Eastern Suburbs Art Group

I went with friends Ming and Omer, as well as basia. We looked around the enormous collecion of works. I had certainly never seen so many Magritte works in one place at the same time. The show includes things such as the artist's early attempts at Cubism (see below). Obviously this is nothing like what we normally associate with the name magritte. It is awkward and derivative. Basia told me Margritte changed when he saw works by Giorgio de Chiricho. Now that's more like it. I had a great time. The show is immense and important. 

Remember taking this photo of one of the feature poets. As usual a pleasant evening, though it seems like a lifetime ago. How is it that the days are so full I have trouble remembering what happened a week ago. The theme for November was "love" and I read out a sonnet written origianlly in 2013. Funny how I remember that time more vividly than I do last week. The year 2013 I lived still in  Qld a prisoner of circumstance. Cyclone Oswald made its way down the coast from The Gulf of Carpentaria to the Hunter River in New South Wales. Horizontal rain. Days of rain. Anyway the day I wrote the poem it was Australia Day. I did some edits later on but most of the poem was written on that day in 2013. Not a lifetime ago. A different life. Leaving Queensland does that to you haha. It must've been 2008 that dad took me into his bedroom in the flat and showed me a map of the state on the back of the door. That conversation stands out because it was proobably one of the only times in...

For a change I went to this show with Omer and Ming, friends of long standing. I hadn't been to this gallery for a while. Fairbairn has a sort of Francis Bacon vibe but he also reminded me of Kevin Connor (represented by Liverpool St Gallery). I'd seen Connor some time before in the context of perhaps buying a work.  I heard froma  man in a green jacket I met at the show that Fairbairn was originally English and migrated to Australia. I don't know if this is true.  I quite like his work. I didn't in the end buy any of the Connor drawings. The aesthetic is sort of 90s street grunge, and I kinda appreciate what these artists are trying to do but it's not where my heart tlies.

This show has finished but the prints Stein makes are memorable. I bought one and sent to Japan to family, where it has arrived. Stein is a superior craftswoman, as can easily be seen in this portraidt of the last buttonholer in Sydney. Stein's subject matter is intriguing, I didn't really find an easily rcognisable pattern and this diffuse quality is emblematic for me of the show as a whole. The picture I got is below, it's got a window with a view and a fruit bowl. Stein will be at a pop-up space this Friday if anyone would like to see her works first-hand. Stein also provides cheaper access to images in the form of gift cards.

Went with Yianni after the NAS grad Show. I knew a few of the other visitors to see Edmond Thommen's wonderful photomontages. The poses are discreet and rather polite. I didn't see any frowns and a lot of the visitors were women. Had a great chat with Mark Elliot-Ranken, useful information as it always is. But also met Deb Nankervis back from overseas. The night was expectant and there were a few drops of rain.

 With Yianni after NAS I went to Surry Hills.  Srivilasa's little (and not so little, some almost 1m high) mundane deities make quite a sight ranked along a table in the middle of the room. Above: 'Motiva, the Inspirer of Action'. We just found a parking spot as a car pulled out but the ticket machine closest to the car didn't work so Yianni went across the street to another machine. Srivilasa was at the opening, a kind and gregarious man. A little pat when he went off to talk to other people. I mentioned I had bought a painting from his Brisbane gallerist.

An amazing collection of works, mostly by people from the shrinking minority, the Anglo Celtic stream of Australian society. But nevertheless very good, for example Jocelyn Hedley (see below). This work just inside door of main gallery, stunning colours. And Beatrice Weldner (see below). Sort of like the endpapers of old 19th C books. But somehow a bit left-of-centre and creepy. I really liked the colours of these too. Upstairs Chrystie Longworth (see below) whose ceramic art also uses great colours but of course muted because unglazed. I really liked the sort of jigsaw appeal of the wall piece included in the show. Great use of text too. Bibi Soleimani (below) had some wonderful pictures. These are really striking and look a bit like First Nations rock art figures. Nikki Morgan-Smith was a real standout for me (see below). I was literally mesmerised by the skill, intelligence and humour of these wonderful works. In the one below you get a sort of Cy Twombly vibe with the panel on the ...