Australian – Art and Artists Blog

by Emilia Martinez - November 12, 2015December 18, 2021

Waldemar Kolbusz – ‘Rudiment’

Last week I visited the Flinders Lane Gallery (137 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000). The exhibition 'Rudiment' (13 Oct – 7 Nov 2015) features large gestural paintings of contemporary artist Waldemar Kolbusz. I really liked the spontaneous patches of paint and colour. 'This expressionistic project is abstract yet altogether unambiguous.' – Kate Britton.

Waldemar Kolbusz, Even Higher 2015, oil on linen, 91cm x 91cm

Waldemar Kolbusz, Frisson 2015, oil on linen, 122cm x 91cm

Waldemar Kolbusz, Looking 2015, oil on linen, 91cm x 91cm

Waldemar Kolbusz, West 2015, oil on linen, 140cm x 140cm

Waldemar Kolbusz, Popcorn 2015, oil on linen, 91cm x 76cm

Waldemar Kolbusz, Slippers 2015, oil on linen, 183cm x 122cm

by Emilia Martinez - October 22, 2015December 18, 2021

Koorie Heritage Trust: Wominjeka – A New Beginning

The Koorie Heritage Trust have a new home at Federation Square (Levels 1&3, Yarra Building, Federation Square, Corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets, Melbourne Vic 3000) and celebrate their 30th birthday with an exhibition 'Wominjeka – A New Beginning' (19 Sep – 22 Nov 15).

"The exhibition shows the work of five early career artists, exhibited alongside pieces from the Trust's collection that have been the muse for their own artistic expression and stories." The five artists are Aunty Marlene Gilson, Georgia MacGuire, Mitch Mahoney, Josh Muir and Raymond Young. "Working with mentors, these artists have created new works in response to selected items from our collections."

The Trust collection artists are Stephen Glassborow, Wally Cooper, Tommy McRae, Glenda Nicholls, Letty Nicholls, Vena Ingram, Mandy Nicholson, Kelly Koumalatsos, Brian Firebrace, Treahna Hamm, Dorothy Lovett, William Barak, and Darren Pattie-Bux.

Gallery shots of the exhibtion Wominjeka – A New Beginning, 2015

by zhen - October 18, 2015December 18, 2021

The National Gallery of Australia is archiving Art & Artists Blog

As an artist, being collected by one of the major Australian Galleries is a dream of mine, so when I received the email that 'Art & Artists Blog' was going to be achived by The National Gallery of Australia Research Library and Archives, I was over the moon.

The National Gallery of Australia Research Library and Archives is collaborating with the National Library of Australia to archive online publications on PANDORA, to ensure that Australians have access to their documentary heritage now and in the future. How amazing is that?

There has been some changes recently here with some new writers and I have a few more changes come soon so it is great that you will be able to see the changes over time. Click here for my achive page.

Another thing that I have found very interesting is diving through all the achived pages in the art section, I recommened you have a look too. If you have a little more time check out National Library of Australia's ac hive on Trove with "Find and get over 452,979,956 Australian and online resources: books, images, historic newspapers, maps, music, archives and more".

by zhen - August 19, 2015

Mary Tonkin: Two spots

Sometimes you see an art exhibition and it just makes your heart sing. Mary Tonkin's show 'Two spots' (4- 23 August 2015) at Australian Galleries is a stunningly beautiful show. These lushly painted landscapes need to be seen in real life as pictures don't do them justice. Enjoy the pictures.

Mary Tonkin, 'Two spots', Australian Galleries

(Left to Right) Mary Tonkin, Between two logs…, 2014, oil on linen 54 x 487 cm & Mary Tonkin, Above the white gums…, 2014, oil on linen, 54 x 447 cm

(Left to Right) Mary Tonkin, Madre, Kalorama 2008 oil on linen 244 x 508 cm & Mary Tonkin, Impasse, Kalorama, 2009, oil on linen, 41 x 66 cm

Mary Tonkin, Above the white gums…, 2014, oil on linen, 54 x 447 cm

Mary Tonkin, Buffeted, Above the…, 2015, oil on linen, 73 x 182 cm

Mary Tonkin, Days like this, Kalorama, 2014, oil on linen, 58 x 77 cm

Mary Tonkin, Flow, Kalorama, 2014, oil on linen, 45 x 63 cm

Mary Tonkin, Impasse, Kalorama, 2009, oil on linen 41 x 66 cm

Mary Tonkin, On the edge (for Jess)…, 2014, oil on linen, 53 x 60 cm

Mary Tonkin, Sparkle, Kalorama, 2014, oil on linen, 30 x 40 cm

Mary Tonkin, Witness, Kalorama, 2009, oil on linen, 41 x 55 cm

Mary Tonkin, Totem, Kalorama, 2009, oil on linen, 36 x 36 cm

Mary Tonkin, Gully study 1, Kalorama, 2002, pencil on paper, 38 x 57 cm

by zhen - February 22, 2015

Guest writer: What’s on in Queensland? Umi Arts Members’ Exhibition (Cairns)

Art and Artists blog is excited to introduce Jack Wilkie-Jans our new guest wrtier, I hope you enjoy his first post about the Umi Arts Members' Exhibition at Umi Arts Gallery (335 Sheridan Street, North Cairns, QLD, 4870) on 12th February – 25th March, 2015…

This year Umi Arts gallery celebrates their 10th anniversary of operation in representing A&TSI artists and with the inauguration of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2009, Umi Arts as the leading gallery in Queensland for representing and promoting Indigenous Australian art (contemporary and traditional) truly began to get noticed by larger galleries and serious collectors both at home and abroad.

The annual 'You & Me' Members' Exhibition each year for the past ten, showcases some of the region's best A&TSI artists and of course the eclectic combination of style, mediums and concepts they share between them. This year's line-up of artists features some of the most respected, enduring and promising established artists from the area such as Arone Meeks, Heather Koowootha, Paul Bong and Rosella Namok.

At this exhibition the viewer will be treated to a mini-maze of portable plinths and partition walls all decorated with the finest art & artefacts to represent the broader skills and style base of the gallery's numerous artists. While the 'You & Me' show for this year features only 16 of the gallery's rather expansive membership (including three works by yours truly) it reflects not only the diversity of the artists but also, and more significantly, highlights the enduring and ever-changing idea of what "Indigenous" art is.

So if you're a lover or learner of Indigenous Art and if you're considering an arts & cultural pilgrimage away from the big cities please be sure to head up to Cairns and visit the Umi Arts gallery. Of course many of the Umi Arts artists can be seen at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair and the Biennale of Sydney, as well as around the traps at various other state and national public and private galleries.

Keep an eye out for the Umi Arts name and a finger on the rapidly growing pulse of creativity coming from the Far North!

Arone Meeks, Spirit Ark, 2012, Linocut on Arches BFK 300 gsm (Edition of 35), 110cm x 170cm, Photography by Michael Marzik

Sharon Karami, Bamboo Grove Path, 2014 Digital Photography, 42cm x 60cm, Photography courtesy of the artist.

Thomas Bosen, Magpie Geese laying eggs, 2014, Acrylic on Canvas, 122cm x 76cm, Photography by Michael Marzik

Bernard Singleton, Damarri Guyala-djada, 2014, Wattle/flat acrylic, feather, beeswax, (work 1) 250cm x 46cm x 10cm, (work 2- right of image) 250cm x 40cm x 10cm. Photography by Michael Marzik

Robert Tommy Pau, Bigo (Rain Making Bull Roar), 2014, Digital print on panel, 85cm (h), Photograph courtesy of UMI Arts

Author: Jack Wilkie-Jans
Jack is an artist and writer as well as an Alumni of the National Gallery of Australia's Wesfarmer's Indigenous Arts Leadership program from Far North Queensland.
www.jackandrewwilkiejans.weebly.com