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 staradrael@nospam.com (Star Adrael) staradrael@nospam.com (Star Adrael) Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:01:56 -0500 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:01:56 -0500 http://backend.userland.com/rss e107 (http://e107.org) 60 Luke Roberts : Australian Artist : News http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/e107_images/button.png http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/ 88 31 University announces 'papal appointment' http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.12.1 'The Morning Bulletin', 24 August, 2010 http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/]]> palice@nospam.com (luke) Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:09:07 -0500 http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.12.1 Luke Roberts, Queensland's most eccentric contemporary artist http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.10.1
Luke Roberts: 'Adolph', self-portrait,
photographic performance, camera: John Elliott


Fresh views of the face in the mirror
* Louise Martin-Chew
* From: The Australian
* December 11, 2009 12:00AM http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/fresh-views-of-the-face-in-the-mirror/story-e6frg8n6-1225809211352

National Artists' Self-Portrait Prize: The University of Queensland Art Museum, St Lucia, Brisbane. Open daily, 10am-4pm. Tel: (07) 3365 3046. Until January 24, 2010.

PORTRAITURE is a proven crowd-pleaser in Australia, but the added dimension that comes when artists depict themselves -- particularly artists not generally known for figurative images -- makes the second National Artists' Self-Portrait Prize fascinating viewing.

Hosted biennially at the University of Queensland Art Museum, the prize is open to artists by invitation only.

All entries must be new works, purpose-made for the exhibition. The prize allows entries in all media, and this encourages a fluid interpretation of self-portraiture, with some startling results.

A sack of used syringe vials, bound and hung with string, titled Vial Queen, 2009, by Dani Marti, makes a bold statement as an opening work.


Related Coverage

* Artists examine inner lives Courier Mail, 10 days ago
* Self-preservation taken at face value The Australian, 29 Nov 2009
* Video portrait wins award Courier Mail, 27 Nov 2009
* Young modern The Australian, 28 Aug 2009
* Why this artist is ruling the roost Adelaide Now, 18 Aug 2009


The form of portrait is compelling, with a poignant personal resonance for the artist. The plump droop of the sack containing the vials and the gleaming silver and glass refer to the fragility of all life.

The winning work, which takes a prize of $50,000, is a DVD by Julie Rrap.

At first glance, the image of Rrap's face may seem a static projection on the wall, but subtle changes to the face emerge, suggesting an emotionally charged response to some unseen force. Its title, 360 self-portrait, refers to the way in which it was produced.

Rrap, known for her performative work, was filmed as her body was moved through 360 degrees, so the change in her facial expression reflects the cycling weight of her physical body.


The University of Queensland Art Museum prize is acquisitive, judged this year by Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, director of Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art, and the multimedia addition to the collection reflects the current interest in artist DVDs and video art, visible in contemporary art generally and the university's collection.

There are some fairly traditional self-portraits in the prize -- Heidi Yardley's image of a dark-haired girl sporting a large red floating mark suggests the autobiographical source of much of her imagery, and Rick Amor's muted palette is not a great distance from his usual mode of work (although the gridded canvas is unusual). However, much of the exhibition shows artists stepping outside their usual mode or genre.

TV Moore paints himself As Ian Fairweather, 2009, casting himself as the solitary figure of Queensland's celebrated hermit.

Queensland's most eccentric contemporary artist, Luke Roberts, has also contributed a self-portrait with a historical source, although in taking on the guise of Adolph, he continues his interest in messing with society's sacred cows. In this large photograph, in which Roberts is almost unrecognisable at first, he uses the bristles of a paintbrush to form the characteristic moustache of Adolf Hitler. His expression is surprised, "sad but frustrated", an "at the easel look", according to Roberts, whose work as a painter has generally been eclipsed by his other activities as a performance and installation artist.

Other strong images which are all the better for their stepping outside the artists' usual oeuvre include Lindy Lee's Budhi and Me, 2009, in which a female figure sits on an elephant.

It is painted in Chinese ink, and holes are burnt into the paper that appear to drip downwards. It is a highly evocative representation of an artist known for her darkly abstract images.
....................

In the 35 works in this exhibition, many of Australia's strongest contemporary artists are represented, with images that reflect and stretch their usual practice. It is highly engaging and bodes well for the prize continuing to be a lively force.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/fresh-views-of-the-face-in-the-mirror/story-e6frg8n6-1225809211352]]> palice@nospam.com (luke) Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:19:53 -0600 http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.10.1 Pope Alice in DNA http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.9.1
]]> palice@nospam.com (luke) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:25:30 -0600 http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.9.1 End of year exhibitions featuring work by Luke Roberts http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.8.1 NATIONAL ARTISTS' SELF-PORTRAIT PRIZE 2009, University of Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane

27 November 2009 - 24th January 2010 (gallery closed 21 December - 10 January)

Artists invited: Rick Amor, Brook Andrew, Del Kathryn Barton, Lyndell Brown & Charles Green, Peter Churcher, Lucy Culliton, eX de Medici, Julie Dowling, Marian Drew, McLean Edwards, Leah Emery, Fiona Foley, Shaun Gladwell, Peter Graham, Cherry Hood, Lindy Ivimey, Leah King-Smith, Sam Leach, Lindy Lee, Rhys Lee, Fiona Lowry, Gabriella & Silvana Mangano, Amanda Marburg, Dani Marti, Tim McMonagle, TV Moore, Dennis Nona, Scott Redford, Charles Robb, Luke Roberts, Julie Rrap, Darren Siwes, Martin Smith, Christian Thompson, Alick Tipoti, Judy Watson, William Yang, Heidi Yardley.

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QUIRKY: FROM THE COLLECTION, Newcastle Region Art Gallery, Newcastle

12 December 2009 - 31 January 2010

An 8 metre banner advertising the show and featuring Pope Alice will hang in front of the gallery during the exhibition



artists included:
James Angus
Hany Armanious
Peter Atkins
Lionel Bawden
Michael Bell
Dallas Bray
Tony Clark
Sean Cordeiro and Claire Healy
Michael Cusack
Aleks Danko
Juan Davila
Mikala Dwyer
McLean Edwards
Dale Frank
Newell Harry
Patricia Piccinini
Scott Redford
Luke Roberts
Kate Rohde
Gareth Sansom
Andrew Sibley
John Turier
Peter Tyndall
Daniel von Sturmer
Jenny Watson

......................................................................................................

ALTERED EGO, Lismore Regional Gallery, Lismore

18 December 2009 to 13 February 2010.

Artists: Anastasia Klose, Lauren Brincat, Danielle Freakley (the Quote Generator), Luke Roberts (aka Pope Alice), Tobin Saunders (AKA Vanessa Wagner), Mark Shorter (Tino la Bamba), Tom Polo, Laith McGregor, Emily Portmann and Christian Thompson

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QUEENSLAND ART, David Pestorius Projects

5 December 2009 - 20 February 2010

Pestorius Sweeney House
39 Eblin Drive, Hamilton
Brisbane 4007
Australia

opening events 5th December 2009 from 3pm

include:
Screening of Transformer (1977–2004) and Nazissus (1983) by Luke Roberts with a short introduction by Michele Helmrich

Afternoon events include screenng and performance work by other artists: Janet Burchill & Jennifer McCamley, Janelle Hurst, John Nixon, Gary Warner, Ed Kuepper, the Deadnotes .....

....................................................................

A LIMITED EDITION photographic performance PRINT will also be available at MILANI GALLERY as part of the gallery's Christmas show.

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TWO WUNDERKAMMER CABINETS COMMISSIONED BY THE ARTIST AND PURCHASED BY THE GALLERY ARE ALSO ON EXHIBITION WITH ACCOMPANYING WUNDERKAMMER OBJECTS AT THE QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY AS PART OF THEIR NEW INSTALL OCTOBER 2009
Collection Queensland Art Gallery 1995



The cabinets were originally exhibited as part of Wunderkammer/Kunstkamera at the Queensland Art Gallery 1994-95


]]> palice@nospam.com (luke) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:11:29 -0600 http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.8.1 Now avaiable - a print of "My Childhood Vision of Mother Mary MacKillop..." http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.6.1




"My Childhood Vision of Mother Mary MacKillop galloping past the Alpha Convent bringing more Joeys to Central Western Queensland" was painted in 1994 for the exhibition "Mother Mary: A Tribute" held at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney to celebrate the beatification of Mother Mary MacKillop announced by Pope John-Paul II in Sydney in 1995.

Until now there hasn't been any print made of this acclaimed painting other than a postcard commissioned by the Alpha/Jericho Shire Council. I'm planning a limited edition high quality giclee print on watercolour paper, which will be personally signed by me and numbered. Naturally the print will increase in value over time as a collectable artwork.

I'm offering you the opportunity to purchase one or more for the very reasonable price of $550.00 plus postage and handling.

The print will be available to the public at this low price for a limited period of time. At this stage I am able to make this offer to you without the added dealer's commission and the showroom extras, which would take the market price to $1,100.00.

The original painting from 1994 hangs in the office of St Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane generously on loan from its owner, a private collector. This painting was viewed and discussed by Pope John-Paul II in 1995 at the Powerhouse Museum, where it won second prize in the exhibition Mary MacKillop: A Tribute. This exhibition celebrated the beatification of Mother Mary MacKillop announced by Pope John-Paul II during his visit to Australia that year.

A second version of the painting, known as the Madrid Version is in the Parliament House Collection, Canberra. The Madrid Version was painted in 1995 for exhibition in Spain in 1996 at ARCO, an international artfair.

The original painting was made in 1994 and is unusually similar to a portrait of Kylie Minogue made by the French photographers Pierre et Gilles a year later in 1995.


PRINT
availale in three forms:
1. GICLEE PRINT on ARCHIVAL PAPER = PRICE $550.00 + SHIPPING
2. GICLEE PRINT ON UNSTRETCHED CANVAS = PRICE $550.00 + SHIPPING
3. GICLEE PRINT ON STRETCHED CANVAS = PRICE $650.00 (PLEASE NOTE PRICE OF SHIPPING OF STRETCHED CANVAS VARIES DEPENDING ON DISTANCE AND REQUIRES A QUOTE:)

SIZE: 80CM X 50 CM (APPROX 30 INCHES X 20 INCHES). The paper print and unstretched canvas print have a 5cm border.

To place your order you can use PayPal
or
contact me via email at palice@bigpond.net.au
or via post
PO Box 1573 Fortitude Valley Q 4006

Payment:

You can transfer funds to my account:
ACCOUNT NAME: Luke FG Roberts
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK BSB: 084-044
ACCOUNT NO. 46-526-4487

or pay with PAYPAL

Prints will be posted to you in a sealed tube. PLEASE NOTE PRICE OF SHIPPING OF STRETCHED CANVAS VARIES DEPENDING ON DISTANCE AND REQUIRES A QUOTE:

Print 80cm x 50cm (30inches x 20inches)
questions/comments
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORDER.

]]> palice@nospam.com (luke) Wed, 27 May 2009 23:16:47 -0500 http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.6.1 All Souls of the Revolution at the National Gallery of Australia http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.5.1

Luke Roberts' work All Souls of the Revolution is currently in the exhibition Soft Sculpture at the National Gallery of Australia

'soft sculpture' exhibition currently on show at national gallery of australia http://nga.gov.au/EXHIBITION/softsculpture/ looks at the ways artists use unconventional materials to challenge the nature of sculpture. visitors will see works made from cloth,
rope, paper, hair, leather, rubber or vinyl. the objects may droop, ooze or splash. they are fluffy, squishy
or bent. they surround, suffocate and astonish and, in many cases, make us laugh.
it includes sculptures and installations by eva hesse, robert morris, claes oldenburg, robert rauschenberg,
joseph beuys and annette messager, and works by australian artists such as mikala dwyer, david jensz. luke roberts
and ricky swallow. the exhibition will run till 12 july 2009.


Luke ROBERTS
All souls of the revolution 1976-94
mixed media
not signed, not dated
dimensions variable
Purchased 1996
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
NGA 1996.730.1-346
ARTICLE | PROVENANCE | PREVIOUS

Luke Roberts’s practice embraces painting, performance, photography and video, as well as a peculiar form of curatorship. His Wunderkammer (literally ‘room of wonders’ or ‘miracle chamber’) replicates the magic of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century curiosity cabinets, the splendour of Victorian museums―with accompanying post-colonial ‘baggage’―and embraces chance encounters of the strange and commonplace.[1] Roberts celebrates kitsch and discourse on the Exotic, reinventing the cabinet of curiosities with conquests from op-shops, museum storage, antiquarian markets—and outer space. His Wunderkammer exists not in a private or museum collection but conceptually as an ever-expanding catalogue of items which will, eventually, encapsulate the whole world.[2]

All souls of the revolution 1976–94 comprises about 350 dolls, clowns, gollywogs, rabbits, bears and other animals made of knitted wool, fabric, fur or synthetic materials. Originally part of the Wunderkammer/Kunstkamera project,[3] the work is hung high, in a frieze-like manner, extending above the line of the viewer’s eye to the ceiling. Roberts has compared his collection of toys to wingless angels, to the cupids and putti that adorn Baroque and Rococo ceilings.[4] The flamboyant theatricality of these styles encapsulates Roberts’s aesthetic approach. He also connects the sacred and the profane, drawing our attention to the apparent disjunction between ecclesiastical interiors and commonplace objects. Indeed, toys (either handmade or mass-produced in a factory) have a particular place in his oeuvre: these special friends now rejected or lost stand for the loss of childhood innocence, lives lost to AIDS and other scourges of the twentieth century.

The commemorative function of All souls of the revolution is reminiscent of roadside memorials, particularly the descanso tradition in which memorials are decorated for specific holidays, or those for children incorporating special toys. Roberts reminds us of the special role of toys and other gifts: handmade and homemade objects encapsulate the love between an adult and a child, and the child often perceives his or her world through such gifts. The objects in All souls of the revolution are intriguing, even if only for their sheer diversity. The intensity of their melange of colours and materials—efforts which are sometimes more indicative of sincerity than talent or skills—celebrates naiveté, the folkloric and the marginal, as well as ritualised spaces from cave paintings to church interiors.

All souls of the revolution takes its names from All Souls’ Day (2 November), a day that loomed large for the Catholic-educated Roberts. Also important for the artist are the visual and emotive resonances with Mexico, and Spanish-American traditions of the Days of the Dead (Dias de los Muertos), the collective celebration of Allhallows eve, All Saints’ Day and All Souls' Day.[5]

These toys form an understanding of, and a basis to concepts of mythology. They awaken within the child the capacity to be bigger than oneself, to project into another world … The passing of childhood is usually our first contact with death. The child we once were is lost and the remnants of our childhood are the archaeological evidence or fragments of its existence (Memory).

Roberts’s All souls of the revolution is both appealing in its immediacy, and as an embodiment of ‘otherness’. It also encapsulates an immensely political message: the power of group action and collective memory. The struggle against heterogeneity is not over yet, but when the revolution does come, it will be queer, extraordinary, full of love—and very, very funny.

Lucina Ward
Curator,
International Painting and Sculpture
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra


[1] Michele Helmrich, ‘Wunderkammer/Kunstkamera, Luke Roberts’, Eyeline no 27, autumn/winter 1995, pp 22–27. Roberts has produced a number of Wunderkammer and one of the earliest was in 1990, at the State Library of Queensland, Brisbane; another, in the following year at Perspecta, comprised four cabinets, one of which, Wunderkammer: the voyage within the wonderful continues... 1991–94, is now in the collection of the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney. In 1994–95 Roberts’s largest project to date was installed at the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, and in 1996 he produced an ‘Asian’ Wunderkammer for the Queensland Art Gallery’s Second Asia Pacific Triennial; both QAG projects are described by Timothy Morrell, in ‘The people’s pope: Luke Roberts’, Art and Australia, vol 35, no 2, 1997, pp 226–233

[2] Michele Helmrich, ‘Luke Roberts’, The second Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 1996 p 121

[3] As Helmrich points out, Wunderkammer/Kunstkamera makes ‘a word-play of the ancient and the modern: the Greek kamara, the Latin for vault, camera, chamber (in camera), camera obscura, on camera. Further, Kunstkamera is a variation on Kunstkammer, those collections contemporary with the Wunderkammer which prioritised “art” and the artificial―Kunst being German for “art”. The title gives focus to the museum and the camera, and their repertoire of images.’ Quoted from Vanitas: Pope Alice presents Luke Roberts, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, 1999, n17, p 23; see also Helmrich in The second Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 1996 p 121

[4]The artist’s comments on the work are also drawn from this 1996 statement; see NGA 96/0183, folio 9

[5] In some areas of South America, a distinction is made between 1 November as the day to honour children and adults—Day of the Innocents (Día de los Inocentes) or Day of the Little Angels (Día de los Angelitos)—and 2 November as the day for deceased adults

Roberts cites Frida Kahlo as a key influence; she also features in his performance work
]]> palice@nospam.com (luke) Mon, 11 May 2009 09:35:54 -0500 http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.5.1 Morimura, Mishima and Roberts at the Art Gallery of New South Wales http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.4.1
The work is presented in alongside a recently acquired DVD work by Yasumasa MORIMURA Seasons of Passion/A Requiem: Mishima (2006) as well as his Slaughter Cabinet II installation. Also featured are the books Barakei (Ordeal by Roses) and Barakei (Killed by Roses) from 1971 and 1963 respectively, which were collaboratively produced by Eikoh HOSOE, Yukio MISHIMA and Tadanori YOKOO.

Curated by Judy Annear, this installation focuses on issues to do with selfhood, desire, beauty and destruction. The works move through various histories, divinities, masculinities, fantasies and fictions – eventually realising a destination that is somewhere near the ‘city not to be found on the map of any land, a city of awesome silences’ where Mishima first imagined himself. Inherently preoccupied with the performance of identity, each of the artists acts as their own model; paradoxical models who are both looked at and looking back.

Shifting across continents, the artists deconstruct a notion of historical figures as contemporary icons, encompassing the clashes of East and West, colonial and capital, cultural and commercial, that have defined late 20th century and early 21st century history.

]]> palice@nospam.com (luke) Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:48:21 -0500 http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.4.1 Der australische Gegenpapst http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.3.1 palice@nospam.com (luke) Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:12:33 -0500 http://www.lukerobertsartist.com/news.php?item.3.1