Jasper Knight at Chalk Horse - 7 May

The team had seen a Jasper Knight show in February, he has a piece in the Wynne and now he has another solo show at Chalk Horse in May. How do you spell prolific? This was called the Sydney Boat Show and not surprisingly all seven works were boats. This was my first Chalk Horse show and I think their new space is great and very compact - a converted receiving dock with a little wall space on street space and a little bit more up on the dock level.

Of the 7 works in the show there were 3 pretty big pieces which included the replica Endeavour sailing ship, the Arctic P (the Packer family's converted icebreaker) and a scene from a small Victorian fishing village. These 150 x 200cm works were priced at $20k. There were 4 smaller works which were on cardboard and I think these were $3.5k each. We were there on Saturday (this had opened on Thursday night) and six red dots were already up with only one of the smaller works available. Nice result for Jasper - keep cranking these out. We liked the boats but still think a piece of farm machinery is at the top of our Knight wish list.

Points: I am going to stump for all the big ones as they really make an impact - they were the favourites with the kids as well. 3 points to the Arctic P - really good story behind this boat. 2 to Port Albert - probably the most colourful (pictured) but where is Port Albert again? 1 to the Endeavour replica, maybe whoever bought Ben Quilty's Captain Cook bought this as a companion piece.

ex de medici at SSFA - 5 May

Well we were always going to go and see this show at some stage but it was touch and go whether we would make the opening night drinks. Some fortuitous babysitting arrangements and a spur of the minute decision saw the Mrs and I make the trek over to Zetland for a glass of red and a sparking water. We were there just after 7pm so must have missed the talk if there was one. ex is meant to be a bit of a recluse so am not sure if she was even there. Maybe she was letting the work speak for itself ...

ex has been a war artist through the war memorial program. I think she was Afghanistan given the poppies on show here. The highlight of the show is a 4m long watercolour work called 'Cure for Pain'. It was also pretty pricey at $200k - they even put a little masking tape line down on the floor to keep the wine stains away. This had a red dot so am sure there were smiles all around at that vindicated pricing strategy. ex had put little hash marks on the bottom of detailed works describing how many days it took to do. I think cure for pain was 1/3 of a year in all (I took someone's word for it as I was not counting the lines). It was really quite stunning with amazing detail. There is also a fairly decent essay explaining the work on the room sheet which is also online here. I was convinced an institution would've picked this up (i think Mona has a big work of medici's) but apparently not - so get there and see it before it goes behind closed doors. The studies of helmets were very good and were priced pretty competitively at sub $10k but looked pale in comparison to the major work. The triptych was probably the only thing left at $60k. It was an interesting work as apart from size I didn't see much connection between the one of the pieces and the other two. I suspect this will be broken up although I would guess the left hand side piece would get more than its pro rata share as it is the best piece. All in all a great show and really interesting to see this in the flesh after reading the rather breathy review in the art collector magazine (they were VERY big fans).

Points - 3 to Cure for Pain, I would love to see the framing bill for this - I don't even think this would fit in our local framing shop on Paddington st. 2 to Sleepwalking with Bizhad's needle (the poppies from the LHS of the triptych). 1 to the bonus exhibition from the stockroom upstairs. It was nice to see some Lindemans and Laith McGregor works out of cycle.

Moran Prize at the State Library - 5 May

When I said it was art prize season I really meant it. Based on (a) proximity to my office and (b) it being free, it was only natural that I would venture across the road to check this one out. The Doug Moran prize is a bit of an enigma to me. Sure the Moran's offer $150,000 to the winner, making this the richest art prize in Aus, but do they get the best entries? Let's see ...

The winner this year (as judged by last years winner Michael Zavros and Louise Doyle of the National Portrait Gallery) was Vincent Fantauzzo with a portrait of Baz Luhrman. I agreed with one of the punters who loudly commented that his packers prize winning archibald entry was better. Ditto for Deidre But-Husaim although this was a closer thing - she even had exactly the same person (Roy Ananda on a chin support) as her archibald entry. Adam Cullen also had a recognizable work in each, his Michael Reid portrait gracing the Moran. Robert Hannaford's Gallipoli entry was also better than his Moran. This show really didn't grab me and the fact the Morans can't get this hung at a more salubrious venue (no offence to the State Library but to get to this show you need to walk through a carved tree exhibit and the whole show is hung a little shoddily) asks a lot of questions about the whole endeavour. Even more confusing they have a photo exhibition next door. Is photography art? Why not make it one united competition? If I were Doug Moran I would probably save my shekels on all the comps and just build my own White Rabbit. Or at the very least get Richard Bell to be the judge next year!

Points - 3 to Shane Bowden and Dean Reilly for their portrait of Max Markson, if I had to get a portrait done out of the contestants here they would've got the nod. 2 to Justin Cooper, I'm not sure I loved it but I think I prefer to be challenged rather than bored. 1 point to self taught Canberra artist Ross Townsend for his portrait of Laurie Daley. He has won a couple of ribbons at the Canberra Show and that is good enough for me. Although he could've done a much more interesting portrait of Laurie in the laneway behind the Private Bin - there is a reason it was called Laurie's Lane when I was at uni ...

2011 Gallipoli art prize - 3 May

It really is art prize season in Sydney. The easter show, the moran, the archibald, wynne and sulman prizes and now yours truly is off to the Gallipoli art prize. This is administered by the Gallipoli Club which is a funny old club down near circular quay. Their premises are a little tatty, and that is being polite. You have to climb two flights of stairs to see this show, which is hung in a function room with chairs strewn everywhere. Here's hoping the AMP come to their rescue and redevelop this building soon whereby the club will get three levels of floorspace plus a basement museum.

This is the sixth year the prize has been run. They are only doing it for about 10 years (it is acquisitive) and then they are done. This show got a nice little write up in the SMH, not hard to see why given SMH critic John McDonald is one of the judges. So what did we think of the judges efforts? Well things would've been a little different if I was Art Sheriff this year. I didn't care too much for Hadyn Wilson's prize winning 'Sacrifice'. He had a good story with it but in the absence of reading that, or being familiar with the Hyde Park memorial on which it was based, the work was pretty sparse. Given the paucity of attendance (I was the only one there at lunchtime, save for the little casino style cameras keeping an eye on proceedings) I was tempted to re-arrange the winner and highly commended stickers but was able to resist the urge. I think Ahmet Aksu's 'Anzac's Top Soldiers' would've been a beneficiary of my tomfoolery. This is either an amazing work recreating the naive style of a nine year old or it is actually by a nine year old. It is stretched really badly as well, the canvas has ripples and saggy bits everywhere. But that is the appeal of a competition open to anyone - you get some really random stuff. It was interesting to recognise some names, NAS lecturer Maryanne Wick has a nice entry and Fleur MacDonald (whose art blog is also a good read) has been hung for the 4th time. It's only on until 8 May but helpfully the club makes a pdf available (here) so check it out for yourself.

Points - 3 to Stephen Nothling, a nice work reminiscent of a wattle day badge on canvas that had strapping and eyelets down one side. Kind of reminded me of a hutchee type tent from my cadet days. 2 to Robert Hannaford's 'Life, Death and Mateship' which shows a digger getting it in the neck and 1 to Peter Smeeth for his 'Widows Legacy' - I liked this work much better than his Sulman Winner. Props to all involved and let's see if the team at Big Lamington can get something on show next year!

Alexander Seton artist studio visit - 29 April

For me, the great thing about the MCA young ambassador program is the artist studio visit. This was confirmed again by the trip out to Alexander Seton's studio in Enmore. I was familiar with Alexander's work from his shows at Sullivan & Strumpf. He is a sculptor that works in marble so not surprisingly there was marble dust everywhere - and that is not a euphemism. He is currently working on his next solo show at Jan Murphy gallery up in BrisVegas and from what I saw it looks like it will be a cracker.

Alex's work uses a lot of visual tricks - you want to touch the marble to make sure it really is stone. One work is carved so that a sheet looks draped over a body. In another corner there is a sheet draped over a machine - another clever sculpture? No that was a real sheet, but you had to look twice. My favourite pieces were his flag series - we are big fans of flags over here at Big Lamington. I preferred the ones that he had hanging off little metal poles - he has also painted some symbols on them. He has another flag work inspired by the Afghanistan war - 23 folded Australian flags (to represent the war casualties). These are marble carvings of how an Australian flag is officially folded to give to the family of the dead. Not sure if that is sold as one job lot of 23 or by the piece. Will have to email Jan closer to the time and find out. There is a lot of work in these and they get pretty pricey so am not sure Alex is going to grace the Big Lamington collection anytime soon but they do get the tick of approval.

Points - 3 to Alex, a very gracious host with an interesting little studio. One thing I learnt was that he has a couple of assistants who help out and do specific tasks and even some of the flag multiples. 2 points to the Hon RJ Hawke, who has recorded a video message for the upcoming show. I am a diehard liberal but even I don't mind the Silver Budgie. 1 point must go to the assistants who were thanked by Alex but don't themselves get all that much limelight.

Archibald, Wynne and Sulman at AGNSW - 27 April

I actually checked this out with the whole family back on its first weekend. But if you have ever taken three kids aged three and under to the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman then you will be able to appreciate how fleeting that first visit was. The kids saw some stuff they liked and then were off and racing. Which is why I am back at the AGNSW in my lunchbreak forking out another ten bones to see this gig.

Which is just as well because at last the requisite controversy has erupted courtesy of Richard Bell (contemporary aboriginal artist and guest judge of this years Sulman). I actually thought the awards were all handed out by the trustees so at least it has also educated a lot of people to how the comps work. Here is the scandel here, but the gist of it is that Richard Bell narrowed it down to some works chosen fairly haphazardly, wrote those down on scraps of paper, laid them out on a table and then tossed a coin. Wherever it landed - winner! I am fine with this, it does highlight how subjective all these prizes really are, and long time readers (all 3 of you) will know I am a believer of Bell's Theorem which is that aboriginal art is a white mans thing. Now the eventual winner of the Sulman, Peter Smeeth, has come out and complained that this cheapens his win. Not in my opinion - it is a great story, and also explains why this fairly ordinary work won the chockies. And I know you won't believe me now but had I posted on the 16th I would have said the Sulman was the weakest winner this year!

Enough of the scandal, on to the rest of the show. I really liked Michael Lindeman's Archibald entry - great combo of his classic text work and a portrait to boot. I also liked Del Kathryn Barton's - again a very recognisable style but am not sure Cate Blanchett was that recognizable in it (my wife, a big fan of celebrity spotting didn't even pick who it was meant to be). Not sure I would've given it to Quilty. I think his Moran winner was better (and what is with SMH critic John McDonald calling him young and fashionable? he is older than me!). The portrait subject figured large in my assessments so I found myself liking Geoff Dyer's David Walsh (I heart Mona) and disliking works like Lucy Culliton's Ray Hughes.

Onto the Wynne which comprises landscape and sculpture. Given the small painting won last year it was the turn of a really big ordinary sculpture to win this year. I didn't care for the motorbike on the back of the rickshaw. I was glad to see Nell get a guernsey for one of her sculptures and I did chuckle when I saw Graham Fransella had won the Trustees watercolour prize again (this must be like an annuity for him, hardly anyone enters any watercolours so he picks up this mini prize, awarded out of the Wynne field but just to the best watercolour - he has won it 5 times now, including four out of the last five). I liked Kate Shaw's entry and I hope she wins this one day as landscapes are really her thing but I don't think a triptych will do it (I think this one is yours for $11k but like most triptychs I would prefer just a single panel - I think she should just go all out with a big single frame next year).

Points, I'll give one to each category. 3 for Ken Yonetani's salt frame in the Sulman. I think it is a shame it is hanging outside the ticketed area as most punters will walk straight past this. They also got the 3 points for their blog entry explaining that they were cool with how the Sulman was judged. 2 for Lindeman's portrait - I am sure Richard Bell would agree with me voting for someone in the Big Lamington collection. 1 point for Kate Shaw, probably the only Wynne I would've wanted in my pool room.

Easter show!

Now those that know me (and I realise this blog isn't as anonymous as I would've liked but on the flipside I can also tell which artists google themselves) will know that I am a huge supporter of the Royal Easter Show. I even have a couple of ribbons from them! So it was natural I would head over to the Binnie Pavillion to check out the Arts & Crafts on Day 1 of this years show.

The show gets hundreds of exhibits in a range of categories. The works tend to steer closely to the traditional, quite understandable when you consider the traditional nature of the RAS itself. It has exhibited arts since 1869 which is considerably earlier than some of the better known Sydney prizes (1897 for the Wynne and 1921 for the Archibald). One of the things I like about the competitions at the Easter show, nowadays officially known as the 'Sydney Royal Arts & Crafts Show', is that not only do the judges hand out the first, second, third ribbons but the competitors are asked to name a price and the punters can walk off with whatever takes their fancy. I think everyone should go to the show - woodchopping and precision driving are the classic attractions but definitely put the Arts & Crafts on your itinerary.

Points - I never thought I would say this - 3 to me. There is a Big Lamington in the drawing section this year! No ribbons for the work but some clever collector (and totally unrelated party for all those that thought it was my mother) spotted a bargain on the preview night and has already put the red spot on my entry! I am back at the show over Easter and will hand out the remaining points then ...

Post script - 2 points for Jeanette Garben's Midnight Pony, given on acclamation from two of the junior collectors accompanying me who liked both the pony and the train in this still life (a bargain at $400 and yes, it is sold). 1 point to Garry Pettitt who picked up a few ribbons, the Presidents ribbon for his rural landscape 'Govett's Leap vista' (yours for $9,500, interestingly despite picking up a ribbon from the President the work did not get near the podium from the main judge, Cressida Campbell) and a 1st prize ribbon for his 'Life on the Land' in the figurative section ($5,000 for this one). Both still available, surely the punters are looking to drop a couple of grand on art right next to the showbag pavillion? In the tradition of the show I should also hand out 2 highly commended ribbons (although I note that judge Tina Spira in the miniature section didn't get that memo and only handed out one, a little ungenerous in my opinion). One will go to Susan Stafford for her watercolour 'Poppies Galore' (which won the blue ribbon in its category and is available for $1,000 although my wife has her eyes on it) and the other I will give to the Robyne Palmer's Black Cockatoo in Class 6, that would be the Australian Bird or Flower section, I think I she might have some competition next year.