News and Media

ARTBANK RELOCATING TO LARGE-SCALE NEW PREMISES IN COLLINGWOOD

Embargoed until Wednesday, 29 March 2017 

After more than a decade operating out of a showroom and office in Armadale, Artbank will this year take up residence in a large-scale new, purpose-designed warehouse space in Down St, Collingwood. 

A key driver in the Australian contemporary visual art sector, Artbank has been supporting artists for over 37 years through the acquisition of more than 10,000 artworks made publicly available through an innovative art-leasing initiative.

In a move that reflects the organisation’s increasing relevance and audience reach, Artbank’s new inner-city facilities will include a cultural event space for exhibitions, talks, community events and public programs.

“The launch of Artbank’s new Melbourne operation signifies a critical moment in the history of the organisation,” said Artbank Director Tony Stephens.

“The expansion will provide increased capacity to service new and existing clients in the region, allowing us to support more artists and in doing so increase the accessibility of Australian visual arts for more Australians.  The new space will also allow much greater public interface, so we can better engage with artists and the broader public on Australian contemporary art”. 

Artbank was established in 1980 as a federal government program to provide direct support to Australian contemporary artists through the acquisition of their work. Today, Artbank holds one of the largest and most significant collections of Australian art in the world, and operates a successful, national self-funded art-rental program.

“Artbank is in a unique position to not only connect audiences through our leasing program, but to also reimagine how a collection held on behalf of the Australian public can be an inclusive part of mainstream society, a truly democratic collection,” said Artbank Director, Tony Stephens. 

The move to the expanded new Melbourne premises is the latest in a period of significant change for Artbank, with the launch of new premises in Sydney’s Waterloo in 2014, accompanied by a popular program of exhibitions, fellowships, partnerships and events.

“Artbank is more than an art-rental program,” said Tony Stephens. “It works to support artists and the sector more broadly by engaging diverse audiences who may have no existing alignment or interest with the arts.” 

“The new Collingwood facility will be bold, collaborative and open. A centre for the contemporary arts and the diverse community who support it,” he said. 

Facts:

• Artbank’s new Melbourne facility will be designed by award-winning Fitzroy architecture studio Edition Office (formerly Room 11 Melbourne), led by Aaron Roberts and Kim Bridgland.
   
• Construction is expected to be complete by late 2017, with a full program of launch events and celebrations to follow.
   
• The Artbank collection is one of the largest and fastest growing collections of Australian art in the world, with over 10,000 artworks and 3500 artists represented in the collection. Artbank’s support for artists is often applied early in their careers, with future acquisitions being made at regular intervals to form an extensive and constantly evolving collection of Australian contemporary art.
   
• Fifty percent of the collection is out on loan at any one time. Artbank has consequently been a self-funding government program for over twenty years and is the only cultural institution in Australia that works through a cultural business model that is sustainable.
   
• Artbank’s clients are spread across all sectors of the community and equate to approximately 55% corporate, 30% government and 15% private. All revenue raised through the leasing program is reinvested into business activities that directly support the realisation of the organisation’s objectives.
   
• Approximately 30% of Artbank’s clients are in Melbourne. The relocation of the Melbourne operation will increase customer service capacity and support engagement with the southern states of Australia.

LET’S TALK ABOUT TEXT

Artbank Sydney Exhibition 

Curated by Daniel Mudie Cunningham and Miriam Kelly 

16 March – 16 June 2017, Artbank Sydney

For immediate release – February, 2017 

This March, Curators Daniel Mudie Cunningham and Miriam Kelly collaborate on an exhibition at Artbank Sydney: Let’s Talk About Text.  

Let's Talk About Text draws exclusively on works from the Artbank collection that harness text based communication as a pictorial device.  

From sloganeering statements to vernacular fragments and found fonts, this exhibition focuses on how artists respond to and encourage the visual pleasure of inventive typographic forms for personal and political ends. Let's Talk About Text reflects on how we look at reading and read the act of looking. 

Opening on 16 March, 6-8pm as part of the Art Month Sydney 2017 program, Artbank have enlisted world-class string quartet Enigma to pay a classical music homage to the queens of hip-hop Salt-N-Pepa throughout the evening. Enigma’s members have supported the likes of Kanye West, Florence and the Machine, Passenger and more.  

The exhibition features works by Australian artists including Eugenia Raskopoulos, Newell Harry, Clinton Nain. Angela Cavalieri, Thomas Jeppe, Rose Nolan, Emily Floyd, Peter Dudding, John Demos, Alice Lang, Anthony Johnson, Nasim Nasr and Sarah Contos.  

Let’s Talk About Text is open to the public and may be viewed at Artbank Sydney, 222 Young Street, Waterloo, Monday to Friday 10.00am to 5.00pm. Visit the Artbank website for details of special showings and performances: artbank.gov.au/exhibitions.

About Artbank 

For over 35 years, Artbank has been at the forefront of the Australian contemporary art sector. Established in 1980 as a federal government support program, Artbank provides direct support to Australian contemporary artists through the acquisition of their work and promotes the value of Australian contemporary art to the broader public. Artbank funds its operations through a unique leasing programme; working with individuals, companies, governments and embassies in over seventy countries across the globe. With approximately 10,000 works by over 3,000 artists, Artbank holds one of the largest collections of Australian contemporary art in the world, which includes some of the best examples of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artwork produced over the past four decades. As the largest collector of Australian art in the country, Artbank’s support for artists is often applied early in their careers, with further acquisitions made at regular intervals to form an extensive and constantly evolving collection of Australian contemporary art.  

About Daniel Mudie Cunningham

In 2011 Daniel commenced at Artbank as the Senior Curator, moving into his current role of Head Curator and Assistant Director at the end of 2014. Previously, he was the Curator at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery & Arts Centre (2007-12) and a Lecturer/Senior Research Associate in Art History, Visual Culture and Design at University of Western Sydney (1997-2007). Daniel has an extensive track record as a freelance curator, practicing artist, arts writer and academic. Daniel is also the Editor of Artbank’s magazine – Sturgeon. 

About Miriam Kelly 

Miriam Kelly is the Curator and Collection Coordinator at Artbank’s head office in Sydney. As part of the curatorial team Miriam assists in building the collection, facilitating the physical and digital management of our some 10,000 artworks, as well as developing publications, programs and collection exhibitions. A writer, curator and editor, Miriam has also produced exhibitions independently as well for the National Gallery of Australia, in her former role as assistant curator of Australian paintings and sculpture. She has published on a range of contemporary and historical areas of Australian art – including tackling representations of her great great great grandfather Ned, for Artbank’s visual arts and culture magazine Sturgeon. In her spare time Miriam is on the board of the artist run initiative and awesome online journal, Runway Experimental Australian Art. 

ARTBANK SOCIAL CLUB RETURNS WITH NEW ARTIST FLEA MARKET EXTRAVAGANZA

19 November 2016, Artbank Sydney

For immediate release – September, 2016 

The highly anticipated Artbank Social Club returns to Sydney this November for Artbank’s annual open day celebrations with more art, artists and a brand new Artist Flea Market expected to attract record crowds. Now in its fourth year, the Artbank Social Club provides a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of one of the largest collections of Australian art in the world and explore over 5,000 artworks on site at the organisation’s award winning Waterloo headquarters.  

This year the Artbank Social Club will also introduce a brand new Artist Flea Market initiative; an Australian first that will see the gallery and public spaces transformed by over 30 contemporary artists from across Australia into a unique artists’ marketplace that is part jumble sale, part open studio, a little bit left-of-field and a whole lot of fun. The flea market is a novel  rethinking of the longstanding tradition of the open studio concept used by artists and will allow the public to interact directly with emerging Australian talent and glimpse into the artists’ world for one day only at Artbank Sydney.  

Curated by Léuli Eshraghi (VIC), Kimberley Moulton (VIC), Anna May Kirk (NSW) and Miriam Kelly (NSW), the Artist Flea Market will see each artist given the opportunity to present their work, display elements from their studio, offer items for sale or provide an opportunity for exchange at a bespoke market stall. With participating artists to be announced over the coming weeks, visitors will be invited to abandon expectations of the traditional flea market at the door. 

In addition to the Artist Flea Market all the usual open day favourites return including exclusive behind the scenes access to artworks in the collection store, a pop-up bar and garden party plus Mexican street food by Cantina Movil and vintage vinyls playing all day by Sydney’s iconic Rolling Records truck shop. 

Says Artbank Director Tony Stephens:

“The Artbank Social Club is part of Artbank’s ongoing commitment to supporting Australian contemporary artists. Now in its fourth year, the Social Club is part open day, part garden party and a whole lot of fun. It is a great opportunity to go behind the scenes and really get to understand what Artbank is about – told through the great art we collect and subsequently make available for rent. 

For this year’s event, we have also initiated the Artist Flea Market – an exciting new initiative that will see over 30 Australian artists transform Artbank Sydney’s gallery and public spaces into an artists’ bazaar full of unexpected surprises, experiences, items for sale and of course Australian art.  

Importantly, the Artbank Social Club is for everyone, no matter how much or how little you may know about contemporary art. Come down and visit what I am sure will be a day like many haven’t experienced before”. 

This year’s Artbank Social Club will take place on Saturday, 19 November at Artbank Sydney, 222 Young Street, Waterloo from 10am-4pm. The event is open to all members of the public and admission is free. Visit the Artbank website for further details and regular updates at artbank.gov.au/socialclub.  

The Artist Flea Market will feature the extraordinary talents of Amala Groom & Nicole Monks (SYD), Okyeahcoolgreat (Anna McMahon & Kate Beckingham) (SYD), Big Ego Books (Emily Hunt & Raquel Caballero) (SYD), Keg de Souza (SYD), Shivanjani Lal (SYD), Lisa Hilli (MELB), James Tylor (ADEL), Claudia Nicholson (SYD), James Nguyen (SYD), Caroline Garcia (SYD), Emily Parsons-Lord (SYD), Make or Break (Connie Anthes & Rebecca Gallo) (SYD), Angela Goh (SYD), Brad Harkin (ADEL), Steaphan Paton (MELB), Steven Rhall (MELB),  Chantal Fraser (BRIS), Jake Preval (MELB), Angela Tiatia (NSW), Megan Cope (MELB) plus many more to come!  

About Artbank

For over 35 years, Artbank has been at the forefront of the Australian contemporary art sector. Established in 1980 as a federal government support program, Artbank provides direct support to Australian contemporary artists through the acquisition of their work and promotes the value of Australian contemporary art to the broader public. Artbank funds its operations through a unique leasing programme; working with individuals, companies, governments and embassies in over seventy countries across the globe. With approximately 10,000 works by over 3,000 artists, Artbank holds one of the largest collections of Australian contemporary art in the world, which includes some of the best examples of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artwork produced over the past four decades. As the largest collector of Australian art in the country, Artbank’s support for artists is often applied early in their careers, with further acquisitions made at regular intervals to form an extensive and constantly evolving collection of Australian contemporary art.  

About the Artist Flea Market Curatorial Team

Léuli Eshraghi (VIC) 

Léuli Eshraghi is a Sāmoan and Persian artist, curator and PhD candidate at Monash University Art Design and Architecture (MADA) whose work centres on indigeneity, language, the body, and queer futures. Eshraghi is a tutor in the Masters of Arts and Community Practice at the Centre for Cultural Partnerships, University of Melbourne, and holds qualifications in Cultural Studies and Indigenous Arts Management. He is member of Orangias+Eshraghi, Broadsheet's editorial advisory panel, the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective | Collectif des commissaires autochtones' board (Canada), Melbourne Museum's Pacific Islander Reference Group, and the First Nations Curatorial + Arts Management Front (Australia). Recent highlight exhibitions include The Bill: For Collective Unconscious curated by Misal Adnan Yıldız at Artspace NZ, Future Archaeology curated by Toby Chapman at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, and shadow sites curated by Samantha McCulloch and Frances Wilkinson in Next Wave Festival 2016 at the Centre for Contemporary Photography and National Storage Collingwood.  Eshraghi has undertaken residencies at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Canada) and the Tautai Pacific Arts Trust (Aotearoa New Zealand). Recent curatorial projects include Ua numi le fau at Gertrude Contemporary, developed through the Emerging Curators' Program for Next Wave Festival 2016, Vai Niu Wai Niu Coconut Water at Kabul-dja Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, Clan and Country at The Ownership Project, and So Fukin Native at Blak Dot Gallery. 

Anna May Kirk (NSW)

Anna May Kirk is an emerging multi-disciplinary curator, writer and artist based in Sydney, Australia. Currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) at The University of New South Wales Art and Design (COFA), Kirk additionally holds roles at ALASKA Projects, FBi Radio and UNSW Art & Design. Anna May Kirk's artistic and curatorial approach is interdisciplinary with collaborative projects central to her practice, aiming to self-referentially distorting the relationship between artist, audience and artwork. Curatorial projects undertaken by Kirk include: after pARTY at Freda's (monthly), ART / WORK at Kudos Gallery, September Issues (AW16) at Squiggle Space with Yarran Gatsby (Upcoming September) and In Motion Festival 2016 at AirSpace Projects (upcoming October). Anna May Kirk has exhibited in a series of group exhibitions throughout Sydney, both in gallery and alternate spaces, presenting her first solo show Optical Avatar at AirSpace Projects in 2015. http://annakirk.com/CV 

Kimberley Moulton (VIC)

Kimberley Moulton is a Yorta-Yorta woman, curator and writer and is the Senior Curator of South Eastern Aboriginal Collections, Melbourne Museum. Her curatorial practice is centred in contemporary Indigenous art, cultural material in museums and community access and cultural development through art and the museum. Kimberley curated sixteen exhibitions for Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre from 2009-2015 including assistant curator for First Peoples exhibition. Kimberley has recently curated State of The Nation (2016), Counihan Gallery Brunswick and Call from the West (2016), Footscray Community Arts Centre Melbourne. Kimberley was an inaugural participant of the National Gallery of Australia’s Indigenous Arts Leadership Program, a participant in the 2013 British Council ACCELERATE program in the United Kingdom and the 2015 inaugural National Gallery of Australia international curatorial fellow at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Collection USA. Kimberley was a judge for the 2016 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards and a participant in the Australia Council Curators Delegation to the USA and Harvard University 2016. Kimberley has written for various publications including Artlink, Art Monthly, Desktop and online media. 

Miriam Kelly (NSW)

Miriam Kelly is a Sydney based visual arts curator and writer. She is currently the curator and collection coordinator at Artbank, sub-editor of the visual arts and culture publication Sturgeon and chair of Runway Experimental Australian Art. A graduate of art theory and textiles at the Australian National University School of Art, Miriam has curated exhibitions independently, for Artbank and for the National Gallery of Australia, in her former role as assistant curator of Australian paintings and sculpture. Miriam has published on a range of contemporary and historical areas of Australian art. 

The Artbank Roadshow is a national initiative that seeks to provide opportunities for unrepresented artists to be seen and potentially acquired for the Artbank Collection. Artbank recognises that there are finite opportunities for artists to be represented by a commercial dealer. Accordingly, The Artbank Roadshow ensures democracy of access for professional, practising Australian artists who otherwise would have limited opportunities for their work to be seen in this context as they do not currently have a commercial dealer/gallery.

The Artbank collection is dynamic, representing and promoting contemporary art from Australia, rather than a ‘museum’ collection. Balancing broad representation, excellence, new and emerging art practice and rentability are key factors when considering artworks for acquisition. The selection criteria that all artworks must meet to qualify for purchase are available for download here.

The Artbank Roadshow tour schedule for 2016/17 is as follows:

• Hobart 10 June 2016 – closed
• Cairns 13 July 2016 – closed
• Brisbane 20 July 2016 – closed
• Darwin 4 August 2016 – closed
• Alice Springs 8 September 2016 – closed
• Sydney 12 & 13 October 2016 – closed
• Newcastle 10 November 2016 -closed
• Adelaide 7 March 2017 – closed
• Melbourne 27-28 March 2017 – closed
• Kandos – Cementa 7 April 2017 – closed
• Perth 4 May 2017 – closed
• Canberra 26 May 2017 – closed

The Artbank Roadshow will start again in 2018/19 – application dates to be announced.

BRISBANE ARTIST SAM CRANSTOUN NAMED WINNER OF THE ARTBANK + QPAC COMMISSION 2016

For immediate release – Wednesday 11 May, 2016 

Artbank and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) today announced Brisbane artist Sam Cranstoun as the winner of the Artbank + QPAC Commission 2016.   

This exciting commission provides the opportunity for early to mid-career Queensland based artists to realise the creation of a new, large scale work on paper. Artists and artist collectives were invited to submit proposals to create a two dimensional artwork in photomedia, drawing, printmedia, collage or painting on paper.  

As the winner of the commission, Sam Cranstoun wins $6,000 to produce his winning artwork, which will be on display in the Russell Street Wine Bar of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre Playhouse for a period of twelve months from mid 2016 to mid 2017. It will then be acquired for the prestigious Artbank collection, and will be made available for lease following its return from QPAC in 2017.  

Artist Sam Cranstoun’s multidisciplinary practice draws upon a variety of tangentially connected images and objects in a playful examination of shifting cultural values. Cranstoun graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). He has held solo exhibitions locally, including Fox River Rising (2013), and Memphis Tn (2014) at the Milani Gallery. Cranstoun’s work has been presented in group exhibitions such as GoMA Q (2015), Subtropic Complex at the Institute of Modern Art (2014) and Tokyo Downtown Cool Media Festival, Tokyo (2010). He has twice been selected as a finalist for the Archibald Prize and twice been awarded Arts Council of Australia grants.   

Says Tony Stephens, Artbank’s Director: “This commission marks the fourth year of our partnership with QPAC, a collaboration developed to promote and support contemporary Queensland artists through commission, acquisition and public display. In the past, we have commissioned exceptional works from artists such as photomedia artist Kate Bernauer (2013), photographer Martin Smith (2014) and photographic artist and costume maker Gerwyn Davies (2015).   

“We are delighted to be awarding this year’s commission to Sam Cranstoun’s and look forward to seeing his ideas for an ambitious work on paper come to life. Sam is one of the rising stars of the Brisbane arts scene and his provocative exploration of historical imagery and events should create an exceptional work for the Artbank + QPAC Commission.”     

QPAC Associate Director Arts Programming Kirsten Siddle added: “Our ongoing relationship with Artbank has seen QPAC promote Queensland artists’ work through leasing a newly commissioned work from Artbank, alongside additional pieces from their collection, for public display in QPAC’s Russell St Wine Bar. This partnership demonstrates QPAC’s commitment to support and promote artists, not just performers on stage, but within the broader artistic community.” 

Says Sam Cranstoun: “I am really excited to have been awarded the 2016 Artbank + QPAC Commission. I have for a long time wanted to create a work on paper that draws on my personal archive of historically based imagery - images that I have collected in developing other projects but ultimately not been able to use - and this commission gives me the opportunity to explore and develop these incongruous and seemingly unrelated images for a series of watercolours. It’s an honour to be showing at QPAC and for the work to be acquired for the Artbank Collection.”    

About Artbank

For over 35 years, Artbank has been at the forefront of the Australian contemporary art sector. Established in 1980 as a federal government support program, Artbank provides direct support to Australian contemporary artists through the acquisition of their work and promotes the value of Australian contemporary art to the broader public. Artbank funds its operations through a unique leasing programme; working with individuals, companies, governments and embassies in over seventy countries across the globe. With approximately 10,000 works by over 3,000 artists, Artbank holds one of the largest collections of Australian contemporary art in the world, which includes some of the best examples of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artwork produced over the past four decades. As the largest collector of Australian art in the country, Artbank’s support for artists is often applied early in their careers, with further acquisitions made at regular intervals to form an extensive and constantly evolving collection of Australian contemporary art.       

About Queensland Performing Arts Centre 

Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is one of Australia’s leading centres for live performance. Welcoming 1.4 million visitors to around 1250 performances each year, QPAC embraces the best in live performance – the world renowned alongside the emerging, local and new – and connect to the stories and ideas at the heart of each production. Through the warmth and expertise of QPAC staff, QPAC has become a trusted curator, presenter and host; a place to come together and relax, reflect, share stories and celebrate. Visit www.qpac.com.au to learn more about Queensland’s Centre for live performance and the range of exciting events and initiatives on offer year round, including weekly tours here. To come a little closer to QPAC find out more about QPAC Membership here.  

ARTBANK EXPLORES

DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN 

Curated by Clothilde Bullen

18 August – 12 November 2016, Artbank Sydney

For immediate release – May, 2016 

This August, Artbank collaborates with West Australian curator Clothilde Bullen on an exhibition at Artbank in Sydney: Darkness on the Edge of Town. Drawing largely from Artbank’s significant collection of Indigenous Australian art, Clothilde’s curatorial narrative explores themes of racism, dispossession and the role of art in Indigenous communities. 

Clothilde Bullen is a Wardandi (Nyoongar)/ Bibbulmun Indigenous woman who previously held the position of Curator of Indigenous Art at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. She has curated thirteen exhibitions, led the acquisition of a series of significant artworks for the State Art Collection (WA) and is one of the leading voices on the contemporary Indigenous art scene.

Colthilde has drawn together works from the Artbank collection, to create a discourse around contemporary art created by Indigenous Australian artists being viewed as a persuasive tool for change. Clothilde’s view is that Indigenous art can take a powerful stance as it relates to the idea that Aboriginal voices and black lives matter. Her exhibition lends clarity to this concept by displaying works by artists whose narrative is characterised by a sense of unapologetically ‘standing in their own truth’.  

Says Clothilde of her exhibition: “Movements led by the marginalised and dispossessed of western countries – in this case Indigenous Australian people – have at their core a sense of being unheard, unseen, of speaking a different language to their oppressors. Art in these cases transcends language and provides a bridge of communication between the two groups. Indigenous Australian lives have been irrevocably affected by the colonial history of this country, but conversely have had a profound effect upon the awareness, appreciation and understanding of who we are as a nation. This exhibition seeks to make that awareness conscious, to challenge the viewer to consider the lives and concerns of the artists and by extension all Indigenous Australians.”

Says Tony Stephens: “We are immensely proud to be working with Clothilde Bullen on this exhibition. Clothilde has a unique approach that presents complex ideas in such a way that also makes them accessible. The colonial history of our country is for all Australian’s to know and understand. For this exhibition, Clothilde has mined the depth of the Artbank collection to create a narrative that both spans time and place and is a must see for every Australian.” 

The exhibition features works by some of the most important Indigenous contemporary artists in Australia today: Balga Resin (2008) by Christopher Pease; What are you saying (2007) by Clinton Naina, Agula in the Antbed (2006) by Gilgi Edwards, God is on our side (1991) by Karen Casey and Borun Inside My Brain (1998) by Lesley Murray.  

Darkness on the Edge of Town is open to the public and may be viewed at Artbank Sydney, 222 Young Street, Waterloo, Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am to 5.00pm. Visit the Artbank website for details of special showings and performances: artbank.gov.au/exhibitions  

About Artbank

For over 35 years, Artbank has been at the forefront of the Australian contemporary art sector. Established in 1980 as a federal government support program, Artbank provides direct support to Australian contemporary artists through the acquisition of their work and promotes the value of Australian contemporary art to the broader public. Artbank funds its operations through a unique leasing programme; working with individuals, companies, governments and embassies in over seventy countries across the globe. With approximately 10,000 works by over 3,000 artists, Artbank holds one of the largest collections of Australian contemporary art in the world, which includes some of the best examples of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artwork produced over the past four decades. As the largest collector of Australian art in the country, Artbank’s support for artists is often applied early in their careers, with further acquisitions made at regular intervals to form an extensive and constantly evolving collection of Australian contemporary art.  

About Clothilde Bullen  

Clothilde Bullen is a Wardandi (Nyoongar)/ Bibbulmun Indigenous woman whose family links tie her to Collie and Bunbury in Western Australia. She held the position of Curator of Indigenous Art at the Art Gallery of Western Australia curating 13 exhibitions during her time there, writing numerous in-house catalogues and acquiring significant artworks for the State Art Collection. Clothilde also writes for external publications, including Artlink: Contemporary Art of Asia and the Asia Pacific, and has conducted many lectures and talks, most recently as part of Next Wave Festival's Blak Wave programme. Clothilde currently sits on the University of Western Australia's Cultural Collections Committee, and has been a board member of Yirra Yaakin Theatre, committee member on the National Indigenous Advisory Reference Group, through the Australia Council and the Wesfarmers Indigenous Advisory Committee, amongst others. Clothilde is a strong advocate for the Nyoongar and wider visual arts communities, seeking to empower arts workers in the visual arts industry, by being aware, responsive, inspirational and knowledgeable. Clothilde has also served on the development committee for the National Gallery and Wesfarmers Indigenous Arts Fellowship and was part of the national Indigenous curatorial lobby group to the Kemp Inquiry to introduce legislation for resale royalties for Indigenous artists. 

WEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST WINS PRESTIGIOUS SCULPTURE COMMISSION

PERTH ARTIST TARRYN GILL AWARDED THE ARTBANK SCULPTURE COMMISION

Embargoed until 9.00pm Thursday 21 April, 2016

Today, Artbank, one of Australia’s key national art institutions, announced the commission of a new sculpture as part of a significant new initiative, The Artbank Sculpture Commission. The commission will be a new work by award winning Western Australian artist Tarryn Gill.  

The Artbank Sculpture Commission is an ongoing initiative to support artists to realise the creation of new medium to large scale contemporary sculpture. The Commission will see a series of emerging and mid-career Australian artists supported to produce ambitious sculptural works – extending on their area of practice - for the Artbank collection. Once complete, the sculptures will be made available to the public for rent through Artbank’s art leasing program. The works commissioned through this initiative will complement Artbank’s already significant holdings of sculptural objects collected over the past four decades. 

The Artbank Sculpture Commission is a commitment to ensure the medium continues to flourish and new talent is recognised, nurtured and encouraged through the support of cultural institutions like Artbank. Tarryn Gill’s commission is the second such award; the first was won by sculpture and performance artist Mark Shorter in late 2015, unveiled at Artbank’s Renny Kodgers & Friends event on Thursday, 21 April 2016. 

Says Artbank director Tony Stephens: “The Artbank Sculpture Commission ensures we maintain a collection that is representative of the best of Australian sculpture - while also providing the opportunity for artists to push themselves that bit further with our support. Mark Shorter’s playful and evocative work Big Pinky is an exciting way to kick off the commission and we eagerly await the outcome of the second commission – just announced - by celebrated Western Australian artist Tarryn Gill”.  

Says Tarryn Gill, winner of the second Artbank Commission:  “I'm so excited to have been approached by Artbank to work on their second commission. It's a dream and a total privilege to have the chance to create a piece specifically for this culturally significant collection of Australian Art. I’m looking forward to spending time with this project and creating something truly memorable for the public to enjoy through Artbank’s leasing program.”  

About Tarryn Gill

Tarryn Gill is a multidisciplinary Perth-based artist, producer and performer with a background in dance and musical theatre. Since 2001 Tarryn Gill and artist Pilar Mata Dupont worked together in a practice that encompasses photography, performance, choreography, film, installation and design. Gill and Mata Dupont’s staged investigations into nationhood interweave references to Hollywood glamour, burlesque, Australiana kitsch and social realism. Gill and Dupont’s video work Gymnasium 2010 won one of Australia’s most prestigious art awards, the Basil Sellers Art Prize, through the work’s exploration of historical uses of a fascist aesthetic in propaganda, as well as the cult of the heroic Australian athlete. 

In 2013 Gill undertook a residency at the Freud Museum in London.  After being privy to Freud’s personal collection of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Asian antiquities and the studio of his daughter and fellow analyst, Anna Freud, Gill created a series of highly acclaimed sound sculptures for the 2016 Adelaide Biennale of Australian Art, Magic Object. Titled The Guardians 2015 these stitched and sewn sculptures are reminiscent of characters found in folktales, pop culture, myths and legends and emit anthropomorphic sounds from their uncanny forms. Like the objects in Freud’s possession, Gill’s eerie works appear like seers or prophets. Their strong and powerful presence is similar to the Japanese tomb ornaments known as Haniwa, which are arranged around a burial site, in order to both protect the dead but also drive away evil.  

Like psychoanalysis ran in the Freud family, Gill’s forbearers worked with their hands as seamstresses, knitters, carpenters and leather smiths.  Gill’s grandfather was also deaf which required the artist to communicate with him through sign language. It is not surprising that hands and handwork have particular significance for her, both personally and artistically.  As writer Ted Snell writes ‘Her self-reflexive interrogations into the rituals we construct around life and death combine personal memories with characters drawn from mythology and funerary art to activate the space between the earthly and other-worldly, where we can re-examine, rethink and reimagine our identity.’ 

More info on Tarryn:  http://tarryngill.com/about-Tarryn

About Artbank

For over 35 years, Artbank has been at the forefront of the Australian contemporary art sector. Established in 1980 as a federal government support program, Artbank provides direct support to Australian contemporary artists through the acquisition of their work and promotes the value of Australian contemporary art to the broader public. Artbank funds its operations through a unique leasing programme; working with individuals, companies, governments and embassies in over seventy countries across the globe. With approximately 10,000 works by over 3,000 artists, Artbank holds one of the largest collections of Australian contemporary art in the world, which includes some of the best examples of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artwork produced over the past four decades. As the largest collector of Australian art in the country, Artbank’s support for artists is often applied early in their careers, with further acquisitions made at regular intervals to form an extensive and constantly evolving collection of Australian contemporary art.

ARTBANK EXPLORES THE WAITING ROOM

ARTBANK SYDNEY, 12 MAY – 6 AUGUST 2016

For immediate release – 22 March, 2016

Artworks from the Artbank collection are often encountered in waiting rooms.  

The Waiting Room is the latest exhibition from Artbank, launching on 12 May 2016, with works drawn from its extensive collection of Australian contemporary art and curated by Artbank’s Head Curator Dr Daniel Mudie Cunningham.  

Says Daniel of the inspiration for the exhibition: “Waiting can be unpleasant and gruelling, a forced pause in our busy lives. The works selected for 'The Waiting Room' reflect on time, memory and a desire to draw attention to the way we understand and perform this taken-for-granted facet of everyday life. A familiar experience, the act of waiting is tinged with melancholy, regret, longing and unrequited desire. Waiting amplifies the embodied character of time, magnifying the ticking clock, the ‘melt of time’, bearing down on our collective mortality.” 

These themes are explored in the collected artworks and borne out in three of the exhibition’s featured works: The Chosen, Redman (2003-4) by Cherine Fahd; The Artists’ Wife (1978) by Pru La Motte and Sound is Vibration, Colour is Light, Friends are Everything (2008) by Nell. Through these and other Artbank artworks, The Waiting Room explores ideas around time, love, success, frustration, impatience and unfulfillment, as well as the popular stereotype of the artist awaiting their ‘muse’, accentuating the importance of waiting in relation to the production and reception of art.  

The Waiting Room forms part of Artbank’s expanded approach to supporting and promoting the work of Australian contemporary artists, and all artworks shown will be available for lease. The Waiting Room is open to the public and may be viewed at Artbank Sydney, 222 Young Street, Waterloo, Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am to 5.00pm. Visit the Artbank website for details of special showings and performances: artbank.gov.au/exhibitions

About Artbank

For over 35 years, Artbank has been at the forefront of the Australian contemporary art sector. Established in 1980 as a federal government support program, Artbank provides direct support to Australian contemporary artists through the acquisition of their work and promotes the value of Australian contemporary art to the broader public. Artbank funds its operations through a unique leasing programme; working with individuals, companies, governments and embassies in over seventy countries across the globe. With approximately 10,000 works by over 3,000 artists, Artbank holds one of the largest collections of Australian contemporary art in the world, which includes some of the best examples of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artwork produced over the past four decades. As the largest collector of Australian art in the country, Artbank’s support for artists is often applied early in their careers, with further acquisitions made at regular intervals to form an extensive and constantly evolving collection of Australian contemporary art.     

About Dr Daniel Mudie Cunningham

Dr Daniel Mudie Cunningham is a Melbourne-born curator, artist and writer based in Sydney. Daniel commenced at Artbank in 2011, became editor of Artbank’s magazine Sturgeon in 2013 and moved into his current role as Assistant Director and Head Curator at the end of 2014. He has held curatorial positions at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery (2007-2010) and lecturing/research positions at the University of Western Sydney (1997-2007). It was here that he completed his PhD in Cultural Studies (2004) and BA Hons (Class 1) in Art History & Criticism (1997). Daniel has curated exhibitions at Artbank, Carriageworks, Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Gertrude Contemporary, Alaska Projects, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Blacktown Arts Centre, Performance Space, Plimsoll Gallery, Firstdraft Gallery and MOP Projects. His art practice has been exhibited extensively in Australia and is held in the collections of MONA, Macquarie University, Campbelltown Arts Centre and DLUX Media Arts. His most recent work True Colours (2016) was funded by an Australia Council for the Arts New Work (Mid-Career) grant and will be presented at Alaska Projects in April 2016. As an arts writer and cultural critic he has published widely in print and online, exhibition catalogues art magazines and journals, refereed journals and book anthologies. He has written artist monographs for Luke Roberts (IMA, 2012) and Katthy Cavaliere (MONA March 2016).