Concrete Playground

Cool World is the second 2012 exhibition offering from new space on the block, Alaska Projects. It's a group show curated by Sydney-based artist, Mitch Cairns and basically as Mitch says, "We are aiming for a handsome painting show."

Being wary of the artist-as-curator tag Mitch has attempted to keep the recipe simple by inviting nine painters that he would love to see in a show together. From that each artist has been asked to submit a work that they themselves love. Surely nothing could go wrong? And yet Mitch warns, "it just might not be that interesting to other people. It is really about my taste." The truth is though kids, Mitch Cairns has taste. He thinks about art, about painting, about artists, and about painters like it is his world. And it is. It is his cool world.

So I beg of you, if you care to be educated about how good artists work and the trap doors they prop open, pop down to Alaska Projects for the opening this Tuesday 31 January. Of the ten artists showing nine regularly exhibit their work in Sydney yet interestingly Mitch stumbled across the only outsider, Mike Schreiber (an American artist) on the internet. Intrigued by Mike’s work Mitch sent him an email and a mutual love-in ensued. So I say, support love. It might be just about all we need.