Whether you’re a collector, academic, or have little to no knowledge of Sydney’s growing art scene, Sydney Contemporary has something for everyone. Australasia’s largest international art fair is situated in the distinctive nineteenth century industrial interior that is Carriageworks and opened open to the public yesterday with an estimated 100 exhibitors from 14 different countries, 500 individual artists represented, and thousands of contemporary artworks for that little creative inside of you to gorge upon over the next four days.
The biennial 
event hopes to build upon the success of the inaugural fair held in September 2013 that attracted more than 28,000 visitors over the four day period with an estimated $10 million in sales. An impressive figure considering that Art fairs generate roughly 40% of the annual sales of art in Australia!
It is beyond easy to get lost in the multitude of corridors with some of the world’s finest contemporary works; everywhere you turn you are faced with a sensory experience whether it be in the vast halls of the main exhibition room or discrete spaces housing a more intimate encounter. Contemporary art, as described by fair director Barry Keldoulis, is the marriage of both ideas and aesthetics, which is not necessarily visual in nature but often an experience for all our senses.
All artworks in the exhibition are for sale for prices both reasonable and those us mere mortals can only dream of! With this year’s introduction of the new Paper Contemporary section, however, many of the works are much more accessible to those of us with relatively modest budgets who are wanting to add just a little something special to their walls or shelves and maybe even start their own c
collection.
My personal favourite from our Australian home team is the work of Lucienne Rickard, recently highlighted amongst the works of the MCA’s Primevera exhibition in late 2014. The intricately drawn heavy graphite works are beautifully displayed amongst their kind, shimmering in contrast with the pristine walls of the gallery space, guiding you into a state of worship and appreciation for the clear hundreds of painstaking hours that the artist has obviously spent bent over each of the works. I was lucky enough to speak to the artist herself about the process she has developed for these works, a process that has taken around two years to understand and perfect. The photos don’t do the pieces justice and I urge you to go and look close up for yourself.
As a part of Sydney Contemporary, the annual Glenfiddich Artist in Residence contest is open to Australian artists both established and emerging for the first time. The lucky winner will be given the opportunity to live and work for three months at the Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, a prize valued at $21,000. The judges have been so impressed that this year’s finalists total seven instead of the expected five, a testament to the sheer quality of the Australian entrants. The artwork of these lucky few will be displayed at the Glenfiddich pop up bar, opposite the sights of the main hall at Sydney contemporary, for you to peruse in between sips of that delicious golden nectar that is Glenfiddich whisky or their specialised cocktails, designed specifically for the event.
Speaking to Camero
n Robbins, a Melbourne based artist and one of the lucky seven highlighted in the exhibition it is clear of the sheer talent that is evident in the Glenfiddich prize. Working with the combined mediums of photography, wind, light, kinetic art and mechanical movement, Robbins’ works encapsulate a new view of the environment and the way in which we affect it and respond to it. His exhibited Anemograph (2014) (left) is both weird and wonderful in its complexity and appears in the space almost as a madman’s static contraption. Put in the windy setting of Falls Creek Victoria, however, and the work is transformed into an automated drawing of the landscape which has been beautifully documented through Robbins’ stunning photography. Looking at his art’s strong connection with the environment, it is clear as to how well his work would compliment the wild rugged landscape of the Scottish countryside.
Written by Emily Johnson
Event Details:
WHEN: Thursday 10th – Sunday 13 September
WHERE: Carriageworks , 245 Wilson St, Redfern NSW.
TICKETS: sydneycontemporary.com.au/tickets/
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