Australian Art Notes | October

David Corbet's National artnotes appear in edited form in Art Monthly Australia (www.artmonthly.org.au)

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ABC Arts cuts update

Following the ABC’s decision to discontinue the Art Nation program and disband the TV arts unit, protests have been widespread. A senate enquiry has been launched into, among other things, “the implications of this decision on Australian film and television production in general, and potential impact on quality and diversity of programs”. Some have accused the committee of acting with indecent haste (submissions closed on 9 September) with its report due on 12 October.

www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/ec_ctte/abc/info.htm

At press time, an open letter to the ABC board had been signed by 59 prominent arts figures, stating that the decision “will diminish the ABC’s irreplaceable role as the nation’s cultural memory”. Signatories include Peter Carey, Helen Garner, Tim Winton, David Malouf, Nick Cave, Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee, Oscar winners Geoffrey Rush and Adam Elliot, and Edinburgh Festival director Jonathan Mills. The letter adds that “without a strong in-house unit to create and to commission arts programming, the national broadcaster will fail its charter responsibilities. And it will fail us, by not reminding us that our national character is informed and shaped by the imagination and creativity of artists”.

Auction action

Two out of three major fine art auctions in August were cause for cautious optimism in a sector that has been somewhat soft in recent times. Sotheby's (Important Australian & International Art) sold Arthur Boyd’s The Frightened Bridegroom (1958) for a record $1.2 million, and Arthur Streeton’s Ocean Blue, Lorne (1921) for $276k, achieving a total of $4.9 million across 67 lots, a clearance rate of 78%. Deutscher and Hackett (Important Australian and International Art) also managed a respectable 78% by volume, total sales of $4.8 million across 165 lots, with John Brack’s The Fertility Goddess (1974) fetching $600k. Bonham’s (Australian Art) sold a more modest 40% of offerings. Topping their results was Brett Whiteley’s Nobby's Head and the Entrance to Newcastle (1991) at $576k, while his Vincent (bought for $1.02m four years ago) was passed in. This was an even worse clearance rate than Bonham’s disappointing result in June (Aboriginal Art), which sold 68 of 147 lots (46%) totalling $744k. Commentators have suggested that Bonham’s relative inexperience in the Australian market may be to blame for what appear to be under-trend results. 

In other news, Deutscher and Hackett have announced that their New Albion Gallery (NAG) has secured the current Sydney premises of the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF) from 2013, with Doug Hall AM, Australia’s current Venice Biennale Commissioner, as Consulting Curator. SCAF will continue to be based at the adjoining annexe and will operate its popular Culture and Ideas forums from this location, with future exhibition projects relocating to the new Sherman-benefacted galleries at Gateway@COFA (see AMA 243).

National Cultural Policy

The Federal Government’s National Cultural Policy discussion paper is now available. Have your say on the future of arts, culture and the creative industries in Australia. Comments close 21 October.

www.arts.gov.au

National Gallery

The NGA Canberra has announced its summer blockbuster: Renaissance:15th & 16th Century Italian Paintings from the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo (9 Dec – 9 Apr 2012). It is hoped the exhibition, featuring works by Raphael, Botticelli and Titian among a host of others, will prove a big draw for the gallery this summer. Despite opening a new wing, the NGA has struggled to repeat the spectacular attendance of its 2010 Masterpieces from Paris exhibition, which attracted a record 476,000 visitors.

National Museum

The NMA Canberra has announced two new exhibitions: A New Horizon: Contemporary Chinese Art (from 30 Sept) features works from the National Art Museum of China, featuring painting, sculpture and new media art created since 1949. Off the Walls (from 28 Oct) features work by such artists as Rover Thomas, Narritjin Maymuru and Fiona Foley, drawn from the collections of various government bodies, made between 1967 and 2005. Opening on 16 November is Inside: Life in Children’s Homes and Institutions, featuring the voices and personal objects of the forgotten Australians and former child migrants who experienced institutional care as children.

National Portrait Gallery

The NPG Canberra has announced two upcoming exhibitions for its summer programme. Of kings and men: Celebrating 100 years of the Historic Memorials Collection
(3 Nov - 5 Feb 2012) celebrates 100 years of the Historic Memorials Collection and its role in commissioning portraits of parliamentary and judicial figures in Australia. Impressions: Painting light and life
(25 Nov- 4 March 2012) presents portraits by, and of, artists at the heart of Australian impressionism including Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and Frederick McCubbin, featuring well-loved icons of late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century Australian art, as well as rarely-exhibited works drawn from public and private collections. The $25k National Photographic Portrait Prize 2012 (16 March to 20 May and touring) is now open to entries, closing on 31 October.

www.portrait.gov.au

London Museum Fellowships

Two Australians will travel to London to continue work on the repatriation of Indigenous ancestral remains as part of new fellowship positions at the Natural History Museum. Arts Minister Simon Crean announced that Carol Christophersen from Darwin and Emma Loban from Thursday Island will spend six months with the Museum working on projects associated with the repatriation of human remains to their community of origin.

Creative Australia Artists Grants

OzCo has launched the Creative Australia Artists Grants, a five year program which delivers on the Federal Government’s budget commitment of $10 million in new funding to the arts. The program will support artists across all artforms to deliver new artistic works, undertake fellowships and create additional presentations to Australian audiences over the next five years. The focus will be on attracting applications from artists facing access barriers such as artists with a disability, artists from non-English speaking and culturally diverse backgrounds, and artists in regional and remote areas.

www.australiacouncil.gov.au/grants/creative_australia

Indigenous Art Code update

Indigenous Art Code Ltd is conducting a renewed recruitment drive. When the Code was first released in mid-2010 it quickly received almost 100 signatories, an enthusiastic first response. Now that the Code has more resources in staff and marketing funds, CEO John Oster is currently travelling and meeting with artists, dealers and galleries across Australia. One of the priorities is to enlist the support of the leading institutions and arts agencies for the principles of the Code, as well as artists and other stakeholders.

www.indigenousartcode.org

Sport and Art

Australian artists are invited to participate in the International Olympic Committee’s Sport and Art Contest, in two categories: Sculptures and Graphic works. The theme of the contest is ‘Sport and the Olympic Values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect’. The contest consists of a national phase from August 2011 – January 2012 and an international phase from March – June 2012. Participants must submit their work for the national phase to the AOC by Tuesday 31 January 2012. There is no age restriction. For further information contact Frances Cordaro on 02 9247 2000 or email frances.cordaro@olympics.com.au

WetlandCare Australia National Art and Photography Competition 

The Wetlandcare Australia National Art and Photography Competition is now open for entries. With five categories available, there is a chance for people of all ages to submit their photographs and artworks on paper exploring the theme of Wetlands, Tourism and Recreation for the chance to win great prizes.

www.wetlandcare.com.au