| Visit artequity.com.au | SINCE 2005 |
ART INSIGHT
March 07
|
Back Issues
#25 - February 2008 Like to see more? Click here to request an issue dating back to October 2005. |
In Focus
|
||
 |
||
Sydney Royal Arts
| ||
On a dazzling winter’s day in August 1870, two oil paintings arrived at Sydney’s Prince Alfred Park, sent by the Master of the School of Painting at the National Gallery of Victoria. These were his entries into the newly formed “fine art” section of the Metropolitan Intercolonial Exhibition. Held by the Agricultural Society of NSW at their new showgrounds, this exhibition, and its inaugural show of 1869, established a “professional works of art” section in the most important agricultural and produce fair in the colony. Just how important this new section was to professional artists of the time is reflected in the Fine Art Committee minutes of the 23rd September 1869, where Conrad Martens is recorded as the chair. The fair was to survive through the next 140 years of our history to become the largest annual event staged in Australia. A festival of diversity, culture and lifestyle, the event is now called the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Our master artist of 1870 was Eugene von Guerard. He is today one of the most celebrated painters in early Australian art history. Von Guerard took exhibition medals for his “Temple of Vesta” and “Sunset in New South Wales”, which hung side by side with 100’s of other entries for 1870. Artworks included oils, watercolours, drawings and photographs, displaying historical pictures, landscapes, marine paintings and views of NSW by both professional and amateur artists. Describing his “Sunset in New South Wales”, in the 1870’s exhibition catalogue, Throughout the 1870’s the Agricultural Society exhibition went on to provide the newly established NSW Academy of Arts with an exhibition venue, before the building of the Art Gallery of NSW. Medals are recorded for watercolours by Conrad Martens in 1872, a fine Tasmanian landscape by William Charles Piguenit in 1874 and multiple winning entries by Eliezer Montefiore, a founding member of the Academy and John Clarke Hoyte,(3) who became the first president of the Royal Art Society(4) . In the decades which followed the 1870’s the fine arts exhibit went through many changes(5), dwindling for professional artists after 1880, when the Royal Art Society was established. Nevertheless, important artists continued to exhibit into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with winning entries recorded for Julian Rossi Ashton, who dominated the Sydney art scene well into the 1940’s(6). With a changed format from 1958-1995, the now “Arts and Crafts” section was run by a separate committee in its own Arts and Crafts Pavilion, and held continuously during this period at the Royal Agricultural Society Moore Park showgrounds(7) . It was in these post war decades that the fine art exhibits once again became an important forum for Australian artists. Returning from war torn Europe many of our artists had witnessed the rise of modernism there. New sections were created by the Arts and Craft committee to cater for their powerful entries. A section called “Abstract art” appeared and later a “Contemporary art” section. During these decades there are entries recorded for many 1000’s of professional artists whose contribution to Australian culture and art history cannot be under estimated. Prize winners include John Brack, Lance Solomon, Max Miller, Joshua Smith- to name but a few. By exposing modern and contemporary art practice to a broad cross-section of the Australian public, the RAS art exhibit reached millions of viewers throughout the 20th century, who otherwise would not have attended public art museums. In 2008, the Sydney Royal Easter Show attracts over 900,000 visitors annually to its exhibits(8). In recent years, the now named “Sydney Royal Arts” has been gradually gathering momentum with entries from leading artists, and judged by Sydney’s best known critics, gallerists and art dealers. As a result, the RAS has formed a partnership with red ribbon sponsor Art Equity, to bring back to the Sydney CBD an outstanding exhibition of all winning artworks from each section of the Sydney Royal Arts show. Returning to an established Sydney gallery, with breathtaking views of the historic buildings of Martin Place, one is reminded of the early 1870’s and the importance of the Agricultural Society of NSW’s Metropolitan Intercolonial Exhibition. The Royal Agricultural Society and Art Equity welcome you to this inaugural exhibition of prizewinning works from Sydney Royal Arts 2008, serving yet again as a primary forum for artistic endeavour in Australia(i). Brenda Colahan 2008 |
|
|
Media View
|
|
|
TOP: Art Equity Directors, Raj Nanda and Ralph Hobbs with Rob VIckery, President of the RAS NSW, Member of Council, Alison Renwick and Alex Tok, the winner of the Art Equity Award at the Sydney Royal Arts preview night on Tuesday 18th NEXT: Julian Thompson, Order and Chaos of Nature in a Logjam N.W TAS, Oil on Linen, 122 x 152.5cm (*Available) NEXT: Justin Tjungurrayi Corby, Jtunti Budgerigar Dreaming, Collagraph, 68 x 90cm (*Available) BOTTOM: Laura Matthews, Fire, Oil on canvas, 120 x 100cm |
Art equity award winner - sydney royal arts showArt Equity Director Ralph Hobbs presented the Art Equity Award at the Sydney Royal Arts Show preview on Tuesday evening. Alex Tok was the recipient of the $2,000 award for his outstanding figurative painting titled The Empty Nester (see image in INFOCUS). Alex was selected as the artist who demonstrated overall excellence across all classes including painting, drawing, printmaking, miniatures, photography, under 17's paintings and under 17's photography. Art Equity will showcase Alex's painting along with all other award winning and highly commended artworks at The “Sydney Royal Easter Show Exhibition at Art Equity” from Thursday 10th - 24th April.
|
|
|
Top Movers
| |
|
Alex has exhibited his paintings at the RAS every year since 2004 and has been a prize winner for every entry. For the last three years consecutively, Alex has been awarded first place in his category. This year he received the first prize for the figurative painting category and the Art Equity Award for excellence across all classes. Now a full time artist, Alex says he will continue to exhibit his paintings at the Sydney Royal Art Show. “I am a fairly new artist and the RAS gives me excellent exposure” he says.
Find out more about this artist > Geoff Dyer
Find out more about this artist >
Adam Cullen
Click here for exhibition details. Find out more about this artist >
|
TOP: Art Equity Directors, Raj Nanda and Ralph Hobbs with Alex Tok, winner of the Art Equity Award at the Sydney Royal Arts preview night on Tuesday 18th March NEXT: Vince Vozzo standing next to his Wynne Prize finalist, New Man BOTTOM: Adam Cullen, Growler, Collagraph
67x68cm |
Market Watch
| |
 |
|
|
What a couple of weeks for the Art Market - The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes announced and the much anticipated first season of auctions starting after what can be best described as a bloodbath on the equities markets since January. The big question has been what effect will high market volatility have on the Art Market? Indications on the international Art Market suggested that the Art Market was still very buoyant. Strong results in the Impressionists and Moderns sales were a precursor to the much anticipated first season of Contemporary Art Sales held in London during the final week of February. London saw a staggering £249,685,475.00 sell at auction across the major auction houses with a 76% clearance rate. More significantly this is the first time that Contemporary Art has outsold the Impressionist Sales at the major auction houses. Major works through Sothebys and Christies by Francis Bacon and Gerhard Richter set figures which would have been unthinkable a decade ago – Bacon’s Triptych 1974-1977 £26,340,500 while one of Richter’s candle studies, Kerze (Candle) sold for £7,972,500. Works from the same series of the Ritcher sold five years ago in New York for US$3.82M. Would the Australian market go the same way?
TOP: George Gittoes, Harbour Tunnel, 1991, Oil on Canvas
167.5 x 228.3cm (*Available) ABOVE: Tim Maguire, Three Berries, Digital print, 97 x 80cm (*Available) |
Paul Sumner from Mossgreen Auctions was very pleased with the opening auction for this year. The Cameron Collection that that went under the hammer in Hobart on March 18th achieved some outstanding results, most importantly doubling the total auction estimate. Deutscher-Menzies realised AU$8.3M with a clearance rate of 66% and 80% on value on March 18, 2008. The Australian Financial Review commented on (p.3, by Katrina Strickland) that while the room was full there were nerves in the market with some of the major lots selling for the lower end of their estimates. The Drysdale Country Child sold for $1.68M (inclusive of Buyers) against estimates of $1.4 – 1.8M. This is the fourth time the work has appeared at auction since 1996 when it sold for AU$382,000.00. It is interesting to note that the corresponding auction in March 2007, Deutscher-Menzies realised AU$7.2M and if we look further back, in 1998 the ANNUAL turnover was AU$8.4M. Lawson-Menzies finished the week’s sales last night (Wednesday March 19, 2008) with some impressive results. Lot 231 Women’s Dreaming by Judy Watson Napangardi set a new record for the artist at AU$219,600.00. The same work was the previous record holder for the artist when it sold for AU$192,000.00 through Lawson-Menzies in November 2006. Tim Maguire’s diptych Untitled 20030101 2003 also went under the hammer for a second time realising AU$330,000.00 against it’s previous result of AU$240,000.00 set at Deutscher-Menzies in June 2005. Interestingly a Maguire edition work Shadow’s Tulip 34/50 (lot 282) was passed in at AU$7500.00 on the hammer (AU$9,000.00 if sold inclusive of Buyer’s). Many of our clients secured this work in 2005 for AU$4,500.00. Across the Menzies auctions a total of AU$11,675,640.00 sold inclusive of Buyer’s Premium. It is interesting to note that there is certainly a shift in buying behaviour towards contemporary painters. Del Kathryn Barton joining the likes of Adam Cullen as an Archibald winner is testament to a focus on strong contemporary painting. It is interesting to note that the great Margaret Olley is yet to break through the AU$100,000.00 mark at auction yet Barton’s record sits at a staggering AU$162,000.00 with a grand total of 5 works to pass under the gavel. Looking at the activity overseas as well as trends in the domestic market, it is reasonable to expect to see the major growth on the secondary market to be seen through the contemporary and living artists. One thing for sure – the Investment lies in the Quality. |
Rental News
| |
 |
|
|
Adam Nudelman is an emerging artist whose evocative Australian landscapes are painted with extraordinary technical skill. Regarded by Art Equity Art Director Ralph Hobbs, as an exceptional talent with very strong career prospects, Nudelman's paintings make an outstanding value proposition for rent in a corporate setting. Nudelman's work is already represented in numerous public, corporate and private collections within Australia, including National Museum, Canberra, The Australian Jewish Museum, Melbourne, United Energy, Melbourne, No. 1 Martin Place, Westin Hotel Sydney and Victorian College of the Arts. ABOVE: Adam Nudelman, The Great Divide,
Oil on Canvas, |
 |
What's On
| |
Art Equity Gallery
10- 24th April
8 - 23 May Exhibition Openings To join our Exhibition mailing list, please click here and leave your name, address and email address. Educational Seminars If you are interested in attending a seminar at Art Equity Gallery, please click here. NSWArt Gallery of NSW Scott Redford Scott Redford’s project, Blood disco, comprises seven large surf paintings. Redford commissioned some of Australia’s best surfboard-makers to create works manufactured in a similar way to surfboards. Dragging art history into popular culture, his ‘surf’ paintings represent the visual and social culture of the Gold Coast and focus on the dissolve between high and low culture Until 30 March 2008 Michael Riley: sights unseen Michael Riley: sights unseen reveals the prolific talents of a quiet observer whose photomedia continues to have a profound effect on Australia’s contemporary representation and comprehension of Indigenous Australia. 22 February - 27 April 2008 ARTEXPRESS 2008 A dynamic and popular exhibition featuring a selection of outstanding student artworks developed for the artmaking component of the HSC examination in Visual Arts, 2007. Until 30 March 2008 Charles Bayliss Renowned for his pioneering work in panoramic and landscape photography, Charles Bayliss is considered a leading figure in Australia’s photographic heritage. This isplay presents two substantial portfolios of his photographs that picturesquely document aspects of pastoral life and landscape along the Darling River and Riverina districts in the late 1880s. Until 25 May 2008 Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Prizes 08 Intimate Encounters COMING... Bill Viola Bill Viola is internationally recognised as one of the most important artists working in video today. Fall into Paradise is part of a series inspired by Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde. 10 April - 27 July 2008 The most prolific and the most eclectic artists of the 20th century are unknown photographers. This exhibition draws from a number of collections of discarded amateur photographs. 10 April - 16 July 2008 This exhibition comprises a generous selection of Jan Senbergs' screenprints, presented within the context of his work as a whole, underlining their central importance to his evolution into a remarkable, idiosyncratic and admired draughtsman and painter. 5 April - 25 May 2008 THEY ARE MEDITATING: BARK PAINTINGS FROM THE MCA’S ARNOTT’S COLLECTION In June 1993 Arnott’s Biscuits Limited donated a rare and significant collection of bark paintings to the Museum of Contemporary Art. The collection comprises of 21 barks dating from the late 1960’s through tp the early 80’s by artists from Australia’s north. 6 March - 1 June 2008
FIONA HALL: FORCE FIELD This exhibition presents an in-depth survey of the work of Australian artist Fiona Hall from the 1970s to the present. Hall began her career in photography but has extended into diverse media including sculpture, installation and garden design. Her work is characterised by its use of 6 March - 1 June 2008 COMING... Southern Exposure Works from the Collection of the San Diego MCA The MCA San Diego and MCA Sydney have collaborated to present two unique exhibitions showcasing the collections of these leading contemporary art institutions. 20 March - 1 June 2008 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Centre for Photography Cetificate no. 000358/ Nuclear Devestation in the Former Soviet Union: Robert Knoth Gallery 1 & 2 Dutch photographer Robert Knoth has been visiting Chernobyl and other sites of nuclear devastation in the former Soviet Union since the early Nineties. The people in his photographs - many of them children and teenagers - are just like those in the rest of the world except that through no fault of their own they must grapple with the apocalyptic consequences of technological folly. 14 March - 26 April 2008 New Scientist: Eureka Prize for Science Photography Gallery 3 The New Scientist Eureka prize for Science Photography is awarded for a single photograph that most effectively communicates an aspect of science. Curated and managed by the Australian Museum, Australia's oldest museum, and New Scientist, the world's leading science and technology news weekly, entries in the inaugural New Scientist Eureka prize were received from amateur and professional photographers, working scientists and students. 14 March - 13 April 2008
Izabela Pluta: Singularity Singularity is a series of three monumentally scaled images installed as wallpaper in the ACP foyer. The images seem familiar but they are disconnected from each other, a human presence is implied but never quite explained, and time appears suspended. The scale of the work intensifies the sense of expectation and the desire for a unifying narrative, but this always remains just beyond the viewer's reach. 14 March - 26 April 2008 COMING... ACP Workshop Term 1 Exhibition
The ACP Workshop proudly presents the first exhibition of student images for 2008. The ACP student exhibition showcases new and diverse photo media works by students participating in a wide array of courses from foundation Camera Craft to Photojournalism. Student shows are a celebration of the passion, exploration and achievement of photography students, providing an important space to share these images with each other and the community. 18 April - 26 April 2008
MAGDALENA BORS, MARK KIMBER, ANDREW MAMO, ALEXIA SINCLAIR, SIMON STRONG: Phantasia Vivid, complex and magical, the works in this exhibition abandon the traditional realm of the photographic - the real world - to conjure images of the fantastical. From Magdalena Bors' fairytale scenes to Alexia Sinclair's regal women of history and Simon Strong's dreamscapes; from Andrew Mamo's phantasmagoria to Mark Kimber's landscapes of the imagination, it is an odyssey of the fabulous. The result of highly skilled and detailed construction these enchanted scenes are either created as theatrical settings and then photograph or pieced together from hundreds of photographic fragments. 2 May - 7 June 2008 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Historic Houses Trust Sydney's pubs: liquor, larrikins & the law Sydney’s pubs: vibrant, noisy, democratic, character-filled, sometimes controversial, always handy for a celebration or a quiet drink at the end of the day – the landscape of the city is unthinkable without them. More than mere commercial purveyors of alcohol, pubs define the pulse, personality and tempo of a city. 23 February – 2 November 2008 Sydney Now: Museum of Sydney This exhibition presents an extraordinary portrait of contemporary Sydney life, with over 100 images by 24 photographers made since the year 2000. They record moments from the everyday lives of ordinary citizens, rather than the news and celebrity more frequently observed in mainstream media Until 27 April 2008 ACTNational Gallery of Australia Drawn in Children's Gallery By looking closely at drawings we can get a powerful insight into the thoughts, ideas and processes that artists explore in their works. until 30 March 2008 Australian Surrealism: The Agapitos Wilson collection Surrealism, the great revolutionary movement originating in France in the 1920s was to change the course of Australian art in the 1940s. A generation of Australian artists including James Gleeson, Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker, Arthur Boyd and Max Dupain encountered Surrealism at a formative time in their careers, and its influence transformed their art forever. 16 February to 11 May 2008 14 March – 9 June 2008
Launched Friday 26 October 2007 Matthew Perceval Portraits National Photographic Portrait Prize National Portrait Gallery - Commonwealth Place COMING... National Youth Self Portrait Prize VICNational Gallery of Victoria - International (NGVI)
Body Language: Contemporary Chinese Photography 14 March – 18 May 2008 Resonant Visions Until 17 August 2008
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- National Gallery of Victoria - The Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square (NGVA) Black in Fashion Mourning to Night (NGV International and Ian Potter Centre) 8 February – 24 August 2008
Sidney Nolan is the first retrospective exhibition to be mounted since the artist’s death in 1992 and includes a selection of his most important masterpieces. 22 February to 18 May 2008 Preseserving the past, enriching the future: Hugh Williamson's legacy A National Gallery of Victoria Touring Exhibition 14 March - 24 August 2008 COMING... VCE Top Arts 2007 27 March to 9 June 2008 SAArt Gallery of South Australia 2008 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Anxiety over nature and the environment, cultural traditions and beliefs being eroded, our psychological and spiritual health under threat... 1 March - 4 May 2008 COMING... S.T. Gill 9 April - 29 June
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia TWILIGHT TASTasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Fierce or Friendly is about humans and their fascination with other animals. A fascinating exhibition of zoological specimens, art and artefacts selected from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, the Museum of Old and New Art at Moorilla and other important private collections from around Tasmania. Until 6 April 2008 ningenneh tunapry COMING... Personal Perspectives : Artists and Their Portraits Personal Perspectives is an exhibition that reveals the sense of community within the Australian art world. Using paintings, drawings, prints and photographs from the TMAG collection, audiences can view work in new contexts along with other items not seen before. 18 April–29 June 2008
A poetic and powerful exhibition of 60 new works from one of Australia’s leading photographers. 26 April–22 June 2008 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery The Painted Portrait Photograph in Tasmania: 1850-1900 Until 23 March 2008
Until 13 April 2008 ArtRage 2007 15 December 2007 to 13 April 2008 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WAArt Gallery of Western Australia Prepare to be amazed. This exhibition features imagery of humans, animals and inanimate objects in taut arrangements that comment on the animism running through all things. Confronting, disturbing and not to be missed. Until 4th May 08 Year 12 Perspectives 'Year 12 Perspectives' is a dynamic and vibrant exhibition that features a selection of original works created by the state's metropolitan and regional TEE Art and Art and Design students. COMING... Circle of Friends 'Circle of friends' is a small Collection-plus exhibition of work by two Melbourne-based artists David Rosetzky and James Lynch. It will feature the newly purchased DVD projection by Rosetzky, Nothing like this, 2007, that explores the nuances of friendship amongst a group of twenty-somethings over a holiday weekend. The show will also include a new work by Rosetzky called No fear, a sound piece based on self-help tapes that involves subtle interaction between the work and its viewers. 22 March - 25 August 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fremantle Arts Centre Vanila Netto creates photographic work triggered by found objects. A subtle reappraisal of their function, value and aesthetics is undertaken via a disarmingly simple process involving the reconfiguration of the readymade and the staged photograph. Vanila is drawn to the aesthetic edge and nobility of modest, underrated sources – rejected goods and non-celebrities. Skin to Skin: a dialogue between art and fashion Highlighting the ways in which fashion and contemporary art feed off each other, Skin to Skin seeks to extend our understanding of the relationship between fashion and issues of identity, consumption and beauty. 2 February – 30 March ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Perth Institute of Contemporary Art Gail Hastings Sculptural installations Until 30th March 2008 Emily Wardill Ben (video installation) Louise Hubbard Hack Work
COMING... Hatched National Graduate Show 11 April – 25 May 2008 NTMuseum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Exit Art showcases artwork produced by Year 12 visual art, craft and design students in the Northern Territory. Until 27 April 2008 Windows on Australian Art - Focus Inspire / Expire Until 20 July 2008
QLDQueensland Art Gallery Kenneth Macqueen Until 5 May 2008 Exclusive to Brisbane, Australia’s first major Andy Warhol retrospective brings together more than 300 works spanning all areas of his practice from the 1950s until his death in 1987 — paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, films, videos and installations Until 30 March 2008 GoMA Anish Kapoor Untitled 2006-07 This magnificent sculpture is a fine example of Anish Kapoor’s practice as one of the most significant sculptors of our time. GoMA
Museum of Brisbane Remembering Goodna: Stories from a Queensland mental hospital Until 23 March 2008 Beryl Wood This exhibition is presented as part of a cultural exchange between Brisbane and Gladstone to acknowledge the long history of the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race. Brisbane artist Gail Cowley will exhibit her work at the Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum as part of the exchange. 8 February – 6 April 2008 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QLD Centre for Photography Portrait Series by Midori Kawai (QLD/Japan) Until 23rd March Subconscious messages by Chani Ridley (QLD) Until 23rd March 15 Denier Undone by Katie Mitchell (QLD) Until 23rd March Fragility by Paul Smith (QLD) Until 23rd March I Am A Rock, I Am An Island by Tanya Baker (NSW) Until 23rd March ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Institute of Modern Art Jacky Redgate Visions From Her Bed Ross Gibson once described Jacky Redgate's work as 'a sophisticated nervy meditation on the intricacies of perception, intuition, cognition and communication'. A key figure in Australian art since the mid 1980s, Redgate made her name as a photographer, with such classic series as Photographer Unknown, Naar Het Schilder-BoeckWork-To-Rule, but also works in sculpture and installation. 15 March - 26 April Robert Smithson: Spiral Jetty Commonly regarded as American sculptor Robert Smithson’s greatest work, Spiral Jetty (1970) is an earthwork built of mud, salt crystals, basalt rocks, earth and water on the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake near Rozel Point, Utah. It forms a 1500-foot long and 15-foot wide counterclockwise coil jutting from the shore of the lake. COMING... Simon Obarzanek: 30 Faces 11 April — 11 May Daniel Crooks and Jae Hoon Lee This exhibition juxtaposes two artists exploring digital imaging. Melbourne’s Daniel Crooks is known for his 'time slice' videos, which draw on the precedents of cubism and the chronophotography of Etienne-Jules Marey and Eadweard Muybridge. 3 May — 21 June |
TOP: Adam Nudelman, Eternal Dusk, Oil on linen, 150 x 120cm (*Available) MIDDLE: Mark Schaller and AE Art Consultant Michael Powe and the opening of Streetscapes on February 28th BOTTOM: Brenda Collahan enjoying the opening of Mark Schaller's exhibition Streetscapes
|
