‘Art and About’

Sydney Life Photography Exhibition 2-21 October, Central Walkway, Hyde Park, Sydney  

Picture this. The sun is setting, dark ominous clouds hang suspended in the greying sky, silhouettes of flying foxes can be seen between the trees, where brightly coloured paper lanterns bounce gently in the breeze, and noisy cicadas send out their shrill sounds. The air is humid and close.

Hyde Park in central Sydney is full of office-types waylaid on their way home, tourists who have been drawn in by the surprising high level of activity, curious to find out what is going on, couples feeling romantic, and vast numbers of families on outings. Everyone is enjoying the delights on offer. October is ‘Good Food Month’ and for two weeks the park becomes an outdoor evening eatery, akin to a Singaporean hawker or a Malaysian food market.

The paths are lined with tents selling all kinds of Asian food fare, from Nepalese goat dishes to Thai Panang curry. Garden furniture has been set up and hundreds of people make their way to the tables, carrying bottles of wine and plates piled high with noodles, rice dishes and satay skewers. This is Sydney at its best.

After indulging in an array of traditional Bengali dishes, and one or two glasses of good Hunter Semillon, my partner and I make our way along the illuminated central park avenue to view a photography display, part of the annual ‘Art and About’ exhibition.

The exhibition consists of 26 photographs (selected from over 600 entries) that have been transferred on to giant canvasses measuring a colossal 2.5m and these are suspended along the avenue amongst the trees. The theme is Sydney Life and the short-listed photographers have captured striking images –poignant, serious, fun and optimistic – all depicting what the artists consider to be quintessential Sydney life. The photographs range from a bunch of ‘nippers’ waiting to start a mini triathlon by Steve Christo to Fiona Morris’ Girls from Guangdong Province, Chinese New Year. Each image is thought provoking and captures the imagination, even if some are not what most would immediately think of when calling Sydney to mind.

The exhibition is run each year as a competition sponsored by the City of Sydney, AMP Capital Investors and Fujifilm and the winner is awarded the Sydney Life Prize valued at $10,000, and a Fujifilm product valued at $3,000.

Our slow amble through the exhibition is brought to an abrupt end when the now gun-metal coloured sky finally gives way to an earth-shaking blast of thunder and all around is illuminated by a powerful flash of lightning. The skies open and torrents of rain fall on us as we run for cover, regretting having eaten so much lentil dahl, but relieved that the tension in the air has finally broken. As I said, this is Sydney at its best.