RENEW 2017
The year at a glance JANUARY
JULY
ONGOING:
28 Year 12 Perspectives opens 30 “Unknown Land” closes Portrait Project closes
8 Screen Space: Sirens of Chrome, Jesper Just opens 9 Objects Gallery: Gifts to the Fallen closes 29 Six Seasons* Indigenous Gallery opens
Rodgers Gormley Gallery Micro Galleries: Garden and Sky Desert River Sea: Kimberley Art Then and Now Your Collection (WA State Art Collection) Rise Sound Gallery Craft and Design Gallery Cross-Arts Residency: Reason for Being Co3 Dance Company
FEBRUARY 5 Continental Shift closes 25 Everyone has a history – Part One: Plain Speak opens 26 Screen Space: HEAT, Christian Thompson closes
MARCH 11 Luminous: 15 Years of the Tom Malone Prize opens 19 WA Focus: Helen Grey-Smith closes
APRIL 1 2
WA Sneakers opens WA Focus: Nathan Beard opens Year 12 Perspectives closes
MAY 13 The Rise of Sneaker Culture opens 20 Art Ball 28 WA Focus: Nathan Beard closes
JUNE 25 Luminous: 15 Years of the Tom Malone Prize closes
AUGUST 10 Screen Space: Sirens of Chrome, Jesper Just closes 12 Screen Space: Scratch an Aussie, Richard Bell opens 13 Everyone has a history – Part One: Plain Speak closes
SEPTEMBER 2
WA Focus: Gregory Pryor opens Renew of Your Collection opens 4 The Rise of Sneaker Culture and WA Sneakers closes 10 Screen Space: Scratch an Aussie, Richard Bell closes 16 Bill Henson opens
OCTOBER 14 Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures opens
NOVEMBER Black Swan Prize for Portraiture 26 WA Focus: Gregory Pryor closes
DECEMBER 11 Bill Henson closes *Six Seasons is a working title. The project will be developed with the guidance of Aboriginal elders.
We acknowledge that the Art Gallery of Western Australia is situated on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people and we wish to pay our respects to the traditional custodians of this Country. We also acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities we work with across Australia. Front Cover: Antony Gormley Big Yield 2015. Mild steel bar, 219.0 x 111.0 x 99.0 cm. Big Pluck 2, 2016. Mild steel bar, 281.0 x 81.0 x 48.0 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation: Funds donated by John Rodgers to the Art Gallery of Western Australia, for permanent display and enjoyment by the public in recognition of the contribution by his father Kurt Rodgers to the arts and the Gallery, of which he was a Board member from 1960 to 1970, 2016. © the artist. Photograph by Stephen White, London. Courtesy: Sean Kelly, New York. 2
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New in 2017 Culture Juice New Contemporary Culture Series
The Rise of Sneaker Culture (May)
Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures (October)
Six Seasons*
RENEW of the State Art Collection
Everyone has a history – Part One: Plain Speak (Feb) Six Seasons* Gallery (opens July) Digital collection (launches July)
New works, new experiences
Pierre Hardy Poworama 2011.
Ben Watts Photographer Heath Ledger.
Shane Pickett Six Seasons: A suite of Prints 2005-2006 (detail).
Julianne Swartz Blue Sky with Rainbow 2015-2016 (detail).
Indigenous Art Project
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Stefano Carboni DIRECTOR | ART GALLERY OF WA Our overall theme for 2016 was SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY and I trust we have delivered on this ongoing promise. The theme we have chosen for 2017 is RENEW and you’ll see it in the three major innovations which I hope represent an exciting vision and focus for the future. Home of Indigenous Art Our major Indigenous project (with the working title Six Seasons) sees the opening of a new permanent Indigenous Gallery in July; our contribution to PIAF – the Indigenous focused Everyone has a history – Part One: Plain Speak; the continuation into the fifth year of the Desert River Sea Kimberley art project and our ambitious plan to digitise the entire Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art collection. Culture Juice We launch a new contemporary culture strand – Culture Juice – with two major projects. We introduce SNEAKERHEADS a multi-dimensional celebration of sneaker culture, which includes the only non-American presentation of The Rise of Sneaker Culture, directly from the US in May. In November, a special collaboration with the WA Museum is the eagerly awaited Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures. Renewal of the State Art Collection In September, we reopen the ground floor galleries after a major reinstallation which will see many works that are new to our audience, and a stronger, more engaging focus on key artists, on WA and the weaving of different stories into the chronological display of the Collection. I am delighted that a new gallery, the Rodgers Gormley Gallery, opens at the very entrance of the main building to house two major new works by Antony Gormley, recently acquired by AGWA.
Welcome to Renew 2017 4
We continue to broaden our scope including developing plans for a rooftop cinema SkyScreen developed in partnership with Community Cinemas to open later in the year. We’ll have exciting displays and programs in the Imagination Room; even a new artisan urban produce garden, AGWA Botanical; the continuation of our explorative encounters with Guru Guides; artist talks, immersive virtual reality experiences, and AGWA TV. Not to forget the family activities with our popular engagement robot, Aggie! We are redefining the role of the Gallery here in WA. Come on the journey with us to see things differently. AGWA – See things differently
Nicholas Hasluck AM QC | BOARD CHAIR RENEW is a fitting theme as we move towards the 125th anniversary of the Gallery in 2020. AGWA’s director Stefano Carboni and his dedicated team have designed this year’s program to spark curiosity, encourage discussion and showcase a wide range of excellence in the visual arts. A few key milestones and beloved projects will also be celebrated this year. The 15th anniversary of the Tom Malone Prize will feature all works by past winners and other works by Australian glass artists the Gallery has acquired since 2003. We celebrate the 25th anniversary of Year 12 Perspectives, with the delightful showcase of work by Western Australia’s young artists. This year’s exhibition will also involve alumni who have become professional practitioners in the visual arts. 2017 is also the 40th anniversary of the superb Voluntary Gallery Guides. Our commitment to acquiring and displaying new works, and to WA artists through the WA Focus series means that we are always offering something new for our visitors. We are indebted to our sponsors, the Foundation and our Friends whose support is essential to delivering such a rich program. I conclude my last year as Chair by conveying on behalf of the Board and staff at AGWA a warm welcome to my successor Sam Walsh AO. Enjoy reading about our plans and visit us often.
John Day MINISTER FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS Alongside major exhibitions, such as the touring Bill Henson exhibition from the National Gallery of Victoria and the innovative Sneakers exhibit organised by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, the Gallery will be collaborating with more WA organisations than ever before. These include the Perth International Arts Festival, Co3 dance company, HBF Run for a Reason, Curtin University, Green World Revolution, Fashion Council WA, Fringe World, Awesome Arts, WA Music Industry Association, the Department of Sport and Recreation, Artsource and Community Cinemas. A very significant cultural collaboration with the Western Australian Museum will celebrate Perth born film legend Heath Ledger and will be a particular highlight.
Julianne Swartz Blue Sky with Rainbow 2015-2016 (detail). Solar collector on roof, sunlight, fibre optic cable, custom PVC cladding, prism, lens and acetate, dimensions variable. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the TomorrowFund, Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, 2015. © the artist. Photo: Acorn Photo.
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All of this partnership work, tied to innovations such as the new Indigenous Gallery, robot tours, virtual reality immersions, Art Ball, opening the rooftop to new ideas like SkyScreen, the Culture Juice series and the reimagining of the State Art Collection, mean that audiences can expect the unexpected – and be assured of a richly rewarding experience. 5
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Big Yield and Big Pluck 2 Antony Gormley
Two new occupants are welcomed to the threshold of AGWA in a new gallery space. Located in the Gallery’s entrance, the Rodgers Gormley Gallery features two major acquisitions, the mild-steel sculptures Big Yield and Big Pluck 2 created in 2015 by the internationally renowned artist Antony Gormley. Gormley is well-known to Western Australians thanks to his dramatic installation, Inside Australia on Lake Ballard. The two new works are the first of his in the Gallery itself and at one‑and‑a‑half‑times life‑size they provide a captivating entrance statement to the building. These monumental yet playful sculptures are made from interlocking beams that use the language of architecture to express strong inner feeling. Standing at the entrance to the Gallery they welcome each visitor, inviting them to consider their own bodies, thoughts and feelings and signalling the belief that art is not only for everybody, but is made by everybody as well. Visit the Gormley in Context display in the adjoining linkway.
Ongoing | Free Coordinating Curator Robert Cook Supported by The two sculptures were purchased in 2016 through the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation with funds donated by John Rodgers, for the public to enjoy, and in recognition of the contribution by his father Kurt Rodgers to the arts and to the Gallery where he was a Board Member from 1960 to 1970.
Antony Gormley Big Yield 2015. Mild steel bar, 219.0 x 111.0 x 99.0 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation: Funds donated by John Rodgers to the Art Gallery of Western Australia, for permanent display and enjoyment by the public in recognition of the contribution by his father Kurt Rodgers to the arts and the Gallery, of which he was a Board member from 1960 to 1970, 2016. © the artist. Photograph by Stephen White, London. Courtesy: Sean Kelly, New York. 6
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“Unknown Land” Mapping and Imagining Western Australia The first European explorers and settlers viewed Western Australia and its spectacular coast as an “unknown land”. Of course, it was no such thing – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had owned the land for thousands of years and were quickly in conflict with the imperialists. Whatever their motives – colonist, invader, explorer, settler, adventurer – the Europeans were awestruck by the land we now call Western Australia – and the opportunities it presented. This exhibition of the earliest watercolours, paintings and drawings of WA superbly captures unforgettable images of idyllic locations still familiar, but now mostly transformed. These artists were the first of many generations to be inspired by the landscape of WA.
Until 30 January 2017 Ticketed Curated by Melissa Harpley Exhibition Partner
Media Partners APN Outdoor Avant Card The Sunday Times PerthNow Robert Dale Panoramic view of King George’s Sound, part of the Colony of Swan River 1834 (published) (detail). Hand-coloured etching and aquatint, 18 x 274.5 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Transferred from the Battye Library, 1955.
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Continental Shift An exciting partnership between the Art Gallery of WA, Chicago‑based Terra Foundation for American Art and the University of Western Australia sees fifteen American nineteenth-century landscape paintings shown in the context of their Australian counterparts.
Until 5 February 2017 Free Curated by Melissa Harpley Exhibition Partners
Continents apart, yet influenced by the same global artistic trends, this exhibition highlights the cross-pollination of ideas and influences, exploring the referential artistic practices intrinsic to the development of art movements across the centuries.
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Year 12 Perspectives Celebrating 25 Years Year 12 Perspectives showcases work by some of the best, brightest and most talented graduating high school artists in WA, and is a barometer of what our youth are thinking and feeling. In 2017, the Year 12 Perspectives exhibition will celebrate its 25th year and the show will also highlight alumni who have become professional practitioners in the visual arts, including video interviews with previous exhibitors across the years.
28 January – 2 April 2017 | Free Curated by Dunja Rmandić Principal Partner
Supported by Department of Education Schools Curriculum & Standards Authority Catholic Education WA
Gabrielle Butler Geraldton Grammar School Submerged 2015. Oil on canvas, 122 x 91 cm. AGWA – See things differently
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Objects Gallery: Gifts to the Fallen Gifts to the Fallen is both a pragmatic and sentimental response to death, and the ceremonies around it, from an Aboriginal perspective. It presents a combination of traditional and contemporary objects that reference Aboriginal mortuary beliefs and practices. By opening up these ideas, the exhibition is also an invitation for all of us to remember someone who was close or special – for remembering is perhaps the best and last gift we can give the departed.
Until 9 July 2017 | Free Curated by Carly Lane Roy Wiggan Spring water (Ilma - ceremonial emblem) 1993. Wood, paint, wool, cotton, 90 x 42cm (irregular). State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased 1993.
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AGWA Indigenous: Six Seasons* This name conveys that AGWA aims to cover all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art (it refers to the Noongar six seasons) and take a holistic view in step with the natural cycle which is at the heart of Indigenous culture. The six strands rolling out from 2017 are: • New Gallery • Special exhibitions: Everyone has a history • Kimberley research project and exhibition: Desert River Sea
• AGWA Indigenous Collection online • Indigenous art Nano Gallery digital station • State Art Collection: representation in the main AGWA collection galleries
*Six Seasons is a working title. The project will be developed with the guidance of Aboriginal elders.
Indigenous Art Gallery This new permanent space will showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from the State Art Collection.
mainly in storage, hugely expanding access to the Collection. These will progressively be made accessible both online and in a new Nano Gallery.
In this ambitious commitment to Indigenous art, AGWA features a variety of media, styles and subjects explored in contemporary Indigenous art.
Opens 29 July 2017 | Free
A mix of works by Western Australian and Australian artists will be on display. Linked to the project is a major digitisation program of the 3,000 or so works AGWA – See things differently
Curated by Carly Lane Shane Pickett Six Seasons: A suite of Prints 2005-2006 (detail). Etching on archival paper with collectors box, 34 x 49 cm (image) 60 x 80 cm (paper). State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased 2006.
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Everyone has a history Part One: Plain Speak This new three-year project is about stories that have to be told. Whether it’s a grand narrative or a modest tale, an intimate moment or an everyday account, this exhibition explores the way people construct stories to connect. Plain Speak launches a new annual series at AGWA that presents compelling personal stories told through art. The inaugural show puts Indigenous artists in the spotlight – with 50 powerfully personal video, painting, photography, sculpture and textile works. Whether it’s a grand tale or something more intimate, these stories and histories will resonate. The launch exhibition of the series is part of the Gallery’s commitment to build an ongoing program focusing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Presented as part of the Perth International Arts Festival Visual Arts Program Partner
Major Partner
25 February – 13 August 2017 | Free Curated by Carly Lane
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Tony Albert No place warrior 2009. Watercolour on arches paper, 76 x 57 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the TomorrowFund, Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, 2010.
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Close-up of Kirsty Burgu at work during the Desert River Sea watercolour workshop at Mowanjum Aboriginal Arts & Culture Centre, August 2016. © AGWA 2016.
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Desert River Sea: Kimberley Art Then And Now Desert River Sea: Kimberley Art Then and Now is a ground-breaking, six-year visual arts initiative developed by AGWA with the support of Rio Tinto. It bridges the cultural and geographic distance between the artists of the diverse Kimberley region, AGWA in Perth, and national and international audiences. Founded on close consultation with senior artists, art centres and community members, Desert River Sea includes a comprehensive digital portal, a visual arts leadership program and research projects. In 2018, the venture will conclude with a landmark exhibition at AGWA celebrating the region’s art and culture. Winner of the prestigious Museum and Galleries National Award (Indigenous Project or Keeping Place Category) in 2016, the project was acknowledged for its diversity, inclusion, innovation and impact. In 2017, AGWA’s Broome‑based team members Philippa Jahn, Project Coordinator, and Geraldine Henrici, Support Officer, will focus on commissioning and documenting new collaborative works with art centres.
Ongoing until 2018 Visit desertriversea.com.au for more information Supported by
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AGWA launches a major contemporary culture series in the run up to its 125th anniversary in 2020 – Culture Juice. Fashion, screen, street and digital culture, architecture, and contemporary design are all explored in the coming years. This year Culture Juice showcases SNEAKERHEADS and Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures.
There is no escape! This major season frames The Rise of Sneaker Culture exhibition touring from the US. Look out for cool local collections, watch Sneaker TV, contribute your Sneaker Stories online, run as a sneakerhead in HBF Run for A Reason, support AGWA at the Art Ball and admire the unique WA sneaker. Explore the connections with design, sport, fashion and music... be part of the phenomenon: express yourself.
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Including collaborations with Curtin University and Fashion Council WA on designing the WA Sneaker; the Department of Sport and Recreation, and HBF Run for a Reason on Sneaker Stories; WA Music on sneaker sounds; and the second Art Ball... this is one big reason to run to AGWA.
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13 May – 4 September 2017 Curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack Senior Curator Bata Shoe Museum Coordinating Curator Robert Cook Organised by
Major Partner for presentation at AGWA
The Rise of Sneaker Culture As part of a season of events and exhibitions entitled SNEAKERHEADS, AGWA is pleased to present the only Australian showing of the major exhibition The Rise of Sneaker Culture. Sneakers have long been loved as a staple of casual fashion, transcending gender, age, and socioeconomic categories to become the footwear of choice for millions across the globe. The Rise of Sneaker Culture tells the sneaker’s complex and fascinating story – from its beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century to its emergence in the present day as a cultural icon. The sneakers on show are drawn from the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto; the Northampton Museums and Art Gallery; the archives of Adidas, Nike, Reebok, PUMA, and Converse; and private collectors such as hip-hop legend Run DMC, sneaker guru Bobbito Garcia (Kool Bob Love), and Dee Wells of Obsessive Sneaker Disorder. The selection is also richly contextualised with film footage, interactive media, photographic images, and design drawings, creating a backdrop of the social history, technical innovation, fashion trends, and marketing campaigns that shaped the sneaker’s form over the past two centuries. The Rise of Sneaker Culture is organised by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum. The exhibition is curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum. Pierre Hardy Poworama, 2011. Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, gift of Pierre Hardy. Photo: Ron Wood. Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum.
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WA Sneakers As part of the SNEAKERHEADS season and accompanying the exhibition The Rise of Sneaker Culture will be a range of programs aimed at showcasing and celebrating the buoyant sneaker culture of Western Australia. Bringing local collections out of the closet and into the public realm of the Gallery, AGWA will present sneaker displays that pay homage to the passion, knowledge and pride of West-side sneakerheads. These programs will also include interviews and digital presentations that focus on the importance of sneakers for everyday aficionados as a vehicle for personal and cultural expression. Photo courtesy of Lee Deville Ingram
April – 4 September 2017 | Free Coordinating Curator Robert Cook
SAVE THE DATE
Art Ball It’s back! Following the 2016 sold out extravaganza, Art Ball in support of the AGWA Foundation returns with even more creative energy. Join us for an evening filled with art, music, performance and avant‑garde style – a high end spectacle not to be missed!
20 May 2017 | Ticketed Photo courtesy of Ryan Ammon 18
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Heath Ledger: A Life In Pictures Film legend Heath Ledger was a charismatic movie star who pushed boundaries and portrayed iconic roles – but he was also much more than that. This unique exhibition, curated in collaboration with his family, will show that from his teenage years in Western Australia to his final role as Tony in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), his career was driven by a passion for creativity. Ledger worked with some of cinema’s great directors, actors and crews to achieve unforgettable performances in a range of genres. Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures will celebrate his screen career, featuring items such as the Joker suit from The Dark Knight (2008), and the costume he wore as Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain (2005). Mementos from Ledger’s personal archive will be on display for the first time. They convey the actor’s deep commitment to his profession, as well as offering behind‑the‑scenes insights into the processes of the film industry. Private journals reveal how he developed key roles, such as Jacob from The Brothers Grimm (2005) and his chilling Academy Award-winning portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. Photographic stills and moving images will offer a glimpse of Ledger behind-the-scenes and reveal the creative projects he was pursuing as a director.
Awards such as his Best Supporting Actor Oscar and BAFTA for The Dark Knight highlight his achievements in the film industry, and photographs by noted international photographers such as Ben Watts, Karin Catt and Mark Liddell reflect his celebrity status. A chronological narrative of his acting career will be intertwined with his creative investigations into image-making, and the exhibition will consider the influences on him of visionary directors from Fellini and Jean-Luc Goddard to Ang Lee, Terry Gilliam and Todd Haynes. Discover a passionate film-maker – admire a screen legend – celebrate a local hero.
14 October 2017 – 29 January 2018 | Free Curated by the Western Australian Museum Guest Curator Allison Holland Coordinating Curator Stefano Carboni Exhibition Partner
Photo courtesy of Ben Watts Photographer © Ben Watts AGWA – See things differently
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11 March – 25 June 2017 | Free Curated by Robert Cook Funded by AGWA Foundation member Elizabeth Malone
Gabriella Bisetto Becoming 2015 (detail). Blown glass, fishing line, steel frame, 100 x 100 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the Tom Malone Prize, Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, 2016. © Gabriella Bisetto, 2015.
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Luminous: 15 Years of the Tom Malone Prize Established in 2003, the Tom Malone Prize is the Gallery’s annual acquisitive glass prize. Since its inception, the Prize has enabled the Gallery to significantly develop its holdings of works by Australia’s most inspiring, innovative and accomplished artists in this captivating medium. This year’s exhibition will mark the 15th anniversary of the award. It will not only include the shortlisted works for 2017, but all works by past winners, and selected works by Australian glass artists shortlisted for the Prize and acquired by AGWA since 2003. Accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue detailing the history of the Prize, the show will highlight the significant contribution it has made to the State Art Collection and to contemporary Australian glass.
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Craft And Design: Resonant Objects This gallery space is dedicated to exploring the many ways craft and design practitioners use their materials to engage with the world. Showcasing works from the Collection across a range of periods, places and mediums, its focus is on staging conversations between objects to offer more complex understandings of how the output of craft and design practitioners might be located in art historical terms, and to foreground the ways they contribute to our everyday lives.
Ongoing | Free Curated by Robert Cook
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Jeroen Verhoeven Cinderella table 2005. CNC-cut birch plywood, from Ed of 20, 80 x 132.1 x 101.6 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased 2008. Š Jeroen Verhoeven 2005.
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Bill Henson Untiled 2009/10 2009–2010. Inkjet print, 102.1 x 152 cm (image), 127 x 184.5 cm (sheet). National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australia Artist, 2011 (2012.9). © Bill Henson.
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Bill Henson This exhibition presents recent photographs by Bill Henson, selected by the artist, and encompassing themes including portraits, nudes, lush museum interiors and transcendent landscapes. The images in this show are drawn from a body of works created between 2008 and 2011, and continue Henson’s sensitive study of the human condition, which he has realised over his forty-year career. Each of the works included has a palpable sense of the cinematic and together they form an enigmatic imaginative statement. Like much of his work, there is little that is explicit, and rather the works propose open-ended narratives and capture a transitory sensation. A powerful sense of mystery and ambiguity can be found within the images, heightened by the deep blackness of the shadows and the striking use of chiaroscuro to selectively obscure and reveal the form of the nudes, sculptures and the landscape itself.
16 September – 11 December 2017 | Free Curated by Susan Van Wyk Senior Curator Photography National Gallery of Victoria Coordinating Curator Jenepher Duncan Bill Henson is a National Gallery of Victoria touring exhibition.
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WA Focus
WA Focus is the Gallery’s ongoing project space dedicated to showcasing the talents of our local visual arts community. Since its inception in 2015, the space has successfully displayed the works of 10 artists across 7 shows, as well as playing host to the 2015 Proximity Festival.
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WA Focus: Helen Grey-Smith WA Focus: Helen Grey-Smith is a centenary celebration of a remarkable mid-century textile designer. Helen Grey-Smith had a long career in Western Australia as a textile designer, painter and maker of collages. Ceaselessly inspired by the physical world around her, Grey-Smith’s subject matter reflected her deep engagement with the landscape and flora of WA, and her fascination with the Asian culture of our region.
10 December 2016 – 19 March 2017 | Free Curated by Melissa Harpley
Helen Grey-Smith Textile sample (Wundowie) 1955-1965. Silkscreen print on cotton and linen. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased 1997. AGWA – See things differently
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WA Focus: Nathan Beard Born in 1987, Nathan Beard is a young Western Australian artist whose work deals with the fluid nature of personal and cultural identities. Often based in an exploration of his own Thai-Australian background, his practice is conceptually and materially hybrid as he combines sumptuously rendered sculpture, video, photography and drawing to produce thoughtful, provocative and elusive experiences. His WA Focus exhibition will fully engage with the possibilities of the gallery space to create a dramatic, multi-faceted installation.
1 April – 28 May 2017 | Free Coordinating Curator Jenepher Duncan
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Nathan Beard Boonlaern 2014-15. Framed digital print on hahnemuhle rag, Swarovski element, 51 x 38.5 x 4 cm. Edition of 5 unique editions. Works from Ad Matres, Artereal Gallery 4-28 February 2015. Image courtesy of the artist.
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WESTERN AUSTRALIAN
WA Focus: Gregory Pryor WA artist Gregory Pryor will create an immersive new work which draws upon his investigations into isolated landscapes of Western Australia – many of which are landscape fragments or remnants and as such could be read as a meditation upon the residues of country. By focusing on the presence of missing landscape elements and how the studio processes of drawing and painting can articulate these, Pryor’s work aims to involve viewers in a more complete experience of one of the oldest exposed land masses on earth.
2 September – 26 November 2017 Coordinating Curator Jenepher Duncan
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Gregory Pryor Hose 2014. Watercolour on paper, 28.5 x 38.3 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
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Screen Space
A dedicated space for AGWA’s growing filmic acquisitions.
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HEAT Christian Thompson HEAT is a captivating work and a personal recollection of contemporary artist Christian Thompson, visiting the harsh Central West Queensland desert landscape with his father. Each component of this video triptych focuses on the face of a young Indigenous woman, representative of a sacred mother‑earth, and referencing the seductive and dangerous nature of the Australian landscape. Likewise, each woman, with her long windswept hair and her own unique beauty, positively recasts the Indigenous body as beautiful.
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12 November 2016 – 26 February 2017 | Free Christian Thompson HEAT 2010 (still). DVD projection, 28.9 x 20.6 x 3.5 cm, duration: 5:52 min. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the TomorrowFund, Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, 2011. © Christian Thompson.
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Sirens of Chrome Scratch an Aussie Jesper Just Richard Bell Sirens of Chrome is one of Danish-American video artist Jesper Just's most compelling works. Just’s work is ambiguous, full of life’s uncertainties, a technique that draws viewers into the story allowing insertion of individual memories and associations into his evocative visuals and forceful soundtracks. A group of African-American women in a black Chevy cruise through Detroit’s deserted streets to a plaintive piano soundtrack by acclaimed composer Angelo Badalamenti, who also scored David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. The work’s title refers to a vernacular term used to describe the women who added glamour to sales at American auto shows in the 1960s.
8 July – 10 August 2017 | Free Jesper Just Sirens of Chrome 2010. RED transferred to Blu-ray disc, 3/7, 12:38 minutes with sound, projection size variable. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the TomorrowFund, Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, 2011.
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One of Richard Bell’s most defining works, Scratch an Aussie, is a playful, serious and challenging video piece that explores racism in Australia. Through the use of jokes, mimicry and word association games between a psychiatrist (Bell) and his patients, viewers witness some of the everyday racist beliefs and jibes about Aboriginal people that operate in Australia today. The sessions are filled with humour, candour and camaraderie. Empathy, however, is notably absent. Another light-hearted but guilt-ridden therapy session unfolds throughout. Here, Bell – the psychiatrist – talks to his psychiatrist (Gary Foley) about the pros and cons of these common beliefs. The confessions played out on the psychiatrist’s couch are not to be missed.
12 August – 10 September 2017 | Free
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Rise Sound Gallery Rise, AGWA's vertical sound gallery launched in 2016, is an atmospheric space connecting two Micro Galleries – Garden and Sky. Visitors can journey up or down the multi-channel soundscape for an unforgettable encounter with sonic creativity.
Ongoing | Free Curated by Dunja Rmandić
Photo courtesy of Jessica Wyld Photography
Atmosphere: Virtual Reality at AGWA Take a guided tour of paintings, sculptures, installations and new acquisitions from the comfort of a seat! Experience AGWA’s expanding virtual reality library from just inside the Gallery entrance. Use the headsets in the Gallery or visit the online experience (you don’t need headsets for this but it helps).
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Micro Galleries: Garden and Sky Ongoing | Free
WESFARMERS COLLECTION
Coordinating Curator Dunja Rmandić
As the Principal Partner of the Gallery and a major donor, Wesfarmers Arts assists AGWA in acquiring contemporary art for the State Art Collection and providing access.
Principal Partner
In May 2016, the Gallery opened two new display spaces, Garden Gallery and Sky Gallery. These Micro Galleries launched with works from the Wesfarmers Collection beginning with the idea of large works in small spaces. William Delafield Cook A haystack 1983. Acrylic on canvas, 189 x 385 cm. Wesfarmers Collection, Perth. © William Delafield Cook, reproduced courtesy of the artist’s estate.
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The first 2017 display will focus on the concept of the Australian land and landscape. In the second part of the year, the Micro Galleries will explore the medium of photography with works from iconic Australian artists.
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Cross-Arts Residency: Reason For Being Continuing this popular contemporary dance residency in 2017, Co3 Australia will present a series of developments in different spaces throughout the Gallery. Culminating in the presentation of a new work, Reason for Being is set to premiere in 2018. The company, led by Artistic Director and choreographer Raewyn Hill, will create beautiful moments of movement, intimacy and transformation. With the company working outside the studio space and in full view of the public, visitors are invited to experience firsthand the creative process behind contemporary dance.
Ongoing | Free Co3 concept and choreography by Raewyn Hill Coordinating Curator Dunja Rmandić Presenting Partner
Supported by
This project is supported by Wesfarmers Arts and the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
Artwork Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda (Mrs Gabori) Thundi 2010. Synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 198 x 455 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the TomorrowFund and The Leah Jane Cohen Bequest, Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, 2011. Photo: Toni Wilkinson. 32
AGWA – See things differently
AUSTRALIAN
The Black Swan Prize for Portraiture After a successful showing at the State Art Gallery in 2016, ARTrinsic Inc. and AGWA are delighted to announce a three-year partnership which will see the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture back at the Gallery in 2017. Established in 2007, the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture is one of Australia’s richest portraiture prizes, featuring the $50,000 Lester Group Prize, $10,000 Tony Fini Foundation Artist Prize, and $7,500 Amana Living People’s Choice Prize. The Black Swan Prize is WA’s only portrait prize, attracting hundreds of entries from Australian artists each year. Subjects are people who artists respect and admire, including high-profile sporting stars, business leaders, artists and performers to politicians and celebrities. blackswanprize.com.au
November 2017 | Free Coordinating Curator Dunja Rmandić Founder and Presenting Partner
Winner of the 2016 $50,000 Lester Group Prize Rachel Coad Indian summer 2016. Oil on linen, 185 x 135 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
WA State Art Collection Since its establishment in 1895, one of the most important roles of the Gallery is the development, care and display of the State Art Collection. With more than 17,500 works across all media, it is the finest public art collection in Western Australia. Arranged in a chronological fashion from 1800 to the present day, Your Collection encourages discoveries of the art of this state, the country and the world. They include much-loved Collection icons such as Frederick McCubbin’s popular Down on his Luck, Hans Heysen’s Droving into the light, Stanley Spencer’s Christ in the wilderness series and Lucian Freud’s Naked man with rat as well as major recent works by contemporary artists. Visitors can explore Your Collection on their own or tour with a Guru Guide. Families may enjoy the robot tour with Aggie or can follow the portrait trail until January 2017 for a unique take on Your Collection.
Ongoing | Free
Renew Between June and August Your Collection will undergo a major change, reopening in enlivened gallery spaces, with old favourites placed alongside new acquisitions and works not seen for some time. Central to this will be numerous single artist and thematic clusters to give a new focus and depth to the displays.
September: renewed galleries open
William Kentridge Shadow quartet 2003-2004 (detail). Bronze, edition 1/4 (quartet 1) 271 x 127 x 156 cm; (quartet 2) 272 x 144 x 150 cm; (quartet 3) 292.0 x 121 x 127 cm; (quartet 4) 252 x 105 x 157 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Commissioned with funds from the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, 2002. Principally supported by Wesfarmers Limited, the Friends of the Art Gallery and Janet Holmes à Court.
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More to enjoy
Guru Guides Passionate Voluntary Gallery Guides bring the Gallery’s varied Collection to life through free guided tours. There is nothing like a personal interaction to spark the imagination, whether through our Guru Guides or Aggie the Robot. Special access tours are also available: • Art & Memories, a free guided tour for people living with dementia. • Sensational Art, a free touch tour for visitors who are vision impaired. • Tailored Private Guided Tours are also available for small groups. Enquiries and bookings Email educate@artgallery.wa.gov.au Phone +61 8 9492 6644 (weekdays) In 2017, the Voluntary Gallery Guides celebrate 40 years. This is a significant achievement and all at AGWA acknowledge the Guides’ outstanding contribution to the Gallery. Principal Partner
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AGWA – See things differently
Education Arts and education go hand in hand. Encouraging creativity and artistic expression is core to developing passionate, bright young people who think laterally, view the world with open eyes and see beauty in the everyday. Our education team strives to foster a greater understanding and knowledge of the visual arts and aims to develop passion in learners by offering unique and stimulating experiences for students of all ages. The Gallery’s education programs include guided tours of the State Art Collection and special exhibitions with knowledgeable and experienced Voluntary Gallery Guides that cover a range of stimulating and engaging themes and ideas. In addition to tours, we offer practical hands-on workshops with experienced and engaging arts educators that focus on themes, build on skills and most importantly, allow students to have fun while being creative!
Tours and workshops link with the WA Curriculum, covering learning areas that include Humanities, English, Science and Technology, in addition to the Visual Arts. AGWA educates with sensitivity to cultural differences, cultural identity, an awareness of the rich cultural history of Indigenous Australians and WA’s geographical location in the SE Asian region. The Gallery also produces comprehensive resources for many key exhibitions, helping students and teachers access and interpret themes and ideas within art shows. A range of professional development opportunities for teachers is also provided including exclusive exhibition previews and professional learning workshops. Enquiries and bookings Email educate@artgallery.wa.gov.au Phone +61 8 9492 6644 (weekdays)
Rover Thomas Goolgool the owl with four young 1987. Ochre and gum on canvas, 61.5 x 107.2 cm (sight). State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased 1988. © Rover Thomas 1987.
More to enjoy AGGIE the AGWA Engagement Robot AGWA’s Engagement Robot is a world-first and she made international headlines for combining tech, art, fun and interpretation. Aggie runs family tours and workshops on the last Saturday of each month. Book ahead online for a really unusual way to experience art! The robot will see you now… Developed in exclusive partnership with
Imagination Room Looking for family activities, artist experiences and digital adventures? The Imagination Room offers all the above and more. Look out for the ArtBubs events for the very young! Supported by Principal Partner
Pop-Up Pod AGWA’s Pop-Up Pod is sure to surprise and delight visitors with its selection of topical and absorbing displays during the year. In 2017, the Pod will feature artist Anthony Gormley in interviews, videos, and the Pod will lead you to his prototype sculpture for Inside Australia.
Stratosphere The Stratosphere allows visitors a great view of the below gallery spaces, as well as views of the rooftop and Perth cityscape. Small feature exhibitions, including ceramics and jewellery, are planned for the future.
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AGWA – See things differently
SkyScreen Spend a balmy summer evening at SkyScreen in 2017-18, AGWA’s new cinema program offering a superb mix of films in an unforgettable setting – the open air Gallery rooftop. Developed in partnership with
Altitude Bar December 2017 – April 2018 | Ticketed
AGWA Botanical From December, step outside the Garden Micro Gallery and you are overlooking AGWA’s newest and freshest attraction – AGWA Botanical. It’s a pop-up urban farm growing fresh produce for city restaurants including AGWA’s own Arthouse Dine, run by the visionary people at Green World Revolution. Look out for the open days for guided tours. Developed in collaboration with
AGWA Satellite Seek out this new pop-up experience for AGWA in the CBD during SNEAKERHEADS.
Arthouse Dine Perth’s brightest new bistro and wine bar is open all day from breakfast with dinner during the summer months. Scrumptious food, some grown in AGWA Botanical, served with a great selection of wine, drinks and snacks.
Arthouse Shop AGWA’s fine gift shop moves up a gear in 2017 with a new collection of sneaker merchandise and the Essence of AGWA Collection. See Instagram for the latest lines.
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Get Involved Art builds a vibrant, resilient and attractive State culture which comes to life with the involvement and commitment from the community, and for this we particularly thank our Foundation members. More than 80% of all acquisitions in recent years can be attributed to generous donations to the AGWA Foundation, either through cash donations, bequests or donations of works of art. Of the 95 new works of art that came into your State Art Collection last year, 82 were the result of cash and in-kind donations. Not only are Foundation members enabling the development of the State Art Collection, they are, together with members of Friends of the Gallery and volunteers, providing opportunities to become more closely involved with your Collection and enjoy all that a close association with the Gallery offers.
Make a difference to your State Art Gallery If you’re not already part of the AGWA community you are warmly invited to be inspired, gain a deeper understanding, enjoy social events, invest in the future, get involved by: Joining the AGWA Foundation foundation@artgallery.wa.gov.au
Subscribing artgallery.wa.gov.au/subscribe
Joining the Friends friends@artgallery.wa.gov.au
Sponsoring josie.tanham@artgallery.wa.gov.au
Volunteering volunteer@artgallery.wa.gov.au Together we can build the State Art Collection and a vibrant arts community now and into the future.
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AGWA – See things differently
A Big Thank You to our Sponsors A warm thank you to our sponsors. You do not simply provide financial or in-kind support. You are AGWA’s partners and friends tangibly demonstrating your support and your commitment to the Gallery and belief in our vision. To our long-term partners, our heartfelt thanks for continuing to place your trust in our vision. A warm welcome to our new sponsors for helping us to grow. A special acknowledgement to our new government sponsor, Healthway promoting the Act-Belong-Commit message, whose exhibition support throughout the year will help to extend AGWA’s reach and enrich the lives of our WA audience. We look forward to enjoying a creative and evolving relationship with you all for many years to come.
Annual Sponsors
Principal Partner
Desert River Sea Sponsor
Major Exhibition Partner
In partnership with
“Unknown Land” Sponsors Exhibition Partner
Media & Event Partners
Year 12 Perspectives 2016 Sponsors Principal Partner
Supported by School Curriculum and Standards Authority
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Plan your visit The Art Gallery of WA is situated in the vibrant Perth Cultural Centre, bordered by Roe Street, Beaufort Street and William Street. Opening hours 10am-5pm, Wednesday – Monday. Closed Tuesdays, Good Friday, Anzac Day and Christmas Day. Entry The Gallery is free to visit. Voluntary donations can be made upon entry. Special exhibitions may require you to purchase a ticket.
GETTING HERE Train From the Perth Train Station, AGWA is easily accessed by the pedestrian overpass. Upon crossing the bridge toward Northbridge, the Gallery will immediately appear to your right. Bus The closest bus stops are located next to the Museum on Beaufort Street. The Blue CAT provides a free, frequent and wheelchair accessible bus service in the city. For more information on public transport services, call Transperth’s InfoLine on 13 62 13 or +61 9 9428 1900 (overseas and interstate visitors) or visit their website, transperth.wa.gov.au Taxi The closest accessible set-down Taxi rank is located on Wellington Street. Taxis and special group buses are permitted to enter the Cultural Centre within 30 metres of the main Gallery entrance for set-down and pick-up only. Your driver should enter James Street via Beaufort Street. Car General and ACROD car parking is available within the Perth Cultural Centre precinct. There are three City of Perth Parking (CPP) carparks located near the Art Gallery – just look for the distinctive CPP signs.
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AGWA – See things differently
Thank you to the 2016 AGWA Board and Foundation Council Art Gallery of Western Australia Board Michael Anghie Stefano Carboni (AGWA Director) Helen Carroll (to August 2016) Andrew Forrest Seva Frangos Nicholas Hasluck AM QC (Chair to December 2016) Geoffrey London (from July 2016) Duncan Ord OAM (Ex-officio) Jason Ricketts Brian Roche (to June 2016) Toni Wilkinson (from September 2016)
Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation Council Prof Lyn Beazley AO John Bond Andrea Bux Stefano Carboni (AGWA Director) Adrian Fini OAM (Chair of the Foundation) Andrew Forrest (to June 2016) Nicholas Hasluck AM QC (Chair of the Board) Sandra Honey Paul O’Connor Alexandrea Thompson (from September 2016)
Helen Smith May 2014 Alighiero e Boetti from Wikipedia, United Nations 2014. Oil on canvas, 150 x 210 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the Sir Claude Hotchin Art Foundation, Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, 2014. © Helen Smith. AGWA – See things differently
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Art Gallery WA Perth Cultural Centre Perth WA 6000 T + 61 8 9492 6600 F + 61 8 9492 6655 E admin@artgallery.wa.gov.au artgallery.wa.gov.au FREE ENTRY
#ArtGalleryWA @ArtGalleryWA
ANNUAL SPONSORS: – Principal Partner, 303 MullenLowe, Audi, Smartbots, Singapore Airlines, Alex Hotel, Juniper Estate, Gage Roads Brewing Co.