Melbourne Art Fair – WOW!

The Melbourne Art Fair, at first overwhelming, gradually begins to draw the viewer in with its vast range of art galleries, their represented artists and their practices.

With such an enormous turn out – crowds ranging from children to adults, art collectors to art lovers – one can easily get lost in the hype of a ‘shopping mall-like frenzy’. Some works can get lost in the crowd if not oversized or excessive in colour. But I guess it depends on personal taste, whether that be Indigenous, Abstract, portraiture, sculpture, prints or interactive sound pieces. Don’t worry, Melbourne Art Fair has it all.

Some pieces that caught my attention were Stephen Bird + Troy Emery’s works which range from ceramic plates to colourful furry animal sculptures. Bright and colourful, these works make you revert back to your childhood wanting to almost cuddle these adorable fuzzy creatures. But that’s just what these works are, creatures. The panther at the entry of the Gould Galleries stand almost warns you of the dangers within but you walk in anyway – it’s so bright you can’t look away.

Kendal Murray’s intricate miniatures, at the Arthouse Gallery stand, investigate the role of fantasy and its construction of self-identity. Tiny in size, these small worlds that Murray creates, living and growing in our material possessions, are meticulously constructed that the fascination of every detail draws the viewer into this ‘fantasy’ world. One particular world resides in a lady’s purse and the thought of what could possibly be living in my purse occurs.

There’s no excuse not to visit the Melbourne Art Fair, sure you might feel completely bombarded with  the amount of works on display and it might seem impossible to view and appreciate the artists and their works all in the one day. But this is a five day event, plenty of time to stop and view the works. Take your time. Art is to be observed not just seen.

HELP DESK:
subscribe@artistprofile.com.au | PH: +612 8227 6486