We headed downtown last week to check out the Sydney Moderns: Art for a New World exhibition at The Art Gallery of New South Wales. The art historian in me loves to see a new city through the lens of their museums and local artwork. In this case, it was fabulous to see a curated view of the early modern period in Australia, since I devoted a lot of graduate research to the study of the same time period in the U.S. and France. Sydney rapidly grew into a modern city in the 1920’s and 30’s as their population soared and modern structures were built. Similar to the late 19th century in the New York and Paris, local artists responded to these drastic changes through paintings, photographs, prints, and drawings.
The star of the exhibition was the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which we had the chance to race over a few weekends ago. From brightly colored fauvist-like paintings of the 1930’s bridge construction to gorgeous black and white photographs of the completed structure, artists depicted an exciting moment of progress and change for this young city. I wish that my graduate studies had investigated a few of these modern Australian artists, particularly Grace Coddington Smith. For further thoughts on the show, check out this interesting review.
I had to control myself in the exhibition gift shop, which pulsed with 1920’s music and housed shelves full of “I obviously need that” art deco items. I was nearly enticed to purchase their fabulous exhibition catalogue, but the large book wouldn’t be kind to my (already too small) suitcase. For memory’s sake, I settled on a lightweight 2014 calendar. Sydney Moderns closes this week, but this museum is a must visit if you find yourself in town. The traditional facade welcomes you into a soaring space filled with natural light and houses a collection that is a great mix of Australian art and works from around the world. Their restaurant also looked like a great spot for a fancy lunch.
*Unfortunately, photography wasn’t permitted in the special exhibition gallery, but I was able to photograph some beautiful works in the main gallery. Check out the gorgeous details and patterns in the Aboriginal art below.
Do you love visiting museums when you travel? What’s your favorite museum and why?
