Gallery Showcase
News for 2010
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RSS Feeds
Our news can be syndicated by using these rss feeds.
 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 Posted on Monday 14 December 2009 - 20:19:53 By luke  |
