Celebrating 30 YEARS OF ART

from Beaches COVERED. Issue 35: Summer Chillin'

BEACHES ON SHOW FOR COASTREK

Having opened its doors to the public 30 years ago, Harvey Galleries has many momentous moments to look back upon. The Seaforth gallery’s longstanding success is something we, at Beaches COVERED., are in awe of. This season we sat down with curator and team member James Mckinnon and picked his brain on all things Harvey Galleries.

In the intoxicating realm of artistic aspirations, Harvey Galleries was founded by the visionary Harvey family in 1994, with high hopes of crafting a dynamic and inclusive space for contemporary art.

Over the past three decades, Australia has seen its fair share of economic difﬁculties including the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, which left the real estate sector doing an ungraceful shufﬂe. Then the COVID-19 pandemic throttled in, a rather unwelcome guest after almost three decades of economic restfulness.

Despite these challenges, the Gallery stands strong in the same location, with

the same phone number and the same family behind it all! Proving that art, like a ﬁne wine, only gets better with time.

Curator and team member James explains that the gallery’s location in Seaforth has had a substantial impact on its success.

“Being one of the only commercial ﬁne art galleries this side of the Harbour Bridge, Harvey Galleries’ clientele spans from Palm Beach to Kirribilli,” he explains.

Throughout its 30 years of existence Harvey Galleries has consistently exhibited the works of exceptional artists. The team’s dedication to curating works from a broad range of artists and art ensures there is truly something for everyone… even those after something whimsical. ‘What do we mean by whimsical?’ you ask.

While the owner of Harvey Galleries, Trevor Harvey, was working in a publishing house in Chicago in his early twenties, he came into contact with the Chase Publishing Group. A decade later they had a booth at the same art fair, and among friendly chit-chat a professional relationship blossomed.

Smitten with the art and excited by the possibilities, Trevor took to obtaining the rights to the Art of Dr. Seuss in the southern hemisphere and set out to create a platform to preserve Theodor Seuss Geisel’s artistic legacy.

Since then Trevor has been responsible for the ﬁrst two and only galleries in the world dedicated to the Art of Dr. Seuss. James is also fond of the work, and eloquently reﬂects that the art is “wonderful, whimsical, instantly recognisable, and evokes a nostalgia in all those that see it, making it so incredibly collectable and loved”.

UNVEILING TOMORROW’S TALENT

Students of ﬁne art studies are encouraged to develop creative independence, exposed to rigorous theoretical inquiry, and shown a dynamic range of contemporary possibilities. And while these skills are undoubtedly inaugural, Trevor saw an opportunity to assist the transition from a tertiary studio to a commercial gallery.

For the past six years Harvey Galleries and the National Art School have collaborated in an exhibition. As the Bachelor and Master students put the ﬁnishing touches on their graduating collection of works, James and Trevor select a group of artists to exhibit at Harvey Galleries.

“The experience offered by Trevor is an opportunity very seldom offered to any artist,” says James. “It teaches them the day-to-day business of the art world – we want to make sure they have a transparent understanding of how the art market functions.”

Moreover, once Trevor had succeeded in creating a seamless conduit between artists and collectors in Australia, the thought arose, ‘How could I do more?’

Having always kept a close eye on talent in China, Harvey Galleries attended a show in Guangzhou around the mid- 2000s. From here, to the Art Beijing Art Fair, Trevor fell in love with the culturally rich nation and diversity of artists working in a plethora of disciplines.

James recommends exploring the works of Zhu Pei Hong, one of the ﬁrst artists to seek international representation with Harvey Galleries. His abstract acrylic landscape paintings delicately reﬂect the dynamism of urban infrastructure and leave the audience in wonder.

Another artist James recommends is David Darcy. Nestled in the exquisite collection of Harvey Galleries lies a portrait painting by David Darcy, unbelievably lifelike and realistic. The level of detail achieved is nothing short of extraordinary, rendering the piece truly enchanting.

What elevates this piece to a realm of its own is the fact that its creator, David, began his journey as a painter a mere decade ago, following a lengthy stint as a photographer. James believes David’s ability to ”capture his subjects, whether painted or photographed, is truly magical”.

In this relatively brief time, David has catapulted himself into the echelons of artistic acclaim. He was a ﬁnalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize and the proud recipient of the 2019 People’s Choice Award in the same competition!

James explains that Harvey Galleries are always in search of an exciting edge:

“Art that brings you to a standstill, that makes you question, feel uncomfortable or allows you to breathe,” he says.

There is innate power in a piece of art that instantly conjures inner contemplation and is a distraction from mundanity, and Harvey Galleries excels in curating collections of work that achieve this effect.

We believe their dedication to representing artists that draw from a place of genuine creativity and pure passion contributes to the gallery’s success over the past 30 years.

Cheers to 30 years – we cannot wait to see what the future holds for Harvey Galleries! •