The Art Squirrel has moved...

... to Robin Gibson Gallery

Evelyn Wai | ACROSS THE SEA

"A home embodies traditions and cultures; it becomes the basis of self-identity, linked to the memories shared within the space.

My work aims to explore the breaking down and fluidity of one’s self-identity through cultural experiences. Feelings of homeliness and displacement – the longing to escape and the desire to belong – are represented by different views of the home.

Stranded in limbo, through the imperfections of identity’s destruction and reformation, the feeling of never being able to truly belong to any culture lingers."

Evelyn Wai

Evelyn Wai | Robin Gibson Gallery

David

DAVID EASTWOOD has in recent years become known for painting wonderfully opulent and staged interiors, often leaving the viewer breathless with his virtuosity as a painter. So naturally I was intrigued to see how this related to his own real life home which doubles as a studio, and it seemed like perfect timing seeing as he currently has a solo exhibition on at ROBIN GIBSON GALLERY 

What greeted me in his recently acquired inner west terrace was not necessarily what I expected, but certainly not altogether surprising. There was a sense that I had in fact walked into a David Eastwood painting given the familiar (and often distinctly orange) 1970s 'props' which I'd seen in many of his paintings

What would normally be a living room in a usual terrace house's layout inside the front door, does in fact feel like the main room of the house, but rather than the usual comfy sofa and television, it is filled with what one might normally expect to see in a painter's studio, filled with mid morning natural light, easels, paintbrushes and pots of paint

Unlike many artists studios though, this one at first glance is spotless and extremely well organised, confirming my suspicions of David's work ethic

As well as a number of David's own paintings and drawings throughout the house, there are many works by friends often acquired as 'swaps', and although he has been living here for only a few months, already he has left his mark, with a few plans which might make this terrace look even more like one of his paintings

David's studio, with a few works in progress

Lots of light in this terrace, perfect for a studio

OBSTACLE  leaning against the wall is one of the works in his current exhibition at Robin Gibson Gallery

PINK FROST is another work in the exhibition

Dining room alcove off the very large kitchen with one of David's earlier paintings WEAVE from 2003

ROBIN

Robin recently received in the mail an illustrated catalogue for an auction to be held at Menzies of 'IMPORTANT AUSTRALIAN & INTERNATIONAL FINE PAINTING & SCULPTURE'

Lot 48, Brett Whiteley's THE ORANGE TABLE of 1978, was familiar to him - he had in fact bought it when he represented Whiteley in the 70s, and had sold it on...

When it sold for $872,727.00 he decided to go through his records and found these great photos. They are of his collection while living in Paddington above the gallery when it was in Gurner Street - the first photo below is of his dining room with THE ORANGE TABLE hanging above an antique Chinese altar table

THE ORANGE TABLE hanging above the altar table

you can see some of THE ORANGE TABLE through the doorway on the left

David Eastwood  L'ANTICHAMBRE
PAPER TRAIL
Robin Gibson Gallery

BABABA INTERNATIONAL

My fascination with BABABA INTERNATIONAL started with POSSIBLE CURRIES. For just one moment my world was magically turned into a scene which might well have been in Kurt Weill's THREEPENNY OPERA. Ivan, one of the four young men in this collective, fulfilled a promise by delivering Robin and I two vegetarian curries at my nominated time and location. This was their project - we weren't expected to make a donation, our role in their project was simply to place an order and accept delivery. His arrival was announced by the dull thud of his Brechtian like cart filled with curries being dragged up the Victorian sandstone steps to our front door. Our curries were warm, super tasty and delivered right on time - they were made with the produce which had been exhibited at KUDOS GALLERY a week earlier. These same deliveries were made throughout metropolitan Sydney

So when Tom, another member of the collective, suggested that I visit their studio aptly named BABABA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT in Sydney's Redfern, although uncertain as to what I might capture, I couldn't resist.

By this point having also met the other two members of BABABA, Giles & Steve, I was slightly in awe of the way their brains worked, and was half expecting that I would be photographing the four of them frantically nutting out ideas, rather than photographing actual THINGS. This expectation was of course only heightened when I received this email confirming my arrival

But when Ivan welcomed me into the AIRPORT this morning, I think my first words were stupidly something like "oh, this place smells like work" because I was struck by the smell and sight of tools and machinery, and just about everything you might expect in a studio where art was being made. At this point I couldn't help but think of my forever travelling cousin's recent Facebook status update about the charms and spectacle of Dubai's International Airport...

Thank you gentlemen for having me

The one remnant from the building's previous occupant, a sex shop - shiny black plastic bags nailed to the wall

from their SOUP work from Tin Shed's RIGHT TO THE CITY

ANOTHER SHOE FOR ANOTHER LIFE

Oliver Watts, on the ceiling

Charlie Sofo book made of unfinished sentences, hanging by a bulldog clip from an electric cable 

pin board from their MOP Projects exhibition

a work on paper for an upcoming project

Bababa International also make websites for other people - this is an illustration for one such website

Uncle Eric who was flown over for the construction of  the MUD BATH

for a future mud brick making project

Koji Ryui suspended wire sculpture

a group of clamps, ideal for clamp races

a box of not so private papers

poster for their FIRST DRAFT exhibition

drawings by Tom & Ivan

SOOTHSAYER

DEBT TIMELINE

an illustration from their Brisbane show

Ivan, Bababa International Airport

BABABA INTERNATIONAL

The Salon Hang

After nearly a year of doing this blog it's quite obvious that once people get the bug for collecting art they find it hard to stop, attesting to the joys of living to art and hence the purpose of The Art Squirrel

So it's nice to see the 'salon hang' being utilised

As someone in the business of selling art I sometimes hear potential buyers worry about one work of art not looking right next to another, or matching an item of furniture, or that they've run out of room. Although these concerns can be useful I find it quite refreshing when people throw them out the window, make space, and allow each work to hold its own. Here are some of the salon hangs I've already blogged, and a few more...

Justine

Carl

Fleur

Roddy

James & Anton

Robin