See The Untold Histories of Glebe Painted in this Exclusive Exhibition
Image: Artworks by Sean Burgess
Sydney painter Sean Burgess is best known for his vibrant and gritty explorations of Sydney’s past, and his latest exhibition is no different.
GLEBE: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful will take over The Shop Gallery at 112 Glebe Point Road from July 9–15, and will render Glebe’s forgotten histories visible for the first time.
Have you ever wondered what heroes and villains once walked (and stalked) the leafy streets of Glebe? Whose fingertips we can still trace in the grout of its buildings? These questions and more, Burgess answers in paint.
From Australia’s first gangster John “Chow” Hayes to Glebe’s everyday citizens, the exhibition seeks to document the local figures that once shaped (and/or terrorised) this bohemian inner-Sydney suburb.
Though his chosen medium is often used for abstract expression, Burgess maintains a documentarian commitment to painting only truths. Drawing from archives and local histories, he aims to depict real people, real events, and real locations from Glebe’s past.
“I’ll spend two months, three months, researching the local history,” Burgess tells City Hub. “I’ll pull up police records, court files, any newspaper clippings I can get my hands on.”
“I’ve been interviewing community members that have lived in Glebe for their whole lives. I’ve gotten photographs from their albums,” he continues.
“It’s very much about keeping history alive and bringing the community together to swap stories.”
The exhibition marks Burgess’ fourth installment of the roaming series, People of a Time and Place: Colourful Paintings of Sydney’s Colourful Past, which aims to keep Sydney’s history alive through paint, music and community. The studio is a collaboration between Burgess, digital creator John Burgess, and Dani Morris who handles photography and promotional duties.
Together, they document the overlooked history of selected Sydney locales, with previous instalments capturing the past crimes and communities of Sydney City, Kings Cross, Darlinghurst, and Surry Hills.
You can find GLEBE: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful at The Shop Gallery 112 Glebe Point Road from July 9–15.
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