me @ Dark Horse Experiment, Australian's are very trusting with their expensive IT Consumables
I met up with a friend fresh off the boat from London for an evening in Melbourne. Having just arrived in Australia with his boyfriend and contemplating where to call home for the foreseeable future - Melbourne or Sydney. My own decision was a relatively simple analysis - the amount of interesting people I encountered whilst wandering the streets. Which of course was Melbourne, rich in ethnic diversity, fashion identity, musical individuality and pretty trams. However as my companion pointed out (something he wasn't prepared for) was Sydney's WOW factor, skyline, beaches, great weather and a capital city feel. Add to that the thriving magazine and fashion industry Sydney on first inspection was out shining Melbourne!
Sydney folk are very complimentary about Melbourne, they love the food, music and fashion, however the reverse is less generally less favourable with Melburnian's regarding there big brother as brash, in-your-face and money orientated, perhaps a touch of sibling rivalry.
To appreciate what Melbourne has to offer, requires more than a tram ride around the city, it reveals itself to you slowly, work and time are required to fully enjoy the fruits, there are hidden bars, cafe's and parks tucked away in the northern suburbs that offer something different. A bike ride along Merri Creek, will take you to Collingwood City Farm, where you can observe the peacock's fighting it out in the trees. A grey winter is peppered with an impressive array of festivals, comedy, music, film, human rights, or a human rights comedy, music, film, festival.
I met up with a friend fresh off the boat from London for an evening in Melbourne. Having just arrived in Australia with his boyfriend and contemplating where to call home for the foreseeable future - Melbourne or Sydney. My own decision was a relatively simple analysis - the amount of interesting people I encountered whilst wandering the streets. Which of course was Melbourne, rich in ethnic diversity, fashion identity, musical individuality and pretty trams. However as my companion pointed out (something he wasn't prepared for) was Sydney's WOW factor, skyline, beaches, great weather and a capital city feel. Add to that the thriving magazine and fashion industry Sydney on first inspection was out shining Melbourne!
Sydney folk are very complimentary about Melbourne, they love the food, music and fashion, however the reverse is less generally less favourable with Melburnian's regarding there big brother as brash, in-your-face and money orientated, perhaps a touch of sibling rivalry.
To appreciate what Melbourne has to offer, requires more than a tram ride around the city, it reveals itself to you slowly, work and time are required to fully enjoy the fruits, there are hidden bars, cafe's and parks tucked away in the northern suburbs that offer something different. A bike ride along Merri Creek, will take you to Collingwood City Farm, where you can observe the peacock's fighting it out in the trees. A grey winter is peppered with an impressive array of festivals, comedy, music, film, human rights, or a human rights comedy, music, film, festival.
To fly the relatively impartial flag (I have no loyalty to
Melbourne or Sydney at this stage) an adventure to unearth the merits of
Melbourne was in order. With that in mind we embarked on a Thursday
evening gallery hop, one of the great plus points of Melbourne is the
burgeoning art scene both disparate and plentiful, there were eight
galleries I knew of with openings that evening - we opted for four in
the CBD all within walking/tram jumping distance.
The first, Flinders Lane Gallery, is a slick and rather
affectionate money operation, the atmosphere both hospitable and
gracious, there is nothing more awful than walking into a fancy gallery
and being given the death stare of rejection. Okay you can't afford the
art, but you're civilised and educated enough to appreciate it, plus you
probably bring the 'credibility' factor up a little. As we drank the
complimentary wine (best wine of the evening) and if nibbled on the
remaining strawberries from the cheese platter, we engaged in
conversation with one of the gallery representatives, the works in the
main room had sold out all bar two. William Breen's oil on linen
paintings were enticingly nostalgic yet modern depictions of
Melbourne. These candid still lives captured the more edgier side
of Fitzroy, Collingwood and Northcote in an endearing light and fitted
perfectly into any design based environment. I was impressed by the
tones and use of shadow and wondered if my home might one day be
captured in the same way. The side room was home to industrial
sculptures, less accessible, Scott remarked they 'belonged in the lobby
of a large corporation', perhaps a mining one? Anyway we were less
enthused and headed onwards.
William Breen at Flinders Lane Gallery
William Breen at Flinders Lane Gallery
William Breen at Flinders Lane Gallery
We were lucky enough to be shown paintings by William Breen from a previous exhibition.
Sean Bailey at Diane Singer
William Breen at Flinders Lane Gallery
William Breen at Flinders Lane Gallery
William Breen at Flinders Lane Gallery
We were lucky enough to be shown paintings by William Breen from a previous exhibition.
Up seven floors of the Nicholas Building sits Blindside Gallery, an artist run space, it
has the worst and most expensive wine on offer, last time I was there I
actually laughed at how bad the wine (and art) was. This time the wine
was as bad as I remembered, yet the art had improved slightly, still
conceptual, the back room displayed work inspired by an essay written by
an Academic who I've witnessed in a pool of vomit one drunken evening.
It was a mix up of kryptonite and power lines, perhaps I should get
round to reading the essay, however if the paintings by Piers Greville are anything to go
by, I'm sensing it will be a tale of pre-apocalyptic meltdown. We gagged
our wine down, engaged in pleasantries and moved on.
Piers Greville at Blindside Gallery
Next was a most unfriendly bunch, unhindered by the energies in the
room, it was interesting to gauge how different each venue and crowd
was. If I could equate the audience to a certain social set, it would be
a brief period of severe insecurity when realising art school was about
who could out cool each other, not through style but sheer intimidation
and pretentious demeanour. The gallery, Daine Singer was cute and hospitable paintings by Sean Bailey were small and abstract in
form, colour blocking and without context left me underwhelmed. A
respite came in a trip to the toilet, we had to be escorted through the
architecture studio upstairs, lots of fancy apples and high ceilings,
swish.
Sean Bailey at Diane Singer
Sean Bailey at Diane Singer
Our last stop ended on a high, Dark Horse Experiment gallery home to a solid selection of medium to large scale figurative paintings by Adrian Doyle with decorative abstract fills - a modern day Klimt, the owner dressed in skinny leather tie was masquerading as a waiter, interacting with his clientele and creating an inclusive vibe. We were lead through a door into a large collaborative open studios, with music playing and around each desk were people encouraging you to observe their work, they are hosting a full on party on the 23rd December, so watch this space for details.
Our last stop ended on a high, Dark Horse Experiment gallery home to a solid selection of medium to large scale figurative paintings by Adrian Doyle with decorative abstract fills - a modern day Klimt, the owner dressed in skinny leather tie was masquerading as a waiter, interacting with his clientele and creating an inclusive vibe. We were lead through a door into a large collaborative open studios, with music playing and around each desk were people encouraging you to observe their work, they are hosting a full on party on the 23rd December, so watch this space for details.
Adrian Doyle @ Dark Horse Experiment
Adrian Doyle @ Dark Horse Experiment
Adrian Doyle @ Dark Horse Experiment
Open Studios @ Dark Horse Experiment
Open Studios @ Dark Horse Experiment
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