Campbelltown Regional Gallery
Campbelltown Arts Centre
until 28 October 2007
Below left: ©Sam Tupou, Anniversary Skulls (detail) 2006, image courtesy the Artist, CAC and Artbank.
Below right: ©Newell Harry, Untitled (gift mat #I) Cape Malays / Cape Malaise, 2007, Pandanas and dye, courtesy the artist, CAC and Roslyn Oxley 9 gallery.
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Les flâneurs et flâneuses uncharacteristically found themselves in Campbelltown on a warm Friday evening, to witness the opening of this important contemporary show, curated by Aaron Seeto at the ever-interesting CAC. It was a night where the local Islander and Aboriginal communities sucessfully met with the world of high art, and the courtyard acted as an amphitheatre for an excited and lively family crowd, to witness hakas, song and storytelling, and Michael Tuffery's superb interactive projections (onto the 'sails' of the Arts Centre's facade), all part of his First Contact installation.The exhibition in the exceptional spaces of the Campbelltown Regional Gallery encompases diverse artists (with 'island' connections) from Australia and the Asia Pacific region , from the late David Malangi (Manyarrngu), Ganalbingu elder Johhny Bulunbulun, established artists as Simryn Gill (Aus/Malaysia), Guan Wei (Aus/China) Dadang Christanto (Aus/Indonesia) and Michael Tuffery (NZ), to emergent talents such as Dachi Dang, (Aus/Vietnam), Newell Harry (Aus), Rueben Paterson (NZ) and Samuel Tupou (NZ), as well as work that has emerged from community history projects and arts workshops. All the work is well worth seeing, with LF's standouts being Guan Wei's impressive whole-room installation, Newell Harry's woven gift mats (different ones to those exhibited at Roslyn Oxley earlier this year), Sam Tupou's acrylic Anniversary Skulls, and some superbly 'contemporary', anonymously decorated shields from Papua New Guinea, collected by the eagle-eyed Newell Harry.
You can find the full program at: http://www.campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/default.asp?iNavCatID=491&iSubCatID=2469
1 comment:
Hello, this is my first visit to your blog and I'm very impressed so far!
Thanks for putting me onto "news from the islands". My father lived in the Cook Islands for seven years and with every visit I watched as the art developed on the island of Rarotonga. Many artist's have passion for art production over there, but not so many with great skill. Their passion where possible, takes them to New Zealand or brings them here to Western Sydney to learn and in the end, we see their vibrant and energetic works and development.
I agree that the CAC is fab too!
Thanks again,
Alex
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