2001 EXHIBITION PROGRAM

Transitions: 17 Years of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards

1 February–4 March

An exhibition of over sixty works drawn from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory’s core collection of winning and acquired works from the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award over the past seventeen years. This exhibition demonstrates the diversity of style and media of indigenous arts and showcases works by a selection of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. A Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Travelling Exhibition. Supported by Telstra

Peter Purves Smith (1912–1949)

9 March–15 April

This exhibition represents the first major survey of the art of Peter Purves Smith since a tribute exhibition was held in Melbourne in 1976. Incorporating an outstanding array of paintings and drawings from the artist’s full working life, the exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of the artist’s concerns with the universal themes of human life.

While Peter Purves Smith has remained relatively unknown to the general public, allegorical themes that he initiated were taken up by the likes of Russell Drysdale, Arthur Boyd and Sidney Nolan in works that are popularly recognised as most significant to Australian art history.

Peter Purves Smith (1912–1949) is an Australian National University Drill Hall Touring Exhibition and is supported by Visions of Australia. The exhibition will tour the Lawrence Wilson Gallery in Perth, Heide Museum of Modern Art and the Benalla Regional Gallery in Victoria. Curated by Mary Eagle.

The Composite of Opposites Ceramics by Alan Watt and Janet DeBoos

19 April–3 June

Alan Watt and Janet DeBoos have made an enormous contribution to contemporary Australian ceramic practice. Both artists have a strong body of technical and theoretical knowledge. DeBoos’ porcelain work is liquid and sensuous; its domestic shapes speak of interiors and human contact. Watt’s earthenware is formal, fragile yet powerful and speaks of human to earth contact and exteriors. Curated by Karen O’Clery.

A Selection of Artists’ Books from the Graphic Investigation Workshop (1979–1998)

19 April–3 June

Coinciding with Reproduction in the Australasian Region, the Fourth Australian Print Symposium at the NGA, A Selection of Artists’ Books from the Graphic Investigation Workshop (1979–1998) presents an exciting look into the archive of work from the Graphic Investigation Workshop. The exhibition is curated by Petr Herel, the founding Head of the Graphic Investigation Workshop at the Canberra School of Art.

Salvatore Zofrea: Appassionata

7 June–15 July

Appassionata is a series of 40 woodblock prints which form a visual diary of significant events in the life of the artist. Salvatore Zoffrea is acclaimed as an exemplary artist in the medium of woodblock printmaking. These bold works trace Zofrea’s memories and dreams from his Italian beginnings to his migration to Australia. Curated by Edmund Capon.

A New England Regional Art Museum Travelling Exhibition

Sunny Wang: Glass

7 June–15 July

Sunny Wang is a Taiwanese glass artist who has just completed her Master of Visual Art in Glass at the Canberra School of Art after receiving the ‘Australian Education International Scholarship — Taiwan’. Wang’s delicate glass works explore the relationship between Chinese calligraphic characters, the tradition of Taiwanese stamps and the fingerprint. The exhibition coincides with the biennial conference of The Chinese Studies Association of Australia that is being held at University House, ANU from 5–8 July 2001.

Tracey Moffatt: Invocations 2000

19 July–26 August

Invocations 2000 is a series of 13 large-scale photo-silkscreen images by one of Australia’s most successful artists. Tracey Moffatt lives and works in Sydney and New York and regularly exhibits internationally. Dramatic in composition and rich in colour these works portray a dark enigmatic world suffused with mystery and intrigue. The exhibition will also feature a Tracey Moffatt Film.
From the Pat Corrigan Collection.

Timothy Horn: Cinderella Complex

19 July -26 August

Timothy Horn's wonderfully ornate glass pieces reconstruct the story of Cinderella from his own perspective. Using artistic licence to stretch and distort the original fable, Horn eclectically borrows from other fairytales from his childhood to present his own interpretation of Cinderella. He uses a variety of media including lead crystal, nickel-plated bronze, blown glass and Easter egg foil to create lavish glass works, which, combined with his tongue-in-cheek narrative, form a fantastic and magical story of its own.

Click here for ABC Radio article on this exhibit

Outside in: Research Engagements in Arnhem Land Art

30 August–7 October

This exhibition is co-curated by Jon Altman, Nigel Lendon, and Frances and Howard Morphy, from the collections each has made during many years of researching Arnhem land art and society. The exhibition reflects themes that have been prominent in their research, and personal factors such as their relationships with the artists and their families, and individual aesthetic choices. The art acts as a mnemonic for their experiences in the field, just as much as do entries in a notebook, or photographs of events.

James Gleeson: On Starting a Painting

11 October–4 November

This exhibition presents a series of drawings and sketchbooks produced between 1979 to 1999 by the renowned surrealist artist James Gleeson. The detailed studies and intricate sketches provide a unique insight into the methods and creative process which Gleeson employs in his preparation for larger works.
A New England Regional Art Museum Travelling Exhibition.

Robin White

8 November–16 December

This survey exhibition will examine work by acclaimed New Zealand artist Robin White. Produced by White
whilst living in the Republic of Kiribati (formally the Gilbert and Ellis Islands) where she lived for 17 years between 1982–1999, this body of work forms an important contribution to the dialogue in the visual arts on the Pacific. Curated by Helen Maxwell.

New Traditions: Contemporary Art of Vanuatu

8 November–16 December

New Traditions is the first touring exhibition of contemporary Vanuatu art and brings with it the excitement and diversity of current art practice in Vanuatu. The work of ten contemporary artists is presented along side examples of recently created traditional Vanuatu art – head dresses, slit drums, mats and other locally produced art objects.
Supported by the Pacific Development & Conservation Trust and the Australian-South Pacific 2000 Program.