DIRECTOR’S CUT an excerpt from the private collection of Brenda May 6 August to 1 September 2016
DIRECTOR’S CUT an excerpt from the private collection of Brenda May 6 August to 1 September 2016
Being the director of a contemporary gallery for over 30 years, Brenda May has inevitably amassed an impressive collection of artworks. Director’s Cut is an invitation to view a selection of these acquisitions, purchased within a strict budget and curated by Brenda herself. It is an opportunity to see the works that she has chosen to live with, outside of the regular rotation of exhibitions that surround her every day at work. While a number of the artworks are by artists that Brenda has exhibited, many have also been purchased from other galleries and from unrepresented artists’ studios. Despite there being no central theme to her collection, certain threads have emerged over the 30 plus years, such as an interest in process and an overwhelming desire to support living Australian artists, no matter what country they may have originally come from. Bringing the private into the public eye, this exhibition will put her personal tastes on view.
Q & A WITH BRENDA MAY 1) What were some of the first artworks you collected? Have you continued to collect works of this nature? The first artworks were collected from galleries across Australia, particularly Philip Bacon in Brisbane and The Painters Gallery, Roslyn Oxley and Coventry in Sydney. When I established the Gallery, my policy was to purchase a work from almost every artist we showed but this did not stop me buying from other galleries. 2) Many people feel nervous or unsure about acquiring artworks, particularly as they feel that they do not know enough about the art market. Where would you recommend is a good place to start? I would never advise that somebody start collecting art with the art market in mind, although I do think having a budget in mind is a good idea. Buying art should not only be about what other people say is interesting, nor should it only be about making a profit, people should decide to own an artwork because it makes them feel something. I am a firm believer in buying the artworks that you have an immediate connection with or the pieces that you would feel heartache over if somebody else were to take them home. Figuring out what you want to live with or cannot live without is the perfect place to start, and then asking questions about what the artist has achieved and their direction for the future is a good next step. 3) Moving from admiring artists to acquiring their works can feel impossible at times, as often the artists we desire to collect seem out of reach financially. What are some of the ways you have been able to mediate this hurdle? One great way of knowing what is out there by an artist, particularly a living contemporary artist, is to contact their representative gallery and ask to be on that artist’s mailing list. Sometimes smaller works or limited editions become available, or occasionally there are exhibitions where artists choose to be generous. I also have tried to collect the works that I really want to live with, as opposed to the works that are immediately affordable at that exact moment. This has meant that a number of the works in my collection have been acquired thanks to a Lay-by system where I have paid for the works over time at a pace that has suited my budget – a courtesy that I also extend to my clients.
4) People often have very different approaches to collecting. What would you say is a defining feature of your collection? As a result of me living and breathing the ever-changing world of contemporary art, a defining feature of my collection is that it is constantly evolving. While I do have works that are currently boxed up, I like to live amongst my artworks as much as possible and therefore I am not afraid to say goodbye to pieces I have loved for a long time in order to make way for something new. There are some pieces I could never part with, but throughout my 30 plus years of collecting a sizable portion of my collection has gone through a few incarnations. I also like the thought of works that I have lived with finding a new home and continuing the joy that they have given me. 5) Where can you see your collection heading in the years to come? I think that my collection will particularly welcome more and more video artworks in the coming years. Almost every household has a large black rectangular screen that is a void most of the time. I like being able exhibit moving artworks when entertaining or as something meaningful in the background as I move about my home. This is where the idea for the Gallery’s dedicated theatrette Black Box Projects was conceived. My most recent video acquisition was Todd Fuller’s ‘Adrift’, which incidentally sold out during the screening, but I have also put one of Nicole Welch’s newest video works, ‘East West’, away before it’s also gone. 6) How did the idea for Director’s Cut develop? I am on the Gallery floor everyday and am constantly asked for my opinion and preferences. I am curating this exhibition with the idea of giving people a sticky beak into what I have on my walls at home. With many of the most interesting exhibitions in Australia being formed around the acquisitions of collectors, such as those at White Rabbit, MONA and the John Kaldor Family Collection at the AGNSW, I wanted to show my clients what this kind of collecting passion looks like on a much smaller and more affordable scale.
Lorraine Connelly-Northey ‘Narrbong (string bag)’ 2008 rusted chimney flute + fencing wire 63 x 11 x 11cm
Lorraine Connelly-Northey ‘Narrbong (string bag)’ 2008 rusted mesh fencing wire 30 x 30 x 27cm
Christopher Lewis, ‘Rooftops with Tower, Elizabeth Bay’ 1981, oil on canvas, 95.5 x 110.5cm
Bill Henson, ‘Untitled’ 2005/2006, type C photograph, 127 x 180cm
Emily Kame Kngwarreye, ‘Untitled’ 1993 synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 234.5 x 79.2cm
Sharne Weidland, ‘Quail Eggs’ c1990s, oil on canvas, 24 x 26cm
Bridget Ohlsson, ‘Cactus’ c.1989 gouache on paper, 20 x 20cm
Graham Lupp, Deckchair & Daffodils’ 1985 pastel on paper, 80 x 54cm
Christopher Lewis, ‘Kneeling Figure’ 1986, carved soapstone on plinth - unique, 10 x 23 x 10cm (plus plinth 10 x 20 x 10cm)
Alex Asch, ‘Lake’ 1995 reclaimed wood and metal, 35 x 35cm
Alex Asch, ‘Artifact E’ 1993 reclaimed timber and found object, 30 x 30 x 11cm
Angela Brennan, ‘Outise Language Inside Painting’ 2002 oil on linen, 244 138cm
Christopher Snee, ‘5 Vessels’ 1988, oil on canvas, 210 x 175cm
Leonard Brown, ‘Tea Cup and Plane’ 1985 oil on canvas, 28 x 30.5cm
Hadyn Wilson, ‘Little Patriot Patinting II’ c1996 oil on canvas, 30.5 x 26cm
Nigel Harrison, ‘Shark Bite’ 1999 steel and stainless steel, 16.5 x 16 x 12.5cm
Emily McIntosh, ‘The Four Sons of Horus’ 2008 hand blown glass - two pieces 26 x 13 x 13cm
Gloria Petyarre, ‘Untitled (Awelye)’ 2002, acrylic on polyester, 180 x 180cm
Philip Davey, ‘Untitled 1996, oil on canvas, 24 x 29cm
Evan Salmon, ‘Untitled’ 1994 oil on board, 34.5 x 34.5cm
Denise Hutch, ‘Giraffe’ 1989 handcoloured monotype, mixed media on handmade paper 59.5 x 15cm
B R E N D A M AY
G A L L E R Y
2 D a n k s S t r e e t Wa t e r l o o N S W A u s t r a l i a 2 0 1 7 www.brendamaygallery.com.au info@brendamaygallery.com.au tuesday - friday 11-6 saturday 10-6 t. 02 9318 1122