Art Almanac March 2019 $6
Simon Maberley Just Not Australian Gemma Smith
Art Almanac March 2019
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Deadline for April 2019: Friday 1 March, 2019.
We acknowledge and pay our respect to the many Aboriginal nations across this land, traditional custodians, Elders past and present; in particular the Guringai people of the Eora Nation where Art Almanac has been produced.
‘Art has power because it allows for abstract interpretations and understanding of complex issues’, says Ngaio Fitzpatrick in conversation about how art is a witness to climate change. This is true for many artists in this month’s edition, from Sally Smart who addresses violence against women, Ben Quilty’s interrogation of what it means to be human and the challenge to nationalism in ‘Just Not Australian’. Gemma Smith and Ry David Bradley take art itself as their subject exploring process, material and form.
Contact Editor – Chloe Mandryk cmandryk@art-almanac.com.au Deputy Editor – Kirsty Francis info@art-almanac.com.au Art Director – Paul Saint National Advertising – Laraine Deer ldeer@art-almanac.com.au Digital Editor – Melissa Pesa mpesa@art-almanac.com.au Editorial Assistant – Penny McCulloch listing@art-almanac.com.au Accounts – Penny McCulloch accounts@art-almanac.com.au T 02 9901 6398 F 02 9901 6116 Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards NSW 1590 art-almanac.com.au
Cover
Simon Maberley, Clean Coal (detail), 2017, blown and sculpted glass, coal, water and stainless steel, 60 x 15 x 20cm On loan from Gary Rake Courtesy the artist and Belconnen Arts Centre, Australian Capital Territory
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National Centre for Photography Melbourne-based artist Robbie Rowlands is the first to undertake a residency and exhibition at the National Centre for Photography’s new location in Ballarat. This recent acquisition is part of Ballarat International Foto Biennale’s vision to revive the old Former Union Bank building on Lydiard Street South as an arts venue. As the Foto Biennale’s key locale, it will accommodate the Mitchell Family Gallery and Martin Kantor Portrait Gallery, a photobook library, dark room and studios. The inaugural exhibition by Rowlands takes the form of a sculptural site intervention. The work evokes an eerie presence of the passing of time, intricately woven from the historic building’s internal walls and remnant furnishings. A series of photographs document the artist’s process, and is on show until 10 March. ballaratfoto.org Robbie Rowlands, Incremental Loss – Front desk and ceiling cut – Former Union Bank – The National Centre for Photography Residency, 2019 Courtesy the artist and Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Victoria
ENTER Lyon Housemuseum’s inaugural exhibition ‘ENTER’ opens in Melbourne on the 16th of this month and continues until 15 July. The show comprises newly commissioned works, which challenge the tradition and constraints of the ‘white cube’. Audiences will experience the dynamic intersection of art, space, the museum and the viewer’s intervention with works by Brook Andrew, Ry David Bradley, FFIXXED studios x James Deutsher, Shaun Gladwell, nova Milne, Kate Mitchell, Callum Morton, Dan Moynihan, Baden Pailthorpe, Kenzee Patterson, Patricia Piccinini, Ian Strange, Esther Stewart, Kynan Tan, Min Wong and Constanze Zikos. Conceived in 2009 by Yueji and Corbett Lyon, the new space will be open six days a week and present exhibitions and public programming with five gallery zones, a shop, café and sculpture garden. Corbett commented ‘Although a small crucible, our museum’s ambitions are great, and our intentions adventurous.’ lyonhousemuseum.com.au Yuegi Lyon and Corbett Lyon, founding patrons of Lyon Housemuseum Reko Rennie, VISIBLE INVISIBLE, 2017 Photographer: Josh Robenstone Courtesy the artist and Lyon Housemuseum, Melbourne
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Apostrophe Duchamp Edited by Edward Colless Art + Australia Document Series
This ‘green box’ is filled with documents: newspaper extracts, quotes, and letters, even the occasional definition of the title itself. Much like Marcel Duchamp’s original Green Box (1934), extracted texts are placed loosely on the page so that their conceptual relationships and dimension to the overall work is highlighted. Essays by Donald Brook, Rex Butler, Edward Colless, A.D.S. Donaldson, Monique Fong, Marcus Moore, Tom Picton Warlow, Terry Smith, and Daniel Thomas explore the effect the 1967-68 touring exhibition of Duchamp’s work from the Mary Sisler Collection throughout Australia and New Zealand had on local artistic practice, exposition, theory and critical debate. It included his most famous ready-mades, such as the Bicycle Wheel (1913) and the inverted urinal, Fountain (1913).
Morph Polly Borland
Perimeter Editions
‘Morph’ presents a new series of soft sculptures and abstracted portraits by Polly Borland. Her surreal imaginations of the human form are strange and unsettling yet at the same time compelling, inviting the viewer to look more closely. Each figure is boldly infused with fuchsia, deep blues or ashen tones, which intrude and entwine themselves within the constraints of an opaque nylon sac. Fabricated organs, tumors, genitalia, phallic objects, and sexuality – neither male nor female, test the surface. The book includes four lenticular works by Borland, as well as an essay by Sibylla Phipps titled ‘A Voice from Inside the Gimp Suit’, which recounts her extraordinary experience as the model for Borland’s work. 19
Just Not Australian Talia Smith I moved here from New Zealand five years ago, a country with its own Indigenous battles. My ancestors are from the United Kingdom and the Kingdoms of the Pacific Islands and although New Zealand will always be my heart, Australia is the place I now call home. As I finish writing this review it is January 26th, commonly known amongst my peers and the First Nations people of Australia as Invasion or Survival Day. This day is fraught with intergenerational trauma and grief for Indigenous people whose histories have been ignored and erased. A few days ago the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, announced that there will be $6.7 million dollars going towards the construction of a replica of Captain Cook’s boat, which will then travel Australia over 14 months. My first thought when reading about this news was ‘who would this project actually be serving?’ This similar line of questioning is being explored in the group exhibition ‘Just Not Australian’ at Artspace, Sydney. A group of 19 Australian artists have been curated into a broad exploration of race, place, belonging and what it means to be ‘Australian’. Entering the gallery I am greeted by a large Gordon Hookey (Waayani) painting titled Murriland! #1 (2015-ongoing) along the back wall. It is an ongoing series, which tells the history of Queensland from pre-colonial to present day. The bright colouring of the painting at first
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Gemma Smith Rhythm Sequence Melissa Pesa
‘The rhythm of relations of colour and size makes the absolute appear in the relativity of time and space.’ – Piet Mondrian (1919) Drawing attention to the pervasive presence of depth and form, colour is a core ingredient in Gemma Smith’s practice, which oscillates between painting and sculpture. In her exploration of the sculptural properties of colour and its ability to distort the formalist conception of the flat picture plane, Smith finds and sequentially creates movement and spatial incongruities in three-dimensions; an interplay of pictorial depth and geometric abstraction in what she terms an ‘adaptable’ quality.
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Self-Dissection Grey Street Gallery, QCA Galleries 19 to 30 March, 2019 Queensland Alannah Dair, Annie O’Rourke, Vicky Satchwell and Natalie Wood work across a range of media to navigate the ambiguous space they feel women occupy. This exhibition considers women in unfamiliar and familiar roles, as the gallery imparts from a ‘ragedriven destructive force’ to ‘victim of the frailties of the female body’ as well as the contrasting positions of the casual feminist and women embracing domestic routine.
Vicky Satchwell, The Eyes Have It, 2018, trace monotype on paper, using pastel, charcoal and oil stick, 80 x 50cm Courtesy the artist and Grey Street Gallery: QCA Galleries, Queensland
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Tiger Yaltangki Malpa Wiru (Good Friends) Alcaston Gallery 16 March to 18 April, 2019 Melbourne
‘Malpa Wiru’ is an exhibition of paintings and limited edition prints by artist Tiger Yaltangki, of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Drawing inspiration from his favourite science fiction films and television shows, such as ‘The Mighty Boosh’ and ‘Dr Who’, as well as rock and roll bands like AC/DC, the artist presents a cast of quirky and playful characters on vibrant abstract landscapes, which also feature Pitjantjatjara Mamu, cheeky supernatural spirits that derive from an inherited knowledge of Yaltangki’s traditional culture.
Malpa Wiru (Good Friends), 2018, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 152 x 122cm © the artist Courtesy the artist, Iwantja Arts, South Australia and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
The Model Citizen
After Technology
RMIT Gallery Until 23 March, 2019 Melbourne
UTS Gallery Until 18 April, 2019 Sydney
This multi-media group exhibition ‘investigates the way humans map and make sense of the world, and how they form imagined communities’. Audiences are introduced to micro lenses of surveillance and audit culture, the guise of the celebrity citizen and the bio-power of the viral robot citizen, the performative monotony of routine, as well as the omnipresent noise of layered news readings in an attempt to transform the modern agora and what defines who is and is not a ‘model citizen’.
Artists consider the impact of technology on the human experience with particular focus on the changes since the 1990s, how innovation has improved our lives – and also created cracks. In addition to the intangible themes of the show, audiences can connect IRL with free talks, workshops and a performance program to complement the work of Akil Ahamat, Robert Andrew, Tega Brain, Brian Fuata, Roslyn Helper, Patricia Piccinini, Julie Rrap, Yhonnie Scarce, Grant Stevens and VNS Matrix.
Leah Kardos & Sean Redmond, The Unknown Celebrity, 2019, installation: custom merchandise, audio soundscapes Courtesy the artists and RMIT Gallery, Melbourne
Brian Fuata, To Lee, Matthew and Tim: a performance for three men, archival pigment print on 300 rag paper, 213 x 149cm Courtesy the artist and UTS Gallery, Sydney
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Artist Opportunities We have selected a few galleries and funding bodies calling for submissions for Art Awards, Artist Engagements, Grants, Public Art, Residency Programs, Exhibition Proposals and more. Enjoy and good luck! Mordant Family/Australia Council Affiliated Fellowship
Australian multi-disciplinary artist Alex Seton has been named as the third recipient of the Mordant Family/Australia Council Affiliated Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome in 2019. Previously awarded to artist Lynne Roberts Goodwin in 2017 and to Queensland-based artist Jenny Watson in 2018. The artist is renowned for his sculptural works, which he creates using traditional marble and carving techniques. This fellowship will see him venture to the American Academy in Rome for a two-month residency where he will undertake study to investigate the use of the shroud in Roman marble statuary. Seton says, ‘I’m excited and honoured to receive the fellowship in Rome. I look forward to an intensive two months working beside researchers and scholars at the American Academy to develop this new body of work… Being in love with sculpture, I’m particularly looking forward to immersing myself in the atmosphere and taking in the incredible history of statuary in Rome. And of course, eating my weight in gelato,’ he continued.
The Mordant Family and the Australia Council for the Arts have also announced they will continue their partnership for a further five years. ‘The benefits of this experience to the artists and indeed the broader Australian arts community, are significant. We are very much enjoying partnering with the Australia Council on this initiative,’ said Simon Mordant AM.
Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize
Applications close 7 June 2019 The biennial Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize attracts some of Australia’s finest contemporary artists, awarding a generous acquisitive cash prize of $50,000. Works by shortlisted artists will be on display at Bendigo Art Gallery from 14 September to 15 December. bendigoartgallery.com.au
Hadley’s Art Prize
Entries close 5 April 2019 Hadley’s Art Prize is a $100,000 award for a two-dimensional artwork which best portrays the Australian landscape. An exhibition of finalists will held at Hadley’s Orient Hotel in Hobart, Tasmania from 20 July to 18 August with the announcement of the winner at the opening event on 19 July. hadleysartprize.com.au
R & M McGivern Prize
Entries close 28 June 2019 The R & M McGivern Prize is presented every three years with a new theme. In 2019 artists are invited to submit entries, which contemplate the impact of human habitation on the environment – ‘Anthropocene’. This $25,000 acquisitive prize for painting is open to artists across Australia, and includes a $1,000 People’s Choice Prize. The winning artwork will be acquired as part of the Maroondah City Council Art Collection, contributing to Council’s aim of building a high-quality art collection for the Maroondah region. mcgivernartprize.com
First Nations Curators’ Program
Mordant Family/Australia Council Affiliated Fellowship recipient Alex Seton Photograph: Charles Dennington Courtesy Australia Council for the Arts, Sydney
Applications close 24 March 2019 Firstdraft is launching its inaugural First Nations Curators Program to support an emerging Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander practitioner to present an exhibition. The Program has been developed to provide early career curators with new skills, professional development and access to key industry networks. The recipient will receive a $1,500 curatorial fee, $1,000 for artist fees, support with exhibition realisation and professional mentorship with an established First Nations curator. The Firstdraft board will work with the recipient to select a mentor of their choice. firstdraft.org.au
Art & Industry 49
Melbourne
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Brunswick
Ivanhoe
Northcote
Flemington Fairfield
Carlton North Melbourne
Docklands
Fitzroy
Abbotsford Collingwood
Kew
CBD Flinders Lane Federation Square Southbank
National Gallery of Victoria
Richmond Yarra River
Hawthorn
South Melbourne South Yarra Albert Park
Prahran
Middle Park
Toorak
Armadale Malvern
St Kilda
Port Phillip Bay
Caulfield
Elwood Elsternwick
Glen Huntly
Brighton
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Federation Square CBD Art at St Francis Contemporary Art
326 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000. T (03) 9663-2495. E bwremmen@bigpond.net.au Contact: Brigitte Remmen. H Mon-Fri 9.00 to 5.00, Sun 9.00 to 3.00. March 12 to April 15 Nature’s Sanctuary an exhibition of prints by Stephanie Rampton.
Australian By Design The Terrence John Hadler Gallery Room 303e, 3rd Floor, Lift 1 opposite the Hopetoun Tea Rooms, The Block Arcade, 282 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000. T (03) 9663-9883, Terrence 0404-699-033. E sales@australianbydesign.com.au W www.australianbydesign.com.au H Open daily. Featuring an extensive collection of work by Terrence Hadler who is a recognised Australian artist specialising in scenes of the Outback and the rivers of Australia. His paintings range in size from miniatures to very large pieces utilising the colours of this great land. Hadler’s art is represented nationally and internationally and is exclusive to Australian By Design. He is in attendance regularly, please call to enquire.
Deakin Downtown Gallery
Level 12, Tower 2 Collins Square, 727 Collins Street, Melbourne 3008. T (03) 9244-5344. E artgallery@deakin.edu.au W deakin.edu.au/art-collection/ Free entry. H Mon-Fri 9.00 to 5.00 during exhibitions, closed public hols. To March 29 Echo Chambers: Art and Endless Reflections. This ambitious exhibition brings together contemporary Australian artists who are working with mirrors, mirrored surfaces and reflections as the subject and materials of their work, transforming three separate gallery spaces across Deakin University, into a series of dizzying spatial encounters. Artists include Chris Bond, Leslie Eastman, Yanni Florence, Carlo Golin, Justine Khamara, Gian Manik, Kent Morris, Nike Savvas, Linda Tegg, Ebony Truscott, Lyndal Walker, Meng-Yu Yan and others. This project seeks to engage with audience’s increasing desire to see images of themselves reflected in exhibitions and explores how contemporary culture and social media, often mirrors, duplicates and doubles itself. Key historical examples will frame the exhibition inviting the viewer to speculate on what they see and how our experiences of representation have changed over time.
Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI)
Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne 3000. T (03) 8663-2200. W www.acmi.net.au H Daily 10.00 to 5.00. To March 10 Christian Marclay: The Clock – an epic journey through cinematic history in this 24-hour video installation.
Consulate-General of Japan in Melbourne
25th floor, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne T (03) 9679-4510. E meljapan@mb.mofa.go.jp W www.melbourne.au.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/event/ whatson.html H Mon-Fri 9.00 to 1.00 and 2.00 to 5.00. To March 30 Hansho-shingyo: calligraphy based on the Heart Sutra by Benjamin Uno. Instagram: @benjamin.uno
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Meng-Yu Yan, New moon cleanse I, 2018, framed digital print on Ilford gold mono, 35 x 45cm (framed) © the artist Courtesy the artist, Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney and Deakin Downtown Gallery
Alice Springs Araluen Arts Centre
Larapinta Drive, Alice Springs 0870. T (08) 8951-1122. E araluen@nt.gov.au W www.araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au H Daily 10.00 to 4.00. To April 22 (opening Sat March 2, 10am) Weapons for the Soldier. Initiated by the young men of the APY Lands, this project examines weaponry, warfare and the deep connection to Country. To June 2 (opening Sat March 16, 10.30am) Tjungunutja: from having come together. The most significant collection of early Papunya paintings reinforces the Western Desert art movement as one of the nation’s most important.
Artback NT Arts Development and Touring 67 Bath Street, Alice Springs 0871. T (08) 8953-5941. W www.artbacknt.com.au Artback NT is the Northern Territory’s arts development and touring agency. The visual arts program works with individuals, groups and artsbased organisations to present and tour dynamic and exciting visual arts exhibitions nationally and within the Northern Territory with a focus on the development and promotion of Northern Territory artists.
Desart Association of Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Centres
11/54 Todd St Mall (upstairs in Reg Harris Lane), Alice Springs 0870. T (08) 8953-4736. E mail@desart.com.au W desart.com.au www.facebook.com/desart.inc Art centre members are community-based enterprises, owned and managed by Aboriginal people in their communities. They provide economic, social and cultural benefits. Desart members represent approximately 8000 artists, from 16 distinct language groups spread across the Central desert region of Australia.
Tjanpi Desert Weavers
Tony Albert and Vincent Namatjira, Australia’s Most Wanted Armed with a paintbrush, 2018, archival pigment print on paper, 100 x 100cm Courtesy the artists and Araluen Arts Centre
3 Wilkinson Street, Alice Springs 0870. T (08) 8958-2377. E tjanpi.sales@npywc.org.au W www.tjanpi.com.au www.facebook.com/Tjanpi H Mon-Fri 10.00 to 4.00. Tjanpi represents more than 400 Aboriginal women artists from 26 remote communities on the NPY lands. See website for details.
Watch This Space ARI
8 Gap Road, Alice Springs 0870. T (08) 8952-1949. E wts@wts.org.au W www.wts.org.au H Wed-Fri 12.00 to 5.00, and Sat 10.00 to 2.00 during exhibitions. Showcasing local, interstate and international emerging and established artists. March 13 to 30 (opening Fri March 15, 6pm) exhibition by Leen Rieth. Fri March 29, 5.30pm (TBC, see website) Open Studio: Travelling Artist in Residence Sarah Hall and Claire Barnes.
Tutuma Tjapangati, Pintupi/Pitjantjatjara c.1909-1987, Untitled (Archetypal Dreaming journey), 1971, synthetic polymer paint on compressed fibre board, 54 x 21.1cm Collection of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory © the estate of the artist licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Courtesy Papunya Tula Artists and Araluen Arts Centre
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