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Tanya Linney currently has a show, 'Cocoon', on at CBD gallery, Erskine St., Sydney until 9th November 2024. 

'Tanya Linney is a Sydney/Gadigal based multi-disciplinary artist. Passionate about the representation of the everyday and domesticity through the lens of historical art references . Linney looks to transform the materiality of paint and gesture through multiple processes developed on the studio floor. A tension between conscious and coincidental mark making anchors these works.
Linney is a graduate of The National Art School, Sydney (2017-2020) . She has exhibited her works in Australia and internationally and has been a finalist in numerous art prizes including The Sir William Dobell National Drawing Prize, The Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize, Omnia Art Prize The Waverly Art Prize, Redlands Art Award, The Alice Art Prize and The Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, and she was the winner of the Richard Luchesse Abstract Painting Prize. Publications of her work have been featured in Vogue Living, Belle Magazine, RUSSH, Pan and The Dream (New York) and The Sydney Morning Herald.'

Thanks Tanya and good luck with the future.

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Deirdre Bean

We interviewed Deirdre in her home studio in Newcastle surrounded by her wonderful paintings. We spoke to her about residencies, techniques of her work, working with Margaret Olleys objects for her current show at Tweed Regional gallery, her PHD in drawing mangrove species, creating an Australian postage stamp, and much more…

She currently has a show on at Tweed Regional gallery, ‘Domestica’, which is on until 17th November. 

Deirdre has been recently selected as a finalist in the 2024 Portia Geach exhibition at SH Ervin gallery. Congratulations!

‘Inspired by the natural world, Deirdre has always been fascinated with intricate details and perfect forms that the eye sometimes misses.

Her attention to detail and considered compositions continue to be features of her work.

Watercolour applied to paper or vellum with a fine-pointed sable brush are traditional materials Bean uses to illustrate the complexities of the botanical world. She spent seven years researching Australia’s mangrove species for which she was awarded a PhD from the University of Newcastle. Deirdre has broadened her subject matter to include military paraphernalia after artists’ trips to Gallipoli and the Western Front.

Since 2020, Deirdre has been working with oil paint, a medium she has returned to after many years. Since then she has been a finalist in the Muswellbrook Art Prize, the Calleen Art Award and the Portia Geach Memorial Award for portraiture. In 2022, she was the winner of the Gallipoli Art Prize. 

Her work is held in major collections including the Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh, USA: The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London: The Shirley Sherwood Collection, Oxford, UK: Parliament House, Canberra: Australia Post: The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney: Gallipoli Club, Sydney.’

Deirdre is represented by Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney 

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We had the pleasure of interviewing Euan in his studio, where we were immersed in his incredible artworks and drawings. Euan shared insights into his life as an artist, his views on the art world, and his creative process. With a career spanning over 50 exhibitions and numerous accolades, his achievements speak for themselves. See more below! 

Thanks for your time Euan.

Euan is represented by King Street on William in Sydney. Euan and photographer Craig Potton have collaborated on a stunning hardcover book ‘Look Out’, capturing the awe inspiring landscape and thought-provoking human connection to the iconic Southern Alps of New Zealand.

Available now with signed limited edition etching. Contact the gallery via email [email protected].

Euan is also represented by Niagara Galleries in Victoria, Bowen and PG Galleries in NZ. 

'Euan Macleod was born in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1956. He was awarded a Diploma of Fine Arts (Painting) by the Ilam School of Fine Arts, Canterbury University, in 1979, before moving to Sydney in 1981. He has held more than fifty solo shows in New Zealand and Australia and has taken part in numerous group exhibitions in Australasia and internationally.

Euan's work is represented in many private and public collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, and the Metropolitan Museum, New York. Euan has won art prizes in Australia, including the Archibald in 1999, the Sulman Prize in 2001, the Blake Prize in 2006, the New South Wales Parliament's inaugural Plein Air painting prize in 2008, the Tattersall’s Landscape Prize in 2000 and 2009, the Gallipoli Art Prize, 2009, and the King’s School Art Prize in 2011.

In 2010 Piper Press, Sydney, published a monograph, Euan Macleod: the Painter in the Painting, written by Gregory O'Brien. 

Surface Tension: the art of Euan Macleod 1991-2009, a Tweed River Art Gallery touring exhibition, curated by Gavin Wilson, toured six regional Australian galleries, beginning at the S H Irvin Gallery, Sydney, in November 2010.

The touring exhibition, Euan Macleod - Painter, curated by Gregory O'Brien, travelled to several New Zealand regional galleries between 2014 and 2017.

​In 2019 Macleod collaborated on High Wire, a book of drawings and words, with Lloyd Jones. It was published in 2020.' -Euan Macleod website 

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Julie recently sat down with Michelle Grey and Susan Armstrong, the co-founders of Arts Matter, for an interview. Unfortunately, Gary couldn’t join as he is currently overseas.

Arts Matter is a membership platform that offers a series of intimate programs in contemporary spaces around Sydney. What Michelle and Susan have built is truly remarkable. They come from diverse backgrounds, yet both are perfectly suited to running this kind of platform. Their impressive CVs speak for themselves, and we’re fortunate to have them creating such a dynamic, multidisciplinary arts program in Sydney.

When are you signing up?!!!

'Arts-Matter is a membership platform that hosts a series of intimate programs in contemporary Sydney spaces with the creative minds shaping our shifting culture. Through a series of thoughtfully curated conversations and experiences spanning the cultural gamut - from art, music, fashion, film, theatre, dance and literature - we cultivate community, spark debate, and thrive on bridging cultural, social and gender divides.

But most importantly … we've always believed the best part about Arts-Matter is our incredible community of members, creatives, friends and family. While our programs are always about supporting the cultural arts, community is at the heart of everything we do.'

Thanks for speaking to us ladies and keep doing what you are doing!!

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Gary Seller (co-host of Art Wank) wanted to interview us—Julie and Fiona—about our practices and the podcast. Its been a smooth transition as Gary joins the podcast, and Fiona steps back to focus on her commitments at NAS. Gary delves into the origins of the podcast and its future direction.

Fiona shares her experience of returning to university as a mature-age student and gives insights into life at art school. Julie discusses her evolving art practice over the past few years.

Enjoy...

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What an incredible collection! Gary and I visited their fantastic terrace house in Erskineville, where every wall is adorned with art. Tune in now to discover how they built their collection, the day jobs that support their passion, how they select each piece, and what they hope their legacy will be. It’s a great conversation with two fascinating individuals—thank you, Gordon and Michael!

'The Elliott Eyes Collection (TEEC) of contemporary art is housed in a private Victorian terrace house in Erskineville, Sydney NSW.

The collection of approximately 400 works (sculpture, painting and ceramics) focuses mainly on Australian and New Zealand art, but also includes work by German, Belgium, American, South African and English artists, all of which are on display. Four major outdoor sculptures extend the collection beyond the usual interior walls, tables, mantels and, in our case, even the floor of the house. 

The decision to open tEEC to public tours was prompted by a visit to Terry Stringer’s sculpture park “Zealandia” north of Auckland and by our inclusion in Skadi Heckmueller’s book, “Private: A Guide to Personal Art Collections in Australia and New Zealand” (Dott Publishing, 2015). It also follows the opening of the Lyon Housemusem and the Justin Art House Museum in Melbourne; both exceptional collections and buildings well worth a visit.

It is also motivated by the realization that once works become part of a private collection they can easily be ‘lost’ to public view. Sharing these works, and listening to other people’s comments and responses adds immensely to the pleasure we are lucky to experience as we engage with and enjoy the collection on a daily basis.

The wonderful experience provided by the recent trend of house museums, is that each venue is truly individual and unique; expressing the personal interests and character of the owners/collectors. Allen Weiss in "The Grain of the Clay" (Reaction Books,2016) has described collecting, or a collection, as an autobiographical statement. Unencumbered by the boundaries, rules and bureaucracy of public galleries, the house musem displays the passion of the collector – individualistic, subjective, imaginative and zany.

It is important to say that we live permanently with our collection. We are not a museum or a gallery. Artworks are displayed and incorporated into the everyday spaces of our house, working around the normal aspects and tasks of a standard household. We find ourselves drying off in the shower, trying to avoid knocking over Jim Cooper’s large ceramic flower and duck or, in quieter moments, spending endless hours trying to decipher just what is going on in Mark Whalon’s mysterious and deliciously perverse paintings. Some works are functional – Michael Snape’s security door - while others are more traditional, decorative pieces, acquired and admired simply because they are beautiful or significant works in contemporary (Australian) art history. 

While our collection is constantly growing, sometimes in divergent, unexpected directions, it’s central focus is on the figure in the landscape. This theme is only loosely adhered to, so an outlier work of art can easily capture our attention and find it’s way into the collection. Some works are ‘serious’ (e.g. our obsession with the 1950s and 1960s paintings by James Gleeson) and others are just ‘fun’ (e.g. Madeleine Child’s ceramic popcorn).'

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A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of interviewing Rachel in her home studio in Newcastle, NSW. Thank you for having us and treating us to a lovely lunch.

'Rachel Milne is a professional fine art painter based in Newcastle, NSW. Rachel specialises in figurative and observational oil painting, in the style of the impressionists, mainly focusing on the genre Intimism. Originally from the UK Rachel now lives and works in Newcastle, Australia. Before leaving the UK Rachel exhibited regularly with the Royal West of England Academy and is now represented by the King Street Gallery on William, Sydney and the Sophie Gannon Gallery in Melbourne

Rachel paints in all genres but is best known for her Intimist impressionist fine art interior paintings – room paintings and studio paintings – paintings of the everyday clutter of a working and living space.'

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Gary and Julie spoke to Ross over zoom not long after his exhibition, 'Moonlight -Daylight', at King Street on William gallery in Sydney. Ross Laurie is represented by King Street on William Gallery, Sydney.

'Laurie has won the inaugural Norville Prize for Landscape Painting, the COFA Print Award at the Paddington Art Prize and the Kings School Art Prize. He has also been selected as a finalist in the Dobell Drawing Biennial and the Wynne Prize, both at the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney. Notably, Laurie’s work has been selected for the Salon des Refuses ten times between 1995 and 2019.

The artist’s work can be found in numerous state and corporate collections such as Artbank, AGNSW, National Gallery of Australia, New England Regional Art Museum, Tamworth Regional Gallery, the Laverty Collection Sydney, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Macquarie Bank Collection and NRMA Sydney.

Ross Laurie’s 2020 solo exhibition at King Street Gallery ‘engaged the drought and it did so deeply. Many of the paintings in “Dry at Walcha” were suffused with the glow of pink light. But it was the arid stain of ash rather than nostalgia or eros that made these works glower’ (Anna Johnson, 2022). Lauries last major body of work and solo exhibition ‘After Storms And Rain’ 2022 ‘found a harder, brighter palette but also bolder geometric forms’ (Anna Johnson, 2022).

“It might be accurate to say that my work echoes the structure of the land. The verticals in tree forms. Multiple horizons. Forms and shapes embedded from childhood memories. I don’t draw in order to paint. If I do draw I’m after a way to help me see. There is no scaffolding.” (Ross Laurie, 2022)

Ross Laurie joined King Street Gallery in 2014. He lives and works on his family farm, Rams Gully, in Walcha NSW.'

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We welcome you back to a new season of Art Wank, hosted by Julie Nicholson and Gary Seller.

We interviewed three finalists of the 2024 Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize at Manly Art Gallery and Museum. The finalist exhibition is on now at Manly Gallery, Curl Curl Creative Space and Mona Vale Art Space.

We interviewed artists Zorica Purjila, Julien Playoust and Janet Taverner about their finalist artwork and their art practice.

Enjoy the podcast and check out their websites below -

Zorica Purjila
Julien Playoust
Janet Taverner 

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'Mook Simpson, a Sydney artist known for his unique blend of humour and quiet social commentary, is about to launch his latest exhibition, "Pretty Unsettling," at Damien Minton Presents. The show features a collision of iconic Australian landscapes and fantastical creatures, challenging perceptions of history and memory. Simpson's studio practice reimagines classic works from the Heidelberg School, inserting unexpected monsters into these beloved Australian scenes. This results in works that are both
familiar and strangely unsettling, prompting viewers to question their own recollections of the past.

Simpson's artistic endeavours aren't bound by Heidelberg incursions. After completing murals in downtown Los Angeles, Simpson returned to Sydney and embarked on a series of “unauthorised nocturnal en-plein-air" painting sessions on building site hoardings. After a brief encounter with the law – and subsequent positive collaborations with the city council and the building sites themselves, we have the large scale pieces at the centre of this show.

The exhibition, "Pretty Unsettling," brings together eleven of Simpson's reimagined works, alongside the two hoarding murals and companion ceramic sculptures. The show promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of Australian identity, memory, and the anxieties lurking beneath the surface.

Simpson, a former creative director in the animation industry, has garnered attention for his distinctive style and finalist placements in the Adelaide Parklands Art Prize and Maritime Art Prize. "Pretty Unsettling" marks a significant step in his burgeoning artistic career.'

Exhibition Details:
● Title: "Pretty Unsettling" By Mook Simpson
● Opening Event: June 25, 2024, 6pm-8pm
● Open: June 26th - July 6th 2024. Wednesday - Saturday. 11 am to 6pm.
● Location: 50 Buckingham St, Surry Hills, Sydney - Damien Minton Presents
● Website: Damien Minton Presents
Media Contact:
Mook (aka Mark) Simpson
[email protected]
+61406470964
Folder of Images for your convenience

Link to China's Van Gogh's documentary - here