Destination Sydney re-imagined
SYDNEY WILL BE CELEBRATED BY 9 SIGNIFICANT ARTISTS THROUGH 130 KEY WORKS ACROSS 3 MAJOR PUBLIC GALLERIES
Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Mosman Art Gallery and S. H. Ervin Gallery have collaborated for the second time in three years to showcase 130 key works by nine important Australian artists to celebrate the spirit of Sydney in a new exhibition Destination Sydney re-imagined.
The nine key artists whose exploration of Sydney form this exhibition are Ken Done, Adrian Feint, Ethel Carrick-Fox, Nicholas Harding, Michael Johnson, Robert Klippel, Roy De Maistre, Wendy Sharpe and Jeffrey Smart.
The three galleries have collaborated to stage Destination Sydney re-imagined due to the outstanding success of the 2015-16 collaboration, called Destination Sydney, which attracted record attendances of 75,000 people.
This exhibition has again been curated by art historian Lou Klepac working with Michael Hedger and Katherine Roberts (Manly Art Gallery & Museum); John Cheeseman and Katrina Cashman (Mosman Art Gallery) and Jane Watters (National Trust S.H. Ervin Gallery) who have chosen the works.
Sydney has long been a mecca for artists and an enduring subject in the history of Australian art.
Each artist was selected for their personal engagement with Sydney, influenced by their experiences of living and working here, with the city and harbour becoming central to themes in their work. Some of the artists selected were born in Sydney but found that the city’s pictorial and lyrical possibilities inspired them only after a long stint travelling abroad.
Ethel Carrick-Fox reveled in the light and colour of Sydney Harbour as well as the beachside suburbs of Manly and Balmoral, Wendy Sharpe’s Sydney is unmistakably female – voluptuous and sensual and most often viewed through the darkened lens of night and Sydney Harbour has been Ken Done’s playground for decades.
In an essay on Nicholas Harding by David Marr he says: Brett Whiteley has Lavender Bay. Grace Cossington-Smith beats all rivals to the Bridge. Lloyd Rees branded the Opera House as his own. Nicholas Harding has all stops Newtown to Central.
By featuring three artists in each of the three locations, it encourages people to visit more than one gallery exhibition and to think about and look at the landscape and urban space between each venue.
John Cheeseman, Director, Mosman Art Gallery said Destination Sydney re-imagined has again redefined the way exhibitions are conducted in Sydney. The three galleries have created a temporary multi-venue institution to compete with any major gallery in Australia. Sydney continues to be the ultimate art destination in Australia – this exhibition is a celebration of this.
Katherine Roberts, Senior Curator, Manly Art Gallery & Museum said given the popularity of our first collaborative exhibition 3 years ago with 75,000 visitors we are thrilled to be doing this again and presenting new artists whose names are some of the most well-known in Australia.
Jane Watters, Director, S.H. Ervin Gallery said I am delighted to be working again with two of Sydney’s wonderful public art galleries – Manly and Mosman to present nine of Australia’s most iconic artists in one exhibition.
Lou Klepac, Curator, said if this year’s exhibition Destination Sydney re-imagined is as successful as the first exhibition, then a system will be established in which art lovers will be able to see similar ‘Destination Sydney’ exhibitions as a regular feature in the art calendar of Sydney.
Destination Sydney re-imagined celebrates the city. It offers people the opportunity to walk around, look at and immerse themselves in art that is inspired by Sydney.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a diverse Public Program of free and ticketed events and an extensive colour catalogue which features the works and essays on each of the 9 artists. The catalogue is available at Manly, Mosman & S.H. Ervin Galleries for $39.95.