COMODAA FINAL MEDIA RELEASE - 5 by 5

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 21 April 2010

COMODAA premieres Australian contemporary artists in London - ‘5 by 5’ exhibition gives the old London Chocolate Factory a taste of new Australian art Contemporary Modern Australian Art (COMODAA) will premiere new and recent works by five contemporary Australian artists in London this spring with an exhibition entitled 5 by 5.

The exhibition, running from 27 May until 5 June 2010 at The Menier Gallery in South London, presents five works by five contemporary Australian artists who collectively represent both emerging and established practitioners.

The featured artists are Tony Lloyd, Laith McGregor, Dennis Nona, Helen Pynor and Anthony White.

All will have their London premiere at the exhibition with the exception of Dennis Nona, a respected Torres Strait Islander artist who has shown in the United Kingdom previously.

The artists work across diverse mediums ranging from Helen Pynor’s photographic installations, Tony Lloyd’s oil on linen landscapes, Anthony White’s heavy oil abstraction, Dennis Nona’s printmaking and drawings, through to Laith McGregor’s intricate biro and coloured pencil line drawings.

5 by 5 is presented by COMODAA, an independent art business developed to promote the work of contemporary Australian artists internationally. COMODAA was established in Sydney in 2009 and will relocate permanently to London this May. The exhibition is the second to be presented by COMODAA in London, following on from a successful debut show titled “Australia, Now” in September 2009. 5 by 5 will be presented at The Menier Gallery, located within the old Menier Chocolate Factory and in close vicinity to London’s Borough Market and Tate Modern.

Director of COMODAA Jonny White says the group’s goal is to develop the profile of contemporary Australian artists by bringing exhibitions of their work to audiences in the United Kingdom and European markets.

Mr White said: “The 5 by 5 exhibition gives the UK market an opportunity to build upon their understanding about what contemporary Australian art entails. This exciting and diverse group of artists is evidence of both the quality and talent that exists in Australian contemporary art today and highlights the fact that the genre extends well beyond the more widely known Aboriginal art market.

“COMODAA’s strategy is to start with a schedule of exhibitions and art fairs in London and Europe over the next 2 years to show current practices in contemporary art in Australia. Exhibitions will be held in a range of different ‘pop-up’ venues initially, from hired galleries to vacant spaces. The idea is that you don’t know where the next one will be.

“COMODAA will also be exhibiting at art fairs in London and in other European cities and will look to host a number of one-off preview shows exclusively for curators and arts writers.”

“The longer term goal for COMODAA is to establish a permanent gallery space in London towards the end of 2012,” explained Mr White.

In 2010, COMODAA will present two further exhibitions in London of Australian artists. The first is a solo exhibition of new works by leading Australian artist Sam Leach. The exhibition will be held from 27 September until 5 October 2010 at a gallery space in St James’s, London.

Sam Leach has received significant media attention recently following his double-win of two of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious art prizes. In March 2010, Leach was awarded both the Archibald and Wynne Prizes by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, with prize money totaling $75,000. These prizes are some of the longest running and eagerly anticipated in the Australian art market.

COMODAA’s exhibition of paintings by Sam Leach will mark the first showing of new work by the artist since winning the Archibald and Wynne prizes.

Other artists who will be exhibited as part of COMODAA’s exhibition of the next two years include Giles Alexander, Stefan Dunlop, Jackson Slattery and Helen Tyalmuty McCarthy.

5 by 5 EXHIBITION DETAILS Exhibition Preview Evening 26 May 2010 Opening Night 27 May 2010 Exhibition Venue: The Menier Gallery, 51-53 Southwark Street, London Image credits from top of media release: Top left: Laith McGregor, Like A Tiger 2010 (detail), biro on paper, 76x56cm Top right: Helen Pynor, Milk 3 (birds nest fern) 2008 (detail), c-type photo mounted on glass, 100x66cm ABOUT COMODAA Established in 2009, COMODAA was established to promote Australian art to a wider international audience and give talented contemporary artists new exposure.

COMODAA is a privately owned independent art business that is not linked to any other gallery, dealer or auction house. This enables COMODAA to operate with greater flexibility and provide a more personal and bespoke service to clients.

COMODAA will present a series of solo and group exhibitions in London over the next two years which showcase the latest work of leading contemporary artists of Non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australia.

MEDIA CONTACT For further information and to request interviews, photography and high resolution imagery please contact Kym Elphinstone on +61 (0)421 106 139 or kym@articulatepr.com.au.