Cairns Art Gallery Members Magazine #83 by CAIRNS ART GALLERY

MAR JULY 2021

members newsletter no. 83

CAIRNS ART GALLERY

DIRECTOR’S FOREWORD

Over the coming months we look forward to presenting an exciting program of exhibitions that explore new directions in international, national and regional arts practice by some of the most acclaimed and awarded artists of our time. In March, Ben Quilty, one of Australia’s most famous living artists will be in Cairns to talk about his exhibition and speak at the Gallery Foundation’s Gala Fundraising Dinner. Later in the month, award-winning artist Wendy Sharpe will talk about her work and the prestigious Archibald Prize 2020 exhibition. I am delighted to announce that this year, Cairns Art Gallery is the only Australian venue outside NSW selected for the touring Archibald Prize 2020 exhibition. First awarded in 1921, the Archibald continues to be Australia’s favourite art award, and a who’s who of Australian culture. This year we continue to extend the Gallery’s research interests in works by Indigenous and black artists from Australia and the world’s tropic zone. RITUAL the past in the present is an ambitious project that includes works by more than thirty Indigenous North Australian

and Asia Pacific artists, many of whom have been commissioned to create new works for the exhibition. RITUAL seeks to ask questions and encourage conversations prompted by the ways in which artists look to rituals to interpret and comment on issues of cultural identity. Communicating with Gallery members quickly and effectively, is a priority. In the past the Gallery magazine has been a quarterly publication. This year it will be aligned with key program dates to give members more advance notice of upcoming events. We have also moved to on-line publications and bookings for cost efficiency as a result of Council funding cuts, to support the Gallery’s commitment to going green and as part of our COVID-19 safety plan. I hope you will enjoy our first magazine for the year, and the many exhibitions, events, and creative programs we have planned for you in the coming months. Andrea May Churcher Director

COVER Wendy SHARPE Magda Szubanski – comedy and tragedy 2015 oil on linen 183 x 147 x 3 cm King Street Gallery © the artist Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling Sitter: Magda Szubanski AO- actor, comedian, activist

RIGHT Grace Lillian LEE Future Floral Woven Forms 2020 canvas, cotton webbing, cane, feathers, coconut palm frond various Courtesy of the artist

CLOSING SOON www.cairnsartgallery.com.au

Buhlebezwe Siwani

until 10 Mar 2021

Albert Namatjira

until 13 Mar 2021

Jennifer Valmadre

until 21 Mar 2021

Dedisa ubumnyama (Turn the darkness away)

and the Hermannsburg School

Continuum

Buhlebezwe SIWANI Born Johannesburg, South Africa 1987 iSana libuyele kunina (detail) 2015 C-print, 74 x 112 cm Courtesy of the artist and WHATIFTHEWORLD Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

UNTIL 13 MAR 2021

BEN QUILTY THE ENTANGLED LANDSCAPE Ben QUILTY Kuta Rorschach No 2 2013 oil on canvas 220 x 520 cm (overall) Bendigo Art Gallery Collection R H S Abbott Bequest Fund 2014 Courtesy of the artist and Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne

Ben Quilty is internationally regarded as one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. Appropriating images of popular tourist destinations that have a darker history behind them, he reworks them to create more sinister images in order to explore complex issues of Australian identity and history. The Entangled Landscape presents two major works - Fairy Bower Rorschach 2012 from the Art Gallery of New South Wales Collection, and the Bendigo Art Gallery’s Kuta Rorschach No. 2 2013. Together these works demonstrate Quilty’s extraordinary ability to reimagine and redefine historically significant landscapes, filling them with an inescapable sense of foreboding and unresolved urgency.

ARTIST TALK 6 MARCH 2021 5.15 - 6.00PM Artist Ben Quilty will present a fascinating talk around his two major landscapes on display at the Gallery and his particular approach to painting. Members only / Pre-booked tickets essential www.cairnsartgallery.com.au

5 FEB 13 MAR 2021

2021 FNQ CONTEMPORARIES AND ARTIST FELLOWSHIP AWARDS 07

FNQ Contemporaries installation Photo: Michael Marzik

ARTIST FELLOWSHIP AWARDS

5 FEB 13 MAR 2021

FNQ

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY THE CAIRNS RSL CLUB

Lou DERRY

Janet FIELDHOUSE

Mahar GOROSPE-LOCKIE

2021 FNQ Contemporaries is an exhibition that

Fifteen artists were shortlisted for the 2021

has been initiated to support the new Cairns Art

Fellowships from over 100 submissions by the

Lenore HOWARD

Gallery Artists Fellowship Program which is proudly

judging panel comprising of Janina Harding, Artistic

Catherine (Kate) HUNTER

supported by the Cairns RSL Club.

Director, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair; José Da

In partnership with the Cairns RSL Club, the Cairns

Silva, Director, UNSW Galleries; and Andrea May

Naomi HOBSON

CONTEMPORARIES EXHIBITION

Anastasia KLOSE

Art Gallery is offering six Fellowships of $7,500 each

Walter R. LUI

develop a new body of work for a solo exhibition

Arone MEEKS

that will provide financial support for the artists to at the Gallery. Three Fellowships will be awarded in 2021 and three in 2022.

Roland NANCARROW

The Fellowships are open to creative practitioners

Francesca ROSA

stage of their career development. Artists must be

Johannes SCHOUTEN

from all art, craft and design disciplines, at any an Australian citizen or permanent resident living

Churcher, Director, Cairns Art Gallery. We would like to congratulate the following three artists who have been awarded Artist Fellowships for 2020 Janet Fieldhouse Mahar Gorospe-Lockie Francesca Rosa

in the region served by the Cairns Art Gallery (from

Jimmy John THAIDAY

Cardwell in the south, west to Normanton and

Jason WEGGER

Islands).

Mornington Island and north to the Torres Strait

Philomena YEATMAN

Artist Fellowship proudly sponsored by the Cairns RSL Club

CAIRNS ART GALLERY IS PROUD TO BE THE EXCLUSIVE AUSTRALIAN VENUE OUTSIDE OF NEW SOUTH WALES

20 MARCH 2021 – 2 MAY 2021 11

ARTIST TALK WITH NICK STATHOPOULOUS

ARTIST TALK WITH WENDY SHARPE

20 MARCH 2021 5.15 - 6.00PM

26 MARCH 2021 5.15 - 6.00PM

Nick Stathopoulous is a six-time Archibald Prize finalist. Nick will visit Cairns and present an artist talk at the Gallery about his 2020 portrait of singer Ngaiire and his hyper realistic painting style.

Wendy Sharpe, a seven times Archibald Prize finalist will share her insight into time spent painting popular actor & comedian Magda Szubanski.

Members only $10/ticket Pre-booked tickets essential www.cairnsartgallery.com.au

2020 ARCHIBALD PRIZE

20 MAR – 2 MAY 2021

Prestigious and controversial, The Archibald Prize is Australia’s oldest and most respected award for portraiture. Each year the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales choose a winner from a selection of shortlisted artists and competition is fierce. The winning artist receives $100,000, making it the most highly valued art prize in Australia. In recent years, shortlisted works have toured nationally, and this year we are thrilled that the Cairns Art Gallery is the only gallery outside NSW to be selected for inclusion in the national tour. The Archibald Prize was established in 1921 with funds from the bequest of the late Jules François Archibald, the founding editor of The Bulletin magazine. Under the terms of Archibald’s will, the Prize is awarded annually to the best portrait ‘preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia’. To be eligible, portraits must have been painted in the previous year from at least one live sitting with the artist. In 2020 a record 1,068 entries were received, with 55 entries shortlisted for the exhibition. Vincent

IMAGE P 13/14 Vincent NAMATJIRA Stand strong for who you are 2020 183 x 147 x 3 cm acrylic on linen 152 x 198 x 3 cm © the artist Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling Sitter: Adam Goodes - former professional Australian rules footballer

Namatjira, a Western Arrernte artist who was born in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in 1983, won the prize with his portrait of legendary Australian footballer, Adam Goodes. It was the first time in ninety-nine years that the Prize has been awarded to an Indigenous artist. Titled Stand Strong for Who You Are, Namatjira’s portrait features the former Swans footballer clasped hand in hand with Namatjira. The artist explains that he and Adam Goodes share similar stories and experiences of disconnection from culture, language and Country, and the constant pressures of being an Aboriginal man in this country. Other shortlisted artists include Wendy Sharpe, one of Australia’s most awarded artists who lives and works in Sydney and Paris; Julie Fragar, a multiaward winning Queensland artist; and rising star, Jonathan Dalton. Wendy Sharpe is a seven-times Archibald finalist who won the prize in 1996 with her raunchy selfportrait as Diana of Erskineville. Her 2020 painting of Magda Szubanski AO portrays one of Australia’s

LEFT Jonathan DALTON Angela oil on linen 168 x 132.5 cm © the artist Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling Sitter: Angela Tiatia - artist

most popular actors and comedians in the famous role of netball-playing Sharon Strzelecki in the TV series, Kath and Kim. Speaking about the portrait Sharpe says, I have always admired Magda for her intelligence, activism and compassion… After an intense conversation with Magda in my Sydney studio, I decided to change my original concept for the portrait and painted her instead as a despairing version of her comic character/alter ego Sharon. Magda is haunted by her father’s traumatic experiences in World War II in the Polish resistance, and by current world events. For Julie Fragar, The Archibald was an opportunity to paint Indigenous artist and friend, Richard Bell. It is the third time Fragar’s work has been shortlisted and the eighth time that Richard Bell has appeared in an Archibald finalist portrait. Fragar explains that, through her portrait, she wanted to tell the story of how Bell grew up in southwest Queensland and how local authorities demolished his childhood home. ‘I wanted to refer to something of that loss and to show two sides of

Richard – the fearless and the feeling… [he] is one of the strongest, most determined and generous people I’ve ever met,’ she says. Jonathan Dalton was born in Dublin in 1977 and moved to Australia in 2013. His work has been shortlisted for The Archibald four years running. Speaking about his 2020 portrait of fellow artist Angela Tiatia, Dalton explains, I first became aware of Angela from her beautiful self-portrait in the 2018 Archibald Prize. It was such a striking image and full of the wry invention I’ve come to associate with her work. We later spoke at length about the nature of the private self versus the public image and I proposed a portrait to that effect, although she’s since joked she only said yes because she liked my Irish accent. The Archibald Prize 2020 is a unique opportunity for Cairns audiences to experience at first hand some of the most controversial, striking and brilliant portraits by Australian artists of our time.

Julie FRAGAR Richard oil on board 200 x 133 cm Museum of Brisbane Collection © the artist Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carter Sitter: Richard Bell - artist

20 MAR – 2 MAY 2021

REFRAMING THE EXOTIC SAMMY BALOJI / ADE ADEKOLA Sammy BALOJI Born Democratic Republic of the Congo 1978 Raccord #5, Mine à ciel ouvert noyée de Banfora from the Kolwezi series 2011 digital print 80 x 231.18 cm Courtesy the artist and Axis Gallery, NY & NJ, USA © Sammy Baloji

Truth and fiction, and the dissonance between imagined futures and contemporary existence are powerfully interpreted through the photographs of Sammy Baloji, a contemporary artist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ade Adekola who lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria. Through their work each artist examines the impacts of economic imperialism and globalisation, and the devastating and consequential effects on natural resources, the environment and black communities.

from the local supply store, with idyllic pastiche landscapes or idealized cities. Some miners display postcards and other images from the Belgiancolonial era, which invites a comparison between the exploitative roles of China today and European powers in earlier decades. In Baloji’s juxtapositions of these materials, the tense boundary between the paired images expresses global disparities in, and exploitation of, resources—as well as a chasm between the ideal and the real.

Baloji’s Kolwezi series juxtapose bleak scenes from a Chinese-owned mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on the one hand, with colorful images that miners use to decorate their makeshift tented shacks. These interior decorations include Chinese-produced posters, purchased

Ade Adekola trained as an architect in London before returning to live and work in Lagos. His art practice is driven by his interest in cultural preservation and cultural transformation. Through his deep knowledge of the African experience in a contemporary world he reimagines and represents

alternate futures. Adekola’s Ethnoscapes; Icons as Transplants series comprises eighty environmental portraits that explore the paradoxical traits of social networks, globalisation and issues of identity. In these images the artist superimposes contemporary streetscapes shot in Lagos over backdrops of highly recognisable images of major American, Asian and European cities. In doing so he creates hybrid streetscapes and portraits that are filled with an unnerving visual tension between simultaneously existing worlds.

IMAGES L-R Ade ADEKOLA Born Lagos, Nigeria, 1966 London sand dredger from the Ethnoscapes: Icons as Transplants series 2012 C-Print 100 X 100 cm Courtesy of the artist

Ade ADEKOLA Born Lagos, Nigeria, 1966 Siren at the Louvre from the Ethnoscapes: Icons as Transplants series 2012 C-Print 100 X 100 cm Courtesy of the artist

20 MAR 2 MAY 2021

ALBERTA WHITTLE MAMMMMMMMYWATA PRESENTS LIFE SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL

This powerful installation continues the Gallery’s international research interest in complex narratives around blackness and cultural identity. Alberta Whittle was born in 1980 in Barbados, and works between Barbados, Scotland and South Africa. She has developed a visual, oral and textual language to question accepted Western constructs of history and society and the legacies of slavery, colonialism and the current climate crisis. Incorporating film, sculpture, performance, photography, and digital collage, Whittle creates interactive installations to confront colonial history and start important conversations about healing and reparations. The artist explains that ‘Mammmmmmmywata is a mythological avatar whose mission is to facilitate new mechanisms for discussing decolonization and memory. She

is based on the creolised, mythological figure of Mami Wata, as well as Yemanjá in Brazil, mamlambo in South Africa and Maman de l’Eau in Trinidad. Rooted in belief systems from West Africa…she has landed in Scotland, appearing in videos, encouraging us to get WOKE, advertising her powers to decolonize from within and demanding REPARATIONS NOW... The convenient amnesia of Scotland in disavowing its role within the slave trade is a significant cause for concern, necessitating a demand for reparations.’

Alberta WHITTLE Born Bridgetown, Barbados,1980 Mammmmmmmywata Presents Life Solutions International (detail) 2016 single channel video, sound, 3:57 mins Courtesy of the artist

15 MAY 22 AUG 2021

RITUAL THE PAST IN THE PRESENT

INDIGENOUS NORTH AUSTRALIAN AND ASIA PACIFIC ART PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAIRNS INDIGENOUS ART FAIR (CIAF).

15 MAY 22 AUG 2021

RITUAL THE PAST IN THE PRESENT INDIGENOUS NORTH AUSTRALIAN AND ASIA PACIFIC ART PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAIRNS INDIGENOUS ART FAIR (CIAF).

RITUAL the past in the present extends the Gallery’s research interest in contemporary art practices that explore narratives around issues of Australian Indigenous and global black identity in the world’s tropic zone. RITUAL explores relationships between contemporary Indigenous art and ritual within the global context of transcultural ritual practices in the Asia Pacific region. The defining characteristic of ritual, as a recurrent act based on the concept of passage and transformation to bring the past into the present, is explored through artworks that engage with social, divinatory and cyclical rituals and respond to the practice, processes and performative nature of rituals. The juxtaposition of commissioned and loan works by Australian Indigenous and Asia Pacific artists opens up new artistic dialogues around shared understandings of cultural knowledge and beliefs, while exploring contemporary issues around identity and cultural continuity. This ambitious project has involved Gallery curators Julietta Park and Teho Ropeyarn and

commissioned writers, Freja Carmichael, Michael Do and Emma Loban. In his essay A prayer to be haunted, Michael Do explains the cultural connectivity, shared issues and ritualistic practices of artists whose works respond to the complex and diverse rituals of the Asia Pacific region - Abdul Abdullah, Greg Semu, Trina Lealavaa, Phuong Ngo, Jumaadi, Park Chan-Kyong, Koji Ryui, Taloi Havini and Michael Toisuta. Freja Carmichael’s essay explores the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander artists, who include community Elders and leaders, family groups and senior artists working in collaboration with collective memory or with kin and community, to nurture, honour and proudly share their heritage in contemporary contexts. These artists include Simone Arnol and Bernard Singleton Jnr, Elisa Jane Carmichael, Janet Fieldhouse, Carl Fourmile, Dale Harding with Hayley Matthew, Naomi Hobson, Heather Kunjarra Koowootha, Peggy Kasabad Lane, Grace Lillian Lee, Stephen George Page AO, Alair Pambegan, Arthur Koo’ekka Pambegan Jr, Brian Robinson, Joel Sam, and Dr Christian Thompson AO. Also discussed in her essay is the cross-cultural

IMAGE P 25 Chan-Kyong PARK Born 1965, Seoul, Korea Manshin: Ten thousand spirits 2013 HD film, sound, 104:00 mins

IMAGE P 26 Simone ARNOL Gunggandji, Born 1976, Cairns, Queensland Bernard SINGLETON Jnr Gunggandji, Born 1973, Cairns, Queensland Medicine clay 2019-2020 digital print 35.5 x 49 cm (Image) Courtesy of the artists

IMAGE P 27/28 Jumaadi Born Sidoarjo, Indonesia, 1973 Sunan Kalijaga natural and synthetic pigment on Balinese treated cotton 300 x 350 cm Courtesy of the artist

ABOVE Janet FIELDHOUSE Meriam Mir, Born Cairns, Queensland, 1971 Installation image Photo: Michael Marzik

Fijian, Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal community installation by Wilfred and Ada Bowie. What is deeply interesting, and what Michael Do and Freja Carmichael each contemplate in their supporting essays, is the way in which artists from different geographical, cultural and social frameworks parallel ways of interpreting and enacting contemporary issues and conditions as a reflective and contemporary response to rituals steeped in culture and time passed. The exhibition broadly comprises works that respond to three main themes - life cycles, healing

RIGHT Joel SAM Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Born Waiben (Thursday Island), Queensland, 1977 Umangna Dhoeri Mawa 2020 artificial feather, emu feather, cassowary feather, boar tusk, foam, acrylic paint, glass, cowrie shell, dowel, seashell, twine, cane, dugong bone, Matchbox Bean nuts seed pods, shell, mother of pearl and raffia 73 x 85 x 21 cm Courtesy of the artist

and renewal, and spiritual practices. Together these themes encompass traditional child naming rituals, initiation, marriage, death and funeral ceremonies, healing rituals and the medicinal use of natural materials, body adornment, scarification, song, dance, drumming, repetitive writing and intoning, the making of sacrificial and other offerings as an act of celebration and of contrition, and connectivity and communication with ancestral beings and spirits who continue to guide and shape the present world. Scarification and body adornment continue to operate as powerful cultural and social markers across different geographical, gender and social

ABOVE Brian ROBINSON Maluyligal/Wuthathi/Dayak peoples Born Thursday Island, Queensland, 1973 Influence over the seas (Cook Islands) 2020 from the Arcãnus curio series coloured pencil on paper 56 x 76 cm Courtesy of the artist

ABOVE Abdul ABDULLAH Born Perth, Western Australia, 1986 The wedding (Conspiracy to commit) from the Coming to terms series 2015 digital print 100 x 190cm (image) Courtesy the artist and Yavuz Gallery, Sydney

IMAGE P 36 Heather Kunjarra KOOWOOTHA Wik Mungkan/Djabuguy/Yidinji people Born 1966, Yarrabah, Queensland. Traditional ceremonial healing plant leaf for cleansing 2019 - 2020 watercolour and pen on paper 76 x 56 cm Courtesy of the artist

conditions. Janet Fieldhouse’s ceramic hand-built forms acknowledge Torres Strait Islander traditions of women’s adornment practices such as weaving body adornments for ceremony, and scarification. Scarring is like a language inscribed on the body, where each deliberately placed scar tells a story of pain, endurance, identity, status, beauty, courage, sorrow or grief. Aboriginal men and women had many parts of their bodies cut to commemorate circumcision, marriage, the birth of children, or the death of family members and loved ones. Janet Fieldhouse, 2019

For Pacific Island communities, the three-thousandyear-old cultural practice of tatau (tattoo) produces personal identity by publicly proclaiming the psychological and societal place of the bearer, clothing them for life. Angela Tiatia’s video work documents the final moments of a five-hour long tatau process where she receives the malu tatau design that covers a woman’s thighs. By documenting this ceremony, Tiatia gives narrative

form to her own personal history - offering audiences an opportunity to watch this otherwise private ceremonial act. The use of ceremonial clothing as a ritual and cultural signifier is evident in the work of Grace Lillian Lee, and Abdul Abdullah. Experimenting with materials, form and symbolism, Lee’s collection of alluring wedding ceremonial wear integrates past and present links with Torres Strait Islander expression and traditions. For Abdul Abdullah the marriage ceremony is recast in a series of photographs of a Malay couple dressed in ornate balaclavas. By masking the identity of the Muslim newlyweds behind this signifier of criminality, Michael Do suggests a commentary on AngloWestern perceptions of racial otherness. Whether it is otherness or similarity, this exhibition seeks to ask questions and encourage conversations prompted by the ways in which contemporary Indigenous artists look to rituals to interpret and comment on issues of cultural identity.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Cairns Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

that, from 1831 to 1996, displaced an estimated 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children from their homelands, families, and communities. The injustices experienced by Indigenous populations through this 150-year displacement and assimilation policy were, and continue to be, devastating. Derosier’s film presents a dark story told as an animated fairytale, which acts as a counterpoint to the tension and grief of the underlying theme.

15 MAY 22 AUG 2021

RITUAL BEATING HEARTS

AMERICAN INDIAN NEW MEDIA

Jeffrey GIBSON Born Colorado, United States of America, 1972 one becomes the other 2015 - 2016 single channel video, colour, sound, 19:25 minutes Courtesy of the artist; Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York; Kavi Gupta, Chicago; and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles.

The video works of three acclaimed artists Michelle Derosier, Jeffrey Gibson and Terrance Houle – explore traditional rituals of American Indians and loss of cultural identity resulting from colonisation. In each work the drum acts as a device to connect rituals, spirits and ancestors. For American Indians, the drum is a sacred ritual object. Its rhythmic beat symbolises the heartbeat - the centre of all human emotions - while simultaneously invoking a sense of sacred spaces and audience engagement. An Anishinaabe artist from Northwestern Ontario, Michelle Derosier is deeply connected with her cultural traditions. Her video tells a story of her great-grandfather Naamowin, whose healing practices involved traditional songs and drumming. Naamowin lost his children under the Canadian Government’s Indian Residential Schools system

Jeffrey Gibson is a contemporary American artist of Choctaw-Cherokee heritage. In his work, One becomes the other, Gibson incorporates traditional crafts and designs to signify identity, tell stories and describe places. In 2014 he filmed Native people responding to various museum objects - dancing, singing, talking to them, or simply looking at them. By recalling memories, dressing up in ceremonial costumes, and playing drums, participants engaged with different objects, invoking connections with their owners and makers and the spirits of Choctaw-Cherokee ancestors. Terrance Houle, a member of the Blood Tribe in Southern Alberta, Canada, investigates issues of colonisation, racism and the representation of Indigenous people in popular culture. Houle and his parents before him were forced to attend a state run Residential School that was made from bricks produced by the IXL Brick & Tile factory that had been built on Ojibwe land in 1886. In his video work, Houle symbolically pulverises bricks to the sound of his father chanting and drumming a lament that invokes the grief of families oppressed and displaced through the Residential School policy.

5 JUNE 4 SEPT 2021

CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS TEXTILES FROM AUSTRALIA’S TROPIC ZONE 39

CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS TEXTILES

5 JUNE 4 SEPT 2021

FROM AUSTRALIA’S TROPIC ZONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COURT HOUSE

This landmark exhibition, the first of its kind in Australia, presents exciting new hand-printed Indigenous textiles from remote communities across far north Australia. Community-led Aboriginal Art Centres in the Northern Territory first explored screen-printed textiles as a new creative medium in the 1960s. Today, these textiles are a nationally and internationally acclaimed form of cultural expression that provides sustainable economic, cultural, and social benefits to Indigenous artists, art centres and their communities. Indigenous textile screen-printing is a dynamic art form that transcends the realm of simple utilitarianism. Rather, it inhabits a previously undefined space between the commonplace and the sacred. As a creative medium it brings together elements of art, design, fashion and craft, resulting in a unique art form that is accessible, adaptive and reproducible. Indigenous artists who live and work in remote communities use a range of media including three-dimensional woven or carved objects, and

two-dimensional works on bark, canvas, paper, and cloth. When working in textiles, these artists often impart the same strong cultural content and spirituality to cloth as they do to other more highly priced and celebrated artforms. The materiality and physical qualities of cloth also provides them with accessible pathways to share storylines about ancestral beings and country, identity, material culture, and life forms that include bush foods, animals, birds and marine life. This exhibition reveals the specialised processes of design concepts through to production and shows how the aesthetic, cultural, and commercial significance of Indigenous screen-printed textiles contributes to the strength and sustainability of remote community enterprises in remote communities across north Australia. This exhibition is a curatorial collaboration between the Gallery, Bobbie Ruben, mentor and design support in Indigenous textile development, and participating arts centres and artists.

IMAGE P 39/40 Kieren Karritpul Yergi 2014 Screen print on linen Courtesy of Merrepen Arts Photo: Bobbie Ruben

RIGHT Esmae Bowen Baby Lady Apples 2019 Screen print on linen Courtesy of Hopevale Arts and Culture Centre Photo: Bobbie Ruben

CAIRNS ART GALLERY FOUNDATION

As the Gallery Foundation prepares for its Annual Gala Fundraising Dinner in March, it is timely to reflect on the extraordinary events of 2020, and the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic altered and re-shaped our lives in ways that none of us could have anticipated. In so doing questions arise about our place in the world today, and what the world of tomorrow will look like. Articulating these concepts is a powerful impetus for artists as they assume the inalienable role of social, cultural, and political commentators and interpreters, creating works that respond to these conditions. These works remain an enduring legacy and it is therefore the role of public galleries to collect, care for and preserve these works for future generations. The Cairns Art Gallery Foundation is made up of individuals who, over the past 25-years, have demonstrated a deep passion for and commitment to acquiring works for the Gallery’s Permanent Collection that have been created by artists who have lived and or worked in our region. With the support of Foundation members, past and present, the Gallery has acquired more than 900 works that

will continue to record, celebrate, question and comment on the changing conditions of our very special place in the world. Gallery Foundation members are visionaries and this year they have embraced the need to raise funds to acquire works that the Gallery has commissioned for exhibitions including RITUAL that is one of the Gallery’s most ambitious projects to date. Works from this exhibition, by artists from our region, belong in the Gallery’s Permanent Collection. But, without a concerted fundraising effort, the opportunity to acquire these works for the Gallery will be lost forever. In launching the annual giving campaign, the Gallery Foundation asks for your support. All donations, large and small are fully tax deductible and will ensure that the Gallery Collection continues to grow and be a major legacy for the future. Donations can be made via the Gallery website. www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/join-support/donate Lea Ovaska Chair, Cairns Art Gallery Foundation

Artist Ben Quilty in his studio photo: Liv Quilty

CREATIVE LEARNING PROGRAMS

CAIRNS ART GALLERY

members In response to the COVID pandemic, we are making some changes this year to ensure our members receive more timely information about upcoming events, and enjoy a range of new tailor made membership benefits. In the past the Gallery magazine has been a quarterly publication. This year it will be aligned with key program dates to give members advance notice of upcoming events. And, as COVID restrictions continue to limit numbers of people attending public events, on-line bookings will ensure priority booking will be given to our current members. Please view the Gallery website and follow social media channels for updates on special offers.

members specials March–July Double your discount

Receive a 20% discount on shop purchases during our special member’s shopping days 30 April, 1, 2 May

Two year discounted renewal offer

Renew for two years and received a 10% discount on your second year.

Priority booking for artist talks

Members, use your membership number to pre-book artist talks and events

YOGA IN THE GALLERY

WITH JEANY SCHALL, QUALIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR

Mondays (excluding public holidays): 5.30 – 6.30pm Adults 16+ Five-class pass $60 ($75 non-members) Casual class rate $15 Conducted in the peaceful setting of the Gallery, be guided through yoga techniques such as postures, meditation and breathing techniques to improve core strength, mind and body. Experienced yoga instructor Jeany Schall will offer the highest and latest standards of modern yoga practice. Please bring a yoga mat and if possible, two yoga blocks.

ART CLASSES FOR ADULTS (16+) JEWELLERY WORKSHOP: SERIES 1 TEXTURED WIRE RING WITH KATE HUNTER, ARTIST

Saturday, 27 February 2021 10.30am – 2.00pm (with a 30 minute break) $110 ($135 non-members) Please bring lunch

Bend and shape wire into rings before learning soldering and texturing techniques, along with how to add embellishment using stamps supplied by tutor and artist, Kate Hunter. Stamp a secret message on the inside of the ring to complete your personalised piece.

A quantity of silver will be supplied to create two small rings or one larger band as well as copper or brass for a feature. Extra silver can be purchased on the day by gram weight. A small class of eight participants.

JEWELLERY WORKSHOP: SERIES 2 TEXTURED EARRINGS WITH KATE HUNTER, ARTIST

Saturday, 6 March 2021 10.30am – 2.00pm (with a 30 minute break) $110 ($135 non-members) Please bring lunch This one-day workshop will have the class learning simple metalsmithing techniques to cut, shape and texture metal into a pair of earrings. A small class of eight will ensure individual attention from tutor, experienced artist, Kate Hunter. Copper, brass and silver for one pair of earrings supplied, extra silver sold on the day by gram weight.

JEWELLERY WORKSHOP: SERIES 3 UPCYCLED WEARABLES WITH KATE HUNTER, ARTIST

Saturday, 13 March 2021 10.30am – 2.00pm (with a 30 minute break) $85 ($100 non-members) Please bring lunch Upcycle and re-imagine conventional materials into contemporary wearable artworks. Such as turning an egg ring into a bangle or a pendant from curtain rings. Learn tricks and techniques to make string from fabrics and plastic bags. Artist, Kate Hunter encourages you to bring something from home to re-purpose; old costume jewellery, obsolete electrical cords, wool etc. Mix and match with bits of the supplied eclectic stash to create a truly unique piece. 46

CERAMIC PORTRAITURE

CHINESE BRUSH PAINTING

Wednesdays 10, 17, 24, 31 March 2021 5.30 – 7.30pm $135 ($155 non-members)

Mondays 7, 14, 21, 28 June 2021 5.30 – 7.30pm $120 ($140 non-members)

WITH AMANDA MCGAHAN, ARTIST

Study the structure and proportions of the face, before learning the techniques required to sculpt the human head in clay. Working from photographs for reference, each student will work towards creating an expressive likeness of their subject. Work will be kiln-fired for collection at a later date. Beginners welcome.

ACRYLIC PAINTING

WITH MARNIE AWRAM, ARTIST Wednesdays 7, 14, 21, 28 April 2021 5.30 – 7.30pm $120 ($140 non-members)

Focussing on a new painting technique each week, the group can expect to finish and take home weekly studies as they develop acrylic painting skills. During the final class, each participant will create an ‘alla prima’ painting on their choice of canvas, board or paper. This course is suitable for beginners.

BOTANICAL DRAWING & PAINTING

WITH JULIE MCENERNY, ARTIST

Mondays 10, 17, 24, 31 May 2021 5.30 – 7.30pm $130 ($150 non-members) Concentrating on a different plant specimen each week, artist Julie McEnerny will assist and guide the group in developing botanical drawing and painting skills to create accurate artistic representations of plants using professional grade, watercolour pencils.

WITH YIXY RUAN, ARTIST

Explore fundamental Chinese brush painting skills and the aesthetics of Chinese art. Each week, create a new artwork to take home using ink and rice-paper. Beginners welcome.

ORIGAMI

WITH YUKA NAKAMURA, JAPANESE ORIGAMI SENSEI Saturday 12 June 2021 2.00 – 4.00pm $30 ($35 non-members)

Learn the art of origami with an experienced Japanese origami sensei. Origami is the art of paper folding and Sensei translates as teacher, master or expert. In this afternoon workshop sensei Yuka will teach the steps to transform origami paper into three-dimensional forms. This is a workshop for beginners and for those who already practice origami as a pastime. This class is suitable for ages 14 and up.

TEXTILE BLOCK PRINTING WITH HANNAH PARKER, ARTIST Wednesday 30 June 2021 5.30 – 8.30pm $85 ($105 non-members)

Inspired by Contemporary Indigenous Textiles from Australia’s Tropic Zone, this workshop will see participants develop their own block printing design to create a pattern on a length of cotton fabric.

IKEBANA

WITH MARIA ADRIANA VERDAASDONK, IKEBANA ARTIST & TEACHER

EASTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS

Learn several basic arrangement styles and fixing techniques in the Sogetsu-style of Japanese Ikebana floral arranging. In Ikebana, a minimalist approach focuses on line, shape, leaf and branch, and the space between the elements, as much as on the floral blooms themselves.

TUESDAY 6 APRIL

Mondays 2, 9, 16, 23 August 2021 5.30 – 7.30pm $145 ($160 non-members)

A kind of meditation, it is both a personal expression and an exploration of the relationship to nature and the seasonal cycles of life. Participants will learn to create a ‘moribana’ arrangement in a shallow vase using a ‘kenzan’ pin holder, and ‘nageire’ arrangement using a more freestyle expression in a tall upright vase. In the final lesson, participants will choose their own vase to create their own unique arrangement incorporating techniques acquired in the previous lessons. All flowers and plant materials will be provided each week. Course costs also include a Kenzan flower holder for each participant to keep. Maria Adriana Verdaasdonk trained in Japan as a certified Sogestu Ikebana teacher.

ORIGAMI WITH YUKA NAKAMURA, JAPANESE ORIGAMI SENSEI

10.00 – 11.30am 7 – 9 years $18 ($21 non-members) or 1.00 – 3.00pm 10 – 15 Years $18 ($21 non-members) This workshop offers children to learn from an experienced Japanese origami sensei (master teacher) and discover the magic of transforming paper into a 3D object. Practising origami promotes focus, patience and increased manual dexterity, and produces fun and decorative paper creations.

WEDNESDAY 7 APRIL

PORTRAIT IN COLLAGE WITH AMBER GROSSMAN, ARTIST

10.00 – 11.30am 5 – 8 years $18 ($21 non-members) This workshop is designed to enhance paper skills. Participants are asked to consider shape, colour, tearing, cutting, layering and symmetry before combining the shapes and colours of both torn and cut paper to create a portrait on heavy card.

The workshop will have a short break with finger food provided. 48

WEDNESDAY 7 APRIL

TUESDAY 13 APRIL

1.00 – 3.00pm 8 – 12 years $21 ($26 non-members)

10.00 – 11.30am 7 – 10 years $18 ($21 non-members)

PORTRAIT IN COLLAGE WITH AMBER GROSSMAN, ARTIST

Participants will create a mixed media self-portrait in collage based on the work of American artist and cultural icon, Jean Michel Basquiat.

THURSDAY 8 APRIL

DRAWING WITH SHADOW & LIGHT WITH YIXY RUAN, ARTIST 10.00 – 11.30am 7 – 10 years $18 ($21 non-members)

Students will study how light falls on an object and how to create the impression on paper of three-dimensional objects using dry drawing media on paper.

SPRAY PAINTING WITH YIXY RUAN, ARTIST 1.00 – 3.00pm 11 – 14 years $21 ($26 non-members)

Create artistic and imaginative layered images using stencils and environment and health friendly Sugar spray paint on paper. Participants need to wear older clothing. Masks will be supplied.

MONDAY 12 APRIL

PORTRAIT ON A PLATE WITH AMANDA MCGAHAN, ARTIST 1.00 – 3.30pm 11 - 15 years $43 ($48 non-members)

Participants will prepare an image design for their ceramic plate by drawing an outline of a friend, family member or pet on paper before using under-glaze to transfer the image onto a bisque-fired plate. After a clear-glaze application, the plate will be kiln-fired for collection at a later date. 49

STILL-LIFE PAINTING WITH YIXY RUAN, ARTIST

1.00 – 3.00pm 11 – 14 Years $21 ($26 non-members)

An arrangement of man-made and natural objects will provide inspiration for a still life painting class. This class will concentrate on expanding observational skills and teach techniques relating to proportions and transferring what is seen onto paper.

WEDNESDAY 14 APRIL WATERCOLOUR PAINTING WITH JIM REA, VISUAL ARTS TEACHER 10.00am – 2.30pm (with 30min lunch break) 10 - 15 years $28 ($33 non-members)

A workshop for budding artists who would like to develop and fine-tune their technical painting skills with watercolour. Using artist grade materials, the group will each work toward completing a painting to take home. Bring lunch and a drink as there will be a lunch break.

THURSDAY 15 APRIL

DIGITAL PORTRAITURE WITH MARNIE AWRAM, ARTIST AND TEACHER

GALLERY ART SCHOOL CREATIVE TODDLERS 3 - 5 YEARS

WITH MARIAN WOLFS, ARTIST

Tuesdays 10.00 – 10.45am $75 ($90 non-members) / 6 week term $15 ($17.50 non-members) / casual class Term 2: 27 April, 4, 11, 18, 25 May, 1 June

An early introduction to the arts and the Gallery for the very young. Children will experience a variety of creative activities relating to the Gallery exhibits in a social and friendly setting.

LEVEL 1 | TUESDAYS 5 - 7 YEARS

WITH MARIAN WOLFS, ARTIST

LEVEL 2 | MONDAYS 8 - 11 YEARS

Drawing: flora & fauna storybook with Yixy Ruan, artist Term 2: 26 April, 10, 17, 24, 31 May, 7 June Mondays 3.30 – 5.00pm $105 ($125 non-members) / 6 week term Term 2 students will focus on a variety of drawing styles and will develop a small series of related works during the term.

LEVEL 2 | WEDNESDAYS 8 - 11 YEARS Term 2 Drawing Jim Rea, Teacher, artist Wednesdays 3.30 – 5.00pm $105 ($125 non-members) / 6 week term Term 2: 28 April, 5, 12, 19, 26 May, 2 June

Term 2 students will focus on drawing approaches. They will develop a small series of related works during the six-week term.

3.45 – 4.45pm $80 ($95 non-members) / 6 week term Term 2: 27 April, 4, 11, 18, 25 May, 1 June

A wonderful introduction to art skills designed for children in early primary school. Creating art allows children to develop skills proven to assist in creative problem solving and critical thinking across core subjects such as maths, science and language. Art skills based on the exhibitions on display will develop a creative skills foundation and give children a sense of achievement and pride in their artistic creations.

10.00am – 12.00pm 10 – 15 years $21 ($26 non-members)

Enhance the notion of identity and create a digital self-portrait using an iPad to combine photographic images and digital drawing. It is recommended the student is confident using digital media and has some prior experience with digital drawing. The group will access their artwork digitally and can collect a printout of their final image at a later date. 50

CAIRNS ART GALLERY SHOP

Katherine Mahony Ceramics, Mindful Recreations Ceramics, Kate Hunter Ceramics, Kate Hunter Jewellery, Alperstein Designs Sugarcane & Vanilla soap, Western Desert Lip Balm, Bell Art Aroma Bloq, Rohr Remedy skin care, Books

VISIT US We acknowledge the Gimuy Walubarra Yidinji and Yirrganydji as the Traditional Owners of the area today known as Cairns

Cnr Abbott & Shields St, Cairns M to F: 9am – 5pm Sat: 10am – 5pm Sun: currently closed Closed on Public Holidays

CAIRNS ART GALLERY SHOP

07 4046 4800 shop@cairnsartgallery.com.au www.cairnsartgallery.com.au Cairns.Art.Gallery @cairnsartgallery @cairnsgallery CairnsArtGallery

LEFT: Alperstein Designs travel mug, Rainforest Bounty Chilli paste, Mattarbee and Namatjira book, Melanie Hava water bottle

GALLERY SPONSORS

VIP PROGRAM PARTNER

MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM PARTNER

The Cairns Art Gallery is a proud supporter of the Indigenous Art Code 54