No Vacancy Annual - No Vacancy

87 artists would be an ambitious group show for a large gallery. Even in an airy space like No Vacancy it felt overwhelming at points- with the sheer mass of the crowd for the opening I had to return the next day to get a full grasp of the show (and to take it in, while not covered in red wine). Wine-gate occurred right in the middle of the speeches announcing the winner, and was so obvious that I was recognised at the very next opening I went to as the girl who wore the wine at No Vacancy (I am so sorry to the bartender for bringing this up, it could have happened to anyone). After dropping my pants off at the dry cleaners, I returned to the scene of the crime to find out who actually won. The winning work, Horse Shell Tell Tale by Natalie Bessell won a solo show in the gallery space. Ruby Archer’s intimate oil on pine work Drive got the honourable mention. 

Samuel Massey’s Immaculate Boy is one of those rare works that stops you in your tracks. With a limited palette Massey has created a work that is utterly arresting, staring out at you. Somewhere between panic and pleading, the portrait is naked and unerringly honest. I could spend our time here parsing out the details of the work- a boxer in a corner, a winged, mulleted, mustachioed angel, a portrait for an uncertain future- but I want you to go see it for yourself. Tonally and compositionally, Massey has created an immaculate portrait. 

Hanging in the window for all who walk by to see, Rugsley’s glass Pseudo64 is a worthy advertisement of the exhibition (and what a treat for those who pass by). My only issue with it was how hard it was to appreciate the work as a whole, having to pick between sandwiching yourself against the window or contending with the glare outside. Rugsley’s work feels vintage, name emblazoned front and centre, promoting itself. The border of eyes, and detail of palms faced out in near benediction reminded of Buddhist and Hindu religious imagery, the composition as a whole of vintage tin signs you find in the markets of Old Delhi. 

This show, though abundant in its wall mounted works, was one whose strengths were in its sculptural inclusions. Fabric was abundant. Luci Callipari-Marcuzzo worked with recycled lace curtains to make Invisible (Tower). The hints of pink, along with its flared, doily like base oscillated between wry phallic symbolism and a precarious pillar of vintage plates; one wrong move and they would topple. Meanwhile, the world goes on, another fabric sculpture, this time by Lucy Hearn, was a point of levity in the exhibition. Consisting of layers of ducks laying atop each other, the conical work provided some great eavesdropping opportunities, notably a platypus v duck debate in identifying the animals. Sitting amongst the sculptures was a box of trophies. More trophies than there were prizes to give out, nestled in paper, I was wondering why they were left out amongst the sculptures- when in fact they were one of the sculptures. Aptly named Trophy Box, Natalie H. Reed’s work confused me at first encounter and captured me on the second. Growing up is putting your trophies, your awards, your ribbons from childhood into a box, trading them for posters and then art on your walls. All memories of a life lived, shoved into a box in the attic.

One quarter of the finalists from fortyfivedownstairs’ Emerging Artist Awards are also in this show. Daniel Macauley’s small(er) scale work at No Vacancy was intimate, almost sensual in how the hands and feet were overlapping, reaching, grabbing, kicking, a far cry from his history-scale work at the previous awards. Sophia Slaney-Marsch’s Junts and Jussies are back, though they can’t be yours as they were sold on opening night. Once again playing with nostalgia, Rhys Parkinson has another coloured pencil drawing on display, this time a family cassette tape (Family Tape), rather than a barbie. Also featured were Kylie Jayne, Natalie Daskalou, Fiona Davey, and Jacinta Maude. (Read Charlotte’s write up of the emerging artist awards here)

Ever since I began interrogating my feelings about the Affordable Art Fair three years ago, I always look at shows like Annual and wonder why the works on offer at that “affordable” event aren’t more in line with the breadth on show here. When getting the room sheet, I was struck by the prices- even at their most spenny, the works are all under $5k, with the average being just over a grand (though 58 of the 85 works are under $1000, and 27 $500 or less!). Again, artists do not owe you ‘affordable’ - that word is nebulous, and my affordable might not be yours, or vice versa. You do, however, deserve to live a life with beauty in it- whether you buy it from others, or make it yourself, or go out and find it. The vast majority of artists do not make a living wage selling their work. On the other hand, if you (or your friends and family) only interact with the possibility of buying art at said annual fair, send them here instead. Annual is an overwhelming amount of works, but at its best is teeming with captivating art, playing with form, colour, and materiality. Come for the coffee, stay for the art, and please go see Immaculate Boy. 

Annual is on at No Vacancy is on until 25 September.

All artists:

Liz Gridley, Rhys John Kaye, Arabella Strachan, Martin John Lee, Laura Johnston, Margaret Christianson, Sebastian Zylinski, Sarah Etherington, Katya Ryzhikh, Geraldine richards, Mina Afra, Peta Tranquille, Ying Wang, Dwayne Hutton, Rebeccah Power, Grace Mitchell, Fiona Davey, Fernanda Ureta Villagra, Ruby Chew, Hannah Morgan Savage, Claire Mooney, Haydn Kwan, Abdullah Ali, Harry Bayston, Harvey, Rhys Parkinson, Inge Flinte, Julian Di Martino, Dominic Sowersby, James Annesley, Louise Antonello, Tarcis Fenech, Paula Maggs, Lauren Beth Lojek-Williams, Felix Hatherley, Antonella Morelli, Barry Spencer, Kirstie Ussher, Hannah Grace, Natalie H. Reed, Wen Wen Zhou, Angela Mezzatesta, Kim de Haan, Vittoria Cugno, Indya Pearce, Peter Baylor, Luci Callipari-Marcuzzo, Halrey Hirsch, Shelley Spangler, Natalie Daskalou, Neha Gupte, Tiffany An, David Reid, Kylie Jayne, Natalie Bessell, Jacinta Maude, Benjamin Carey, Castle Heads, Annelise Smith, Maya Wong, Louise Curtin, Molly Morris-McGinty, Brennan O’Brien, Kalina Brew, Sophia Slaney-Marsch, Davin Ivatts, Lucie Howson, Samuel Massey, Lily Baxter, Florence Wang, Ree Hodges, Patrick Eddy, Khashayar Salmanzadeh, lucy Hearn, James McAlpin, Megan Kamei, Ruby Archer, Faith Spencer, Andy Warren, Mafalda Durand, JB Knibbs, Lauren Grixti, Soyo Paek, Cam Summers, Daniel McAuley.