Urs Fischer at Cockatoo Island

Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour has a fascinating—if checkered—history. A former convict prison, a shipyard and a reformatory for wayward girls, the island also has a fascinating present as the site of a new installation by Swiss artist Urs Fischer. Fischer visited Sydney under the auspices of Kaldor Art Projects, whose previous projects have included Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Wrapped Coast–One Million Square Feet (1969) and …

Cymatics

The second edition of Jenny's 1967 seminal book on the topic is full of nature-induced mandalas

Generally the study of wave formations—specifically sound—Cymatics looks at the mesmerizing organic shapes created by invisible waves. Founded by Swiss doctor and scientist Hans Jenny who used simple sine waves to create patterns in powders, liquids and pastes, the book collects images developed over 14 years. The resulting mandalas reference art (like the work of Herwig Weiser, architecture, geometry and nature, among other disciplines. The …

Don’t Do That!

A group show of six contemporary urban artists, "Don't Do That!" opens today, Friday, 4 May 2007, at Elms Lesters Painting Rooms. The show includes new constructivist pieces (pictured) and collages by Dutch artist Boris Tellegen (aka DELTA), a selection of paintings by pop surrealist Ron English (you may have seen his billboard interventions), new paintings by London-based artist Andrew McAttee, some of Dalek’s beautifully-painted …