For many years now, at least 10 years, people have been anonymously decorating the sheep sculptures that celebrate this suburbs past history as a farm. Good taste never comes into it and apart from a father and small child I once saw adding a few pieces, I have never seen who does this.
I posted this on my ‘other’ blog (largely gardening and food), which was for many years the only blog I had, but I think this is something that my art friends will enjoy as well.
It’s a big year for women artists with the National Gallery of Australia showing, rather belatedly, a program featuring women artists called Know My Name. Works have been borrowed from around the country for the exhibition.
National Gallery of Australia 25.48% women represented (down from 27.12%) 72.97% men (up from 68.68%) No data on non-binary artists recorded
The Countess Report 2019*
Meanwhile in other parts of the country State galleries are also turning their collective eyes to the work of female artists both within and outside of their collections. During a recent visit to Adelaide I took a look at the Art Gallery of South Australia’s offerings.
State galleries and museums continue to significantly under-represent women in their collections and exhibitions.
In State galleries and museums the representation of women decreased from 36.9% to 33.9% from 2016 to today.
The Countess Report 2019*
Leading the way in S.A. is this year’s Tarnanthi 2020: Open Hands exhibition, which is all by women artists
1. Warwiriya Burton, (born 1925), Pitjantjatjara people, Ngayuku ngura (My Country), 2018 synthetic polymer pigment on linen. 2. Warwiriya Burton, detail of No. 1
Warwiriya Burton, (born 1925), Pitjantjatjara people, Ngayuku ngura (My Country), 2018 synthetic polymer pigment on linen. Detail of above.
3. Iluwanti Ken, (born c.1944) Pitjantjatjara people, 2030, Walawulu ngunytju kukaku ananyi (Mother eagles going hunting), pigmented ink on paper.
4. Iluwanti Ken, detail of No. 3
In the Chromotopia exhibition:
5. Naomi Hobson, (born 1978), Southern Kaantju/Umpila people, Touch the River Floor, 2019, synthetic polymer on linen.
Naomi Hobson
6. Virginia Cuppaidge, (born 1943), Second Transition, 1974
Virginia Cuppaidge
7. Annabelle Follett, (1955-2019), UN Knitted Forms, 2000, wool and plastic knitting needles
Annabelle Follett
Elsewhere in the gallery:
8. Dora Chapman (1912-1995), Head Studies, partial image, 1969 and 1970, gouache and polymer paint on board
Dora Chapman
9. Top, Grace Crowley (1890-1979), Abstract Painting, 1953, oil on hardboard; Below, Dora Chapman (1912-1995), Abstract, 1943, synthetic polymer paint on board.
Grace Crowley Dora Chapman
10. Bessie Davidson, (1879-1965), Artist’s paintbox with French coastal landscape, c. 1930 Guéthary, France, oil on wood panel in wooden artist box
Bessie Davidson
My completely subjective view is that the work of women artists is definitely more visible in the galleries that I have visited this year. But 25% National Gallery of Australia???
The Countess Report is Amy Prcevich, Elvis Richardson and Miranda Samuels.
They are an independent artist run initiative that publishes data on gender representation in the Australian contemporary art world. They believe a focus on gender is a focus on power. Countess works in the legacy of institutional critique and research based conceptual art practices. Their goal is to inform and influence systemic change through data collection and analysis. While their evidence is often cited, they are not data analysts. They are artists and activists who are interested in investigating dynamics of power, value, labour, and collecting through the lens of gender. The work of Countess is both art and advocacy.
I always enjoy Claudia McGill’s poems for their quirky nature, none more so than her ‘Little Vines’, which she has been propagating for a number of years.
This one from her recent post reminded me, of one of my all time favourite cartoons by Clement. *
4338. Simpering clams, you said? No, simmering clams. Oh. I did wonder how you could tell.
* I think this cartoon dates from the early 1990’s. I have kept it in my recipe book since I cut it out from the newspaper.
For a few months now I have been joining a group of people via Zoom for Sunday Art Time. They live on the other side of the world to me and I didn’t know any of them when this started. That hasn’t stopped us getting together for an hour each week just to chat and make art.
One of my earlier mini-zines made from various pages from Mindfood magazine.
Working with collage and simple book forms let’s me make work that can be finished in one or two sessions. I like the ability to make a work quickly, given most of my serious textile work takes ages to complete.
Featuring adventure penguins.More adventurous penguins on luxury yachts!And concluding with the one and only Mr John Waters
I have also found some good ideas from the broader reaches of the “junk journaling ” movement, such as cutting up large print books for useful phrases.
“A wild ass from North Africa “, a work in progress.
These mini-zines and collages give rein to the less formal (aka sillier) side of my art and has given me a lot of enjoyment in these grim times.
Sound advice for the masses. A mash-up of paint sample chips with rose names.
