OPEN GALLERY
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday March 13, 2010
OUT OF THE WARDROBEGabrielle Woodham's seductive prints are like the ghosts of dead, much-loved pieces of clothing. She inks and then presses old lingerie, shirts and more into dense rag paper so they leave their mark and every tiny tear, seam or tracery of lace is visible. They make for a strangely intimate encounter, like rummaging through a stranger's washing basket.Meyer Gallery, 269 Bourke Street, Darlinghurst, 9380 8014. Thu-Sat, 11am-6pm; Sun, noon-4pm. Until March 28.ALL OF US TOGETHERGraeme Townsend's paintings make Open Gallery feel all effusive and adjective-prone. They're big, bewitching, luminous ... Townsend is preoccupied with the ways undomesticated animals adapt to the manmade environment, and he paints like an angel. Exquisite critters €” fish, birds, rabbits, a monkey €” appear solemn and dignified in surreal circumstances. A gigantic fish flies across a pollution-shrouded sun; an outsized pigeon rides a phone box on the back of a ute; a penguin enjoys a slippery dip. These paintings make a great first impression and get better on closer inspection. The News from Haybalranald Plain is pictured.Christopher Day Gallery, cnr Elizabeth and Windsor streets, Paddington, 9326 1952. Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm. Until March 20.PASSAGE AND TRANSMISSIONDean Brown likes to watch people in public spaces while they're unselfconsciously going about their business. And he does so from above, like a CCTV camera. Then he makes prints of what he sees. Monochrome figures brimming with intent stride to work, lope past strangers, take phone calls and cast dramatic shadows that underline the rich, silent language of their bodies. Very appealing stuff. Back to Work Again is pictured.Australian Galleries, 24 Glenmore Road, Paddington, 9380 8744. Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm; Sun, noon-5pm. Until March 20.ALSO RECOMMENDEDHelen Geier at Wilson Street Gallery, Newtown (ends Sunday); Peter Solness at Hazlehurst Regional Art Gallery, Gymea (ends Tuesday); Ildiko Kovacs at Martin Browne Fine Art, Potts Point (until March 28).Send details of exhibitions to opengallery@smh.com.au. No attachments larger than 1Mb.
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