Take the time to read this wonderful three page article from Rex Airways inflight magazine about upcoming Retrospect Galleries photographer Perran Costi. His beautiful light boxes have been gracing the gallery for the last few years. Good on you Perran, we love your work!

A huge congratulations from all of us here at Retrospect Galleries to Shannon Doyle who has been selected as a Finalist in the Metro art Award, this is the work that was chosen and is titled Detention. We are so excited that Shannon is going from strength to strength and are looking forward to showin his work in ArtHamptons next week.

INCITE OUR IMAGINATION | Northern Star Newspaper by Helen Hawkes

These ethereal Visual metaphors from a local whimsical artist speak to the heart

His whimsical painting speak to the heart. In each of his works, artist Craig Martin, 36, masterfully encapsulates past, present and future with fanciful, cartoon-like visions that incite the imagination into life.

He confronts the human condition with beautiful, almost ethereal visual metaphors that leave the viewer with a sense of connection and wordless understanding.

 

 

Retrospect Galleries would like to extend all our love and condolences to Sarah Watt who passed away at home with her family last Friday. We wish to thank everyone who has been ringing with such love and support and to thank those who attended her exhibition 'Little Picture' earlier this year and made the dinner show and opening of the exhibition such a special event. Our best wishes and love goes to Sarah's family William, Clem and Stella who have been such an inspiration for Sarah's life long work both as an artist and film director. Here is a link to the article written by the Age newspaper. Thank you Sarah for letting us into your life. 

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/movies/tributes-flow-for-the-director-who-gave-her-all-20111105-1n1d7.html

"As the Director of the gallery, I would like to say how Sarah and her work have personally influenced me and how much inspiration she evoked. I am devastated to hear of her passing and think she is one of the truly great Australian directors whose films have changed many peoples lives. Seeing her art and animation gave us a true glimpse into her soul and helped us all look closely at the beauty of the Little picture, and indeed make us live and breathe and be in the now... Thankyou Sarah for the joy you have brought me, for the opportunity to sit by you and listen, for your art hanging on my wall and your honest friendship and support. All my love for now and eternity!" Bree Delian

 

The Sydney Morning Herald's art critic John McDonald has written an amazing review of Michelle Dawson's two paintings entered into the Portia Geach and selected as double finalists this year. This is fantastic for Michelle who has had a great year and is on the brink of her solo show at our Gold Coast Gallery in November 2011. See link below.

See the images from Michelle's new exhibition here...

"Foremost is Michelle Dawson's small portrait of the artist Rene Bolten staring at a sparrow with the kind of intensity Chairman Mao might have practised when he had these birds exterminated in 1958. This work, which was highly commended by the panel, is a superior piece of painting and quirky enough to stand out from the crowd.

To prove it's no fluke, Dawson has another impressive painting in the show, a self-portrait called The Visitation, in which she sits face-to-face with a hyena. I won't speculate on the symbolism but there's no denying the skill with which this artist paints flesh, fur and fabric".

Read Michelle's artist profile here...

Read the review in full here: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/womens-work-20111027-1mknn.html#ixzz1cWaDcpIH

 

 

Congratulations to Nikky Morgan Smith who won the painting category in the Coraki art prize with her beautiful work the truth of white lies. A big congratulations from all of us at Retrospect Galleries..

See her artist profile and new work here...

 

 

 

Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize: Photographer Perran Costi's fantastic new work Micro Cosmos receives a highly commended from judges Dr Gene Sherman and Professor Ted Snell. We would love for you to visit the show and also to vote for Perran in the People's Choice Award. The exhibition is running to the 6th of November. For more info go to http://sculptureprize.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/2011_prize

Photographer Mari Hirata was featured in this months Harper's Bazaar magazine. What a fantatsic article...

Congratulations to Lisa Lee who has made it as a finalist in the Clayton Utz Art Award 2011 with her painting 'Be There at One'. Lisa Lee's exciting new solo 'In The Fast Lane' is opening tonight Friday 16th September at 6pm in our Broadbeach gallery, so please come along and join us for a wine and tapas.

Click here to see the works in Lisa's exciting exhibition In The Fast Lane…

 

 

Click here to see the finalists...

Congratulations to Deb Mostert who has made it as a finalist in the Clayton Utz Art Award 2011 with her painting 'Tin Clown with Butter Knife'

Click here to see Deb's available works and artist profile..

Click here to see the finalists and read more about the award...

Congratulations to Jan Van Dijk whose creative and powerful peice Le Fox was selected as a finalist in the 2011 maritime Art Prize. We are excited to announce that we have booked Jan in for a solo show at our Broadbeach gallery in March 2012.

See his artist profile and works here...

Since 2002 the Mission to Seafarers Victoria art prize has exhibited the work of over 700 artists and fast become recognized as Australia’s leading maritime art award. Prize money awarded to date has exceeded $119,000 and the organisation has raised approximately $180,000 toward the provision of seafarers’ welfare services in Victoria.

Now known as the ANL Maritime Art Prize & Exhibition, the award was introduced to promote excellence in maritime and seafaring subjects in art; to raise the profile of the 1.5 million merchant seafarers responsible for transporting more than 90 per cent of the products and produce traded globally and to attract support for the work of the Mission to Seafarers.

Read more about the Maritime art prize here...

At Retrospect we're very excited to announce that three of our artists have been selected as finalists in the Portia Geach Memorial Award. A Big Congratulations to Michelle Dawson, Jessica Geron and Maryanne Wick. It’s Australia’s most prestigious portrait prize for female artists and has greatly contributed to the development of female artists in this country. It was established by Florence Kate Geach in 1961 in memory of her sister, Portia Geach and is awarded each year to the best portrait painted from life of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters or the Sciences.

To find out more about the Portia Geach Memorial Award click here...

Maryanne Wick's painting,  Self Portrait (Reflection of a Night Painter)

Maryanne Wick draws attention to the incidental but often poignant moments we miss in our hectic day to day lives. Through painting, drawing and creating visual diaries, her subject matter focuses primarily on still life and figurative composition to convey - a sense of place - in quiet, unassuming ways. She has been described by art critic John McDonald (Sydney Morning Herald, 16 February 2008) as - an emerging painter with a subtle, distinctive touch.

See Maryanne Wick's profile here...

Michelle Dawson had an unheard of two entries selected as finalists in the prize her works are titled Sparrow Man and The Visitation shown below.

Born in New Zealand, Michelle moved to Australia in 1985. She has been working as a professional artist since 1996 and has studied both in Australia and the UK at the UCL Slade Art School. Michelle has been shortlisted for several major art prizes including the Bendigo drawing Prize and the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize. She has twice represented Australia at the Intercontinental Biennale of Small Graphics in Romania and was shortlisted for the CBCA 2009 Crichton Award for Best New Illustrator.

See Michelle Dawson's artist profile here...

This is Jessica Geron's painting, Our Time

Jessica Geron graduated from the College of Fine Arts Sydney (MFA) and is currently working out of Brisbane. She has had numerous solo shows in the last decade as well as exhibiting extensively in NSW, QLD and VIC. Her works draw heavily upon iconography and grabbed moments of pop culture. She is a compulsive hoarder of imagery, cut outs, obscure film and discarded postcards. Her bold and colourful canvases are a buzzing reflection of this obsessive compulsion.

See her artist profile here...

Byron Bay artist Rene Bolton was profiled in Coast Living Magazine this month...

"Much like his art, Rene Bolten is gentle, humble and unassuming. But while his paintings are dark and sombre, he is friendly and quick to laugh - there's humour and kindness in his eyes. He was born in The Netherlands in 1954 and studied art at the Academy Reitveld in Amsterdam..." Rene is one of the five artists who is part of The Drawing Groups exhibition opening 6pm Friday at Byron Bay.

See The Drawing Group Show here...

 

Read this wonderful feature on one of our special artists Michelle Dawson in Coast Living Magazine.

"Living and working in an old church in Bangalow, Michelle Dawson is becoming known not only for her beautiful drawings of mythical creatures but for her talents as an illustrator of children's books... Michelle has a number of exhibitions lined up for the rest of the year, including a group show called Drawn Together at Retrospect Galleries in Byron Bay in September, and a solo exhibition- Snowing Down South at Retrospect Galleries Broadbeach in November."

 

What started with a Kodamatic camera in Alberto Sanchez's native Spain when he was a child has morphed into a multitude of awards, critical acclaim and, on Friday night an exhibition at Boradbeach's Retrospect Galleries. Check out the photos of some of our guests who attented the opening night.

Gold Coast art lovers are flocking to see a series of brightly coloured paintings at a Broadbeach gallery, but casing even more of a stir is the identity of the artists. Artslave is made up of two collaberators who have been producing bright synthetic resin artworks for years. But no one knows who they are. The two wear balaclavas and gas masks during the creation and exhibition of their work...

Retrospect Galleries would like to extend a big congratulations to Lisa Lee who was selected as a finalist on the prestigious 60th Blake Prize with her painting Safety Seekers. This is great news for collectors of Lisa's work!

We are also very excited about Lisa's upcoming solo show at Retrospect Galleries QLD opening on Friday September the 16th. Lee's upcoming solo IN THE FAST LANE is an exploration of energy, and life in the ever accelerating speed of twenty-first century society. Lee's works spotlight the blurring pace at which our world is moving in order to achieve. Her subjects are paused in the fast moving urban environment, seized in heightened moments, suspending them in time, where motion is paralyzed.

Check out her artist profile here...

One of our favourite sculptures Daniel Clemmett has had one of his wonfderful sculptures chosen to exhibit in the famous Byron Bay Writers Festival. Thi sstory was published by the Norther Star Newspaper.

See link http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2011/08/03/sculptures-express-festival-spirit-byron-bay/

AS SCULPTURES were brought on to the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival site yesterday, project manager and curator of the festival’s Sculpture Competition Dev Lengjel watched in awe.

“This is sculpture of an international standard,” Mr Lengjel told The Northern Star.

“The pieces that have been entered in this competition are fine examples of what I would call contemporary populism.”

The largest piece in the competition is by Clunes sculptor Daniel Clemmett.

His Venus de Willendorf weighs half a tonne and was made of the underside of car bonnets.

Mr Clemmett’s muse for the work was the 11cm Venus figure estimated to have been made between 24,000 and 26,000 years ago.

“Most of my work is based around re-interpretations of contemporary ideological constructs,” Mr Clemmett said.

“If there had been hotels back then, there would have been aVenus fertility symbol in every room instead of a copy of the Bible.

"It was a god symbol.

“My wry commentary is the juxtaposition of an old construct, of a god figure, into what we now might call a morbidly obese one.

“And who knows how that might be re-interpreted in another 40,000 years!”

Mr Clemmett has been juggling sculpting for the past 12 weeks with the care of his new baby.

“I think there’s some irony in the fact that I subverted an ancient fertility symbol and the universe has responded by sending me a child,” he said with a laugh.

The 42 sculptures will be judged by festival guest and speaker Betty Churcher, who is best known for having been the director of the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra in the 1990s.

The winner will receive $8000.

The Coast Confidential team of Regina King and Peter Flowers once again captured the spirit on Friday night for the exhibition opening of the solo shows by artists Fiona Kennedy-Altoft and Melitta Perry.

"How could a girl refuse an invitation that says "Frocks, Feathers, Furs", especially if it is also Fiona Kennedy-Altoft's latest exhibition at Retrospect Galleries at the Oracle.  And so it was on Friday night that art lovers young and old gathered to admire the whimsical works that Fiona has created based on observations of the people around her and the animals she sees in them.  Her humorous, imaginative paintings have won several awards and will bring a smile to your face..."

(Image: (L-R) Artist Melitta Perry, Artist Fiona Kennedy-Altoft, Retrospect Galleries Owner Bree Delian)

One of our favourite magazines, Ocean Road Magazine came along to the latest exhibition opening at our Broadbeach gallery on Friday night for Fiona Kennedy-Altoft and Melitta Perry. 

A great night was had by all and we thank them for sharing their images with us.

Click here for link to story and photos of the opening night from Ocean Road Magazine.

We must also post about Shayle Flesser who has also become a finalist in the Prometheus Visual Art Award. Its been a good month for Retrospect artists and awards. Shalye also has some beautiful new work coming into the gallery for Drawn Forth in July.

Check out her artist profile here

 

We've finally got Fiona Kennedy-Altoft's profile and images on our website up to date. She is creating some very exciting new works.. And congratulations to Fiona for becoming a finalist in the Prometheus Visual Art Award announced yesterday. Check out her new works with birds which we are getting a whole solo exhibition of new work coming up in June in our QLD gallery called Frocks Feathers Fur.

Check out her artist profile here..

 

Congratulations to Alberto Sanchez for becoming a finalist in the Prometheus Art Award, the Head on Portrait Prize, The Brunswick Gallery Photography Prize, semi-finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize, all announced in the last 4 weeks! 2011 looks like an exciting year for Alberto with a solo in August in our new Broadbeach Gallery and also another solo in the Same month at the QLD Centre of Photography.

Visit his artist profile and see available works here...

This is his selected arwork.

Lisa Lee makes the fifth Retrospect artist to make it into the Prometheus Visual Art awards. Her selected painting is from a body of work we are very excitedly taking to Art Melbourne with us from her series Life in the fast lane. 

Visit her artist profile here...

 

Here we have Jan Van Dijk's exciting new work chosen as a finalist in the Sunshine Coast Art Prize. We never have any idea what Jan will come up with next and it's always exciting to see his work. 'Blue Beard's Cane Chair' is 122 x 122cm, Oils, oil pastel, pencil and aerosol on board. Congratulations to you Jan and good luck from all the team at Retrospect Galleries.

See Jan's profile here..

This is the picture of Blue Beard's Cane Chair

 

One of our artists Alberto Sanchez decided to look in an envelope he thought was an invoice and found out had been selected as a finalist for the Sunshine Coast Art Prize.

He joins other Retrospect Galleries artists Deb Mostert, Lisa Lee, Fiona Kennedy-Altoft and Jan Van Dijk. See the homepage of the awards here..

The image chosen for selection was his hand-painted photograph El Duelo pictured. Which is also the feature work for his solo coming up in August in our broadbeach gallery title El Duelo as well. See our upcoming exhibitions here...

This is his chosen work..

El Duelo

 

 

Celebrating mothers day, one of our favourite mums Deb Mostert is announced one of 40 finalists in this years Sunshine Coast Art Prize with her fantastic painting Vintage Fridge Magnets and Swizzle Sticks. This is her second year in a row for this prize. This work is from her series of swizzle sticks and now is a good time to purchase one of Deb's beautiful paintings.

Visit her profile here to see some fantastic available works...

 

Congratulations to Fiona Kennedy-Altoft who continues her award streak with her finalist nomination in the Sunshine Art Awards with her Magpie piece titled Offspring. The work shows a Magpie mother with her two little children, a clever parody on the housewife and motherhood, a very fitting post for Mothers Day.

At Retrospect Galleries, we're very excited about her upcoming solo show on the 17th June 2011 called Frocks Feathers Fur

See our facebook event here

 

For more information of Fiona and to see here available works please visit her profile here...

This is her selected painting Offspring

Read Des Bellamy's article in the Byron Shire News on our recent Photographic exhibition in Byron Bay, Shutterspeed. 

... of Charlie Gordon's works "His works in this exhibition are particularly poignant, capturing the nature sanctuaries in the heart of Tokyo, even as the media parade the devastation of last month's earthquake in Japan"...

To view the Shutterspeed exhibition online click here

Click on image below to zoom on article

One of our popular guest artists at Retrospect Galleries, filmmaker Shaun Tan recently won the Academy Award for best animated short film with The Lost Thing.

The Lost Thing, which took over three years to create, is a 15-minute fable about a boy in Melbourne who, while collecting bottle caps near a beach, discovers a strange creature that seems to be a combination of an industrial boiler, a crab and an octopus.

Read more about Shaun's Oscar win here

Click here to view Shaun Tan's profile on Retrospect Galleries and see available works  

Directors Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann accept the award for Best Animated Short Film for 'The Lost Thing'. Photo: Getty Images

View The Lost Thing website here

ARTS TRIBUTE TO SPLENDOUR AND YOUTH CULTURE

Splendour may be gone, at least for the time being, but it’s message lives on in an exhibition of art celebrating urban youth culture.

For the past three years, Retrospect Galleries has hosted an annual showcase of work by young urban artists, timed to coincide with the local youth culture festival, Splendour in the Grass.

And whilst Splendour has gone elsewhere to celebrate its tenth anniversary, the Gallery says they will still go ahead with their exhibition, as a remembrance that Byron is home to a diverse population, including the young.

Retrospect Galleries Director Bree Delian says Retrospect seeks to work cooperatively with all of the major events in the area, to enhance the visitor experience and add another dimension to the events that these organisations promote. As part of their program this year they have presented shows that tie in with the Byron Bay Film Festival and with Bluesfest.  They are currently working closely with artsCape to host the biennial’s indoor sculpture exhibition.  And they are also preparing for a new exhibition opening in August, in conjunction the upcoming Byron Bay Writers Festival.

“Splendour is one of Byron’s most successful homegrown festivals, attracting both locals and people from around Australia who travel considerable distances to come here for the weekend,” Delian comments.

“We have loved putting on a show in conjunction with this event, because it is such a celebration of youth culture and provides us with an opportunity to present cutting edge ideas.”

Delian recognises that there has been discussion about the types of events that Byron does and doesn’t want to encourage, but says she doesn’t believe it’s a matter of pitting one type of event against the other.  “A lot of events that are happening now are appealing to the 40 plus market.  Young people are also important,” she says.  “They are the future of the area. Without them how will we refresh the town-”

As someone who grew up in the Northern Rivers, Delian says she is very concerned that Byron is on the brink of losing the magic that made it unique. “Part of the magic of Byron comes from the festivals that attract a dynamic younger audience to the area, constantly challenging our ageing population to connect with the reality of contemporary society in the wider world,” she continues. “I also believe that the ideas and emotions some young people are expressing opens a door to an important element of our society and helps us look at everyday issues that are of concern.”

In the past couple of years Retrospect’s annual urban art show has showcases cutting edge works from young artists around the world, exploring themes such as consumerism, greed, poverty, homelessness, fear, conformity, uniformity and boredom, through diverse media including pop art, street art, stencil, drawing, painting, printing and mixed media.

This year the Gallery will broaden the show to embrace contemporary tattoo culture, in particular the emergence of the custom artist/tattooist and recognition in the art world of their original works on the human canvas.

As a local business owner Delian says she welcomes the influx of young people to the area that is associated with Splendour, for all of the energy and interest that this young crowd bring to the area.

“Recently we had a young couple come in who had seen our first urban art show, Where Mighty Giants Dwell, back in 2008,” she says. “They fell in love with Byron when they came here for Splendour a couple of years ago and came back.  This is how the visitor cycle is perpetuated.”

“Despite the element of young people who get carried away each year, we will miss the Splendour crowd in 2010. We hope that through our show some of the spirit of Splendour will live on.”

Revolution of Art + Tattooed open at Retrospect Galleries, Byron Bay 6pm Friday July 16, with a live tattooing demo in the Gallery, and fine bevvies sponsored by local brewers Stone and Wood.  Everyone is welcome, young and old alike.

You can view the Exhibition here...

Curating our upcoming show Revolution of Art has taken me the better part of a year. It's been challenging and interesting. I had found so many interesting artists that I liked for the show that I was suddenly confronted with the idea of what is Urban Art• And how would I define that for the collection I was getting ready to exhibit. The more I looked and researched the broader the area this term seemed to encompass. So I decided to show a broad cross-representation of the different styles swimming in the pool of Urban or Underground art.

Of course there is the traditional graff style and stencil artists whose work is getting more and more complicated and intricate as they are embracing fine art techniques. If you look at HaHa's work it is hard to imagine he does not use a brush to get the detail and colour palate that he is drawing on, and Miss Link who won Australian stencil artist of the year, whose delicate work is bringing in a new feminity that I haven't seen much of to stencilling. Then I have tried to showcase the fine drawing style that is coming from an illustrator background with artists such as Beastman and Mia Tanninaka who are often using wood and ink. The list goes on, as does the juxtaposition of styles, we have work by Troy Archer who is using pen and paper, and Kareena Zerefos who is using watercolours and drawing on themes of innocence and childhood. I am excited about some of our great printmakers this year including, Darren Bryant's who recently won two prizes in the 7th British International Mini Print Exhibition - The London Print Studio Prize, which is a residency at London Print Studio, and the Printmaking Today Prize, an editorial feature in the UK based Printmaking Today magazine. We have photography from James Looker and Snatchez using new and old photographic techniques and a series from Byron Bay photographer Jeff Dawson on the Burning Man Festival. Of course we have works that border on a new retro-ism and pop art from artists like Dennis Ropar and Doug Bartlett as well as emerging artists Kareem Rizk and Kevin Tran and bold colourist Johnny Romeo. Its a great show and this list hasn't helped our definition, I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't want to limit anyone's imagination by labelling, come to the show and let me know what you think, or feel free to make a comment below!!

It’s an exciting time to be a gallery showcasing Urban Art in Australia! We are still so far behind the UK and USA in terms of collectors appreciation of this genre of work, many of our great artists including Mark Whelan (Kill Pixie) and Anthony Lister have had to go to America to try and break into the scene there to get recognition and the prices they deserve. But the more I have researched the more excited I am about this talented group of Australia artists. I truly believe that there is an individuality coming through in some of the work in the Urban Art Scene today that is challenging and standing up to the standards of work being produced in USA and the UK. This is truly a good time to invest in this style of art as well, as I believe it is only a matter of time before some of the names you will see in this show will increase in value as well as recognition in Australia and overseas.

Probably the best way to end this post is to put in some words that Troy Archer sent me about his ideas on Urban Art..

-Bree Delian | Director Retrospect Galleries

"Imagine getting a criminal record for playing cricket in the park or for jogging along the waterfront, sounds crazy hey! Well for thousands of street and urban artists this is a reality, their 'jogging along the waterfront' is painting in public, under bridges, on condemned buildings, ultimately out in the public space for all to see, it's what they do to escape the realities of the day-to-day. These guys and girls are most often referred to as graffiti artists, vandals, troublemakers and juvenile delinquents; the work they create is in most cases illegal. But in recent years these 'beautiful losers' (google that and be amazed) are now regularly packing and selling out fine art galleries and museums the world over. Names like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Blek La Rat, and more recently Banksy and Shepard Fairey have thrown open the doors of the art worlds conscience beyond imagination itself.  What was once a 'tag' on a bus
shelter has become a multi-million dollar phenomenon; street art and the losers that make it are officially and firmly planted in the art world. English artist Banksy has never shown his face, he can't due to immanent incarceration if his identity is learned, he has illegally stencilled and brushed his way into the history books of contemporary art via brazen and ridiculously creative acts of modern artery. Banksy isn't alone, there are exciting stories of artists the world over, creating amazing works under alias or in complete anonymity. And of course Australia is dropping paint on the heels of the art world with some of the most amazing talent and passion in this genre, gaining almost as much recognition as Ken Done did when he hit the art headlines of the 80's. Names like Kill Pixie, Dmote, Beastman and plenty more are trailblazing their way to art stardom and the trail of thought and creativity is worth collecting. Keep an eye out for the public samples, they come for free, then head to Retrospect Galleries to immerse yourself further and start your collection. You'll be amazed at the work a bunch of delinquents can make when they are safely out of harms way." Troy Archer