Life all too often gets in the way of enjoyment but thankfully, when that fact is recognized, one does something about it.  On this occasion I made a foray to the Swan Valley to sample the fruit of the vines, rummage around second hand shops in Guilford and stop in to enjoy the offerings of Gomboc Gallery.  Tasting and rummaging I do frequently but, I confess, it has been too long between visits to this fine gallery, something I'll remedy in the future.

Fortunately my visit to the gallery coincided with their annual Sculpture Survey.  I recall attending this event many years ago and thinking then what a good idea it was to juxtapose student works with those of reputable artists.  Over the years this event has evolved, to accommodate the large number of students from different TAFE and University art schools, to having them work outside, in groups, in the back paddock.  Meanwhile invited Artists display their studio refined wares in the Gallery!  This type of presentation begs a two-fold question; how does one qualify for an invitation and what are the students making out there?

The Professional Works in the gallery do indeed present a 'survey', from best through middling to worst.  On entering the gallery, one can only revel in the total excellence displayed in Andrew Kay's work.  There's a lot to be said for being able to make cold metal evoke warm human responses.  Tony Jones can do this sometimes, he has here.  One 'feels' the impact of his steady, silent stream of leaden warships - these can't possibly be pleasure craft, they're too resolute to respond to a whim.  However, I feel once the installation is split up, each section on its own will lack the potency of the whole.

There's nothing of interest in the second or third rooms but in the fourth room Ulla Zettergren's work is a delight.  They're fine examples of how one needn't surrender aesthetic for the sake of whimsy.  Also in this last room, Richie Kuhaupt's large layered figures provoke questions on the how? and why? of text and context, yet they satisfy any non-academic visual inquiry.  They 'look' great.

The Student Works in situ are of mixed materials, competency, concept and they're difficult to find.  As they're the efforts of students they must be considered as unfinished in ideas and skills so one shouldn't judge them.  Which is just as well as it was hot, I forgot my hat, I was easily distracted by the thought of the vine, and rummaged out after Guilford.  Still, I took a cursory turn of the paddock but must have missed many.  However, I did see some silly stuff - litter in a creek bed, a dead tree decorated with aluminium strips, some self-indulgent stuff - a field of red wooden tulips, a couple of VW car bodies, and some interesting stuff like junk-sculpture birds.  One exhibit however was worth finding, it's by the students in the Midland TAFE Diploma of Aboriginal Visual Arts.  This collaborative effort seemed to me to be the only exhibit that wasn't contrived.

It was an good day and although I didn't discover a bargain or a new taste in wine, I did find food for thought and new examples for debates on sculpture, artists and art students.  I'll not allow life to be so demanding in future, instead I'll take my own refreshments and spend more time rummaging around the Gomboc Gallery grounds, and enjoy.