news

february 2012

Helen Eager at the new MCA
Helen Eager is about to add her signature abstract style to the iconic vista of Sydney's Circular Quay! In March 2012 a large-scale wall drawing by Eager will be unveiled at the harbour entrance of the newly renovated MCA buliding.
Don't miss our survey exhibition of Eager's oeuvre from 24 March – 28 April.
sketch detail for MCA wall drawing

Kylie Stillman – Taipei and Melbourne
Kylie Stillman's work will be featured in 'Wonderland: New Contempory Art from Australia' at the Museum of Contempory Art, Taipei from11 February –15 April 2012.
Also, see the arist's work in a window installation, 'The Opposite of Wild', on view from the street at 39-41 Arnold St, South Yarra until 13 March.

lavender 2011, book carving, 37 x 23 x 16cm

Essay by Christopher Hodges
'Aboriginal Art: On the Margins No Longer', Meanjin: Volume 70, Number 4, Summer 2011.

Utopia Art Sydney is now on Facebook!

 

october 2011

John R Walker at MRAG You are invited to the opening of John R Walker's solo exhibition 'Space and Time: Ten Years in the Landscape' at Maitland Regional Art Gallery on Saturday 22 October at 3pm. Exhibition runs until 4 December 2011.
	plum tree, afternoon 1 2010 archival oil on polyester, 156 x 182.5cm

Fleurieu Art Prize 2011
Congratulations to John R Walker and Angus Nivison for their selection in the Fleurieu Landscape Art Prize. 4 November – 5 December 2011, McLaren Vale South Australia.

Nyilyari Tjapangati
Nyilyari has been selected as a finalist in the RBS Emerging Artist Award, 10–28 October 2011. RBS Tower, ground level foyer, 88 Philip St Sydney.

Liz Coats at ANU and Bega
See works by Liz Coats in the exhibition 'Mallee' at the Australian National University School of Art Gallery, 7 – 29 October 2011, and at 'Far Enough: Aesthetic Responses to the Far South Coast of NSW', Bega Valley Regional Gallery, 30 September – 4 November 2011.

Angus Nivison in EMSLA Angus Nivison has been selected for the 2011 Eutick Memorial Still Life Award at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, 19 November – 14 January 2012.
	empty vessels 2010 acrylic, charcoal, pigments and gesso on canvas, 130 x 120cm

september 2011
Ronnie Tjampitjinpa in Blake Prize
Congratulations to Pintupi artist Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, whose work has been selected for the 2011 Blake Prize. It will be exhibited at the National Art School, Darlinghurst from 16 September to 15 October
.
untitled 2010
acrylic on linen, 153 x 122cm

Angus Nivison to Paris
Angus Nivison has been awarded a three month artist residency in Paris at the Cité Internationale des Arts. Bon voyage!

Five Easy Pieces

	Check out Christopher Hodge's sculpture Bushranger on show at Defiance Gallery, Newtown until 16 October.
	bushranger 2011 steel and paint 61 x 61 x 2.8cm

Crave Fest: Art/Food
To celebrate 10 years of 2 Danks St, Jared Ingersoll will create canapes inspired by each exhibition. October 20, 7–11pm. Information and bookings at danksstreetdepotwaterloo.eventbrite.com

Papunya Tula Artists @ NGV
Tjukurrtjanu: Origins of Western Desert Art at the National Gallery of Victoria features 200 of the first paintings produced at Papunya from 1971–2.
From 30 September 2011 – 12 February 2012.

august 2011
To coincide with David Aspden's survey show 'The Colour of Music and Place' at AGNSW, Karen Aspden will be talking about Aspden's life and art in the exhibition space at AGNSW.
5.30pm Wednesday 10 August.

Also at AGNSW: 'Musical Tribute to David Aspden'
Wednesday 17 August 5.30 – 6.15pm and 7.15 – 8.30pm

zahir 1971
acrylic on canvas, 311 x 259cm

Check out Kylie Stillman's large-scale installation in the Hermès store window on Market Street in the Sydney CBD.

yamadon 2011
240 sheets of plywood

'Artist Artists' includes work by Helen Eager, Christopher Hodges and Peter Maloney.
30 July – 25 September at Benalla Art Gallery.

'Up Close and Personal' features the collection of Dr Peter Elliott AM, which includes the work of many gallery artists.
12 August – 18 September at S. H. Ervin Gallery.

june 2011
Makinti Napanangka AM has been honoured with an Order of Australia for service to the arts as a contemporary indigenous artist, to women painters of the Western Desert Art movement and to the community of the Northern Territory. The renowned Papunya Tula artist passed away in early January 2011.

untitled 2001
acrylic on linen, 122 x 61 cm

'Recent Forks' at Glasshouse Regional Gallery, Port Macquarie brings together works by Tony Coleing and Stephen Killick. The show runs from Friday 3 June to Sunday 10 July 2011.

Congratulations to Liz Coats for winning a 2011 Winsor & Newton Studio Scholarship! Liz is a PHD candidate at the ANU School of Art.

organica #2 2010
acrylic media, pigments & gesso on board, 74 x 76 cm

 

april 2011
Congratulations to Yukultji Napangati who was runner up in this year's Wynne Prize. The judges narrowed the field to five artists and then two. Yukultji's painting will be hanging in the Wynne Prize at the AGNSW until 26th June.

John R Walker's painting Little River Road Gate has been chosen by the S H Ervin selection panel for this years Salon des Refuses. The exhibition dates are 16 April to 19th June.

John Bursill has just had three works acquired by the Parliament House Art Collection in Canberra. The committee chose a work from each of his Drought, Bush Fire and Flood series.

 

november 2010
flower for a friend, a major public sculpture by Christopher Hodges, was unveiled on November 4 by the Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO. Commissioned by the St Vincent's Campus Art Committee for the O'Brien forecourt at St Vincent's Hospital, this dynamic form enlivens its surroundings.

october 2010
Located in the Rouse Hill town centre, Christopher Hodges' Homage to a Tree took as its inspiration the roots of a very old tree that was felled to make way for the development. The town centre has just been named as one of the five best new deveolpments in the world.
smh article

Kylie Stillman's largest paper work to date was commissioned for the Westpac Corporate Art Collection. The tryptich sculpture Banksias is made from three stacks of computer paper positioned on an old style banker's desk, and was inspired by a visit to the archives in Westpac's Martin Place building.

banksias - silver banksia, old man banksia and coastal banksia 2010
paper carving:18,000 sheets of computer paper with wood base, perspex box
175 x 153 x 90cm

Kylie has a solo exhibition opening in November at Gippsland Art Gallery in Sale, Victoria. The exhibition dates are 20 November 2010 to 2 January, 2011 and it will be officially opened on Friday 3 December by Christopher Hodges.
Kylie Stillman's is an art of reduction, where presence is born of absence. In the last ten years Stillman has built a practice based on voids and negative space, carved from inert materials such as books and stacks of paper. Through this language of absence she fathoms fantastic menageries of plants and animals, faithfully presented in concise nomenclature...
Simon Gregg, Curator, Gippsland Art Gallery

red maple 2007
wood carving, 300 x 240 x 120cm

september 2010
Utopia Art Sydney once again combined a cross section of leading Australian artists for the Korean International Art Fair which opened in Seoul on September 8. Senior artists Marea Gazzard and Ronnie Tjampitjinpa attracted attention. Kylie Stillman, Eileen Napaltjarri and Helen Eager's colourful works were also a strong drawcard. The mix of indigenous and non indigenous artists has proved a positive point of interest and comparison.

This is Utopia Art Sydney's second visit to Seoul as part of the Australian Commercial Galleries Association initiative to introduce Australian Art to a broader audience. Arc One Gallery, Alcaston Gallery and Niagara Galleries from Melbourne made for a strong Australian presence. The support of the Australia Council has assisted this presence.

Gallery Director Chistopher Hodges said, 'Australian artists sit well in an international context and while recognition by the general public is growing slowly, our gallery peers in Seoul have been supportive and interested in the artists we represent.'

june 2010
PTA NOW opened on June 26. This exhibition reveals the breadth and depth of talent that continues to grow in the care of this true community organisation. George Tjungurrayi, Makinti Napanangka Patrick Tjungurrayi and many more.

Marea Gazzard featured on Art Nation on ABC TV on Sunday, 27 June.

John R. Walker is one of the artists in the exhibition 'two six two two' at Goulburn Regional Gallery, 15 July to 21 August 2010.

Peter Maloney jets off to Berlin next month where he will be exhibiting in Exile's 'Lost Horizon'.
He has photomontages at the Canberra Museum, and has created art for a new cd by Thee Mark Chapman Experience. Year Zero Records

The 12th biennial Melbourne Art Fair is on from 4 - 8 August; we hope you can join us there.
Tickets are on sale now.

march 2010
There is a lot happening in Art Month and Utopia Art Sydney is part of the action.
Some dates and info for the diary:

In the gallery:
March 20, 11am–12pm
'Inspiring Collecting: Indigenous Australian Art', Wally Caruana and Christopher Hodges in discussion as part of Art Month Events. To RSVP see artmonthsydney.com
All month
Bring the kids in for their free 'Family Gallery Trail' art inspired activities book, and a free art pack from Eckersleys.
Helen Eager is one of the contributing artists. artmonthsydney.com/news/family-gallery-trail

At 2 Danks Street:
March 17, 6–8 pm
Conversations at Danks Street: 'Does art educate or entertain?'.
An exciting panel debate the pros and cons of arts role today.

Out and about:
All month
Christopher Hodges has a sculpture installation at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel outside the Garden Court Restaurant. Great for lunch or a drink and a viewing.
March 7 to April 1
Helen Eager is in a group exhibition 'Ascent into Infinity' at The Delmar Gallery, 144 Victoria Street, Ashfield, including works from 1988 to 2010.
March 17, 12.30–2pm
Art class: Eckersleys and Christopher Hodges, Sofitel Wentworth Hotel.
Details: artmonthsydney.com/events/eckersleys-art-class-with-christopher-hodges

september 2009
Spring has certainly been a busy time for our artists and the gallery. Christopher was recently in Seoul at Utopia Art Sydney's stand at the Korean Art Fair, KIAF/09; see image below.

Stand at Korean Art Fair 2009

Kylie Stillman is having a good start to the new season with a selection of her bird books on show in Seoul. Kylie has just started a three month residency at the Green Street Studio in New York.

Also in New York are Doreen Reid Nakamarra and Yukultji Napangati from Papunya Tula Artists, attending the opening of 'Nganana Tjungurringanyi Tjukurrpa Nintintjakitja' We Are Here Sharing Our Dreaming'. This is their first show in New York. The exhibition features recent works by many well known Papunya Tula Artists including Makinti Napanangka, Ningura Napurrula and Ronnie Tjampitjinpa. The exhibition is open until the 26th September at 80 Washington Square East Galleries.

George Tjungurrayi has work in the New York exhibition and his three paintings make a stunning contribution to our stand in Korea. Works on paper by Helen Eager were also featured in Seoul and her exhibition of new paintings, 'Tripartite', will open at Utopia Art Sydney on Saturday 17 October.

 

august 2009
Spring has arrived early in Hunter Park, opposite Balmoral Beach. Christopher Hodges' latest public sculpture 'the white flower' has just been installed.
It was first proposed by Mosman Art Trust and commissioned early last year. This specially prepared site, with its slight elevation, allows the sculpture to be enjoyed from all directions.
The simple organic form is a classic Hodges work. At 2.5 metres tall this painted steel sculpture sits happily in its new home.

Christopher Hodges the white flower, Hunter Park, Balmoral

 

 

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