Biggie Smalls 24 (full view), 2011, 89.5 x 79.5 cm, POA
Biggie Smalls 24 (detail shot)
Check out the latest mural from ABOVE in Cape Town, SA HERE.
Jimi Hendrix 27 (full view), 2011, 89.5 x 79.5 cm, POA
Jimi Hendrix 27 (detail shot)
Keep your eyes peeled – more ABOVE to come for Melbourne, Metro Gallery will be hosting ‘JET SET’ from June 21 – 14 July (opening night July 4).
John Olsen with his drawing of a Spoonbill at the opening on Wednesday
The Art Series Hotel group has a real winner with the Olsen Hotel. Celebrating numerous awards with their companion hotels The Cullen and The Blackman; The Olsen took out the Travellers Choice 2012.
Paella!
Adding to an already exuberant accommodation experience, they have just opened the restaurant Spoonbill, nestled on the ground floor of the hotel.
John Olsen and Katherine Olsen on Wednesday evening at the opening of Spoonbill
Celebrating regional Australian produce, and with its own herb garden to boot, Spoonbill’s emphasis is on the best and freshest grub to satisfy any appetite.
Gardeners at the opening night
Perhaps the most charming part of Wednesday evening – though who can really say with the charming Olsen around- was having the guests plant seeds of herbs in pots set up and aided by Spoonbill gardeners.
Spoonbill is an excellent addition to the Olsen Hotel, and a tidy one of these at the end of the day is sure to be the perfect match to the exquisite surroundings.
John Olsen, 'The Bouillabase', oil on canvas, 122 x 152 cm, POA
For more delicious Olsen, check out Spoonbill, and don’t forget to get into Metro before 28th April to catch his latest exhibition ‘Lake Eyre: The Desert Sea’
637-641 Chapel Street, South Yarra 3141
Phone: +61 (3) 9040 1333
Fax: +61 (3) 9040 1334
This March marks the 20th year of Melbourne’s Food and Wine Festival, 20 days and 20 years of fantastic food. The festival begins this Friday the 2nd March, if you haven’t gotten tickets yet, get onto the website QUICK SMART.
A real highlight this year will be the Greenhouse by Joost, for the 20 days of the festival the Greenhouse will pop up at Queensbridge Square. Not just an ordinary pop-up restaurant, the Greenhouse’s major focus is sustainability. It utilises sustainable ideas in all aspects of the building, from food sourcing and production, through to architecture, building materials and furniture design. From daily freshly ground wheat to provide flour for bread, to beer, cider and even mineral water on tap (no bottle waste see), everything has been refined to ensure the footprint of this project will be incredibly light indeed.
The first Joost greenhouse was in Melbourne’s Federation Square in 2008, since then there have been Greenhouse’s in Perth and Sydney, with both cities planning on creating the restaurants as permanent fixtures.
In the interests of the Greenhouse continuation, the design of the Greenhouse restaurant offers a few key new features, all conforming to the nature of sustainable design. All electricity is generated and fuelled by pure, unrefined canola oil, and wall cladding and structural bracing is all-natural, formaldehyde-free plywood, as the glue is made entirely from soybeans-a first in the building world.
John Olsen. 'Hidden Lake', 2011, mixed media, 105 x 120 cm, POA
Appreciation of nature and culinary delights are two passions that coincide with the great Australian artist John Olsen, whose latest exhibition ‘Lake Eyre: The Desert Sea’ focuses on the unique natural phenomenon of Lake Eyre, filling and draining seasonally. Also included of course, are culinary themed pieces such as ‘Squid In it’s Own Ink’, and ‘Duck a l’orange’, showcasing his iconic style and legendary love of good cuisine.
John Olsen, 'Duck a l'orange', 2012, Oil on Canvas, POA
After the delights of the Melbourne Wine and Food Festival in March, John Olsen has prepared a feast for the eyes at Metro in ‘Lake Eyre: The Desert Sea’, which will run from the 26th March until the 28th April.
Proenza Schouler SS '12
Proenza Schouler SS '12
Proenza Schouler SS '12
Proenza Schouler SS '12
As the new shows roll out in London this week for London Fashion Week, and the internet is flooded with images hot from the press of last weeks New York Fashion week I can’t help but draw parallels between the intricate patterns and vibrant colours. This ornamental and intricate theme is something that not only is being enjoyed by fashion enthusiasts and designers, but artists worldwide too.
Street style from NYFW SS'12
From Lucas Nascimento FW'12
UK Street artist D*Face 'Blue Stain', 2011, mixed media on canvas, 107 x 107cm
Dynamic stripes and vivid splashes of colour splay around familiar logos and shapes, feature in D*Face’s work, ‘Blue Stain’ from his exhibition with Metro last year. CLICK HERE for more images of D*Face’s works.
Street Style NYFW FW'12
Street style NYFW FW'12
Street Artist Anthony Lister's work in downtown Los Angeles
Stephen Giblett's 'An Aesthete's Lament' Oil on canvas, 122 x 122 cm
It’s a delightful concept; being a walking work of art, something Australian designer duo Romance Was Born have capitalised on. The label regularly collaborates with artists for their collections, the print on the jeans below is from a painting by Stephen Giblett, a Melbourne based artist.
Romance Was Born AW'11
Romance Was Born AW'11 (Detail)
In similar hyper realist fashion (oh fashion, what a versatile word you have become!) Simon Henessey from the UK contributed this piece for the Climate Change exhibition in January.
Simon Hennessey's 'Sunset over Metropolis', 2011, acrylic on canvas, 80 x 150 cm
Jason Benjamin's 'We can take the long way home' 2008, oil on canvas, 66 x 66cm
It’s summer in Melbourne, and if the 40 degrees heat (spattered by thunderstorms!) eases up for a while it really is the best time to explore the cities hidden gems of street art. When you’re next in the city take the time for a wanderer’s tour…
Union Lane in Melbourne is often cited as one of the greatest places to observe street art’s finest. The laneway in Melbourne’s city centre was made a ‘legal graffiti wall’ in 2008, for a mentoring programme run by the city council. Eager artists from all over soon began layering over the original works, covering the majority of them. Since then the laneway has had a commissioned revamp by PinXit over 2010-2011, and you must have a permit to paint there. It’s worth a stroll as an introduction to Melbourne’s street art, it features works by a broad range of artists like Beastman, Twoone, Toronto artist TZCH, Metro’s own Stormie Mills from WA, Drew Funk and more.
This Stormie Mills work in Union Lane exemplifies his scuffling characters, to view his works on canvas available click HERE, or come in to Metro to see our current stock show where he features until the 20th January.
A towering Stormie Mills piece in Geelong.
This January Metro has put on a show worthy of street art lovers attention, our stock show features Swoon, Blek Le Rat, Stormie Mills, and of course Anthony Lister.
For these available Lister works and to check out more from our stock show click HERE.
For a comprehensive guide to Melbourne’s laneways check out OnlyMelbourne’s guide HERE.
The fringes of Mt Aspiring
In an incredibly biased way I have delighted in all the images for the upcoming exhibition ‘Aotearoa’ by the photographer Tom Blachford. As an ex-pat of the little neighbouring country, it’s an incredibly interesting experience seeing these breathtaking pictures that are taken from a Melbourne artist.
'Aotearoa' opens on Thursday 15th December 6 - 10pm
The series of ten photographs focuses on the formidable barren landscapes of New Zealand’s South Island. The remote locations, all taken throughout the rugged mountains that run jagged, carving up the Island with gorges and glaciers, belie their sense of initial serenity.
A permanent waterfall in Milford Sound
The works evoke a sense of cinematic drama, a quality that has been attributed to New Zealand’s landscapes before, yet in these images there is no threatening sense of drama or the overused adage of the untouched world. These works embrace the viewers own perspective and imagination, inviting playful imagery. There are figures, faces and shapes for discovery in each photograph. There is a history of seeing faces and figures in nature, like picking out shapes in clouds or stars, in these works Blachford approaches scenery with this same concept, sharing his discovery of Aotearoa’s beauty with a pleasant naivety.
Captured at Lindis Pass
Blachford describes his process for finding these scenes as one of gentle discovery, upon examining his images he delights each time at seeing faces in the ‘cookies and cream’ landscapes, as though they are something out of a make-believe or sur-reality fantasy. Condensing these colossal landscapes to A0, (also available in an A4, a very limited edition of 3), the tighter image becomes apparent; the landscapes form a set. The edges align the tops of the mountain ranges regardless of the locations sometimes being miles apart and from various perspectives. This unity completes a fantastic set of images from the photographer Tom Blachford.
The exhibition ‘Aotearoa’ is on at L’Unico Gallery, 323 Bay St, Port Melbourne from the 15th – 23rd December.
For more information see www.tomblachford.com
The ROAR group from the 1980′s is one of the most prolific and influential painting movements from Australia. Set up in 1981, at a studio on Brunswick St, Fitzroy, the ROAR artists celebrated their 30 year anniversary at the end of November with an exhibition at the converted gallery space 787 High St, Armadale.
The Roar exhibition, from the 23rd November to 11th December, features a collection of the artists current works. Still true to the ROAR aesthetic, high energy, striking colour and vivid dynamic that became iconic for the group.
Wayne Eager's work on display at the ROAR 30th Anniversary Exhibtion
At the front of the gallery space at 787 High St, Armadale, were the works of the late David Larwill, kindly on loan from his collectors for the 30th anniversary event.
The front of 787 High St, showing David Larwill's works
David Larwill's works in the front window
Larwill, heralded as the most distinctive of the ROAR artists, passed away earlier this year. The co-founder of the group of anti-intellectual expressionist painters, Larwill’s works stand out as truly encompassing the raw, raucous and primitive enthusiasm that the movement encouraged. The works featured in the exhibition are donated from private collections, making this show a rare opportunity to view these pieces in the flesh.
Metro Gallery is also privileged enough to have some limited edition signed David Larwill books, which are available for purchase from our website HERE. This publication is signed by author Ken McGregor and the late David Larwill. Beginning with a detailed introduction to Larwill’s artistic career, by Ken McGregor and Elizabeth Thomson, the book goes on to display colour plates and black and white figures from Larwill’s oeuvre.
The ‘ROAR Re-viewed 30 years on’ exhibition is showing at 787 High St, Armadale until December 11th. 11.00am – 7.00pm, all days.
Momoka, from what I can deduce, is a rather cool character from the manga series ‘Keroro Gunso’. Momoka, a rich only child, has the interesting feature of two personalities. Her first and true personality is cute, polite, shy and sweet. Her second is brutal, hot-tempered, and incredibly strong. Something in Tanja Jade’s latest exhibition titled ‘Momoka’ tells me there is a sweet and cute side to these pieces, as well as admirable strength and resilience in their maker.
I have followed Tanja Jade’s aka Misery’s work since the early 2000′s, where in New Zealand she started selling her own version of a hyper-delighted wonderland, from clothes to postcards, at Misery Boutique on K Road, an iconic street in Auckland. Pulling inspiration from street art, fashion, japanese anime and everyday life her scenes and characters bloom in full colour from the most surprising places.
Pretty much anything that features baby vegetables I am fairly keen on, so you can imagine my excitement when you get the chance to admire some of Tanja Jade’s magical turnips-turned anime-esque characters.
At Metro Gallery lately we’ve been all about coconut-everything, so this was really the icing on the cake, or the nut, or the husk…
These works are worth the visit to Backwoods Gallery. We’ll be keeping an eye on Miss Tanja Jade as her works and dreamlike wonderlands come to life, who knows where they could end up.
“In a Wonderland they lie, Dreaming as the days go by, Dreaming as the summers die:
Ever drifting down the stream- Lingering in the golden gleam- Life, what is it but a dream?”
― Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking Glass
Tanja Jade’s ‘Momoka’ is at Backwoods Gallery in Collingwood until December 5th. Opening hours: Thursday, Friday : 3-6pm, Saturday, Sunday: 12-6pm
Sidney Nolan, 'Hare in Trap', 90 x 121 cm, ripolon enamel on hardboard, 1946
The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s current exhibition ‘Australian Modern Masterpieces from the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ features 60 significant paintings by Australian artists from the 20th Century. 40 works are from the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, accompanied by 20 of Ballarat’s own. It provides a unique insight into Australia’s formative years of modern art from 1915-1980.
Margaret Olley, 'Portrait in the Mirror', 56 x 72 cm, oil on cardboard, 1948
The works include a stable of painters who were a formative group for the Modernist Art movement in Australia, the works often reference each other, the late Margaret Olley features in her own self portrait, in addition to William Dobel’s Archibald winning portrait of her from 1948.
Russell Drysdale, 'Walls of China', 76 x 101 cm, oil on hardboard 1945
The exhibition caters to an interest in the development of the artists careers, including earlier works with varied techniques showing the growth and maturation of styles. The works of Jeffrey Smart illustrate the dramatic shift in style from low colour Australian landscape, to a bold industrial scene.
Jeffrey Smart, 'Keswick Siding', 62 x 72 cm, Oil on jute canvas, 1945
Jeffrey Smart, 'Truck and trailer approaching a city', 74 x 150cm, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 1973
The nocturnal landscape of Australia is enchantingly depicted in John Olsen’s work, ‘Nightfall, when wattle stains the doubting heart’. In this work Olsen has created an atmosphere of serenity – a highly restrained and contemplatory apprehension of the Australian landscape. As one of only three living artists remaining from this group, this really is a unique opportunity to see such a comprehensive exhibition of Australian paintings.
John Olsen, 'Nightfall, when wattle stains the doubting heart', 167 x 167 cm, 1980
Metro Gallery will host John Olsen’s next exhibition in April 2012. Sign up to our emailing list for exhibition updates HERE.
Arthur Boyd, 'The Shepherd' 64 x 89.5 cm, oil on canvas on hardboard, 1944
These works are worth the trip to Ballarat, for the day or make it an overnight visit. There are packages for accommodation and tours of the gallery included in the admission price at 11am Wed – Sunday. For the details please click on the exhibition link HERE.
Australian Modern Masterpieces from the Art Gallery of New South Wales is at the Art Gallery of Ballarat from Wednesday, 5th October 2011- Sunday 27th November 2011, 9:00 am – 5:00pm
Admission: Adult $12, Concession $8, Child and Student Free
Paul White – 2012
2010 Metro Gallery Art Award winner Paul White will present his second solo exhibition at Metro Gallery in August 2012. This yet to be titled exhibition will run August 20 – September 8, with the public opening night being held Wednesday 29th August 6:30-8:30pm.
Paul White, ‘Aloha Mojave’, pencil on paper, 110 x 175 cm.
Paul White’s last exhibition at Metro Gallery, ‘Auto-Abandon’, explored the degradation of automobiles – in particular vans, trucks and Commodores. White’s 2012 exhibition will utilise the same meticulously detailed pencil on paper technique to broaden his subject matter: this upcoming show will illustrate abandoned planes, graffitied trains and a character-rich mobile home, ‘Echo Park Travel Queen’.
Paul White, Echo Park Travel Queen’, pencil on paper, 75 x 75 cm
In some drawings, White’s subject matter has extended into the negative space backgrounds. Where once automobiles stood alone against a blanket-white backdrop, now abandoned planes feature against green, mountainous landscapes – a new direction for the Melbourne-based artist.
Paul White, ‘South Tucson Daybreak’, pencil on paper, 110 x 175 cm
Paul White, ‘Walk the Plank’, pencil on paper, 75 x 90 cm
Paul White, ‘Sleep More’, pencil on paper, 75 x 90 cm
Stay tuned for more images of Paul White’s work as his exhibition draws near!