Rick Amor at Liverpool Street Gallery

Rick Amor
" Journey", 2007, oil on canvas, 117 x 130cm

Excitedly ripped open the envelope encasing the forthcoming exhibition catalogue at Sydney's Liverpool Street Gallery, why, because, inside I knew was waiting a Rick Amor catalogue for my eyes to devour. It is a big call, but I've seen hundreds of Rick's paintings, I own one, I love his work, but the image #5 "Journey" is a show stopper, it immediately reminded me of Arnold Böcklin's, "The Isle of the Dead" or "L'ile des morts".



I think others have tackled this imagery, the most obvious other person is Australian artist, James Gleeson, our greatest and oldest living practising artist. I'm sure Gustave Moreau painted something of this subject too but I'm just trying to place that and cannot at this point.

Amor's, "Journey", is a beautifully sinister painting and the emotion the work imbues could hold my attention for hours. So if you are in Sydney, the exhibition opens on Wednesday September 3 6-8pm at Liverpool Street Gallery, 243a Liverpool Street, East Sydney.

Trapped in Adelaide

Feeling a little trapped in Adelaide at the moment. The above empty scene, from a recent photo shoot, is from the old Wool Stores around Port Adelaide, it seems to reflect my state of mind! The Melbourne Art Fair 2008 has come and gone and I wasn't able to get there, which has not made me the happiest little squidgit on the planet. I do enjoy seeing which artists have been selected as the 'push' at the Fair. Meaning, the artists that are hot one Fair are not necessarily those that are the following Fair.

It is also South Australian Living Artists Week in Adelaide until the 17th August. I haven't found a lot to interest me this year and am disappointed that local artists are actually supporting SALA on SALE, which is akin to a jumble sale at the local markets for whatever you can sell your work for. I just think its demeaning and downgrades the integrity of the having a festival celebrating the artistic talent of the state.

Meanwhile, I am parking myself by the heater, closing the studio door and painting when I can, which does help to keep me sane.