Art news

Fictions, a group exhibition at Melbourne’s Seventh Gallery, tells several intriguing and intimate stories. Jackson Slattery presents two photo-realistic watercolours entitled ‘Mistakes We Wish We’d Made’, each resembling holiday photographs and inflicting a strange sense of déjà vu or familiarity upon the viewer. In the centre of the space is Andre Liew’s installation, a curious life-size model of a man either homeless or simply down on his luck, all ironically titled ‘A Shining Torch of Progress in the Temple of Humanity, IV’. Fictions is a wonderfully arranged show with a refreshing array of local artists. – JD

I missed her. Twice. I would like to have not missed her. Yes. Both times.
I would also have liked her to stand on the stage in the blackness, that solitary light encompassed only Papa M/David Pajo, the musician she backed on the album Whatever, Mortal. The haze of that Sunday morning at All Tomorrow’s Parties this past April, at which she performed, denied me some things.
She’s Tara Jane O’Neil- not only a musician, but an artist, she matches sparse, folky sounds with charming and poetic, almost autumnal, illustrations. The other event that passed me by, due to absent memory capacity, was her exhibition at the 96 Gillespie Gallery, a gallery which seems to bring many (American) musicians artworks to life, and to London. Fortunately, they archive their shows online, so if you missed it, as I did, then only negligence would allow you to miss this.
Words by Angie Lawson

I missed her. Twice. I would like to have not missed her. Yes. Both times.
I would also have liked her to stand on the stage in the blackness, that solitary light encompassed only Papa M/David Pajo, the musician she backed on the album Whatever, Mortal. The haze of that Sunday morning at All Tomorrow’s Parties this past April, at which she performed, denied me some things.
She’s Tara Jane O’Neil- not only a musician, but an artist, she matches sparse, folky sounds with charming and poetic, almost autumnal, illustrations. The other event that passed me by, due to absent memory capacity, was her exhibition at the 96 Gillespie Gallery, a gallery which seems to bring many (American) musicians artworks to life, and to London. Fortunately, they archive their shows online, so if you missed it, as I did, then only negligence would allow you to miss this.

Apologies to Sydney siders if I'm a bit late off the mark with this one- but upon hearing of 21 Beach Cells, the installation on Bondi Beach which Gregor Schneider, the artist who created one of the most amazing and sinister art pieces I've ever experienced, I had to give it a mention.
There seems to be some contention over whether this piece is relevant to Australians and the residents of Bondi Beach, who have no doubt been rather bemused by the 21 cages enclosing beach umbrellas and blow up mattresses, erected on the beach since September 18th. He's mentioned beachside race riots and there must be references to asylum seekers in there, but Schneider simply says he chose Bondi because it is an intrinsic part of the national identity of Australia.
After being suitably shaken by 'Die Familie Schneider' in 2004- two identical houses in grimmest Whitechapel, London which the viewer had to enter solo, using a key supplied by the organisers, and in which he put 3 sets of identical twins who were instructed to do identical unspeakable things- I'm just jealous I'm not able to experience his latest offering on my home turf. For those lucky enough to be beach side, it's there till Oct 21st.

She prances through life on butterfly wings with a delicate and waiflike elegance, evoking the charm of a ballerina in a jewellery box.
For all who know her, Mish mash is an artist of two worlds; the technologically prone world she stems from and the world of long ago from where her vision spreads.
`Mish mash' is a long held nickname that evolved into an artistic style, and it sums both the art and the artist up perfectly.
"“My work is very organic, I like to use a lot of depth and texture, sourcing inspiration and imagery from all over the place. A piece of fabric, a leaf, a notebook, a photo, an extended glance from a passer by, a painting, a sketch,"” says Mish Mash.
Mish Mash is also a member of Bandwagon, the Gold Coast arts collective responsible for organising the Wonderland Festival to be held on November 25.
Her solo exhibition titled ‘Mish Mash By Name, Mish Mash By Nature’ at Burleigh Heads boutique, Love from Lucy on October 5 with live music from Dallas Frasca and her Gentlemen.
www.myspace.com/mishmashbetty

Have all you budding artists out there ever wondered what the secret is to making great art? Where that skeleton key to the door of imagination and endless talent lies? Well look no further...Being seen publicly for the first time in nearly 70 years, a collection of the most frank, honest and exciting letters, by the hand of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, are about to go on display at New York's Morgan Library and Museum. Showing until January, these telling communiqués to his counterpart, the French artist and poet Emile Bernard, were written between 1887 and 1889, during the height of his creativity. Containing many pearls of wisdom regarding art, love, health, sex and religion, it's his rather simple method and philosophy for producing "good work" that takes the cake...

"Eat well, be well housed, have a screw from time to time, smoke your pipe and drink your coffee in peace".

There you go then.

"Ever yours, Vincent".