The sun has set on another Sydney Contemporary, with the Fair’s tenth edition drawing to a close at Carriageworks from 3rd-6th September. This milestone year welcomed 26,813 visitors through the doors; and while the Fair has chosen not to release sales figures, many galleries reported strong outcomes that were better than expected. As Australasia’s leading art fair, this edition brought together over 100 galleries and more than 500 artists from Australia and abroad, alongside its Installation, Talks and Performance programs.
Several thematic threads emerged across the aisles this year.
Figurative painting held a strong presence, seen in the work of Gideon Rubin (Fox Jensen), Diena Georgetti (Neon Parc), hyper-realist New Zealander Peter Stichbury (Fine Arts, Sydney) and Karen Black (Sutton Gallery), alongside Jelena Telecki (1301SW) and emerging artist Bridget Stehli (Nasha Gallery). Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery paired two distinctive female practices: Jenny Watson’s whimsical dreamlike paintings incorporating textile, text and occasional object with the material ambition and energy of First Nations emerging artist Mia Boe.
Victoria Scott, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery (Sydney), comments: “We had the opportunity to present a remarkable body of work from Jenny Watson including historic pieces, receiving a record price for her work, alongside a sell-out presentation of new works by Mia Boe. Sydney Contemporary is one of the best fairs on our calendar and we always enjoy sharing our artists with friends, colleagues and collectors from across Australia and abroad.”
Counterbalancing this figurative strength was an abundance of accomplished abstraction and colour field painting, notably from international artists Callum Innes and Mark Francis at Fox Jensen. Gow Langsford brought a rich expression of materiality and minimalism, presenting acclaimed South Korean artist Lee Bae in both painting and sculpture, alongside British sculptor Tony Cragg, a monolithic Bosco Sodi painting and a quietly powerful work by New Zealand’s Colin McCahon.
Indigenous art was, once again and importantly, at the fore. Utopia Art Sydney presented new work by Mantua Nangala alongside the next generation of Papunya Tula artists, including Angelina Nungurrayi, while the found-object movement from Yirrkala in Arnhem Land continued to delight, led by Gunybi Ganambarr (Annandale Galleries) and Gaypalani Wanambi (Michael Reid Sydney). Both artists continue to astound for their innovation, technical skill and dedication to sharing story of Country and ceremony. At Martin Browne Contemporary, Marlene Gilson’s delicate, detailed paintings of historical narratives of colonial settlement in Victoria during the Gold Rush era continue to enthral collectors and institutions alike.
Photography commanded significant attention, with Darren Sylvester’s new series “Hot Cakes” at Neon Parc, Jacky Redgate at Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Fiona Pardington at 1301SW, and Petrina Hicks at Michael Reid Galleries all revealing masterful levels of image construction and technical skill. Birds proved a recurring subject across several gallery presentations. Textile and woven works were equally prominent: Tammy Kanat’s deep blues, retro limes and creamy peaches dazzled at Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, while Yuki Kihara’s intricate pandanus mat works at Gow Langsford mapped weather systems across the Pacific, made in collaboration with community in Samoa.
A standout collaborative project as part of Installation Contemporary, curated by Jose da Silva and originally commissioned for the Tenth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, brought together Dr Ken Thaiday Snr, Dr Grace Lillian Lee and Allan George Lee. The kinetic sculpture draws on dhari headdress traditions and dance from the Torres Strait, weaving together threads of kinship, identity and intergenerational knowledge through contemporary sculptural form.
Ceramics and glass continued their moment in the spotlight, with several artists collaborating with Canberra Glassworks – among them Lynda Draper (Sullivan+Strumpf), Floria Tosca and Louis Grant (Sabbia Gallery). Ceramic practice was further represented by Ramesh Mario Nithyendran (Sullivan+Strumpf), Kate Dorrough (Arthouse Gallery) and First Nations artist Alfred Lowe (Sabbia Gallery). Sculpture rounded out the Fair’s offering, with strong presentations from Nabilah Nordin in Installation Contemporary (Neon Parc), Augusta Vinall Richardson (The Commercial) and Jamie North (The Renshaws’, who also opened a new gallery space in Sydney during the Fair week).
Beneath the surface of these presentations sat a spring art market in good health. As one collector at the VIP Preview noted: “What this fair does is bring people together, it is an annual reunion for the art world.”
That spirit carried through the aisles all week, with galleries deepening relationships with new and returning collectors and marking a genuine moment of momentum for the Australasian art world post-winter. As Amanda Rowell, The Commercial (Sydney), put it: “There was a vibrant energy this year. Someone suggested to me that we might be experiencing the ‘Lipstick Effect’, when in uncertain times we choose to indulge in the little luxuries to bring pleasure to our lives.”
