The wonderful vast space of the Cutaway at the Barangaroo Reserve is filled with over 100  artists exhibiting a great variety of styles, mediums and techniques. It is an inspiring show. The stalls are held by individual artists, not by galleries, giving visitors the opportunity to talk to the artists and find out about their work. The artists are all living in Australia but the show has an international feel. Participants include artists originally from Papua New Guinea, Spain, Zimbabwe, UK, and across Europe. 

There is nothing particularly pitched to the Christmas market. No straight-out-of the tube red Santas. No impasto-laden pine trees. But there are hundreds of paintings, photographs and prints that would suit as a Christmas present under the tree. There are a range of sizes and prices. There are abstracts, traditional paintings, expressionism, surrealism, digital art and more. There is encaustic art, resin paintings, paintings loaded with impasto, flat paintings, watercolours and paintings with the ash from the 2019 fires embedded in the work.

Lesley Wengembo was born in Papua New Guinea, and has lived in Australia for over two years. Wengembo’s work mainly captures indigenous faces dressed in their traditional attire. He says, “as an indigenous artist, I try to capture an essence of what is still alive today that is expressed through their faces before it dies out”.

Josh Dykgraaf’s digital works are photo-manipulations made form images of moss, fungus, leaves, rocks and the like, arranged in the shape of an Australian animal. You must look twice (or three times) to see that the animal is really made up of thousands of smaller images from nature. They are outstanding.

Rae Freeman works with natural ochres, burnt ochres and ash form the fires. Martine Vanderspuy works with resin, producing the most amazing realistic beach and ocean scenes. 

Artists and art students might go along for inspiration. Art lovers might go along for the shear enjoyment of the evening. There are food stalls, a bar, and a few demonstrations. There is loud DJ music and a great vibe to the experience.

The show is presented by Saachi Art which will also present The Other Art Show in London Brooklyn, Melbourne, LA, Chicago and Dallas in 2022. As art aficionados may know, Saachi Art is apparently not under the aegis of Charles Saachi, owner of the famous Saachi Gallery in London. There has been legal action taken against Saachi Art for purloining the Saachi name.

The Other Art Show is on until December 5 , 4 to 7PM at the Cutaway.

Featured image : Lesley Wengembo Pic by Carol Dance

Article  by Carol Dance