Salvador Dali at The Billich Gallery

Colourful Sydney artist Charles Billich and his zany wife Christa are hosting a Salvador Dali exhibition at their Rocks gallery until 31st January 2019.

The Salvador Dali Sculpture Collection originated due to a unique agreement made between the artist and the President of I.A.R. Art Resources, Mr. Beniamino Levi. The Dali Universe also owns and operates the Dali Paris Museum in Montmartre Paris where the entire Dali sculpture collection is on permanent display. All Dali sculptures being exhibited are recognized in the comprehensive Dali catalogue raisonne "The Hard and the Soft" produced by Robert and Nicholas Descharnes, which is the definitive reference book for Dali sculpture and has 20 pages which dedicated to the entire I.A R. Dali collection. Expect naughtiness..anything can happen at The Billich Gallery as our exclusive video shows:

Pull the udder one

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I may not know about art but I know what I like. Artist Andrew Barnes popped down to the tiny Double Bay beach in Sydney's ritzy Eastern Suburbs this week to give his cows some rest and relaxation and a change from their daily milking regime. He calls it an art installation. Who are we to disagree?.

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Meanwhile in nearby Kings Cross, once the heart of Sydney's nightlife and sex trade, a "Celebrity" boot sale was held on the weekend where most of the items on sale were once owned by the rich and mildly famous. 

Pictured are two local slebs who gave up their goods and time for the event. On the left is the delightful Cindy Pastel, one of the town's most famous drag acts. The award winning film Priscilla Queen of the Desert was based on his life. 

With him is one of our favourite eccentric characters around town Christa Billich who stars in the cable TV show "Housewives of Sydney". What fun.

When worlds collide

PR supremo Deeta Colvin (pictured on the right) hosted a get-together this week as many of Sydney's top publicists joined Colvin who once reigned over Australia's glam social scene of the 1990s. Colvin was the mastermind behind the legendary Cointreau Balls of which Whispers attended many. They were some of the best bun fights this scribe has seen around the world. Hundreds of guests would be collected in limousines to be transported to a secret location for dinner and dancing wearing the prescribed costume theme for that year. Locations were varied from dis-used warehouses to a circus marquee in the wilds of the Wanda Beach sand hills, transformed into a fun palace for the night with top chefs catering and of course, those limos on hand to take one home which of course meant, over-indulgence was the order of the night

The several language speaking Deeta is married to heavyweight lawyer Rod McGeoh one of the clever masterminds behind securing the 2000 Olympics for Sydney. When the successful bid was announced the then Olympics boss and Spanish aristocrat  Juan Antonio Samaranch visited Sydney to look over the preparations as they proceeded.
Whispers recalls being at one small reception for Samaranch at which stage, the artist Charles Billich enters the scene. Spying a Billich print in the corner of the room McGeoh inquired why it was there and was told it was to be a gift to Samaranch. Shaking his head McGeoh responded "are you seriously giving him that"?.

The colorful wife of Billich, Christa Billich (left) was this week described as a "close friend" of the Playboy boss Hugh Hefner who died this week. A late arrival at the rather tacky Playboy Mansion, which can be hired for corporate events, it was only in the last couple of years that the Billichs descended upon the LA house. Perhaps Christa sneaked past the guards to the Hef's private quarters which the public were forbidden to enter and visited the ailing Hefner who had been bedridden for the past three years.

Charles Turns 80

 
Sydney based, Croation born artist Charles Billich (left with wife Christa Billich) has turned 80 and he threw a bash to celebrate. Charles looks at least 10 years younger-how does he do it?
" I surround myself with beautiful people and they keep me young " was the reply and there were heaps of them with around 200 venturing into the sensational Billich Gallery in The Rocks on a Saturday night to party. One thing we love about Charles (apart from the art of course), the Pommery keeps flowing out of his very own stylishly decorated magnums. Here a few snaps from the night and below, some Billich art.
 And not just one birthday cake..80 !. OK they were only cupcakes but it's a neat idea.

Model agent Grant Dwyer & Don Spencer (he's Russell Crowe's dad-in-law) Fran McPherson (yes- she's The Body Elle McPherson's mum), Helen Appelton & Noushin Rahimia

Nightclub boss Karim Gharbi & glam date, Hans Whitman & Shari-Lea Hitchcock, Angela Belle McSweeney

Charles Billich's self portrait & some of his famous nudes

Hitting the Heights

Their recent foray into the Los Angeles art world, via Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion seems to have paid off for Sydney couple Charles and Christa Billich.  The pair have purchased a penthouse near Rodeo Drive in Beverley Hills and plan to spend at least four months of the year there.
Christa was telling pals at the weekend at a cocktail party to aid St Luke's Hospital cafe that the penthouse will double as an art gallery and she and Charles had fallen in love with the city of angels.

Organised by the Darling Point Committee, around  hundred of the good and great attended the Great Gatsby themed party at the magnificent harbour side Spanish style mansion of Robert and Elaine Gregg.

left : Charles Billich (3rd left) parties with flapper friends to aid St Luke's Cafe.
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 Jewellers Hardy Brothers celebrated their 160th Anniversary with a dinner outside the amazing Guardian Vaults, a safety deposit unit. Guests included Governor Marie Bashir, Stephanie Rice, Edwina McCann, a brace of Waterhouses- Kate, Gae and Robbie and Jessinta Campbell.

Thorpedo Captured: London Olympics

Gold medalist Ian Thorpe has teamed up with Croatian born artist Charles Billich to produce a portrait for Thorpe's charity Fountain For Youth which raises funds for Indigenous kids. The painting, above will be auctioned.

Charles and his wife Christa threw a party at their Rock's studio and gallery to launch the painting. How do they manage to get these amazing premises?. The three tired gallery is one of the cities most desirable properties and was once the old Sailor's Home but now houses Billich works, some of which we present here.
 Below is his interpretation of The Last Supper ( a copy was presented to Cardinal Pell) which can be yours for $12,500. Not sure who the lady is in the picture in front-Mary Magdalene?.

And the London Olympics ?. Despite Thorpe just failing to qualify lucky Londoners will be treated to Charles' special Olympics print below which is for sale for a few thousand pounds and is being snapped up by British corporations and will be coming to a bank or insurance company wall near you soon.

Billich Gallery

blondes rule-Charlie Brown*Christa Billich*Shari Lee Hitchcock

exclusive: HRH Prince William's Praise For Ian Thorpe

To one of Sydney's best restaurants, Bennelong at the Opera House. A black tie dinner to celebrate one of the world's greatest sportsmen, swimmer Ian Thorpe's tenth year of charity work.

Michelle Catelam,Mark Jason, Christa Billich

Ian's Fountain For Youth does superb work for disadvantaged Indigenous and Torres Straight Islander children. Naturally his good pal Cathy Freeman was on hand to celebrate with Thorpie along with NSW's highly popular Governor Marie Bashir and the Thorpedo's mentor , broadcaster Alan Jones.

Alan Jones, Geoff & Belinda Griff

But the surprise for the evening-a video taped message of congratulations and best wishes from the newly engaged Royal, HRH Prince William. ( or Prince Williams as the TV monitor display read !).



the only way to welcome guests !



Thorpie not only loves his charity work with Aboriginal kids, he gets things done. Visit the website and donate if you can. In his words :

"Visiting Aboriginal people, in their homes, their communities, on their land, has allowed me to listen and given me some idea of the problems that Aboriginal people face.

I listened to the concerns of mothers and fathers for the betterment of their children. This unwavering strength, in the face of social injustice. Within these communities I witness poverty, despair and pain…. but I also see hope….hope from those men and woman who want more for their children."

A Royal Visit !

The King & Charles Billich

 Visiting foreign potentates are rare in the Emerald City but this week  George TupouV, the current King of Tonga returned for further sittings for an official portrait being produced by controversial Sydney based artist Charles Billich.

Charles and wife Christa Billich lent their Rock's gallery for a reception for the King hosted by the Tongan Honorary  Consul Generals Bill Waterhouse and his daughter Louise Raedler-Waterhouse. Bill and Lousie were both at young bookmaker Tom Warehouse's website launch last week and said they were looking forward to George Tupou V's visit.

Tongan born Lorna Tonga sang the national anthems of both countries whilst a Croatian born cellist entertained guests ( Charles , born in Croatia once fought in the Croatian Underground).

His Majesty's empire consists of about 169 islands spread over about 800 kilometres with a population of 102,000 (2009). When the King visits his subjects, he travels in a London taxi although he has an ancient Austin Princess for more formal occasions. He once owned Tonga's electricity supply (the source of the Royal Family's wealth) which he generously sold to the nation some time ago for $20M.



The Tongan Royal Palace



His financial adviser is the  Saudi arms dealer Adnan Kashoggi. The King once contemplated setting up Tonga as a repository for tax exile corporations but was persuaded it wouldn't go down too well with former rulers Great Britain, a source for foreign aid to the perpetually struggling empire of the King.




A  Billich work of art

 

The Social Shuttle's Bill Ranken, a rural expert was once invited to Tonga by George V's mother Queen Salote to advise on her flock of royal sheep.

 He found all 50 of them in a pen at the back door of the Royal Palace, a rambling colonial style bungalow.

Quite how His Majesty finally settled on Billich as the chosen artist for his official portrait is steeped in mystery. Billich is hugely successful but critics sneer at his work claiming it is akin to commercial art.

The King said on ABC television about Charles : ""Well the thing is a lot of artists are actually better than what they think they are,"

"Donatello for example was apprenticed as a plasterer, Michelangelo thought he was a sculptor. Charles Billich - I like his drawings better than his paintings."

Hopefully his choice of Billich was for his love of his work rather than an investment. The Billich's recently opened Art Bar in Kings Cross, decorated with Charles' paintings is struggling and looks set to close with few art works sold. Those attached to the ceiling remain in place.

At Lawson Menzies Auction house in Glebe, a few months ago a Billich print was presented with great flourish at the weekly art sale. It went for the princely sum of $1. That's the bid accepted when the seller doesn't want the goods returned.