Gallery sights in Sydney
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Art Gallery of NSW
With its classical Greek frontage and modern rear end, the ultrareputable Art Gallery of NSW plays a prominent and gregarious role in Sydney society. There are three permanent collections: Australian, European (post-16th century) and Asian. Don’t miss classic Australian paintings by Brett Whiteley, Arthur Streeton, Sidney Nolan and Lloyd Reese, and the Yiribana Gallery’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.
Blockbuster international touring exhibitions arrive regularly (past examples include Man Ray and Caravaggio), and there are free guided tours on the hour from 11am to 2pm (Tuesday to Sunday). Kids swarm to the GalleryKids Sunday program, offering workshops, …
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Danks Street
In recent years Danks St in Waterloo has emerged as a shopping and eating enclave, with some beaut cafes and galleries perfect for losing a few hours in. If the wonderful Danks Street Depot cafe isn’t enough to tempt you off the Waterloo streets, the 10 commercial galleries that inhabit the converted warehouse at 2 Danks St should push you over the edge. Displays cover a broad range of contemporary arts, including photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery and Aboriginal and Pacific art.
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Brett Whiteley Studio
Whiteley (1939–1992) was rock-and-roll artistry – he lived fast and without restraint, and when he let fly on the canvas, everybody went ‘ Ooohh! ’. His hard-to-find studio (look for the signs on Devonshire St) has been preserved as a gallery for some of his best work. At the door is a miniature version of his famous sculpture Almost Once, which you can see in The Domain. Get in early for weekend discussions, performances, readings and workshops.
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Yellow House
Once a sunflower-yellow symbol of all things bohemian, this former artists’ residence was home to such cult heroes as Martin Sharp, Peter Weir, Brett Whiteley and George Gittoes. It fell on hard (er) times in the 1970s but has recently been renovated to become the slick commercial gallery Martin Browne Fine Art, showcasing contemporary Australian and New Zealand art. The cafe-providore Yellow, known for its wicked chocolate cake, is also located here.
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Ken Done Gallery
The cheerful, quasi-childlike work of Sydney artist Ken Done is exhibited inside the lavishly restored Australian Steam Navigation Building. Expect luridly coloured Australian landscapes, Opera House renderings and comic minutiae from Done’s days. Help prop up his ailing empire (recently devalued from $61 million to around $8 million) with a visit to his shop, Done Art & Design just down the road.
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Artspace
Artspace is spacey: its eternal quest is to fill the void with vigorous, engaging Australian and international contemporary art. Things here are decidedly avant-garde – expect lots of conceptual pieces, AV installations and new-media masterpieces. It’s an admirable attempt to liven things up in Sydney’s art scene, experimenting with sometimes-disturbing concepts. Excellent disabled access.
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Australian Centre for Photography
The nonprofit ACP exhibits the photographic gems of renowned Sydney and international photographers. It’s particularly passionate about photomedia, video and digital-imaging works, its displays extending into a multiexhibition space next door. The Project Wall highlights the work of up-and-coming artists. Pick up a copy of the centre's magazine, Photofile, while you're here.
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SH Ervin Gallery
High on the hill inside the old Fort St School (1856), the SH Ervin Gallery exhibits invariably rewarding historical and contemporary Australian art. Annual mainstays include the Salon des Refuses (alternative Archibald Prize entries), The Year in Art and the Portia Geach Memorial Award. There’s a cafe here, too.
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Aboriginal Fine Art Prints
Lustrous screen prints, rare limited editions and quality lithographs, etchings and linocuts make this gallery a standout. It houses Sydney's most expansive collection of prints by Australia's leading indigenous artists; look for works by Dennis Nona, Rover Thomas and Rosella Namok.
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Object Gallery
Inside the cylindrical former St Margaret’s Hospital chapel (a 1958 modernist classic by architect Ken Woolley), nonprofit Object presents innovative exhibitions of new craft and design from Australia and overseas. Furniture, fashion, textiles and glass festoon three levels.
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Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation
After 21 years as a cutting-edge commercial gallery, Sherman Galleries has celebrated its coming-of-age by re-opening as a not-for-profit gallery. The focus is on temporary exhibitions of work by influential and innovative artists from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
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Wagner Art Gallery
Think Boyd, Lindsay, Nolan and Friend. Think top dollar. Think champagne, turtlenecked, lah-de-dah openings (18:00 to 20:00 one Tuesday per month). Wagner is one of the oldest galleries in Paddington, its maturity reflected in its composed atmosphere and high-brow decency.
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Ray Hughes Gallery
Beyond the corrugated iron cows and enormous wooden fish, old-time art dealer Ray Hughes wheels and deals. The Australian and contemporary Chinese and African art he flogs is some of Sydney's classiest. Even if you don't buy a cow, his bohemian warehouse is worth a look.
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Watters Gallery
Since 1964 this funky institution in the seamy lower reaches of Riley St has been pumping out quality. James Gleeson, Ken Whisson, Tony Tuckson and reformed rock-star Reg Mombassa are just a handful of the iconic Australian artists it holds up to the light.
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Gannon House
Purchasing works directly from Aboriginal communities, Gannon House represents prominent artists such as Gloria Petyarre and other lesser-known names. You’ll also find Aboriginal artefacts as well as contemporary white Australian art.
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Australian Galleries
Contemporary Australian painting and sculpture for cashed-up collectors; A-list artists have been jostling to hang their wares here for 50 years. Works on paper feature at the Glenmore Rd branch (24 Glenmore Rd).
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