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ART INSIGHT

March 07

Art Insight, July 08
Ralph Hobbs Ralph Hobbs
Art Director
Art Equity


Dear Subscribers,

Welcome to Art Insight.

A very well received Jeff Makin exhibition (his fifth at Art Equity), has seen major works travel to a number of important collections both in Australia and offshore.

There is no let up in the Art Equity exhibition schedule - the second half of 2008 is packed with extraordinary talent and leading names, including Geoff Dyer (October) and Robert Hannaford (November). Late in August we present an exhibition of new works by Lily Kelly Napangardi and Topsy Peterson Napangardi followed by a new body of ethereal cloudscapes by Andrew McIlroy in early September. (See WHAT'S ON for dates)

Opening next Thursday the 7th August is a "must see" exhibition of outstanding new oil paintings by Laura Matthews, titled Devils’ Heart. In these Tasmanian inspired landscapes, we see thicker rendering of paint and a broader colour palette than has been evident in previous exhibitions - combined with Laura's signature energetic brushstrokes, the are paintings that are breathtaking in their vision and vigour.

July is traditionally a quiet month in the art market calendar ahead of the second round auctions in late August - so rather than our usual update in Market Watch, we offer some key guidelines for successful art investing.

On a sad note, we would like to acknowledge the passing of artist Margaret Turner Petyarre form the Utopia region, north east of Alice Springs on July 23rd.

Regards,
Ralph



In Focus

In Focus

Laura matthews



Devils' Heart 2008

The lines of influence between the British and Australian landscape traditions are lengthy and long standing. John Glover already had a successful career as a leading English landscapist before he arrived in Tasmania in 1831; Tom Roberts was born in Dorchester; Russell Drysdale was heavily influenced by that most English of landscapists, Graham Sutherland, and the Irish-ness of Sid Nolan’s alter ego, Ned Kelly, is undeniable, as is the Englishness of John Wolseley who arrived in 1976, and who now calls Australia home.

The Brits are great lovers of landscape. This is evidenced by the Turners in the Tate, and the Constables, all documented and reasoned by that great 20th century English art historian, Sir Kenneth Clark, when he wrote in his influential book, Landscape into Art, “…with the exception of love, there is perhaps nothing else by which people of all kinds are more united than by their pleasure in a good view”.

Laura Matthews is the latest conduit between these two traditions. She arrived in Sydney in 2002, fully trained from the Slade School, London. Her touch was thin and her stroke, measured, carrying with it vestiges of what has been labelled the “plus and minus school” (the “plus” and “minus” were the crosses and ticks left by the exact process of measuring and correcting the drawing of form). This was the “house style” at the Slade and had been institutionalised by Sir William Coldstream in the 1960s and taught by Matthews’ mentor, Euan Uglow.

The major criticism of this tradition was; it was academic, lacked spontaneity and personal attitude, hence it was totally inappropriate for landscape painting, particularly plein airism.

As if to put this to rights, Matthews in these latest paintings of the moody skies of Tasmania has completely thrown away the plumb-line and yard stick trusting in her freehand and feelings instead.

The result is these incredibly spontaneous landscapes. Her paint skin has thickened. Clouds are hurriedly blocked-in, wet-in-wet, as they thundered by, before their cumulus vaporises into blue sky. Landmass is equally sketchy, but falls just where it should be, its weight and muscularity you will find very familiar.

English landscapes are generally small. What Australian landscapists have bought to this tradition is scale and extreme physicality. Matthews has seen this. With these paintings she is reaching beyond the comfort zone of those small cloud studies by Constable, or of that other renowned master of the cumulus, Wilson Steer.

I like these impassioned paintings. They are delivered with great verve and éclat. When you look up, the question of region, of location, becomes less important. Clouds are clouds whether above the Yorkshire Moors or across Bass Strait - the light and landmass, that’s something else.

Jeff Makin
July, 2008

 

 

 

MAIN IMAGE: Laura Matthews, Blade 2008, Oil on linen, 156x216cm (*Available) TOP: Laura Matthews, Violet shadows creep 2008, Oil on linen, 155x140cm (*Available) NEXT: Laura Matthews, On the edge 2008, Oil on linen, 160x132cm (*Available) BOTTOM: Laura Matthews, Azure foam, 2008, Oil on linen, 140x94cm



Media View

Art Equity News






TOP: Jeff Makin chatting with guest, Gail Watt at the 'Lunch in the Gallery' during his Red Centre exhibition   NEXT: A wild camel photographed by Ralph Hobbs - somewhere west of Alice Springs! NEXT: Ralph standing next to Albert Namatjira's gravestone BOTTOM: Julian Thompson, Blackwoods and Ferns-Afternoon Light, oil on linen, 142x152cm (*Available)


jeff makin captivates his audience

Jeff Makin's solo exhibitions are always highly anticipated by both current and aspiring collectors of top tier Australian landscape painting.  Red Centre was no exception.  Makin's powerful imagery of central Australia drew the crowds and enthusiastic applause.

The show was a turning point for Jeff with some works defining the end of a period whilst others represented a new narrative for the artist.

An intimate lunch in the gallery with Jeff was a highlight of the exhibition followed by an informative discussion by the artist on specific works and the "Red Centre" landscape. 

Click Here to view all works



Ralph visits indigenous artists in their country

This month Ralph Hobbs spent time traveling the central desert region, west of Alice Springs, visiting a number of communities and listening and chatting to artists. He took the opportunity to visit iconic sites including the Finke River- the subject of paintings by artists such as Albert Namatjira and more recently, Jeff Makin. 

Ralph visited artists such as Topsy Peterson Napangardi, Lily Kelly Napangardi and Judy Watson Napangardi.
A highlight of the trip was meeting up with artist Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri (see TOP MOVERS) for the signing and numbering of his print edition titled Rockholes near Pirupa.


 

peter switzer interviews ralph hobbs on sky news business channel

Last Thursday Peter Switzer interviewed Ralph Hobbs on Money Matters - Sky News Business - on the merits of art investing in an uncertain economic climate. 



 

kings school art prize

If you are in Sydney on the weekend of 16th-17th August, don't miss the Kings School Art Show.  An invitation has been extended to all Art Insight subscribers to attend the gala opening on Friday 15th August at 6.30pm CLICK HERE for further information and tickets

The Art show is renowned for it's prestigious selective Art Prize - a $15,000 acquisitive award which, in previous years has been won by artists such as Jason Benjamin, Martine Emdur and Nicholas Blowers.  The winner of the 2008 Kings School Art Prize will be announced at the August 15th official opening. Laura Matthews, Adam Nudelman and Andrew McIlroy were all selected to enter the prize.

Art Equity will be conducting art education seminars as part of the Art Show across the weekend.

Top Movers

Top Movers


Chen Ping

Chen Ping's paintings have been shown in two successful public exhibitions in China in May and June this year.  Three Australian Painters was exhibited at the Guangdong Museum of Art with fellow Tasmanian artists, Geoff Dyer and Anton Holzner.  Their work was also shown in a week long exhibition at the Beijing World Art Museum.

Ping's work will now be on show in a commercial solo exhibition at the Vis-A-Vis Artlab in Beijing from July 31st until August 13th, coinciding with the first week of the Olympic Games.   This is outstanding exposure for the artist in one of the world's leading emerging art markets.  Congratulations Ping.        
                          

Find out more about this artist >

 


Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri

Last week Bill Whiskey signed (as Ralph Hobbs numbered and was entertained by Whiskeys quick and jovial humour), his new release edition of 50 collagraphs printed by with Master Printmaker, Paul Smith.  Rockholes near Pirupa is based on the artists Cockatoo Dreaming paintings.

"Cockatoo Dreaming tells the story of a cockatoo that was preparing some kangaroo meat for storage until she laid her eggs.  A curious black crow was jealously watching the proceedings and decided to steal a portion of the meat.  Both birds fought for some time, creating large holes in the landscape.  Eventually the crow hit the cockatoo with a rock injuring her badly.  An eagle that witnessed the terrible fight decided to help the cockatoo, so she told the crow she wanted to make love to him.  While the crow waited in anticipation, the eagle struck him with hot spinifex wax, scolding his genitals.  Shamed and in panic, the crow slowly flew away. 

The cockatoo is portrayed as a white rock - the white stones around the site are the cockatoo's white feathers which in his paintings are defined by white dots. The eagle is represented by a hill that overlooks and protects the cockatoo.  The roundels or concentric circles are both the holes made in the landscape during the Dreamtime tussleand also specific freshwater rockholes used for generations by Tjapltjarri's family.  Other marks are the tracks in and out of the waterholes. Major marks and lines represent the dry river beds."
Excerpt from the Exhibition catalogue, Masterpieces from the Western Desert, May 2008 London

In the current issue of Australian Art Collector (July- Sept 2008, p.310), Sasha Grishin profiles Watiyawanu artists from the Mt Liebig community and writes...

"Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri has become a legend among western desert artists with his canvases commanding astronomical sums on the art market."

 

CLICK HERE to view a full image and further information about the artist.









TOP:
Chen Ping, Antarctic Wind, Mt Wellington, Oil on canvas, 150x180cm (AVAILABLE) NEXT: Ralph Hobbs with Bill Whiskey as he signs his edition of collagraphs titled Rockholes near PirupaNEXT:Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, Rockholes near Pirupa, Collagraph, Edition of 50, 84 x 60cm, Printmaker: Paul Smith (AVAILABLE)

Market Watch

Market Watch



July is a routinely quiet month for secondary auction activity in the Australian art market- allowing us to draw breath on what has been a solid performance this year to date.

Despite the rollercoaster ride being endured by world equity markets, it's interesting to note that in times of economic uncertainty, the art market has traditionally been seen as an area that is less volatile.  But, at the end of the day the longer term hold that is recommended for artwork still rings true.

We have taken the opportunity to look at some of the fundamentals that buyers must look for when investing in art.  In a market that abounds with a fair amount of hype and in certain cases, financial type indices, there are some basic guidelines that should be adhered to. For a more in-depth information contact us here at Art Equity.

 

Tracking secondary market performance


As with all investments, research is fundamental to success in the art market. We live in a time where far more research resources are at our disposal allowing us to ascertain the comparative values in both the primary and secondary markets.




With no formal 'stock market exchange', a key indicator for established artists - dead or alive - is the auction market.  All data is collated on websites such as aasd.com.au (for Australian and New Zealand artists) and artprice.com (a global auction monitor) who not only provide trend lines (if there is enough data on the artist) as well as decades of information on individual works. This way you can see the trading history of certain lots in the open market. Beware of the regularly traded work at auction - the market is not fond of regularly recurring artworks appearing in the public arena.

 

Look for career highlights


Not all artists have a solid secondary market history or an auction record that is a true indicator of their market standing- in fact most emerging and many mid-career artists fit this category.  It takes time for an artist to get the attention of the secondary market, so other indicators need to be assessed to help determine the potential success of these artists. 

The nature of private (gallery) dealing does not make the sale price as public as the auction arena, so factors such as general sell-out shows, selection in major art collections and prizes and editorial in art journals and mainstream press will add to the collectability or potential investment value of an artist. This may require more work from you, but the process is rewarding and the potential upside can be very exciting.


Select the best you can afford


Compare like-artists and examples of works when making directional choices.  It is dangerous to think that an emerging artist will be the next Brett Whiteley or John Olsen -that's just hoping, not making an informed decision.  Look at the fundamentals that made their success and apply to younger artists.  The best work by artists regardless of their standing will always appreciate in value more than a mediocre work.  Look for artists that have developed a style.  Try to buy these 'typical' works by the artist - those that in time are recognised as characteristic of the artist.



Keep watching this space for more collecting and investing tips...

TOP: Lily Kelly Napangardi, Sandhills 2008, (AENALKA14389MM) Acrylic on linen,120x180cm (*Available) LEFT: Mt Leibig artist, Topsy Peterson Napangardi at work

Rental News

Rental News
landscape
ART EQUITY RENTAL PORTFOLIOS allow you to earn income from your art.

We guide you in buying a quality art portfolio which we then rent to the corporate sector. You will earn a rate of return of between 6.5% and 10% per annum.

It’s a low-risk, affordable way to enter the art market, and make some money in the short-term - from rental income - as well as the potential appreciation of your artworks over time.

Art Equity Rentals Offer

What's On

What's On

Art Equity Gallery

Laura Matthews
Devils' Heart
7 – 22 August

Lily Kelly Napangardi
Topsy Peterson Napangardi
New Works
28 August - 10 September

Andrew McIlroy
Luminere
11 - 26 September

Geoff Dyer
New Works
2 - 17 October

Robert Hannaford
New Works
6 - 21 November


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.

NSW

Biennale of Sydney 2008

Revolutions -Forms that Turn

The 2008 Biennale of Sydney, under the artistic direction of internationally renowned curator, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, brings significant historical works with the art of today and investigate revolving, rotating, mirroring, repeating, reversing, turning upside down or inside out and changing perspectives.

The Biennale includes over 180 artists from 42 countries exhibiting at galleries and public spaces across Sydney. 

Until 7 September 2008

Art Gallery of NSW

Bill Viola The Tristan Project

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.

Until 27 July 2008


Adam Cullen Lets Get Lost

Adam Cullen is a unique figure in contemporary Australian art, a larger-than-life artist whose abrasive yet expressive paintings are a confronting and incisive view of contemporary life. His often satirical works are a form of social allegory, a cutting portrait of our national psyche caught in a suspended stage of development.

Until 27 July 2008


Taisho Chic Japanese Modernity, nostalgia and deco

Japan in the early 20th century was a place of great change. The essential question of the day was: how could one be both Japanese and modern at the same time when modernity was defined as Western?

Until 3 August 2008

Judy Cassab Landscapes from the collection
Emigrating to Sydney from Europe in 1951, Judy Cassab quickly established a reputation as a portrait painter, however it was her experience of Central Australia in the late 1950s that made her first feel fully at home in this country.

Until 31 August 2008

Harold Cazneaux Artist in Photography
Harold Cazneaux was a luminary in Australian photographic circles; a pioneering photographer whose aesthetic style and impressive output had an indelible impact on the development of photographic history in this country.  This major exhibition has been drawn from the collections of the Art Gallery of NSW, National Library of Australia and National Gallery of Australia.

Until 10 August 2008

Focus on Contemporary

Selected from the collection, this display focuses on art that explores history, memory and the associations that art objects can accumulate though time.

Until 26 October 2008

Coming soon...

Kate Beynon Auspicious Charms for Transcultural Living
Melbourne-based artist Kate Beynon presents a new series of paintings in which she explores ideas of transcultural identity and the ‘global citizen’.

7 August - 26 October 2008



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Museum of Contemporary Art

They are meditating: Bark Paintings from the MCA’s Arnott’s Collection
Since the 1950s the practice of bark painting has responded to new contexts and has become increasingly pertinent to the outside world.

Until 3 August 2008

Coming soon...

Video Logic

Video Logic features new and recent work by six artists who have been
involved with video and screen-based artwork for a decade or more.
The exhibition celebrates the dynamism and depth of Australian video
art, a medium that has reached prominence in recent years.

19 August - 2 November 2008

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Australian Centre for Photography

Darren Sylvester Our Furture Was Ours

Darren Sylvester's photographs tackle life's big issues: the fleeting nature of happiness; the importance of friendship; disappointment in love; the inevitability of death. Intuitive rather than didactic, each image is a contemporary parable; each title a distilled prose poem.

25 July - 30 August 2008

Marian Drew Every Living Thing

In Every Living Thing, Marian Drew embraces the formal properties of seventeenth century European painting in a series of works which contrast the violence of road-kill with the gentrified traditions of the still life.

25 July - 30 August 2008

James Brickwood Schoolies

In researching this series of works, Sydney photojournalist James Brickwood accompanied two groups of teenagers on the annual end-of-high-school pilgrimage to the Gold Coast known as Schoolies week.

25 July - 30 August 2008

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Historic Houses Trust

 

Sydney's pubs: liquor, larrikins & the law
Justice & Police Museum

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.

Until 2 November 2008

ACT

National Gallery of Australia

Richard Larter a retrospective

Richard Larter is widely considered to be one of Australia’s most distinguished artists. Born in 1929 he arrived in Australia from England in 1962 and, over the ensuing four decades, created an impressive, provocative, lively body of work.

Until 14 September 2008

Picture Paradise

Picture Paradise is the first ever comparative survey exhibition of the history of photography in the Asia–Pacific region, from the formative decades of the 1840s to 1860s to the early 1940s and the advent of the Second World War.

The exhibition chronicles the developments in photography throughout South and Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific to the west coast of North America. Early photography in the Asia–Pacific region reveals the beauty and cultural diversity of the region.

Until 9 November 2008

Coming soon...

 

Pacific arts from the NGA Collection

Pacific Arts from the NGA collection is the first major exhibition of Pacific Arts to be held in Australia for over twenty years. Embracing the diverse artistic traditions of Polynesia and Melanesia, studying the greatest works of mainly unnamed artists, the exhibition draws upon the world-class Pacific Arts collection of the National Gallery of Australia. Pacific Arts from the NGA collection includes many works that have never been seen by the Australian public.

10 October 2008 – 11 January 2009

Degas

For the first time ever in Australia, audiences will have the opportunity to see an exhibition on one of the most important and admired Impressionist artists – Edgar Degas (France 1834-1917).

Presenting an extensive and thorough examination of Degas’ painting, sculpture, drawing, monotypes and prints, the exhibition will highlight his role as a key figure in the development towards modern art. Degas traces the evolution of the artist’s style from finely crafted paintings to exuberant canvases with brilliant palettes and loose brushwork. The exhibition will also showcase works from  Degas's favoured subject-matter – the ballet, the race-course, the café-concerts, milliners, laundresses, brothel scenes and bathers.

12 December 2008 – 22 March 2009


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National Portrait Gallery - Old Parliament House

Animated: Self Portraits Online
The National Portrait Gallery is proud to announce the launch of Animated, their first online exhibition. Comprising animated self portraits by fourteen of Australia’s most innovative artists, the exhibition revels in its diversion from conventional portraiture.

Launched Friday 26 October 2007


Coming soon…

Open Air: Portraits and Landscapes
This is an exhibition of portraits of Australians in environments of particular significance to them. The exhibition extends the notion of portraiture beyond the simple definition of ‘pictures with faces’ to embrace deeply-rooted visual expressions of identity in which various artists have engaged with different kinds of ancestral history. Inclusive, lyrical and strongly Australian in character, Open Air will be a defining exhibition for the new National Portrait Gallery.
3 December 2008 to 1 March 2009

My Favourite Australian
A joint initiative with the ABC, My Favourite Australian calls on the Australian people to actively develop the exhibition by voting for their favourite Australians. Once voting has closed and the favourite Australians have been chosen, commissioned Australian filmmakers and new media artists will create short digital portraits of them, which will be screened in the Introductory Gallery.
3 December 2008 to 1 March 2009

VIC

National Gallery of Victoria - International (NGVI)

War: The prints of Otto Dix
Otto Dix’s series War [Der Krieg], 1924, arose out of his personal experiences as a soldier in the First World War. Dix (1891–1969) fought as a machine-gunner on the Western Front, where he was wounded a number of times. War profoundly affected him as an individual and as an artist. He took every opportunity to document what he saw and, still haunted by his memories several years after the end of the war, Dix produced a series of 51 etchings based on his sketches and recollections.
Until 10 August 2008

Resonant Visions: Contemporary video from Latin America
This exhibition focuses on small but diverse selection of works by four contemporary artists who have used video to explore different dimensions of the changing conditions of our times.
Until 17 August 2008


Moon in Reflection: The art of Kim Hoa Tram
Kim’s paintings and calligraphies are evocative of an aesthetic and spiritual experience. Moon in Reflection is a journey to spiritual enlightenment and artistic discovery. Kim has explored the human condition of birth, old age, sickness and death, the various themes in Zen philosophy: impermanence, delusion and meditation as a way to spiritual awakening (wu in Chinese and satori in Japanese).
Until 21 September 2008

291: Photographers in the circle of Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz
(1864-1946) was a monumental figure in the history of twentieth century photography. In the opening decades of the century, Stieglitz championed the cause of artistic photography with the Photo-Secession group, and went on to become an important and influential modernist photographer.
Until 28 September 2008


Art Deco 1910–1939
This winter 2008, the National Gallery of Victoria is the exclusive Australian venue for a major exhibition of the celebrated and popular style, Art Deco. The exhibition is the most popular program ever mounted at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, which houses one of the world’s great collections of Art Deco.
Until 5 October 2008

Coming soon...

Making a mark: prints and drawings gifted by Ian Brown
August 2008

Remaking Fashion
September 2008

The cricket and the dragon: Animals in Asian art
September 2008

Order and disorder: Archives in photography
October 2008

Andreas Gursky
November 2008

SA

Art Gallery of South Australia

Empires and Splendour: The David Roche Foundation
For more than forty years, Adelaide collector and Art Gallery benefactor, David Roche has been Exquisite porcelain, metalware, furniture and other luxury objects, by manufacturers Meissen, Chelsea, Gardner, Bullock, Faberge and more, will go on show for the first time publicly in this special exhibition. The full extent of treasures in this remarkable collection will also be revealed through an accompanying exhibition book, which will be lavishly illustrated.

Until 27 July 2008

Culture Warriors: National Indigenous Art Triennial
Travelling from the National Gallery of Australia, Culture Warriors provides a highly considered snapshot of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contemporary art practice. The work of thirty artists has been selected, representing the diversity of regions around Australia and demonstrating the incredible range of contemporary Indigenous art practice.

Until 31 August 2008

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Prints
The new display features a selection of Indigenous and Torres Strait island prints, including works from the Warlayirti portfolio published by Northern Editions in 2006.

Until 4 August 2008

COMING…

Misty Moderns:  Australian Tonalists 1915-1950
The Art Gallery of South Australia is staging the first major exhibition of the Australian tonalist painter, Max Meldrum and his school.

15 August – 19 October 2008

Multiplicity: Prints and Multiples
Multiplicity explores the development of prints and multiples in art from the 1960s through to the current day. Drawing on the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney and the University of Wollongong, the exhibition tracks the history of innovative prints, photographs and objects, from the studio-made to limited editions and the mass-produced, which have been at the core of contemporary art practice

17 October – 1 February 2009

 

Hans Heysen
The Art Gallery of South Australia holds the largest and most representative collection of works by this famous South Australian, including more than two thousand drawings, oils and watercolours bequeathed by the artist himself. Around a hundred works will feature in this landmark exhibition, including many from the Gallery’s own collection, alongside those from major public and private collections from around Australia.

14 November – 15 February 2009

TAS

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

Cabinet of Curiosities

The Cabinet of Curiosities is a captivating and curious exhibition from the National Museum of Australia that has been wending its way around the country and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery is excited to showcase it in late June. The 36 drawers of the cabinet all contain something interesting that is set to intrigue and captivate adults and children alike.

From 30 June 2008

Mining, Mud and Mirth: Robinson's photographs of Waratah 1913–45

In 1913 JH Robinson was employed to work at Mt Bischoff Mines on the rugged West Coast of Tasmania. As an amateur photographer he was the principal biographer of Osmiridium mining at the Savage River and Mount Stewart fields, and recorded many features of the Mt Bischoff mine operations-one of the richest tin mines in the world at the time. For over 30 years Robinson captured the lives and endeavours of the industrious individuals who lived and worked in the extreme and isolated conditions of the Waratah region.

4 July 2008 – 31 May 2009

Coming soon…

 Facture

This particular exhibition, which is the first in a series, will focus on contemporary Tasmanian craft and design. The exhibition will survey the work of particular artists for whom the process of making the piece and the materials used are conceptually significant to their design practices.

14 August–23 November 2008

Grace Cowley Being Modern
This is the first exhibition of Grace Crowley’s work since 1975. It includes important works from public and private collections and traces her remarkable artistic journey from traditional landscapes to avant-garde experimentation and pure abstraction. The exhibition includes several recently rediscovered paintings and the largest number of Crowley’s abstract paintings ever assembled, enabling a new appraisal of Crowley’s achievement.
3 October – 23 November 2008

Anne Ferran The Ground, The Air
The Ground, the air is an exhibition of photography, video and installation that uses Tasmanian sites and archives, archaeology and histories to explore how the past haunts the present. With a particular focus on the lives of female convicts and their children, The Ground, the air asks audiences to consider the notion of the landscape as witness and the effects of acts of forgetting.
12 December 2008 – 22 February 2009

The Big Draw
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery is participating in the international project, The Big Draw. The object is to encourage everyone to get back to drawing regardless of age or experience. As part of the project The TMAG Art Guides will present an exhibition of works by artists who have volunteered to participate in the program. There will also be a series of practical drawing studio workshops for adults and children.  Workshops will be run from 6 September to 5 October. Come along, improve your drawing skills and be part of an international project.
1 September – 11 October 2008

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Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
(Inveresk)

Great Railway Journeys of Australia: The Workshops Rail Museum – Queensland Museum Travelling Exhibition

Since the introduction of the railways in Australia over 150 years ago, train travel has played an important role in Australian cultural life. This new exhibition, produced by The Workshops Rail Museum, explores the development of Australia’s rail network and showcases some of the most famous railway journeys in Queensland and Australia.
Until 28 September 2008

ArtstartReflections
Artwork by primary school students from northern Tasmania
Until 14 August 2008


Wildlife of Gondwana

This exhibition will provide a 'world first' display of the fossil record from Australian and South American sources and will describe the Wildlife of the Great Southern Super continent—Gondwana, from 3.8 billion years ago to the present.
Until 3 August 2008


360 Professions
- China Trade Paintings
360 Professions highlights the street trades and professions of 19th century China. This exhibition touches upon the rich diversity of 19th century China and includes images ranging from Imperial noblemen and women to sandal makers and chicken castrators.
Until 7 September 2008

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WA

Art Gallery of Western Australia
 

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.
Until 25 August 2008

COMING...

PEEP: GLIMPSES OF THE LAST 4 DECADES FROM THE KERRY STOKES COLLECTION

Until 25 August 2008

Grace Crowley: being modern
Grace Crowley: being modern’ is an important retrospective exhibition of paintings and drawings by one of Australia's most influential modern artists. This is the first exhibition of Grace Crowley's work since 1975. It includes important works from public and private collections and traces her remarkable artistic journey from traditional landscapes to avant-garde experimentation and pure abstraction.
Until 21 September 2008

 

Frank Hinder
This exhibition presents a selection of works on paper by Frank Hinder, drawn exclusively from the State Art Collection.

Until 21 September 2008

 

Wonderlust

A dynamic new presentation of the State Art Collection, featuring Indigenous, Australian and international art, craft and design acquired since the Gallery's inception in 1895. This exhibition brings together painting, sculpture, photography, works on paper, craft and projections.
Begins 28 June 2008

 

Culture Warriors: National Indigenous Art Triennial

A National Gallery of Australia Travelling Exhibition Culture Warriors surveys and celebrates the rich cultural diversity of contemporary Indigenous art practice across regional, remote and urban Australia. Housed within are the voices of artists working in the here and the now. Culture Warriors simultaneously showcases the work of 26 emerging and established artists whose strong and often poignant cultural narratives create a vivid visual dialogue of contemporary life for Indigenous Australians.
20 September – 23 November 2008

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Perth Institute of Contemporary Art

An Ever Expanding Universe

Featuring exquisite miniatures, work grounded in both Indigenous and Buddhist traditions, images of the cosmos and contemporary abstraction An Ever Expanding Universe brings together a constellation of ten leading artists.
Until 3 August 2008

Oottheroongoo (Your Country)

Julie Dowling is a Perth based Badimaya artist known for her paintings detailing land, country and family. At once gentle and incisive, this installation is both a self-portrait and a wider history. It reveals an unfolding personal journey and offers glimpses of her physical and spiritual reconnection with her ancestral country - an experience Dowling has meticulously documented via film and photography.
Until 3 August 2008

Australian Gothic: Video Art Now

Well before Australia was charted it was 'imagined as a grotesque space peopled by monsters'. Early settlers found their new land eerie, disorientingly unfamiliar and hostile - a response which became ingrained in our national consciousness, literature and cinema.
Until 3 August 2008


Coming soon…

Scary Movie
Scary Movie features four recent video works by UK and Europe based artists. Each work makes references different applications for film or video technology to their ensuing languages and forms - from surveillance and scientific documentation, to the 'home-video', 'the documentary' and finally 'the drama'.
13 August 2008, 6pm

 

Helovanorak

Taking its name from a misheard song lyric, Michelle Ussher's architectural installation Helovanorak explores the relationship between people and their surroundings. PICA's galleries will be transformed into a cathedral-like space containing a series of passages and rooms, whose surfaces are tattooed with impressions from the artist's conscious and unconscious memory.
14 August – 28 September 2008

 

If…so…then

If ... so ... then, is drawn from the Mangano sisters childhood experiences of their intimate communication and almost telepathic connection. Filmed face-to-face the twins fluently draw around the periphery of each others body. At once inaccessible and peculiarly tender their intense hypnotic performance mimics the repetition of learning a new language. Layered and rich in associations this video work engages notions of language, gesture, drawing and architecture.
14 August – 28 September 2008

Silver – Artage 25
The Silver exhibition explores visual practice in Perth over the last 25 years referencing key artists, contributors, exhibitions, artist-run spaces (ARIs) and galleries that have been linked to ARTRAGE programs. This survey exhibition also shines a spotlight on the career trajectories of selected artists, some of whom are now based interstate and overseas.
16 October – 23 November 2008

 

NT

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

Arafura Craft Exchange.  Trajectory of Memories, Tradition and Modernity in Ceramics

The Arafura Craft Exchange introduces audiences to remarkable examples of contemporary craft from Indonesia and Australia.

12 July 2008 – 18 January 2009

 

Coming soon…

 

25th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award

Regarded as one of the premier national Indigenous events on the arts calendar, the 25th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award offers one of the highest prizes for any art award in Australia. The Award is important for both established and emerging artists and attracts a broad range of artistic talent. Works are selected from almost 400 entries from around Australia.
Winners are announced and prizes presented at a free public opening event on the evening of Friday 15 August 2008. This event provides entertainment from Indigenous traditional and contemporary performers in the tropical MAGNT grounds.

 

Timor-Leste Ami Nian Kultura – From the hands of our ancestors – The Traditional and Contemporary Art and Crafts of Timor-Leste

This international exhibition will present the traditional and contemporary art and crafts of Timor-Leste. The national collection of Timor-Leste will be complemented with works from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. This comprehensive, collaborative exhibition of the textiles, ceramics, wooden carvings and body adornment of Timor-Leste will give insights into the distinctive living cultures of this young nation.

22 November 2008 – 12 July 2009

QLD

Queensland Art Gallery

Gordon Bennett
Presenting work from 1987 to the present this comprehensive retrospective exhibition brings together many of the Notes to Basquiat 1998–2001 paintings and selected works from the Home Décor series.

Until 3 August 2008

Picasso & his collection
Art Exhibitions Australia and the Queensland Art Gallery in association with the Musée national Picasso, Paris, present an Australian first, Picasso’s personal collection, exclusive to Brisbane.

Until 14 September 2008

Sidney Nolan: A New Retrospective
Sidney Nolan’s first major retrospective since his death presents an opportunity to unravel something of the artist’s enigma and understand his achievement throughout an entire career.

Until 28 September 2008

Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Award (2008)
The ‘Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Award’ is an acquisitive prize awarded to an emerging Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island artist.
Until 12 October 2008

Modern Ruin
A rich vein of contemporary artistic practice critically and visually revaluates the utopian dreams of the modern period within an exploration of the relationship between art, architecture and design.
Until 12 October 2008

Coming soon…

Place Makers: Contemporary Architects

This exhibition presents the work of 22 Queensland architects in a major new exhibition.  Exploring diverse design responses to climate, changing lifestyle patterns and population growth, ‘Place Makers’ will be the largest exhibition of contemporary architecture ever staged in an Australian art museum.

2 August - 23 November 2008

 

Someone’s Universe: The Art of Eugene Carchesio

The exhibition will be a focused survey of work by leading Brisbane contemporary artist Eugene Carchesio.  Known for his repeated use of particular images and patterns, his work has an overall sense of rhythm and composition which echoes his keen interest in music.

25 October – 1 February 2009

 

Premier of Queensland’s National Art Award in New Media

This exhibition features the work of leading new media artists invited to participate in the inaugural Premier of Queensland’s National Art Award in New Media.

1 November – 8 February 2009

Contemporary Australia: Optimism

Following the acclaimed Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art series, the Queensland Art Gallery is initiating a major series of contemporary Australian art exhibitions at the Gallery of Modern Art.

15 November – 22 February 2009

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Museum of Brisbane

State of Play
Created in conjunction with C&K, founded in 1907 as Queensland’s Creche and Kindergarten Association, State of Play illustrates the importance of play through heart-warming historical photographs of Brisbane children at play.
Until 19 August 2008

David Nixon: A Quiet Immanence
A series of linoblock prints that are quietly meditative in their beauty and suggestive of something sacred. Nixon's work also celebrates the notion of art being true, simple and direct.
Until 10 August 2008

 

Inhabit: Ideas for better living
A free program of art installations and events throughout Brisbane's CBD.  Inhabit is a new Brisbane City Council program of public art and events that will transform forgotten and overlooked places throughout Brisbane's CBD. During July and August, laneways, 'pocket parks' and concrete nooks around the city will be re-defined by innovative sculpture, design and events.

Until 22 August 2008

 

A City Seen: Works from the City of Brisbane Collection
The works displayed in A City Seen are drawn from the City of Brisbane Collection that is owned by the people of Brisbane through Brisbane City Council. This collection, which comprises work by local and national artists, began in 1859 with the foundation of local government in Brisbane and is cared for by Museum of Brisbane.
Until 25 October 2008

 

10 Days in August: Memories of the Ekka
Step right up folks and recapture your favourite Ekka memories at MoB’s exciting new exhibition. Uncover the rich history and grand traditions of this iconic annual event
25 July – 16 October 2008

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Institute of Modern Art

The Dating Show at IMA@TCB
The cliches of everyday romantic discourse are as profound as they are silly. This exhibition explores the habits, language and practices of dating — the rules of romantic engagement.
Until 27 July 2008

Rose Nolan Why We Do The Things We Do
Melbourne artist Rose Nolan traffics in forms, codes and ideals founded in utopian strands of 20th Century avant-gardism.
Until 16 August 2008


Johan Grimonprez Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y
Belgian artist Johan Grimonprez achieved international acclaim with his collage video Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y. Premiering at Paris's Centre Pompidou and Documenta X in Kassel in 1997, it eerily foreshadowed the events of September 11.
Until 16 August 2008


Coming soon...

Guy Sherwin Cinema of Perception/Cinema of Performance

Guy SherwinGuy Sherwin
Cinema Of Perception / Cinema Of PerformanceGuy Sherwin
Cinema Of Perception / Cinema Of PerformanceGuy Sherwin
Cinema Of Perception / Cinema Of Performance

Britain’s Guy Sherwin is a pioneer of experimental cinema. His handcrafted films, gallery installations and performances explore light and time as fundamentals of cinema. He will present a survey of his films, including investigations of film material, animal studies and optical-sound experiments.

Screening:  Wednesday 6 August at 6.30pm
Gallery of Modern Art

QCA Lunchbox Lecture:  Thursday 7 August at 12.30pm
Queensland College of the Arts


Performance:  Saturday 9 August at 6pm
Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts

Artur Zmijewski


Artur Zmijewski

Polish artist Artur Zmijewski’s unabashedly political artworks are among the most cogent and courageous meditations on the psychical complexities of fascism and state violence currently being produced. Combining performance and video, the Warsaw-based artist utilises bodily dysfunction and abjection as allegories for despotism. His protagonists are the sick, the mentally ill, the handicapped and the imprisoned.
23 August — 11 October 2008

 

Diena Georgetti
The Humanity Of Abstract Painting

This is the first survey exhibition of the Brisbane painter's elusive work. It covers two decades, from her early blackboards featuring enigmatic scrawled words in German and Italian and her orientalist

allegories to recent paintings that co-opt and remix classic early modernist styles to forge a personal utopia.

18 October — 29 November 2008








TOP:
Ralph Hobbs pictured with Lily Kelly Napangardi painting a work which will be included in the New Works exhibtion in August MIDDLE: Topsy Peterson Napangardi working on a canvas for the August exhibition BOTTOM: Andrew McIlroy, Lumiere 2008, oil on linen, 183x168cm (Available)
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