Various modern depictions of Sydney will be featured in Art & About Sydney, from some surprising perspectives.
The 22 Sydney Life photographic competition finalists will be exhibited at Hyde Park North as part of Art & About Sydney. Each entrant’s work will be mounted as a large scale photograph, and all will reveal a Sydney that usually goes unseen.
According to Creative Director of Art & About Sydney Gill Minervini, ‘I think what’s great about Sydney Life is that it shows images of Sydney behind the icons.’
Thematically the photographs are broad in their representation of the unexpected. ‘Some of them are very light hearted, some of them are very dark. I think it’s Sydney from all angles,’ said Minervini.
Artist and co-founder of Dinosaur Designs Liane Rossler, Head On photo festival founder and director Moshe Rosenzveig and founder of ARTHERE photographic organisation and curator at Stills Gallery Sandy Edwards will be judging the competition. The winner will receive $10,000.
Also on display in Hyde Park will be the junior version, Little Sydney Lives, with finalists ranging from three to 11 years.
‘Their work is always surprising,’ said Minervini. ‘It’s always fascinating to see how young people view the world.’
Finalist Sudenaz Kiran is excited to have her work Homemade Candy Bar selected for the finals. ‘I am still very excited to be chosen. After realising that my photos are also approved by others I will continue taking more photos of everything special to me. My dresses, my toys, my brother and his inventions,’ said Kiran.
Kiran’s work depicts a homemade lolly shop from her grandfather’s era. According to Kiran, ‘The lolly bar looked very nice and the lollies were very colourful, I wanted to keep a memory of the day and took this photo.’
Photography will continue to play a role in Kiran’s future, although other ambitions may compete.
‘I want to own my very own ice-cream shop, my brother wants to become a scientist and he promises me that he will invent new flavours of ice-cream. I will take photos of the new ice cream and show the world of the new ice-creams that we have,’ said Kiran.
Exploring the new world of Sydney from an historical angle will be the exhibition Sydney Moderns. The collection of paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, design and decorative arts is currently on show at the Art Gallery of NSW, with 180 modern works created between 1915 and the early 1940s exhibited.
Depictions of a thriving urban environment and ideas of the time relating to modern Australian life that were explored by progressive artists can be seen in the exhibtion. Early abstract experiments with colour and music are also included in the collection, which runs until 7 October.
Art & About Sydney will run through Sydney from 20 September to 20 October.
For information about installations and events visit the Art & About Sydney website.
(Pictured: ‘Homemade Candy Bar’ by Sudenaz Kiran)
