TAP into your local gallery

These are some photos I took at a recent visit to Tap Gallery at Darlinghurst (Sydney). I discovered the space just walking past one day (which was very old school & exciting as most places I hear about these days are online or through marketing brochures). 

I love the diversity of the work that is often displayed, it's refreshing with a great mix of styles and mediums by emerging artists. The gallery has a certain unkempt feel to it but in a good way, you can take your time and wonder around casually without crowds or any polished up gallery staff watching over your shoulder. My visit was at midday on a weekday so I had the place to myself.

Bookshop cafe upstairs if you feel like spending a bit more time enjoying the space.

I’m a big fan of mixed media and collage so particularly like this series of collages (I didn't get the artist’s name unfortunately but I am sure you can find it on the tap gallery website along with other exhibits on display at the moment).

Tap Gallery is located at 278 Palmer St, Darlinghurst and is open daily between 12-6pm daily. Entry is free.

It would be great to see more galleries like this in Sydney especially in the outer sububrs where local art can really struggle to reach an audience. 

First Post: Why Art & Why Now?

I have been thinking about blogging for the last year or so but excuses such as lack of time and the already overflowing blogosphere have overwhelmed me. Then it occurred to me: no two journeys are the same and this is mine..!

One of the main reasons for creating this online home is to explore my recent reunion with art and creative expression after spending almost a decade apart. I don’t know how it happened but after being a great visual art and art history student in high school I went on to study Economics at university and have been working in property development for the past 10 years.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my office job and am very grateful for my career but there’s something about appreciating and creating art that has stuck with me after all these years. This only surfaced two years ago during a quiet period at work when I decided to sign up for an “Art for Beginners” evening course.  I am not sure what it was that pulled me to enrol in that course but it was then that my really life changed... and there’s no going back.

My intention was to complete the 6 week art course as a pass time until work at the office got busy again but it wasn’t that simple and I soon realised that I was maybe headed here all along. Throughout my life, in all my relationships, conversations, hobbies and travels (and there’s been quite a bit of globetrotting) there has been an underlying desire to express and explore...and for me this seems to be best done via painting, drawing, sketching, scribbling, carving, colouring, writing and my new found medium, blogging. So here it goes!

Hope you enjoy.

Mel

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