnw contact print portraits together with his  more personal body of work that reflects his own sharp eye for the painfully wonderful in the everyday.