Artwrite

“To my wife Fatima Saeed for her support throughout this semester and life, also Joanna and Helen for sub editing my major assignment and Nina Berrell and Jasmine.” – Imran Ahmad

“Sam Chester, co-founder and former co-director of Queen Street Studio and Nicky Ginsberg, owner of NG Art Gallery, for agreeing to be interviewed for this piece.” – Georgia McKay

“Julie: for the energy and international recognition her twitter feed has brought to Artwrite 50” – Jenny Stephenson

“Thanks to Duncan Meerding for allowing us to publish this article and thanks to Joanna for her guidance” – Amanda Palmer

Artwrite 50

Imran Ahmad

Co Chief Editor

Lydia Bradshaw

Co Editor – In a Hundred or Less

David Buncel

Sub Editor – Eugène Atget: Old Paris – Art Gallery of NSW by Alex Robinson

Helen Day

Sub Editor – Where exactly are you from? by Imran

Bronwen Dugan

Sub Editor – FraserStudios by Georgia Mackay

Co Editor – Children’s Pieces

Carolina Larenas Fierro

Sub Editor – The tipping point – is queer art still relevant now? – Eric Lewis

Tine Schmidt Haislund Jensen

Sub Editor – Does the medium matter? by Julie Lien

Eric Lewis

Sub Editor – For Love or Money? by Toby Meagher

Julie Lien

Sub Editor – One in all, all in one by Catherine Shi

Contents page

Twitter

Editorial

Georgia McKay

Co Chief Editor

Sub Editor – Peter Upward: Overrated and Undervalued? by Greta Stevens

Toby Meagher

Co Editor – Children’s Pieces

Liz Nowell

Co Editor – Letters to the Editor

Amanda Palmer

Sub Editor – Ken + Julia Yonetani – What the birds knew by Cheng Xu

Alexander Robinson

Sub Editor – Gregory Barsamian, Artifact (2010) at MONA by David Buncel

PDF Editor

Catherine Shi

Contents page

Lahuta Lumi Lila Shkreli

Sub Editor – The Damien Hirst Retrospective at Tate Modern: Review by Sarah Worrall

Sub Editor – Prevention to Preservation… and Prosecution? by Erin Wilson

Jenny Stephenson

Co Editor – Letters to the Editor

Greta Stevens

PDF Editor

Mengyin Sun

Contents page

Cassandra Vollmer

Sub Editor – Tony Albert: Family Man by Liz Nowell

Co Editor – In a Hundred or Less

Erin Wilson

Sub Editor – Tony Oursler – Face to Face by Tine Jensen

Editorial

Sarah Worrall

Sub Editor – Retrospective of Peter Upward by Greta Stevens

Cheng Xu

Sub Editor – A Vision to Share by Amanda Palmer

Editorial

Julie Lien — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:55:37 +0000

by Julie Lien and Erin Wilson

In 1992, the first issue of Artwrite was produced on Word 5 and distributed as a stapled photocopy brochure.

The issues that followed have taken many forms, engaging with two decades worth of exhibitions, books, artists, ideas and issues concerning art in Australia.

Twenty years on, the 50th issue of Artwrite: The Future of Australian Art: Reaching the Tipping Point will live on as a blog in the annals of the internet, distributed electronically as PDFs and shared amongst followers on social media channels.

As Artwrite has evolved, so too has its content.

This issue is concerned with themes of change and the future of art in Australia. Letters to the editor have highlighted current contentious issues, including the controversial future of the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), the uncertain future of art history at La Trobe University and the yet to be seen impact of major leadership changes in the art sector.

The exhibition reviews share a common link, showcasing major international art talent on show in Australia in 2012. Reviews of artworks by Liu Zhuoquan in the 18th Biennale of Sydney, Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado at Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), What the Birds Knew at 4A Contemporary Asian Art and Eugène Atget: Old Paris at the Art Gallery of NSW foreground the increasing international presence of art in Australia, and the vibrancy this presence adds to the Australian art sector.

This issue of Artwrite also returns to themes discussed by students in years past, casting new light on topics as a new group of students bring their knowledge and perspectives to continuing issues. This re-engagement raises further questions that may again be re-visited in future issues:

Will we stand for a government that stalls upon our own National Cultural Policy?
Are our laws able to catch up to the new progressive view of graffiti art?
Will the arts sector be able to secure necessary funding in uncertain economic times?
How will the institutional shift in focus to a broader range of audiences affect the perceived role of the art museum?
As gay marriage becomes increasingly accepted in mainstream society, will the role of queer art change?

Artwrite is part of an ongoing conversation regarding issues of art in Australia. It is an indication of the prevailing themes of the day and the responses to it by emerging writers. As we reach the tipping point, we must both mourn what has come to pass as well as what awaits us in the next twenty years: a new era of Australian art.

The Social dimension of Contemporary Art

carolinalarenas — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:54:08 +0000

by Carolina Larenas Fierro

The article The New Realism written by Christian Viveros-Faune touched me deeply.

I have always thought that the human being is political by nature since we are born, grow up and live in polis. In these terms art expresses a political point of view. Aesthetic is displaced by the message.

In the globalised world that we have today, where news spreads in real time, art arise as an effective communication media to denounce ‘a host of global challenges ranging from political repression to economic crisis to endemic poverty and human rights violations’. The goal is to shift the collective’s conscience in this new reality – The New Realism. Artists encourage social changes.

In the article there are several good examples of artists who are working in this way around the world. ‘The new esthetic-political ethos shared by these and many other artist centers on the belief that artworks should be part of a larger social or moral terrain’. Despite a country’s social and cultural characteristics, freedom and justice are universal concepts.

The beginning of the end…

lahuta — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:53:53 +0000

by Lahuta Lumi Lila Shkreli

La Trobe might as well use TNT to blow up every art gallery and museum in Australia and be done with it! We are witnessing the rug being pulled from under Australia’s art sector. This is an injustice. The dean of humanities at La Trobe has a disregard for art history and is trying to obliterate culture from Australia’s future. “Students have been telling us for years that traditional arts degrees are no longer sufficiently enticing and relevant.” Please Tim, this disdain from such an authority warrants no excuse.

Woman on top, for now

bronwendugan — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:52:38 +0000

by Bronwen Dugan

Whilst it’s good news that Suhanya Raffel has been appointed acting director of the Queensland Art Gallery, it remains to be seen who will be Tony Ellwood’s permanent replacement (‘Art Gallery gets new head’, SMH, 23 July).

It seems appropriate that the Board of Trustees consider her for the role, given that the Arts Minister Ros Bates has acknowledged that Suhanya Raffel’s ‘credentials are impeccable’.

Who knows? The most suitable candidate might be right under their nose.

Somebody has to ask the questions!

tinehaislund — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:51:23 +0000

by Tine Schmidt Haislund Jensen

One can only watch in horror as La Trobe plans on cutting art history from its programs. Humanism has no correct answers and no final results; it always demands that we try harder and ask more questions. Is that not the very essence of study? Art is a reflection of time, a way of communicating through history. Studying the history of art is studying the history of society and it forces us to keep asking questions, to keep trying to understand the essence of being human. The moment we stop studying art we simply stop questioning our society, our values and ourselves.

Why the MONAing?

ericlewis — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:50:41 +0000

by Eric Lewis

I don’t know why anyone is worried about Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art possibly closing (‘Support floods in for MONA founder in tax row’, SMH, 25 July). Mr Walsh is backing himself in his case against the ATO and he seems to have a pretty good record for betting on winners.

Dead or alive: it is up to you

sophiesun — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:49:09 +0000

by Mengyin Sun

How can the cultural institutions of Detroit survive without support from government? The Detroit Institute of Arts has been trying to become financially independent for several years, but the results of their efforts are infinitesimal. Some of its galleries, despite having cut their budget and staff, may close down if unable to raise money.

If America values the long-term wellbeing of people from Detroit, maybe it is time for one of the many philanthropists to step in and help.

In a Hundred Words or Less

lydiabradshaw — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:47:32 +0000

Murakami’s My Lonesome Cowboy

Murakami’s iconic sculptural work, My Lonesome Cowboy (1998) takes its name from Andy Warhol’s homoerotic film, and is representative of the layered and complex relations between Japanese and American culture after World War II. In it we see the iconic American symbol of masculinity adapted and reproduced in the form of Japanese Otaku – a kind of popular culture that explores the sexuality of characters in anime. This amalgamation of respective cultures and characters is indicative of Murakami’s formative years, characterised by a relatively traditional Japanese upbringing and later exposure to popular western culture.

Lydia Bradshaw

Marea Gazzard

Mingarri: The Little Olgas (1984-1988)

Marea Gazzard, Mingarri: The Little Olgas (1984-1988), Executive Court, Parliament House, Canberra.

Mingarri is a homage to the enduring nature of mountains in the landscape.

Marea Gazzard draws on her fascination with The Olgas – a monolithic rock formation in central Australia – and on her observations that they appear as small hills when viewed from a distance, but as monumental boulders when nearby. The bronze forms convey the strength of these ancient rocks, which contrasts with the fragility of human life, while their simplicity exemplifies a timelessness characteristic of Marea Gazzard’s sculpture.

Mingarri represents a connection to the country’s traditional heart and acknowledges the spiritual significance of the landscape to Aboriginal culture.

Bronwen Dugan

Artist Rethinks Nation’s Mythical Heroes

Dianne Jones, Shearing the Rams, 2001

Photo media artist Dianne Jones creates a space for Australia’s National identity to be reconsidered. Shearing the Rams (2001) reappropriates Tom Roberts’s 1890 painting of the same title, introducing new perspectives on personal and collective identity. The painting represents Jones’ memory of the shearing shed that was dominated by her shearer grandfather. By reinstating her grandfather, brother and nephew in Roberts’ work, Jones challenges presumptions of what it means to be Aboriginal, Australian, and Nationalistic.

Jenny Stephenson

Was J.M.W. Turner’s Artwork a Source of Inspiration for Impressionist Artists?

According to Huge Estenssoro, Monet, who saw Joseph Mallord William Turner’s artwork when visiting London in 1870, did not like the ‘exuberant romanticism’ of the English painter. Despite this, Monet’s Impression Sunrise has clear resemblances to Turner’s work, especially A Town on a River Sunset (1833) and the watercolours of Venice in 1819. Whether or not Turner’s paintings were inspiration for impression artists, it can be stated that, as John Ruskin said, ‘Turner was the first modern painter, regarding to the use of paint as an aim on itself.’

Carolina Larenas

The price of war, the pricelessness of peace

The Price of War exhibition held at Chinalink Gallery, 107 Regent St, Redfern aims to promote cultural tolerance and world peace. It features the recent work of nine prominent Australian and Chinese artists, including three Archibald Prize finalists. Bringing together paintings, installations and video art, the exhibition looks closely at the destructive power of war and the suffering it causes. Though the exhibition emphasizes oriental perspectives, it sends to all Australians a searing and urgent message of the artists’ deep sympathy for the past, thought-provoking concern for the future and the pursuit of a mutual recognition for cultural identity.

Catherine Shi

Mabel Pye’s use of colour linocut printing

Mabel Pye was an innovative printmaker working in Melbourne in the 1930s. Her work in the medium of linocut demonstrates bold lines, strong vibrant colours and conveys a sense of calmness and tranquillity. Her primary composition revolved around the domestic sphere and Australian landscape. Pye studied at the National Gallery School in Victoria, working with artists such as Napier Waller.

The early twentieth century Australian printmaking movement marked the transition for printmakers to be regarded as artists in their own right. Although Pye’s work was largely forgotten until the 1970s, she is now considered, along with Margaret Preston, Thea Proctor and Ethel Spowers to be one of the significant figures in Australian modernism.

Helen Day

Liu Zhuoquan: Where Are You? (2012)

Liu Zhuoquan, Where are you? You know more secrets! 2012

The Chinese artist Liu Zhuoquan is a master of neihua – a kind of Chinese folk art that was used to decorate the inside of snuff bottles in the 19th century.

The installation in the Biennale of Sydney is made up of a large number of inner painted glass bottles painted with detailed images of a giant coiled black snake. A sense of depression, darkness and mystery is communicated by these intense, but organised daily objects. Liu makes his own way in describing a brand new world with bottles in various sizes and shapes.

Mengyin Sun