A Wrestling Themed Art Show

Grappling with Greatness: Cream of the Crop is a wrestling-themed art extravaganza featuring 25 incredibly diverse local artists.

Cream Of The Crop is a wrestling-themed art show featuring local artists showcasing a range of artworks and talents. From tattoo artists, fine artists, illustrators, photographers, signwriters, typographers and sculptors. There's omething for everyone.

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By Jamie Apps

Painting by Sam Evans

Sydney art lovers, brace yourselves for an exhibition that promises to be anything but typical. Dave Faint, the artist and curator behind the upcoming Cream Of The Crop show, offers an exhilarating peek into his creative process and the inspirations driving this unique wrestling-themed event.

For one night only, The Lord Gladstone Hotel & the attached Goodspace Gallery will be transformed into a two-level wrestling arena and art gallery, with professional wrestlers roaming throughout, wrestling-themed cocktails and food. To conclude the exhibition, it'll be time for the pro wrestlers to turn on each other and put on a show before a performance at the front bar from Sydney's reigning punk champs, Grand Final.

The Birth of an Idea

Wrestling art on dislpay

Faint’s journey towards curating Cream Of The Crop began as a participant in a series of group shows hosted at Goodspace, a venue he praised for its community-driven ethos. 

"Goodspace is an awesome place for free art shows," he said, emphasising its support for artists by not taking a cut from the exhibits.

The idea for a wrestling-themed art show was conceived during a casual conversation with friends. "We were having a few beers, talking about what we think would be fun," Faint recalled. Initially, they considered various themes, including rugby league, before landing on wrestling. "My mate was like, 'Bro, why don't you do it like wrestling?' And I was like, 'Wow, that makes so much sense!'"

From that moment forward Faint began reaching out to his artistic friends & family to curate the show’s lineup. And, much to his surprise, everybody he contacted was very eager to be involved - even his Mum will be one of 25 artists from Australia & beyond contributing a piece!

Wrestling with Art

The decision to centre the show around wrestling offered a versatile and dynamic theme. "Wrestling gives people a focus but not like a laser focus," Faint explained. He wanted the theme to be broad enough to allow for diverse artistic interpretations but focused enough to spur inspiration. This approach has led to an eclectic mix of artworks, ranging from traditional paintings to sculpture to experimental pieces.

"I was trying to make it really diverse with who I asked to be in this show," Faint noted. The lineup includes tattoo artists, fine artists, illustrators, photographers, sign writers, typographers, and sculptors. "We've even got a mate in Bangkok who's taking photographs of wrestling over there," he said, highlighting the show's global reach and variety.

A Night to Remember

The Cream Of The Crop show is designed to be more than just an art exhibition; it’s an immersive experience. "I want this to be the biggest show of the year," Faint stated. "We're gonna have wrestling-themed cocktails, wrestling-themed food, & we’re going to fully deck the whole place out.”

Artist Lauren Winze

In addition to the art, attendees can look forward to live performances by professional wrestlers The Tuckman and Scott Green. Before closing the night out with a concert by the band Grand Final, known for their sports-punk style.

Giving Back to the Community

The show is also a charitable endeavour, with 20% of the sales going to support Clermont Connect, a regional initiative in Faint’s hometown of Clermont, Queensland. "This is just supporting a small little country town to keep on living and surviving," he said. The initiative aims to create a regional university and retirement village to counteract the economic impact of departing mines. 

Wrestling and Art: A Lifelong Passion

Faint’s passion for wrestling dates back to his childhood. "I've always been a fan of wrestling; it's just the most fun, extravagant kind of performance art," he enthused. He cited the Attitude Era and characters like Mankind and Sting as major influences. "I think anyone that just looks a little bit gnarly, a little bit dark, I've always been drawn to, and you can kind of see that in all my work."

Cream Of The Crop promises to deliver an unforgettable experience. So mark your calendars for July 24 at Goodspace Gallery. The night kicks off at 5 PM and promises to be a spectacular blend of visual art, live performances, and community spirit.