Art news

A well-known name amongst New Zealand's creative community, photographer Richard Orjis is this week opening a new, highly anticipated solo show at Auckland's Starkwhite gallery. Entitled Little Black flowers Grow, In The Sky, the show sees Orjis (who never shys from the slightly surreal and daedalian) explore nature at it's most beautiful, dark and dangerous; as he explains of the work "Art history, popular culture, fact and fiction, fear and lust, growth, decay, past and present collide". Little Black Flowers looks stunning so if you're in Auckland tonight, be sure to check out the show's opening from 6pm. The exhibition runs until september 20. Starkwhite Gallery, 510 Krd.

Sydney independent publishers, The spring Press, are excited to release Out of The Blue; a beautifully bound tome of work from lauded Parisian photographer, Henry Roy. A student of the warm, observational and un-preened school of photography, Roy has shot for the likes of Paris vogue, W Magazine, Purple, Purple Journal, Art Review, Doingbird, Dazed & Confused (UK), Another Magazine and the other usual cultural suspects. Out of the Blue chronicles the last nine years of Roy's personal works;  with particular eminence placed on his grapplings with and exploration of racial identity. The Sydney lauch of Out of The Blue follows an initial and well-received release in Paris. See above for details.

Tonight, Sydney artist Jordana Maisie presents an exhibition that sounds waaaay to clever for me to comprehend. Entitled The Real Thing Maisie's show looks at the growing role of technology in our lives; asserting our new found ability in finding different ways of being as well as seeing and exploring, amongst other things, our body's potential in physical Vs virtual space. Of course, Jordana is a talented new media artist who can probably explain all this a lot better (through video, sound and installation) than I can with my stumbling words so be sure to head to Black and Blue tonight from 6PM to gain a clearer understanding!!! The Real Thing runs until September four.

The Neo Goth exhibition at the UQ Art Museum looks at the darker aspects of popular culture. We know gothic culture isn’t new. It has it’s roots in 18^th century literature and it’s from this base that the lineage of today’s goth culture can be traced. The exhibition explores the subculture and different interpretations of it. It challenges it’s underground status, suggesting it’s aesthetic has been absorbed into the mainstream. “neo goth dips beneath the surface and takes a peek at the noir underbelly of Australian culture as it is manifested across art, fashion, film and literature.” So check it out, it runs until 21^st September and entry is FREE. Gotta love that. More Here. 

NSW illustrator Bindi Booth has just released a hella-cute new batch of hand-made prints. Entitled "Home Crafts" the collection depicts all sorts of kitsch favourites; from owls to teacups to tiny stylised geisha girls (my personal fave is the lampshade print you see above). The works are printed on 100% cotton paper and with a limited run of 200,  each one is almost as rare and covetable as a Tretchikoff painting or a pair of original 1960's  Japanese, siamese cat salt & Pepper shakers (retro fan much?).  to see more of or order one of Bindi's prints, head to her website.

Who doesn't like Miss Beci Orpin? This Friday the Melbourne artist with the whimsical and fairy-tale-like work is opening a new solo exhibition at Melbourne's Outre gallery. With her decorative style and fondness for little creatures, Orpin is a long-standing YEN favourite. This latest show, entitled Outside, Over There promises to be as ethereal as ever, with "deliciously homely themes with a twist" and a world of "rooftops with mysterious silhouettes and dreamlike objects perched thereon". Ooooh-er! Outside, Over There Opens this Thursday, August 22 and runs until September 14. Outre gallery can be found 249 Elizabeth St, Melbourne.