Sydney Galleries
April 23rd 2007 05:10
Category: Guides
Sydney has a long history of art, creativity and basic appreciation for the natural world, due, no doubt, to the breathtaking landscape around the harbour city. Since early colonial times, artists have left their countries to arrive on the sun-scorched shores and paint their way to notoriety.
This accumulation of artists led to a city mired in artists and art lovers, creating, in modern times, an atmosphere that is extremely conducive to culture and art. Today, Sydney is constantly pulsating with energy and has a passionate fire for new and emerging talent.
The Central Business District (CBD) of Sydney is packed with notable galleries and museums. Foremost of these is the Art Gallery of New South Wales,
The Museum of Contempory Art (MCA) is located in the picturesque Circular Quay, bordering on the Rocks neighborhood. Fortunately for visitors, the museum offers free admission to most of its exhibits, with only special events charging extra fees. Unlike some less ambitious galleries, the exhibits in the MCA are constantly changing, examining different media and forms this nearly guarantees a unique experience every time you walk through the doors.
The MCA has a vision statement that simply says Engaging with contemporary art and ideals. Contemporary art can often be dazzling, mystifying or even confusing to some visitors, but in this reviewers experience, the exhibits at the MCA have always been top quality, with a touch of humour and satire.
The Eastern Suburbs have long been a fermenting pot for artists of all disciplines, and that vibrant culture is still alive today. Paddington and Surry Hills are known for their galleries that purse cutting-edge and avant garde works.
The Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Paddington was started by a group of unknown and uncelebrated artists who collaborated time and money to open a studio space in 1982. Now, the gallery is extremely successful, promoting new, struggling artists that are pushing the boundaries of normal style and taste. The Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery displays exhibits that vary in media, from paintings to sculpture, from photography to performance, and the resident artists are blooming into international recognition. As a result, this gallery is a fantastic place to catch the pre-success work of some potential masters.
Less eccentric, the Soho Gallery resides in Surry Hills, and specializes in giving mid-career artists a space for them to display works that might suit a wealthy home or a corporate wall. Art in the Soho Gallery is limited to more conventional forms: painting, sketches, sculptures and photography. The impressive roster of artists is composed of Australians who have travelled the world, and draw freely from their experiences to create tasteful, innovative pieces of art.
Galleries are, in my opinion, at their best after a great lunch; to that end, after Ive had a hearty bowl of Vietnamese noodles, stumbling down King St, in Newtown, can lead to some excellent jackpots of galleries. The King Street Galleries, established in 1984, exhibits works by emerging Australian artists as well as touring international exhibits.
The idea of a gallery is brilliant. Open to the public, walk-through the door and size up something new. These arent prints of Sunflowers or Three Musicians, and while the art may not be famous or worth millions of dollars, its arguably just as much enjoyment. Art is, after all, unestimable in value.
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