▶ 'HELLO DOLLIES' INSTALLED AT PENRITH REGIONAL GALLERY

Work by Will Coles, Fiona Fenech and Janet Parker-Smith installed at the Hello Dollies exhibition at Penrith Regional Gallery

▶ WILL COLES ON ART MONTH SYDNEY BLOG

▶ SENDEN BLACKWOOD INSTALLED AT SCULPTURE ON THE EDGE

Senden Blackwood, 'baku' installed at Sculpture on the Edge 2012

▶ WILL COLES + JAMES GUPPY, OPENING 6 MARCH

New work by WILL COLES and JAMES GUPPY will be on view starting the 6th of March. Please join us for a drink with the Artists to celebrate the launch of their solo exhibitions on Saturday 10 March from 4-6pm. In conjunction with ART MONTH SYDNEY, the Gallery is also presenting several free events, listed below.

Left: James Guppy, 'The Miscreants Burden' 2012, acrylic on linen, 137 x 92cm
Right: Will Coles, 'Britney' 2012, resin with iron dust, edition of 1, 23 x 33 x 19.5cm

▶ Join us for a glimpse into the surreal world of James Guppy as he demonstrates life drawing, Thursday 8 March 7-9pm
Spaces are limited so please RSVP to the Gallery, info@brendamaygallery.com.au

▶ Art at Night, Drinks with Will Coles, Friday 9 March 6-8pm
RSVP required, info@brendamaygallery.com.au

▶ Will Coles Artist Talk, Saturday 10 March 2-2:30pm
No RSVP required, all welcome

▶ James Guppy Artist Talk, Saturday 10 March 2:30-3pm
No RSVP required, all welcome

▶ PRESS: WILL COLES IN ART MARKET REPORT

▶ LEZLIE TILLEY + MAJOR ARTISTS, MAJOR WORKS, CLOSING 3 MARCH

A gentle reminder to visit the solo exhibition by LEZLIE TILLEY and the group show MAJOR ARTISTS, MAJOR WORKS before they both close on Saturday 3 March.

The angular and abstracted forms of Lezlie Tilley's current exhibition were created by connecting the 'a's' on a page from a novel. The shapes have then been laser cut in predominantly bright red, coloured acrylic which makes for an amazingly dynamic show. Due to the ongoing nature of the concept of the 'a-less novel', further works can also be commissioned in a wide range of materials including timber, metal and ply.

From Senden Blackwood's sensual, one tonne basalt sculpture to the minute watercolour figures, deftly hidden in Mylyn Nguyen's found chairs, the Major Artists, Major Works exhibition highlights the diversity of talent present in the Gallery's stable of artists.

Our next exhibitions during Art Month, will feature work by represented artists, James Guppy and Will Coles, from Tuesday March 6. If you are already on our notification list, we will send you an email as soon as the work arrives in the Gallery.

▶ JIM CROKE IN 'SCULPTURE 2012'

Jim Croke, 'The Short' 2011, steel, 14 x 60 x 3cm
Jim Croke, 'Freeze' 2011, steel, 14 x 51 x 5cm
Jim Croke, 'The Long' 2011, steel, 14 x 61 x 3cm
Jim Croke, 'Deco' 2011, steel, 61 x 14 x 3cm

"Relief sculpture is very different to sculpture in the round. It must sit on the wall and interact with it not simply be a "piece of jewellery" decorating the wall. It must have a undeniable presence in the space while not actually occupying much of it.

A series of sculptures of a similar theme and scale can help each other tell the story of the work." - Jim Croke, 2011

▶ TODD FULLER IN 'SCULPTURE AT SCENIC WORLD'

Image courtesy of Sculpture at Scenic World

Todd Fuller has a new artwork installed in the inaugural Sculpture at Scenic World which will open on February 16 and run until the 11th of March.

▶ BENJAMIN STORCH, 'THROUGH THE CENTRE'

Benjamin Storch, 'Through the Centre' 2007, hand-hammered copper, 90 x 90 x 30cm

Opening, unfolding space - 
One loop traversing another, 
Continuous and dynamic, responsive to influence. 

This is only the second sculpture exhibited in Australia by the British artist Benjamin Storch. 'Through the Centre' will be on view as part of Sculpture 2012 until Saturday 11 February.

▶ PRESS: 'SCULPTURE 2012' IN SMH

▶ EMILY MCINTOSH + MARCUS DILLON, 'VEDUTA (CITYSCAPE)'

As artists who work with glass we are very aware of how our art practices can have adverse effects on the environment. Rethinking the ways we make our work can substantially minimise its impact on the environment and is integral to our work practice. We recycle materials whenever possible and are mindful of the use of consumables and their effects on the environment. This work titled 'Veduta (cityscape)' embodies these practices and is the first installation that we have not produced any of the glass components via traditional methods ourselves; instead we are have re-claimed used clear glass jars and bottles from neighbours and friends.

Emily McIntosh + Marcus Dillon, 'Veduta (cityscape)' 2012, reclaimed and cold worked glass jars + bottles, 27 x 140 x 30cm (variable)

Glass requires high temperatures to facilitate its creation from sand and mineral elements, until it finally has the ability to be worked into its final form. It can take hundreds of years for glass to break down naturally but it can be entirely recycled using substantially less energy than is required during its original process of creation.

'Veduta (cityscape)' is a glass installation made up of around 200 re-claimed glass jars and bottles. These vessels will be cut, carved and repolished to remove the utilitarian history while still permitting us a hand in shaping each form in a way that is much kinder to the environment than producing each of from scratch. The installation once exhibited is able to be entirely recycled again.

'Veduta (cityscape)' illuminated by late afternoon sunlight

The glowing city scape of amassed glass jars is representative of any built up urban environment. City scapes are an intricate network of infrastructure, buildings, organizations and communities that reside within them. Being part of any environment requires responsible, thoughtful and careful practices to ensure environmental stability and sustainability.

-Emily McIntosh + Marcus Dillon, 2011

'Veduta (cityscape)' will be on view at the Gallery as part of Sculpture 2012 until Saturday February 11th.

▶ SCULPTURE 2012, CLOSING 11 FEBRUARY

We are delighted to report that we've had an overwhelming response to our first exhibition of the year, Sculpture 2012. So if you haven't managed to drop by, this is a friendly reminder that there is only a week left as the show closes at 6pm on Saturday February 11. Don't miss the big green polar bear by Jon Cox or the engaging suspended mirrors by Vanessa Stanley, both big hits with the littlest gallery goers.

Our next exhibitions include a solo exhibition by Lezlie Tilley and a group show featuring major work from our Represented Artists - both shows will be on view from Tuesday February 14.

▶ NEW IN THE STOCKROOM: OLIVER TANNER SCULPTURES

Left: Oliver Tanner, 'Copper Drip Bust' 2011, copper + silver solder on stone base, 70 x 30 x 30cm
Right: Oliver Tanner, 'Copper Wire Bust' 2011, copper + silver solder on stone base, 60 x 60 x 30cm

Using the body as a vehicle, Oliver Tanner’s work explores the balance between presence and absence, the fragment and the whole, emphasising structures of negative and positive space.

Tanner will be exhibiting as part of Introducing III..., on view from the 17th of April until the 5th of May.

▶ PETER TILLEY, 'NAVIGATING THE PAST'

Peter Tilley, 'Navigating the Past' 2012, patinated cast bronze, Corten steel, 135 x 44 x 44cm

In life as in nature, when all the prevailing conditions are just right we are rewarded with ‘a calm sea’. 

‘Navigating the Past’ is a privately constructed environment that is a juxtaposition of unlikely objects, collectively a symbolic arrangement that defies the ordinary. The odyssey of the boat is a metaphor relating to life’s journey, a voyage through time which takes on symbolic values and multiple layers of meaning. 

The work also negotiates the intersection of Egyptian funerary barques and contemporary history, transforming and combining those influences into a contemporary entity. 

Peter Tilley, 2011

'Navigating the Past' is on view part of Sculpture 2012 until Saturday 11 February.

▶ SENDEN BLACKWOOD, 'AIO'

Senden Blackwood, 'aio' 2012, carved limestone, Corten steel, 101 x 63 x 54cm

The piece feels like a return to "the object", despite it's size. While making it I really enjoyed it sitting in all the different positions and felt strongly that I didn't want to bolt it into one position. I want the purchaser to be able to change it if they wish, to keep it fresh.

Originally I had designed it to sit on one of the arcs. I liked the rounded "pebble" feeling to the convex side, contrasting with the cave/space of the interior. Obviously this presents quite a different feeling to the orientation it's in now. It was great to discover that it worked both ways.

The names I choose for sculptures are usually quite personal, this one possibly the most so. Ai is the Japanese word for love. To me, ‘aio’ definitely has a feeling of connection and of a loving relationship; two arcs opposite yet connected. The texture makes me think of warm summer holiday memories, of safety, privilege and maternal love. Like watching a sunny field of wheat through sleepy eyes on route to a summer holiday. My partner and I both have nicknames that end in o and we've had these names since we were kids. Like I said, personal.

Io is a moon orbiting jupiter. It is apparently the only planetary body in our solar system, other than earth, that has evidence of tectonic plate movement. This spoke to me in relation to the form of ‘aio’, especially when it is positioned concave side up. Sharp rising plates pushed high by huge forces.

- Senden Blackwood, 2012

'aio' is currently on view at the Gallery as part of  Sculpture 2012.

▶ SCULPTURE 2012, OPENING 18 JANUARY

Sculpture 2012 continues the tradition of opening the Gallery year with an exhibition showcasing some of the best and most interesting contemporary sculpture. This year features work from emerging to senior artists selected from around Australia.

This annual event was established by Brenda May in 1998 and continues to be an important platform for the promotion of sculpture.

Left: Kelly-Ann Lees, 'Woven Orb' 2011, recycled steel wire, 140cm diameter
Right: John Cox, 'The Rising Tide' (detail) 2011, polyester resin, edition of 5, 120 x 80 x 120cm

This year features the work of Senden Blackwood, Mark Booth, Walter Brecely, Robert Bridgewater (courtesy Niagara Galleries, Melbourne), Ewen Coates (courtesy Anna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne), Will Coles, John Cox, Jim Croke, Marguerite Derricourt, Corrigan Fairbairn, Todd Fuller, Kelly-Ann Lees, Angela McHarrie, Emily McIntosh + Marcus Dillon, Mylyn Nguyen, Leslie Oliver, John Petrie, Jimmy Rix, Fatih Semiz, Vanessa Stanley, Benjamin Storch, Oliver Tanner, Peter Tilley, Carmel Wallace and Jacek Wankowski.

▶ 2 DANKS STREET GALA OPENING

▶ COLUMN 8 - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

▶ PRESS: WILL COLES, PETER TILLEY + JIMMY RIX IN BREATHE MAGAZINE

▶ WILL COLES: ARTIST STUDIO

The street artist Will Coles has a studio based in the inner west of Sydney. He is currently busy preparing for his upcoming solo exhibition titled 'Nihilist archaeology' scheduled from 6 to 24 of March to coincide with ArtMonth. We recently added new sculptures by Will to our Gallery stockroom so be sure to check out the website to view his current listing.