Love Freo

You may know Shaun Tan, the illustrator. That’s the Shaun Tan, who won an Oscar for ‘Best Animated Short film’ for The Lost Thing. You may have also seen some of his beautiful work here in Freo at Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. Now Fremantle Arts Centre invites you the meet the other Shaun Tan, Shaun Tan the painter. It’s the very first exhibition of Shaun’s stunning paintings, which show Perth’s suburbia, where Shaun grew up.

Although I’m often recognised as an illustrator of stories, in private I see myself primarily as a painter of landscapes, particularly the suburban streets in which I grew up and continue to spend most of my time. This world is the bedrock of my imagination – a shoreline of light, space, restless silence – and my suburban paintings of the past twenty years are perhaps more self-defining than anything else I’ve created as a book or film maker. Collecting them together under the roof of Fremantle Arts Centre (a place I visited often in my youth seeking inspiration and direction) is a terrific privilege and opportunity. I hope that exhibition visitors might enjoy the same realisation as I have during my local wanderings with a sketchpad or paint-box: that the most ordinary places can also be the most mysterious. Shaun Tan, 2012

Shaun’s exhibition is opening tonight and if you’re one of the lucky ones who have registered for his (fully booked) artist talk, screening of The Lost Thing and Q&A, you’ll meet him in person tomorrow.

Shaun Tan: Suburban Odyssey
Fremantle Arts Centre
Opening Celebration Friday 18 May, 6:30pm
Exhibition runs until 15 July 2012

Meet Shaun Tan (artist talk, screening, Q&A) - FULLY BOOKED
Saturday 19 May
4.30–6.30pm
Tannock Hall, Notre Dame

Shaun Tan, Endgame, 1998

Shaun Tan, Fifth Avenue Mt Lawley, 2004

Shaun Tan: Crows fighting behind a supermarket, 1998

Sean McKay’s first solo exhibition opened at Kidogo Arthouse on Friday and despite the cloud cover it was a lovely warm evening to be out and about down near the beach. Sean’s exhibition, like the tile suggests, features drawings of small details of the city. The exhibition continues daily until the 2nd of May 2012.

Gentlemen good night this one is ladies only, put your hands up, featuring a collection of graffiti artists from all over Oz. Line-up: SEAR (Melbourne), Ladie POISE (Perth), ISHK (Adelaide), JOSKE (Melbourne), ISIS (Melbourne) and LADY BANANAS (Perth).

Opening night is Friday the 9th, runs till the 23rd.

Queen Street is easy to find… it runs down the back-side of that massive bunker we like to call Myer.

Just to let you know local artiste Dave Misled will feature in group show at The Hole In The Wall Gallery on Adelaide Street (No. 3a/64). Opening night is Thursday 19th of May 6pm – 8 pm and the exhibition will run until the 2nd of June.

The Show will Also Feature

• AKACorleone 
• Kruella D’Enfer 
• Dave Misled
• Joe Matthiessen
• Chris Hancock

Opening Hours 
Monday – Thursday 10am-4pm
Friday- Saturday 11am-4pm

www.holeinthewallgallery.tumblr.com

A Group Exhibition

In case you haven’t heard of ‘Banda Aceh’ – it is the provincial capital and largest city of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra. Banda Aceh was not frequently the subject of international discussion until December 26, 2004, the day the Indian Ocean earthquake struck off the western coast of Sumatra. Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake’s epicenter, and suffered further damage when a tsunami struck shortly afterward. It was the worst hit area out of all the locations hit.

Fremantle photographer Bo Wong is showing the images from her recent travels to Banda Aceh in an exhibition at Kidogo Arthouse from 19 to 26 February. Exhibition opening is on Friday 18 February at 6.30pm.

Great atmosphere tonight at Freo Arts Centre for the Home Open Opening party. The Roundhouse supergroup was awesome, the exhibiton is engaging and diverse – just another great night in Freo.

Welcome banner

on show: 30 Fremantle artists and their colletions

'Home Open' publication for sale at FAC

The bar staff was flat out

The galleries were busy

One and only gig of supergroup 'The Roundhouse'

Dave Misled has a new show coming up this September but you’ll have to venture out of Fremantle to see it. Be intrepid go see the mess it’ll be awesome.

Bless this Mess

Last Friday we went to the Kingbrown exhibition at the newly opened Butcher Shop. As you can see from the photos it was a roaring success LOADS of people showed up to hang out and have a look at the etched beer bottles.

The place was so full that people spilled out on to the footpath outside, which was not a problem until the police arrived with angry faces and insisted everyone step back inside with their plastic cups of wine or else there’d be $10,000 fines laid down. Bit of a dampener on the fun atmosphere the evening had created. However the crowd took it in their stride and respectfully left their beverages at the door while they headed outside for a bit of space/chat or cigarette.

Full House

Packed to the rafters.

I don't have any more euphemisms for lots of people in a room.

The Butcher Shop
14b Point Street,
Fremantle,
WA 6160.

Open 7 Days
Monday to Saturday 9am – 5pm
Sunday 11am – 4pm
Closed public holidays.

PH: (08) 6420 0902

Upstairs at the Moore’s Building is Landmarks by Peter Zylsra: a fairly high impact exhibition with lots of large canvases and bright colours.
Someday I will manage a better commentary on art work. I was also thinking that someday I will gather the courage to approach an artist at an opening and actually manage to explain why I like the blue one or why I think the red one is cool.

Here’s some photos…

Oil and Inkjet on Canvas

Peter and his works (that's him on the left).

A blueish one with bits of red.

Timothy Rollin is doing a small show next week at Lick Clothing, 25 Market Street. He does great work: lots of energy, worth having a look.

Opening night 18th of June 5:00-7:00pm.

Family Portrats