Where’s Julia?
On 30 September, 2010 the National Gallery of Australia unveiled a new wing dedicated solely to Indigenous Art. It is now the largest permanent collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art in the world, and at a cost of about $100 million it was money well spent. Why couldn’t Prime Minister Julia Gillard make the time to attend the opening of such an important Gallery, which showcases indigenous art to the rest of the world?
Eric Davidson Gluyas
When art is no longer about art
The vast number of online publications have seen the making and breaking of artists. We have reached an age where we value the judgements’ of critics over our own. The superiority of their claims obscures any hope we have of viewing and experiencing the work for what it is. At what point does the creative process become over exposed?
Lucy Boyle
Walsh can afford to gamble, but can Australia really afford to lose
The opening of The Museum of Old and New Art ( MONA ) [Cristina Rulz, The Art Newspaper, Issue 215 15th July 2010] will do one of two things for Australia’s international artistic reputation. Either it will produce a much deserved boost in its credibility, or conversely just undermine Walsh’s nihilistic attitude and “controversial” Abject-like art for what it is: derivative and dated, and thus further isolate the potential of contemporary Australian art.
MONA appears innovative through its unconventional curatorial practices and gallery structure, but must all contemporary art be contentious and Abject in order to be recognised? I believe art has reached a point in the 21st century where it needs to do more than just revolt, and sadly, that may be MONA’s only contribution to the Australian contemporary art scene.
Aimee Sharpe
Creative talent is scarce
Brian Sherwin, in regards to your MyArtSpace article concerning art criticism, I believe that you are right. With freedom of speech, people have gained power of how they wish to express themselves. Unfortunately, this does not mean that everyone who wants to share their thoughts has got what it takes. Aspiring artists who do not have the ability to enrich society and art history should perhaps realise that criticism of their art only saves them the time.
Adela Janickova
Banal-e: The Global Proliferation of Art Fairs
Has viewing art become arbitrary?
Where once there were only a handful, art fairs are now popping up around the globe, including Australia (Melbourne Art Fair). In the virtue of this hyper-proliferation of art fairs, and biennales alike, the viewer may be forced to forfeit emotionality; instead skimming over the artwork rather than really seeing. In a bid to keep track of the globalisation of art fairs, we as viewers’ run the risk of rendering our art experience banal.
Has the inevitable proliferation of art fairs, turned our viewing experience into an art un-fair?
Rachel Ingham
Henson confronts his Muppets
Bill Henson may not be Australia’s Masterchef, but he has recently served the Philistines a steaming plate of food for thought. In a country where creative luminaries are forever questioning the dissonance between the treatment of sports and art, Henson’s response is calculated and correct.
At a time of political unrest, he has effectively turned Kevin Rudd’s ‘revolting’ into a revolt. And why shouldn’t he? Australia really needs to obtain a firm grip on the nuances of artistic censorship and treatment of the arts in general if it is to enter the second decade of this millennium as strongly as it entered the first. Whilst we encourage debate, we must also look forward to resolve.
Elliot Shields
A Critical Mass
With social media infiltrating almost every aspect of our lives, it comes as no surprise that the purpose of the esteemed art critic has now become outdated, and that the everyday person is now becoming an empowered contributor to the art world. With our cultural criticism being informed by niche blogs etc, other aspects of the future of fine arts will surely be a very different landscape. When the dominance of the prized curator or the acclaimed art institute has been diminished, how will it change the way art is created and received by its audience?
Lucy Alcorn