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jeremystrele · 5 years

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7 Women Shaking Up The Australian Art Scene

Roundup

by Elle Murrell

Del Kathryn Barton at ‘The Highway is a Disco‘, her incredible solo show at NGV Australia, which ran November 2017 to March 2018.

My Frogs Are Blazing artwork by Del Kathryn Barton. Photo – courtesy of Del Kathryn Barton.

The Fever Is Here artwork by Del Kathryn Barton. Photo – courtesy of Del Kathryn Barton.

Del Kathryn Barton

Mid-May 2018 saw a historic moment for Australian Art. Del Kathryn Barton’s artwork Of Pollen (2013) saw her bust through the glass ceiling, into what has historically been an exclusive boy’s club. Changing hands for $378,000, this six-figure sale propelled Del into the elite echelon of Australia’s top 10-selling living Australian artists.

Last year, the Sydney-based painter exhibited The Highway Is A Disco at NGV’s Ian Potter Centre (from November 2017 to March 2018), and also unveiled a commercial show in New York, before focussing on art films. Nevertheless, the highlight for Del has simply been ‘surviving while being a working Mum!’.

This year, she is looking forward to a solo show in Albertz Benda in New York City in February, followed by another solo exhibition in Sydney at Roslyn Oxley 9 Gallery alongside a group show in London, both in October. She’ll also be making films and caring ‘more for [her] mental health!’.

‘It has never been MORE meaningful for me to be an Australian female creative. Especially in the context of showing more internationally. I am passionate about growing our undernourished-cultural-pride across all creative sectors!’ Del explains. ‘The only way I can do this is just… f*cking heads-down and keep doing the best work that I can, day, after day, after day!’.

For young women aspiring to follow in her colossal footsteps, Del’s advice is simple: ‘give everything to the work, let the work sustain you. If you can live without making the work, live without it!’

Melbourne-based artist Esther Stewart. Photo – Caitlin Mills.

Esther works on her exhibition for Melbourne Art Fair 2018. Photo – Caitlin Mills.

Esther exhibited with at Sarah Cottier Gallery at the 2018 Melbourne Art Fair. – Caitlin Mills.

Esther Stewart

After a two-year hiatus, Melbourne Art Fair returned as the flagship event of the 2018 Melbourne Art Week. The most buzzing stand was that of Sarah Cottier Gallery, exhibiting a solo exhibition of new work by Esther Stewart.

Focussing not only on her canvases but the experience of the entire booth, Esther designed an innovative and extremely Instagram-able space, featuring structures that provided multiple discrete displays for complicated paintings and textile works. Among the high calibre of Australian artists represented, Esther and Sarah Cottier Gallery took out the inaugural YarraBend Stand Prize.

With her distinctive geometric works bordering on optical art, the VCA-trained creative has established herself as one of Australia’s most collectable and celebrated young contemporary artists. (We can’t say we didn’t call it early!)

Next up, Esther will unveil new work at Gertrude Contemporary’s GlassHouse on March 7th. We can’t wait to see how her architectural considerations, from paintings to space design, come together at this location. Along with countless others exhibition-goers, we will again be lining up for a closer look!

Kaylene Whisky, represented by Iwantja Arts and a member of the APY Art Centre Collective. Photo – courtesy of APY Art Centre Collective.

Wonder Woman from Kaylene’s series: Seven Sistas (2018) Acrylic on Linen, 51 x 76cm. Photo – courtesy of the artist and Iwantja Arts.

Dolly Parton from Kaylene’s series: Seven Sistas (2018) Acrylic on Linen, 51 x 76cm. Photo – Courtesy of the artist and Iwantja Arts.

Kaylene’s Sulman-Prize-Winning artwork, Kaylene TV (2018), acrylic on Linen, 76 x 101cm. Photo – Courtesy of the artist and Iwantja Arts.

Kaylene Whisky

Represented by Iwantja Arts and a member of APY Art Centre Collective, Kaylene Whisky took out the 2018 Sulman Art Prize for her imaginative and empowering portrayal of two strong kungkas (women): Dolly Barton and Cher in a lounge room, entitled ‘Kaylene TV’. This bright, boisterous scene instilled joy, and opened minds to the vast, diverse possibilities of Australian Indigenous art.

In the work, Cher is seen singing a song on a microphone, ‘having a great time because her boots have silver spurs and are really tall above her knees’, while Dolly, in pink overalls with pockets, has arrived after skateboarding at the shops. ‘She must have bought that Christmas present for Cher because they are good friends, they like to sing together!’ details Kaylene, whose TV music program is playing in the background, beside ‘a big mingkulpa (local native tobacco) plant growing underneath the good boomerangs’.

Along with a prize of $40,000, winning this prestigious accolade has given Kaylene’s art wide exposure. ‘It was a huge surprise to win and to have all these other artists wanting to meet me and say, “Well done Kaylene!”, she recalls.

Looking ahead, the artist is proud and excited to be included in The National at the MCA this year, alongside many other great Australian artists.‘Where I live in Indulkana Community on the APY Lands there are a lot of strong women artists,’ Kaylene tells. ‘We all support each other, sometimes the older ladies will look at my paintings and say ‘Kutjupa Way! Wiru!’ (‘Wow, that’s something different! That’s great!’). I think that’s important: being yourself and finding your own way with art.

Installation view of Patricia Piccinini’s exhibition Through Love at Tarrawarra Museum of Art. Kindred displayed alongside works by Australian modernist Joy Hester. Photo – courtesy of Patricia Piccinini.

Patricia in her Collingwood studio. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

With artwork, Kindred, in progress. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The Skywhale in flight. Photo – courtesy of Patricia Piccinini.

Patricia Piccinini

One of the most talked about Australian artworks, Patricia Piccinini‘s The Skywhale (2013), flew again late last year! It took to the air to coincide with the artist’s current Tarrawarra Museum of Art exhibition, Through Love, alongside one of her heroes, Australian modernist Joy Hester. This show, on until March, follows the staging of the biggest show Patricia has ever unveiled: the immersive ‘Curious Affection’ at Brisbane’s QAGOMA. Prior to that, there was her key inclusion in The National Gallery of Australia’s mind-boggling blockbuster, Hyper Real, along with other major art institutions and fairs, from the United States and Austria to Turkey and New Zealand.

This year will see the industrious artist tread new ground once more, with her first major solo museum show in Scandinavia at Arken Museum, Copenhagen, before unveiling new work at Cairns Art Gallery, which will address the local ecology and climate change.

With her life-like sculptures of hybrid forms, often fusing together human and animal characteristics to examine the increasingly blurred boundary between the artificial and natural worlds, Patricia sees her practice as ‘definitely feminist and very much also female’. ‘This is more a reflection of what I’m interested in, rather than my professional status as a woman, which, to be honest, is not something I think about much,’ she clarifies. ‘However, the statistics tell us that there is still a distance to go on an institutional level. As a young artist, I guess you need to have one eye on that, but you can’t be blinded by it’. Patricia stresses having the conviction to stay focused on your personal artistic goals and work towards them. ‘Ultimately, it’s all about the work, and working, and it always has been’.

Endangered 3 by Tamara Dean. Photo – Tamara Dean.

Endangered 7 by Tamara Dean. Photo – Tamara Dean.

Photographic artist Tamara Dean.

Elephant Ear (Alocasia odora) in Autumn. Photo – Tamara Dean.

Tamara Dean

Tamara is one of an increasing number of young creatives exploring critical social and environmental concerns through art.

Last year brought about life-changing career highlights for the Sydney-based photographic artist. Foremost, a trip to Heron Island with The Climate Council led her to embark on an exciting ongoing series, Endangered. Prior to this, Tamara was selected by curator Erica Green to create two new major works – the photographic series In Our Nature and multi-sensory installation Stream of Consciousness – for the 2018 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art.

This year she will venture to Illaroo’s Bundanon, the cultural and environmental asset gifted by Arthur and Yvonne Boyd, for an artist residency in April, before exhibiting Endangered at Martin Browne Contemporary in August.

For Tamara, talking about being a women artist in a male-dominated occupation is a complicated subject. ‘I have had to work harder than many of my male contemporaries. But I am happy with where I’m at in my career and can see a long and inspiring journey ahead,’ she tells. ‘I would advise other female artists that tenacity and perseverance pay off.’

Artist Yvette Coppersmith. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

Yvette Coppersmith Self-portrait with red and ochre (2018). Photo – courtesy of Yvette Coppersmith.

Yvette’s Self-portrait after George Lambert saw her take home The Archibald Prize last year. Photo – courtesy of Yvette Coppersmith.

The Melbourne-based artist in her studio. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

Yvette Coppersmith

Last year, Melbourne-based artist Yvette Coppersmith took out Australia’s most prestigious portrait painting award, The Archibald Prize. From 793 entries, her ‘Self portrait after George Lambert’ saw her take home the $100,000 accolade.

In her acceptance speech, the Melbourne-based creative thanked other artists and the community for their support, identifying that ‘the most important things in the art world are the conversations you have with other artists’.

As the 10th female prize winner (in the 97 years that the award has run) Yvette recognises she is now in a privileged position. She praises The Countess Report, a brilliant research project counting gender representation during 2014 in the Australian visual arts sector, which identifies that though the pool of Australian artists comprises a lot more women than men, there are many more men showing in our galleries and museums. The Report advocates for ongoing research and education on the topic, and compels ‘stakeholders in the Australian visual art sector [to] promote and advocate for gender equality in their management activities, operations, and programming’.

Throughout her career, Yvette has been fortunate to paint some brilliant, pioneering women: the late Justice Rosemary Balmford, who was the first female judge appointed to the Supreme Court of Victoria; Emeritus Professor Gillian Triggs, who was President of the Australian Human Rights Commission from 2012 to 2017; and Emeritus Professor Anne Green, who was the first woman PhD candidate and first head of the Department of Astrophysics at the University of Sydney (this artwork will be unveiled this year).

After what feels like an ‘overshare’ of herself and her work in the wake of the Archibald win, Yvette is keen to become more fully engaged in her practice and find time for herself in 2019. She will take up a residency through Byron School of Art later in the year, as well as run a series of drawing sessions at NGV, and partake in the not-to-be-missed group show, Fem-Affinity, at Arts Projects Australia in June.

‘Any artist in Australia aspires to have the means to make work and pay the bills, simultaneously,’ she concludes. ‘All I can advise is that it takes persistence, resilience, and development of other areas to support one’s practice for the lean times’.

Art photographer and activist Leila Jeffreys pictured with Ivy. Photo – Bo Wong.

Rainbow Bee-eater from Leila’s 2018 exhibition at Taronga Zoo. ‘Leila’s art will help connect or reconnect our zoo guests with birds and create advocates for their conservation,’ said Elle Bombonato of Taronga Zoo. Photo – Leila Jeffreys.Photo – Leila Jeffreys.

Leila’s art as part of a display at Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City. Photo – courtesy of Leila Jeffreys.

Photo – Leila Jeffreys.

Leila Jeffreys

Another lens-lady worthy of highlighting, and one who we have followed enthusiastically over the years is Sydney-based Leila Jeffreys. From introducing us to the incredible story of Penguin Bloom (see Leila photographing Penguin below) to highlighting endangered bird species through the astounding exhibitions and books she pours her heart into, Leila has become an unofficial poster girl for native Australian bird life.

While bird-art seems to be in abundance, from the nationalistic to replica decorative and kitsch illustrations… Leila’s meticulously staged portraits offer something more. They command your attention for their tremendously beautiful detail, and offer a powerful conservation message, bringing us eye-to-eye with these flighty, feathered subjects, at human scale.

In October last year, Leila held her first exhibition outside of Australia, Ornithurae, at Olsen Gruin Gallery in New York City. It garnered rave reviews, and will see Leila return for another show in November. This body of work will first go on show at Olsen Gallery in Sydney in October, marking her first major showcase in Australia in five years.

‘I will never forget that feeling, after years of being unimpressed with my photography, capturing my first bird portrait. It was an excitement that is burnt into my memory,’ reflects Leila. Surrounded by a wonderful community of both female and male artists at her galleries, Leila feels supported, with everyone treating each other with respect, ‘just how it should be’.

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greaterthannine-blog · 6 years

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Yvonne Part Three

The Last Edition of my Friend Yvonne on Film

Over the past few months of my gap year, I have come to dearly appreciate school again. Not that I didn't appreciate academic life before, in fact I reveled in it and that it provides so much creative freedom (to some extent) and an audience of people essentially obligated to see/hear/observe your ideas and dole out feedback. When I chose to take a gap year, I knew I would miss school, but at that point (the end of senior year of high school) during the throes of IB exams, I was fucking exhausted and duly needed a hiatus.

But what I didn't realize was how lonely a gap year can be.

Sociality?

What I've temporarily bypassed by taking a gap year is constant social exposure. No longer am I waltzing through hallways and classrooms interacting with friends, teachers, administration, strangers, etc. on a daily basis. I do converse with my coworkers, but customarily those chats are in regards to work-related topics and not interests, hobbies, and other conversational topics. That's what I miss about school, which I never considered I would, given that I limited my mingling to be almost exclusively in school. Even though I love(d) my high school buds amazingly, after the final bell rang I would always require time to myself to recharge for the next day.

But now I don't have that. But I'll manage don't worry. It's not forever.

Besides, I keep myself constantly occupied with Greater Than Nine, photography, art, writing, college applications, retail work and other various pursuits. It's incredible, but I don't really have an immediate group of artsy people to bounce ideas off anymore. But in a way it's a great learning experience, as I now have to problem solve without assistance, advice or feedback from others. Everything can be an educational experience as long as you interpret it as one.

Anyways, given my current lack of social interaction, I do not have any new friends. However, I supplement that by trying my best to maintain communication with people I was great friends with while in high school. One such friend is this lovely lady Yvonne, whom is featured in this lil' series. I've touched on why Yvonne and I share(d) a remarkable friendship in a copious number of past posts, notably Yvonne Part One and Yvonne Part Two, but there are still many other posts where I speak to our relationship.

Behind the Story

Anyways, for these photographs, I turned off our overhead lights and spotlights to solely have sunlight shining in. The weather that day was gloomy and overcast, so such natural light was much darker and helped create a much different mood for these photographs than those with artificial lighting.

I wanted to bring in an air of mystery and suspense to these photographs. Some features were already in place: The white sheet, the vignette created by the camera lens, the oftentimes shotty and irritability of the camera's focus, Yvonne's yellow lace blouse, and her dark hair. Overall my goal was to create an atmosphere as if the The Haunting (1963) met The Addams Family (1964) met a Technicolor film met a smidgen of contemporary fashion. A mishmash of different influences to morph into the mood portrayed in these photos.

I'll describe the story portrayed in these photos, so that you can better understand the concept.

I hope it's entertaining at the very least.

The Actual Narrative

It's a balmy summer's day, and there is a girl. She prances around a meadow barefoot and dressed in her yellow lace blouse and denim shorts. She is not alone in the meadow; surrounding her in between the stalks of grass are butterflies, grasshoppers, dandelions and buttercups, all culminating to a tranquil yet buzzing aura. Cicadas in the trees provide a metronomic serenade as a backdrop to the scene's merriment.

Nearby is the reason for her presence; a family reunion of which she is a part. Under a large canvas tent, are tea and sandwiches, deviled eggs and Shirley Temples. The women don sundresses and straw hats and exchange garb about career pursuits and daintily gloat of their children. The men wear t-shirts or pinstripe button-ups with trousers and boast of their sector occupations or squabble of baseball brackets. The young people wear playsuits or sprightly denim pieces. They play at the edge of the shade provided by the tent, with balls and bubbles and twigs.

The girl is years older than her younger relatives, so she remains alone, but occupied. She is lively and adventurous, an untainted and headstrong spirit, laughing gleefully as she explores the meadow. She is not fearful of insects, nor afraid of rampant rocks or splinters. She knows what her true fears are and they are not found in this serene stage.

As she pads through her surroundings, one bare foot after the other, she eyes details that her junior cousins would neglect. To the left a fallen tree painted in lichen and moss, with three snails oozing along. To the right a trickling creek, an object of runoff from the nearby river. As she moves on, she notices a faint trail lined with daisies and forget-me-nots and ladybugs lonesome. Intrigued by the path, she stands on a small boulder in the vacancy it presents among the grassy space and peers onward. As the trail vanishes in nearby distance, she can discern through a copse of willows the silhouette of a looming structure. Curious as to what it could be, she remembers why she is there in the meadow. With her right hand grasping a tree trunk on the side of the path, she glances over her shoulder. The women are chatting. The men are chuckling. The children are zooming to and fro. They will not note her absence, at least for a while. Besides, it will only be temporary. Just for a peek.

Making her mind, a mischievous smile touches her face and she turns towards the trail. She treads carefully, ensuring she doesn't trip while gazing mesmerized through the trees at the shape ahead. In her hypnotization, she does not notice a rusting sign dangling from an old metal gate with faint marks of warning. Even had she seen it, it would not have deterred her. She is fascinated and curious; thriving on the thrill of an unaccompanied adventure.

When she exits the grove, the trail ends, and before her stands a desolate mansion. Immediately she detects it was once a lively and grand house. There are remnants of hand carved trimming, and immense vertical windows. A stone stairway lined with elegant iron guard rails escalates to the entryway. Despite its apparent grandeur, the manor appears dingy, with peeling paint, shattered panes of glass and a purplish-grey hue to every detail. The wrought-iron fence is rusting, the window frames are flaking and the barrier of the third floor balcony sprawls on the canopy sheltering the front stoop and porch, having abandoned its prescribed post.

But that's not to say that nature is not impeding and reclaiming the space. It is apparent upon first sight. Vines slither up the crumbling siding, and the distant buzzing of bees alerts there is a hive dribbling with larvae and honey. Sparrows dogfight, dragonflies dart from left to right and the front yard is overrun with wildflowers.

Curiosity confirmed, a distracted grin spreads across her face as she ventures forward towards the gate leading to the front steps. As she pads through the floral undergrowth, she glances up at the daunting structure, but is unfazed by its sinister yet dreary state. Stopping at the front door, she sees a knocker, shaped as a roaring lion's head with a spindly spider inching down the nose. Knowing all too well that the house is abandoned, she bypasses the knocker and turns the solid brass doorknob. The massive door creeps outwardly open to reveal a shadowed foyer. The interior appears to be entirely crafted from mahogany; the floorboards, the trim and railings all the same deep woody shade. Mirrors line the walls and every piece of furniture is cloaked with a white sheet. The end of the entry hall ends in a choice of three directions. Sitting rooms and entertainment spaces to the left and right, and a murky corkscrew staircase leading to the upper levels. The girl sets her sights forward and pads up the staircase, her right hand grazing the mahogany railing as she ascends, and leaving gentle footprints on the creeking dusty floor beneath.

Coming round the stairway's bend she notices a friendlier air. At the top is a hallway leading to the left and the right. Adorning the wall are oil paintings of lilies and ponds and peaches. Her hand skims the wall's surface as she glides left towards a mahogany door opened slightly ajar.

The door resists minutely to her gentle pushes due to decades of dereliction or as if hiding something, but finally it submits and slowly swings inward. The space behind the door is a bedroom, however at first glance it was difficult to place, as almost the entire room is veiled in white sheets, even the floor. But upon more careful inspection the sheets resemble the forms of lamps and side tables, armoires and chaise lounges, and an enormous four-poster bed. She sees that this room, while still tinted a purplish-grey like the rest of the mansion, has been lit by a tremendous French-window on the front facing wall of the house. She tiptoes over to the window and peers out. Over the copse of trees she can view the reunion! Deep in her excitement and joy in the meadow, she had not noticed the manor rising in the festivities' backdrop. Perplexed she failed to see this, as observing is a favorite of hers, she steps over to where the veiled bed stands, only three meters away from the window, and plops down on the sheet-covered floor beside it. If she so chose, she could simply lean back against the bed to watch her extended family, but not wishing to disturb the carefully hung sheets, she suffices with the floor.

It is here on the floor, in front of a four poster bed cloaked by white sheets, in a decrepit, dusty and ominous abandoned estate that we imagine these photographs were taken. Her surroundings are shadowed, eerie and grand, yet she is undisturbed by such characteristics. Because she is headstrong and self-assured, she can be joyful and cheery no matter the state of her environment. Had a photographer waltzed in to shoot snapshots of this girl as she was, these are what s/he would have seen. A girl in her world, dressed how she wants, being who she wants; carefree and smiling nonetheless.

Insights

That lil' narrative more or less describes the mood, atmosphere and story behind these photographs. If it helped clarify things, wonderful! If not, well... I either did a shit job writing, a shit job developing the mood of the story, a shit job creating a world from which these photographs could come from, or you just didn't get it. Any of those are equally possible, but there's a tad more blame placed on my shoulders than yours. Because if this narrative didn't make any sense whatsoever, than I did a poor job conveying my thoughts, with the consequence being your difficulty understanding. So please don't feel bad if it doesn't make sense. In fact, if it doesn't make sense to you, please leave a comment with feedback so that I may use that information for future photographic reasoning narratives.

Anyways, thank you to Yvonne for being a snazzy-ass model. Can't wait to reunite in a few weeks.

And thank you, to you, for reading.

And as always,

Thanks for popping by.

Toodles,

Isabella

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