We spoke to Gallerist, Anette Larkin from Annette Larkin Fine Art to talk about their presentation for Sydney Contemporary 2022.
The gallery is located in Paddington, NSW. Can you elaborate on its location and why you chose to open here?
The gallery is located at 8 Soudan Lane, Paddington, in the same building as Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, and in the Paddington Art Precinct where there are now 9 galleries all within walking distance. I moved here in 2016, and before that I was located at 2 Danks Street, Waterloo where I learnt to appreciate the positives of being located very closely to my peers.
What are some career highlights, or exhibition highlights in the gallery to date?
At Christie’s I developed a Contemporary Art department, which had 5 very successful auctions from 2000-2006, and changed the market/environment in Australia for contemporary art at auction, while also giving strength to the primary market.
Representing the Robert Klippel Estate, Estate of Carl Plate and the oeuvre of Michael Johnson with a particular focus on 1960-1980 have all been incredible highlights.
I have worked with some of the most outstanding private, corporate and museum collections in acquisitions, management, valuing and deaccessioning, but due to confidentiality of clients I cannot elaborate further.
What was your first exhibition, and why?
My first exhibition in 2009 was titled Big Names, Little Sculptures. My first space at 2 Danks Street was very small, but I had big ideas. It included sculptural work by Hany Armanious, Lyndon Dadswell, Inge King, Shaun Gladwell, Ricky Swallow, Bronwyn Oliver, Clement Meadmore, Jean Arp etc… It launched the secondary market exhibition side of my business.
Robert Klippel (1920-2001), RK757, 1989, wood assemblage, 182 x 72.5 x 39.5 cm © Andrew Klippel. Courtesy of The Robert Klippel Estate, represented by Annette Larkin Fine Art, Sydney and Galerie Gmurzynska, Zurich.
Who are you bringing to Sydney Contemporary and why?
My exhibition will have large wooden sculptural pieces by Robert Klippel. The works were made between 1982-1989. The last exhibition of wooden pieces by Klippel was at Carriageworks with Anna Schwartz Gallery over 10 years ago, and they looked outstanding. It was my dream to see them again in this environment under the banner of Annette Larkin Fine Art. Robert Klippel enjoyed the company of the younger artist Michael Johnson, and in 1974 they together created a work titled Big Red that is now in the Art Gallery of Western Australia’s collection. To celebrate their friendship and the strong links between their work – albeit that one is a painter and the other a sculptor – will be compelling. My stand at Sydney Contemporary will also look at works on paper by these artists and a few of their peers.
