Barnaby Smith

Writer

Barnaby Smith is a critic, poet and musician currently living on Bundjalung country. His art criticism has appeared in Art & Australia, Runway, The Quietus and Running Dog, among others. He won the 2018 Scarlett Award from Lorne Sculpture Biennale.

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Lies, Magicians and Blind Faith creates a dialogue between two nations

The artistic exchanges between the Philippines and Australia is not only about art, but also “serves as an argument for cultural policy that sparks a new kind of dynamism”. Lies, Magicians and Blind Faith follows this idea, showing at Queensland Art Gallery.

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The art you can’t miss for Sydney WorldPride

From a ‘Eulogy for the Dyke Bar’ to ‘Queering the Collection’, there’s a dazzling, poignant array of major Sydney WorldPride exhibitions opening this February, all across the city.

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Unpopular shows there’s no escaping 90s rock

From posters to fanzines to personal letters, Unpopular at Powerhouse Museum is a homage to global 1990s bands like Nirvana, Pavement, Fugazi, Rancid, The Amps and Sonic Youth, delving into the archives of veteran music entrepreneur Stephen Pavlovic.

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Niloufar Lovegrove is drawing from the imagery and mythology of Persia

Niloufar Lovegrove’s beguiling prints at Artspace Mackay show a deft fusion of cultures that not only allows profound new perspectives on environmental crises, but is also a self-exploration.

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12 regional shows to see this summer

We’ve curated our pick of outstanding regional exhibitions across the country this summer. From landmark shows devoted to First Nations artists to exhibitions on sport, VR, landscapes and the nature of painting, there is much to see outside the city—from Bathurst to the Sunshine Coast, and much more.

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Biodiversity and creativity in Tracing Gondwana

Printmakers Monika Lukowska and Nikki Green have collaborated with poet Renee Pettitt-Schipp to highlight the importance of preserving the ecosystems of Western Australia’s south coast. Their exhibition, Tracing Gondwana, is now showing at Midland Junction Arts Centre.

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Bruce Thurrowgood’s deep relationship with water

For decades painter Bruce Thurrowgood has committed himself to depicting the essence of light, reflected in his latest paintings at Handmark Gallery.

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Fred Williams drew himself into one of Australia’s most significant artists

Known as one of Australia’s iconic landscape artists of the 20th century, Fred Williams’s showing at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is an unprecedented collection of his drawings as a young artist in London—capturing everything from city workers to acrobats.

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Michael Staniak poetically overlaps physical and virtual spaces

For his latest show at STATION Gallery (Sydney), Michael Staniak is expressing his acute awareness of how screen and digital media influence our understanding of the world.

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“Caught between two worlds”: Mark Valenzuela on personal and geographical tensions

Mark Valenzuela powerfully interrogates colonisation through his Filipino-Australian identity. For his new exhibition, as part of South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival, Valenzuela tackles how personal identity is entwined with the legacies of geopolitical history.

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Five women artists look at the ongoing legacy of activist Siva Singh

Bush Diwan takes as its departure point the remarkable life of Siva Singh. A Punjabi Sikh from India who migrated to Benalla in 1897, Singh left an immense legacy with his community leadership and civil rights activism. Five women artists at Benalla Art Gallery celebrate Singh’s life, alongside addressing wider social points.

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David Fairbairn is painting ageing and companionship

David Fairbairn’s deeply felt, emotive portraits are a soulful meditation on ageing and companionship. For Drawn Together at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Fairbairn has brought new dimensions to his ongoing study of intimacy.

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Barnaby Smith

Writer

Barnaby Smith's Articles

Lies, Magicians and Blind Faith creates a dialogue between two nations

The art you can’t miss for Sydney WorldPride

Unpopular shows there’s no escaping 90s rock

Niloufar Lovegrove is drawing from the imagery and mythology of Persia

12 regional shows to see this summer

Biodiversity and creativity in Tracing Gondwana

Bruce Thurrowgood’s deep relationship with water

Fred Williams drew himself into one of Australia’s most significant artists

Michael Staniak poetically overlaps physical and virtual spaces

“Caught between two worlds”: Mark Valenzuela on personal and geographical tensions

Five women artists look at the ongoing legacy of activist Siva Singh

David Fairbairn is painting ageing and companionship

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