Michael Zavros
Black Orchid (Paphiopedilum Vanitas)
Edition of 9, Bronze, 64 x 42.5cm
annual rental $2,200
Kim Demuth,
One of a series of three works:
10.15pm 03.01.2008, 2007
Mixed media, each 134 x 101cm
annual series rental $3,300
The Broad meeting room features Craig Allan Charles’ Walkin Tall and Feeling Proud (annual rental $1,870)
The reception showcases Peter Daverington’s Lines of Light (annual rental $1,100)
Artbank ebulletin - October 2008
Here at Artbank we have all been watching with interest the explosion of creative talent in Brisbane. A thriving gallery scene is now developing with the recent opening of a number of new galleries showing young artists while the Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art under the stewardship of Tony Ellwood seems to be gathering a great buzz around its exhibition line up.
A significant new national triennial series of contemporary Australian art called Optimism is about to launch on 15 November at the Gallery of Modern Art. The exhibition will showcase works by more than 60 emerging, mid-career and senior Indigenous and non-Indigenous contemporary artists from every state and territory. I am very proud to say that of the artists included in this show, approximately 80 per cent are already represented in the Artbank collection, demonstrating Artbank’s track record in picking the best of Australian contemporary art for its dynamic national collection.
Further demonstrating our interest in work by Queensland based artists is the following group of recent purchases.
- A new series by Eugene Carchesio to add to those purchased for the collection back in 1998 and 2004 which are currently on loan to the QAG for his solo retrospective;
- A new Michael Zavros bronze sculpture that critiques masculine vanity by pairing the rarest of orchids with a free weight;
- Paul Wrigley’s loaded image Methylenedioxymethamphetamine is typical of a practice that constantly refers to popular culture and its icons;
- Kim Demuth, new to the collection, has an enigmatic style and mysterious method that helps him explore our perceptions of both mind and body;
- Two new Adam Lester paintings of John F Kennedy Airport incorporate his now trademark graphic mode and gestural marks with a love of planes, trains and automobiles;
- Franz Ehmann has produced two new assemblages using crushed foil, from a performance project in Sydney;
- a new painting of jungle guerrillas from Jemima Wyman’s ‘Combat Drag’ show is currently being acquired.
Geoffrey Cassidy, Director Artbank
David Uhe, Design Manager from Broad Group Holdings, coordinated the selection of a number of artworks from the Perth showroom of Artbank. His brief was to ensure art works would subtly highlight the space in the Broad WA and Corporate Services headquarters.
Situated high up on Parliament Place, the new Broad offices receive a swathe of Western Australian light. Private office spaces seamlessly fit with the open plan spaces. Works such as Craig Allan Charles’ Walkin Tall and Feeling Proud contrast well in the meeting room pictured. Western Australian artist Penny Coss’s Ninety degree point and the intricate Kakuda Quilt by Lezlie Tilley, though large and bold, complement and enhance the attractive fit-out. In some parts of the office, emphasis is on quirky pieces that also highlight the modern interior of sleek blacks and reds. For instance Peter Daverington’s Lines of Light piece, pictured right in the reception area, picks up the colour themes and accentuates the edged panel sections of the wall.
The artworks hold up to the standards of Managing Director, Kari Rummukainen, who has a great personal interest in art. Broad’s new office space integrates to good effect a selection of some of Mr Rummukainen’s own art collection, eleven Artbank pieces as well as some stunning 3D design displays of Broad’s projects in retail property development, hospitality, education and industrial.
Broad, one of Australia’s fastest growing construction and property development companies also has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Perhaps their motto of ‘push the boundaries…anything is possible’ may well apply to their dynamic art choices as well!
Mariyon Slany, Art Consultant, Western Australia
