B R E N D A M AY GALLERY exhibition calendar 2014 16 – 19 January Art Stage Singapore 29 January – 22 February Sculpture 2014 25 February – 22 March Dianne Gall | Linda van Niekerk 25 March – 19 April Peter Tilley | Nicole Welch 22 April – 17 May In Tandem | Melinda Le Guay 20 May – 14 June Leslie Oliver | Helen Mueller 17 June – 12 July Collectors 15 July – 9 August Waratah Lahy | Anne Penman Sweet , 12 August – 6 September Mylyn Nguyen | Jacek Wankowski 9 September – 4 October Todd Fuller | Carol Murphy 7 October – 1 November Tanmaya Bingham | Al Munro 4 – 29 November Sybil Curtis | Elephant in the Room 2 – 24 December Christmas Show
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Robert Boynes, ‘The Silence of Text’ 2010 acrylic on canvas - diptych, 120 x 110cm
Brenda May established Access Contemporary Art Gallery in Sydney in 1985, principally as a platform for emerging Australian artists. A founding member of the 2 Danks Street Complex since 2001, the Gallery currently represents a small, select group of emerging and senior artists working in a broad range of media. Gallery artists are Tanmaya Bingham, Robert Boynes, Jim Croke, Sybil Curtis, Todd Fuller, James Guppy, Waratah Lahy, Melinda Le Guay, Al Munro, Carol Murphy, Mylyn Nguyen, Leslie Oliver, Lezlie Tilley and Peter Tilley. The Gallery continues its support of many talented artists from around Australia by hosting selective solo and thematic exhibitions. After nearly twenty years of participating in the Melbourne Art Fair, we are now seeking to broaden our international audience by exhibiting at Art Stage Singapore.
ONLINE SHOP + GIFT REGISTRY
Towards the end of 2013, Brenda May Gallery launched a user friendly, Online Shop and Gift Registry, with the secure convenience of PayPal. The shop features specially selected handmade items from artists from around Australia and lists them in price blocks, materials and artist, to make choosing easy, anytime, day or night. The Gift Registry service is the perfect choice for a special occasion, be it a birthday, anniversary, or as a Bridal Registry, ensuring that you receive a unique and personal gift of your own choosing. For further details, please contact the Gallery or visit our website.
B L A C K
B O X
P R O J E C T S
From January 2014, Brenda May Gallery will introduce Black Box Projects, a permanently dedicated theatrette and light works room within the Gallery. This experimental dark space will showcase video art and related media, including both historical and contemporary works. Projecting films in a large format directly onto the wall, Black Box Projects establishes a space for an immersive cinematic experience within a commercial gallery setting. Please visit our website for the 2014 programme schedule.
Sydney Underground Film Festival: FILM CUNST Black Box Projects A bold, unashamed celebration and investigation of the feminine in film art. This show is an exhibition of Sydney’s most daring and unique women artists working in a field that is arguably the most marginal at this point in time. These works are not narrative films, nor are they video art or video installations. These works push movingimage to its limits and use the cinematic situation as a specific mode for their art to be viewed. This program contains diverse works with complementary themes of performance, gender, power, nature, surface, materiality and the corporeal. Unapologetically cutting through the facade of social politeness, they engage the spectator at a visceral level and eloquently foreground the unspoken.
29 January to 22 February
Katherine Berger, ‘Communion’ 2013, 16mm film, 7 minutes
dLUX MediaArts: SCANLINES REMIX Black Box Projects 25 February to 10 May
Julia Burns, ‘Silent Communion’ 2011 Cinematographer, Evan Papageorgiou Choreographer, Mira Mansell, Entity Contemporary Dance Dancers, Charlie Mallie and Trent Slabb
dLux MediaArts presents Scanlines remix, a selection of Australian video art by contemporary established and emerging artists in parallel with works drawn from the dLux archive spanning thirty years of media arts practice. The exhibition aims to showcase the dynamism and variety of contemporary video practices and locate them within the recent tradition of Australian media art histories. Embracing current practitioners, the exhibition highlights artists who have Australia-wide and international significance. Scanlines remix is informed by the Scanlines online database, which brings together information about Australian video artists, curators, organisations and events since the 1960s. Material on this site has been compiled from several important archives relating to video art, including the dLux MediaArts d/Archive, the archives of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and the Stephen Jones Archive of Art & Technology in Australia.
Head On: MULTIMEDIA PRIZES Black Box Projects 13 May to 7 June
The Head On Prizes for Multimedia are awarded in two categories, Fine Art and Documentary, and form part of the acclaimed Head On Awards which are the centrepiece of Head On Photo Festival. Head On is Australia’s largest photography festival celebrating excellence in all genres from photo-artists from across the globe and provides a major platform for discovering new talent, rediscovering established artists, and exploring new technologies and ideas. The Festival is presented by Head On Foundation, a not-forprofit organisation that aims to promote photo-art, encourage excellence and innovation and raise awareness of important issues through the art of photography. The finalists from both categories will be showcased in Black Box Projects. www.headon.com.au
Flatline: STUDIES IN MOTION Black Box Projects 9 September to 4 October
Flatline, Todd Fuller & Carl Sciberras performance documentation, 2013
Flatline is an interdisciplinary collective, at its core is Brenda May Gallery artist, Todd Fuller and dancer/choreographer, Carl Sciberras. Together they merge the values of their respective genres to create a new dance/art hybrid. In Flatline’s first solo exhibition and performance in the Gallery, they will present the results of four years of experimentation. Ideas including dance as a catalyst for animation, point and space, line and the body, drawing on performance and dance as a vessel for mark making.
Robert Boynes, Language of the Street, Brenda May Gallery, installation view, 2012
ART STAGE SINGAPORE Marina Bay Sands Exhibition and Convention Centre 16 to 19 January
Brenda May Gallery exhibited three artists at Art Stage Singapore 2013, Asia’s premier international art fair. Kicking off the international arts calendar, Art Stage Singapore is held every January at the Marina Bay Sands. Since its inception in 2011, Art Stage Singapore’s commitment to quality, and its industry-leading approach to presenting art in context have garnered significant global acclaim.
Brenda May Gallery booth at Art Stage Singapore 2013 featuring Waratah Lahy, Will Coles + Mylyn Nguyen
Mylyn Nguyen, installation view of ‘Bombus’ 2013
In 2014, we will be presenting Mylyn Nguyen’s installation, ‘Bombus’, comprised of life-sized bumblebees, intricately crafted out of hand-painted, cut and folded paper. Each bumblebee sits atop a fine clear acrylic strand with a perspex base, constructed so that the slightest breeze or even a breath causes the colony to ‘hover’. As one would expect of a bumblebee, they have a furry, black and yellow striped back, however Nguyen’s tiny creatures also have a green strip of lawn, and some carry minute, cut-out, watercolour houses, complete with driveways and trees.
SCULPTURE 2014 curated group exhibition 29 January to 22 February
First held at Access Contemporary Art Gallery, Brenda May Gallery’s former incarnation, this annual exhibition features an engaging and eclectic collection of artworks, and continues to provide a significant platform for the ever-evolving medium of sculpture. Brenda May Gallery accepts submissions throughout the year, from both Australia and New Zealand, for the Sculpture Series, aiming to present a curated exhibition of interesting and innovative contemporary sculpture that varies aesthetically from year to year.
Al Munro, ‘Object 4’ 2013, marker on paper, dimensions variable (Private collection)
Exhibition installation, Sculpture 2013
DIANNE GALL Disconnected 25 February to 22 March
Dianne Gall ‘Pensive’ 2013 oil on linen 61 x 63cm
My work derives itself from my personal experiences and observations as a woman in Contemporary Australia. I have chosen the filmatic stage to portray my characters, making my own version of Noir - my Femme Noir. The characters in my paintings often appear disassociated in their environments; there in physicality but removed and mentally detached, existing in their own worlds. Women stare into space, involved in their private lives, housed in their own environments. Here there are pristine interiors, with patterned walls and floors, whilst the shadows play with the psychological presence of people inhabiting the scenes.
My approach to design has evolved since my first exhibition at Brenda May Gallery in 2004, however my desire has always been to create bold sculptural jewellery that sits well on the body. The exhibition will include new work whilst reviewing the work of the past decade, demonstrating an elegant timelessness that transcends fad or fashion.
LINDA VAN NIEKERK 10 Years On 25 February to 22 March
Linda van Niekerk, ‘Silver Seagrass’ 2011, waxed Tasmanian tidal stone, sterling silver + nylon Photographer: Peter Whyte
PETER TILLEY Figure in the landscape 25 March to 19 April Peter Tilley ‘On Top of the World’ (detail) 2011 bronze, painted timber 58 x 30 x 30cm
The inclusion of the figure in the landscape can add a powerful element to a three dimensional statement. This is because the human form is capable, like nothing else, of depicting a range of human experience from fate, to authority and awkwardness, to selfdeception, while at the same time displaying an underlying dignity. The language of figurative realism is simply, for me, the most effective way of portraying what it is to be human. The simplified form of the figure should remain anonymous and elemental, as they are intended to be universal models of humanity. That simplicity of form also conveys a complex message. There is a duality of meaning; an aspect that I have pursued and consciously incorporated in my work, with the possibility that some times these several meanings may be ambivalent or contradictory.
NICOLE WELCH Apparitions In this series of photographs of media installations in the Australian landscape, romanticised sublime images emerge from the terrain and escarpment, appearing and receding simultaneously. These works reveal the embedded cultural history and idealism projected onto this land since colonisation, centering on the early Australian landscape painters who brought a European sensibility and vision to their depictions of this ‘new’ world.
Nicole Welch, ‘Apparition #1’ 2013 giclée print on Hahnemühle photo rag, edition of 6, 95 x 200cm
25 March to 19 April
IN TANDEM curated by Olivia Welch 22 April to 17 May
Playing the role of creative matchmaker, the curator, Olivia Welch, has paired together artists to see what two minds and four hands produce when working in tandem. This project is not solely concerned with the end product - the entire process will be captured and documented on the Brenda May Gallery blog, accessible from the website.
Todd Fuller + Mylyn Nguyen, ‘The day pigeons taught bear to fly’ 2013 bronze, oil + pigment on terracotta, twig, Coir-peat, watercolour + ink on paper 36 x 19 x 18cm
As I focus on, or move from one activity to another in my domestic realm, I am always gathering and processing materials to do with my practice; everyday ‘stuff’ provides a lot of matter I use in my art-making. In collaboration with these disparate materials, the processes I employ are also the ones I use in my home, my studio. Gathering, cleaning, drying, pressing, sorting and ordering are time consuming, contemplative and compelling. When ordered, the matter takes on the appearance of a collection. In conjunction with other materials, the inherent qualities of each part pose interesting challenges, sometimes resulting in unplanned outcomes.
Melinda Le Guay ‘Natural Order’ 2013 dried leaves, perspex box 40 x 60cm
MELINDA LE GUAY Material matters 22 April to 17 May
LESLIE OLIVER Walking Sticks - Crooks, Staves and Scepters 20 May to 14 June
As a person ultimately drawn to making sculpture, I have always enjoyed a direct connection to simple physical objects. As a boy I had pet stones and took delight in feeling their weight and smooth cool surface in my hand. I also went on many walks and hiking camps and would find myself a special stick to carry and befriend. Around a campfire I would decorate it with burn marks made with hot wire. I was also brought up on the stories of Moses and had images of his staff parting the waters or turning into a serpent. All these things play a part in the my personal pleasure of making ‘walking sticks’.
Leslie Oliver ‘Lithe Friend’ (work in progress) 2013 painted wood 116 x 40 x 16cm
HELEN MUELLER ships in the night 20 May to 14 June
Helen Mueller ‘ships in the night’ 2013 aquatint etching - 21 pieces 24 x 11.5cm each
During recent residencies on a Greek island and in Venice, I had ample opportunity to observe boats: the way they plied the waters, the wake they left behind, their shapes and shadows. How much they carried! The night’s catch, drums, boxes, bags - but most of all people: those just looking, those arriving and those leaving; bringing joy, bringing loss. And I was reminded of the boats that head for our own shores carrying pain, sorrow and hope. The boats that sometimes do not arrive. The work in this show is an exploration of boats and their imprint, both physical and emotional.
COLLECTORS An excerpt from the private collections of Gordon Elliott & Jeff Hinch 17 June to 12 July
I could not imagine living in a house with blank walls... my collection is how I can express myself, it is a representation of who I am. Jeff Hinch
I like collecting both established and emerging artists and feel that my connection with the art is the important issue... Art works find their own place in our home. Gordon Elliott
WARATAH LAHY 15 July to 9 August
Waratah Lahy ‘Carnavalet 5’ 2013 oil on canvas 50 x 38cm
My current work explores ideas of inside and outside, internal and external. I am depicting physical as well as emotional spaces through an investigation of colour, composition and pattern. I am interested in everyday scenes, focussing on details that are rich in mood, conveying an experience of place and time.
ANNE PENMAN SWEET Through Uncertain Lands 15 July to 9 August
Anne Penman Sweet ‘Edgeland’ 2013 oil on gesso panel 20 x 20cm
In this exhibition I seek to evoke some of the excitement and foreboding encountered upon entering new and strange terrains – landscapes that lie undisturbed and unloved, forgotten and forsaken. In these uncertain lands there is an otherworldly presence, disorienting yet compelling, silently making itself known and felt. In the midst of this disorientation one can momentarily lose one’s bearings, and with it a sense of certainty and security. Thus, temporarily lost, briefly unbalanced, one can find oneself suddenly immersed in a new and enigmatic, luminous and unknown world. ‘I could see the shape of the land, how it lay holding silence’ Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to talk: Expeditions and Encounters
MYLYN NGUYEN So bear folded me a paper boat, packed my lunch, pointed west and told me to go and learn something 12 August to 6 September
Mylyn Nguyen, ‘So bear folded me a paper boat, packed my lunch, pointed west and told me to go and learn something’ 2013 watercolour + ink on paper, 4 x 6 x 2.5cm
I hide behind Wolf because he is stronger than I am. Bear is wiser than I am. Wren has flight and freedom. Snail is my karma and Bees and Beetles see more gardens. I hide behind spiders because they are more delicate than I am and more humble than I am. Whales are life savers. Octopus is a problem solver. Catfish has direction.
Carapace extends my investigations on perception, on things that engage the forces of nature and on things that change and grow. These sculptures pursue that moment between balance and flight, causing the precise distribution of mass, form and space to activate the piece.
JACEK ‘ WANKOWSKI
Inspired by observations of the natural marine world, these works embody complexity, movement and a sense of motion frozen in time. Reduced to their minimalist constituents, they explore the tension reflected in the sudden actions and/or reactions of small oceanic creatures to external stimuli.
12 August to 6 September
Jacek Wankowski, ‘CarapaceOne’ 2013, stainless steel, 22 x 37 x 43cm ‘
Carapace
TODD FULLER The line we walk 9 September to 4 October
Todd Fuller ‘augmented self portrait’ 2013 charcoal on paper 180 x 200cm
To scratch the surface, to make a mark, to fold, to erase, to bend, to bleed. Drawing is a personal obsession, through it I dissect the world its occupants and my relationship to these elements. The line we walk is a series of animated portraits, studies of movement and experiments with the drawn animation practice which has obsessed me for the last five years.
CAROL MURPHY La Baigneuse 9 September to 4 October
This exhibition references the depiction of the bather in art history, but using the medium of ceramics. It is a further examination of the sculptural form in various poses at rest and play. The figures are clad in vintage to modern day bathing costumes including some imaginary outfits! Which further adds to it being, a frolicsome look at the concept of swimwear.
Carol Murphy ‘La Baigneuse’ (marquette) 2013 ceramic, timber, metal 7 x 5.5 x 5cm
TANMAYA BINGHAM I got my mom’s boobs 7 October to 1 November
Tanmaya Bingham, ‘I am the queen of cyber’ 2013, coloured pencil and mixed media on panel, 182 x 122cm
Tanmaya Bingham ‘I have a green beam head’ 2013 coloured pencil and mixed media on panel 152.5 x 91.5cm
Threading neon strips of paint through my twisted and macabre take on mothers, daughters and their pets, I got my mom’s boobs, reveals a resemblance of the subjects whilst also highlighting the mystery of the relationship’s dynamics. Interactions allude to a society that rejects the physical reality of the aging process, where ‘expired’ older women hope to be validated through their daughters’ beauty and youth. Division lines within these colored pencil and mixed media works will extend onto the walls, converging into large geometric shapes. The technically refined renderings of the warped, mutated and exaggerated figures are set against contrasting backgrounds, creating electrifying compositions.
AL MUNRO Systems of the Infinite, continues my interest in pattern systems and their relationship to the natural world. I draw on both traditional Japanese patterning and scientific visualisations to explore the mapping and cataloguing of nature.
Systems of the Infinite 7 October to 1 November
Al Munro, ‘Systems of the Infinite’ (detail) 2013, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50cm
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM Animal Welfare League fundraising exhibition 4 to 29 November
James Guppy ‘The Zebu’ 2011 acrylic on linen 51 x 40cm
A portion of the sales in this exhibition, depicting critters, creatures and canines, will directly benefit the Animal Welfare League NSW. The Gallery will donate 20% of each sale to the AWL to support them in caring for surrendered, neglected and abandoned animals. AWL has been in operation for over 50 years and maintains two shelters, a veterinary clinic and twelve branches of volunteers and we are delighted to be able to support them.
SYBIL CURTIS Structures in the Landscape 4 to 29 November
Sybil Curtis ‘Flowers of the field’ 2013, oil on linen 90 x 90cm
When travelling through the flat, monotonous country of inland Australia, agricultural and mining structures are often visible for a considerable distance, rising like giant sculptures out of a flat plain: three-dimensional forms intersecting horizontal lines. On an abstract level, I continue to use touches of red and yellow which vibrate with more energy when surrounded by subtle browns and greys, rather than combined with other strong colours.
CHRISTMAS SHOW curated group exhibition 2 to 24 December
Waratah Lahy ‘Nightlife (Christmas Lights no.2’ 2008 oil on glass 8.5 x 4.5 x 4.5cm
To celebrate the end of another year and continuing in the tradition of the ever popular Access and Brenda May Gallery Birthday Show, the Gallery presents a special Christmas Show. Included in the exhibition will be works from our represented and supported artists, made especially for the occasion. As in previous years, the show will be unavailable for previews and will open at 6pm sharp on Tuesday 2 December with all the works for sale priced at $1,000 and under. We hope you can join us for what has proved to be an exciting exhibition. (NB: artworks pictured are for illustrative purposes only and will not be featured in the exhibition)
Al Munro ‘Atomic Crochet 7’ 2012/13 fibre on foamcore 26cm diameter
Kelly-Ann Lees ‘Equilateral Pyramid’ 2013 recycled welded steel 50 x 30 x 30cm
Lezlie Tilley ‘Notation 51 Red Desert Plant’ 2003/4 acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 30.5cm (Private collection)
Director – Brenda May Manager – Megan Fizell Assistant – Olivia Welch
Copyright remains the property of the Artist and Brenda May Gallery. No part of this calendar may be reproduced without permission. The 2 Danks Street Galleries are closed on all pubic holidays, the Easter long weekend and from Christmas to late January.
Front cover: Mighty Small, Brenda May Gallery, installation view, 2013 Back cover: James Guppy, MUDWORKS, Brenda May Gallery, installation view, 2013 Above: Jim Croke, ‘Clockwork’ 2012, brass, steel, iron, 15 x 17 x 7cm (Private collection)
B R E N D A M AY
G A L L E R Y
2 D a n k s S t r e e t Wa t e r l o o N S W A u s t r a l i a 2 0 1 7 www.brendamaygallery.com.au info@brendamaygallery.com.au tuesday - friday 11-6 saturday 10-6 t. 02 9318 1122 f. 02 9318 1007