Inheriting an art collection can be emotional, meaningful and overwhelming. On one hand, the art someone leaves behind can offer a moving window into that person and what they cared for. On the other hand, sorting through, assessing and either retaining or selling works can seem an overwhelming task. In moving through this process, what’s important to remember and who can help?
The first port of call is to assess what you have inherited. Depending on the size of the collection, it can be useful to assemble an inventory that records the artist’s names, years of creation, subject matter, medium, size, condition and if known, provenance. Take photographs of each work too – they’ll be a god-send later down the track.
When faced with the task of deciding what to keep and what to sell from an inherited collection, it's important not to rush. Each item holds sentimental and potentially financial value that deserves thoughtful consideration. While the excitement of auctions can be tempting, making hasty decisions may lead to regret.
Remember, the process of deciding what to do with inherited items is deeply personal. Take your time to understand the significance of each piece and how it aligns with your own values and preferences. By slowing down and carefully considering your options, you can make decisions that you won't later regret.
For others, the challenge is figuring out what does have an audience. Here, our Collection Management service can work wonders. Working as your advocates, we can record, research, appraise and advise on everything from strategic resale to conservation and display. The art world is complex at the best of times, why not enlist an expert?
For an inherited art collection, each work’s next resting place requires thought. Some will persist in the family, a reminder of their former custodian and bearer of new family memories. Others can be passed fruitfully to new custodians. And for help navigating this terrain, we can be your assistant, guide and advocate.
Tailored to each collector’s needs, our Collection Management service executes the groundwork on understanding and situating a collection in the Australian art market and art history, devising the best strategy for retaining or selling a work. As your researchers, advisors and advocates, we can help you meet your desired outcome.
If you would like to learn more about our Director Angela Tandori and her vision for art collecting, explore her interview with the Art Consulting Association of Australia, where she affirms
]]>"By cultivating long-term relationships with collectors and encouraging sustainable ownership, we can create a bridge between the past, present, and future, ensuring that artworks continue to inspire and enrich generations to come."
Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross’s 2023 book, ‘Your Brain on Art’, declared something bold: art is not a luxury or an escape, it’s a birthright. Their argument stems from neuroaesthetics – a field of neuroscience that emerged in the late 1990s to study the effect of beauty, particularly art, on brain activity. According to the research, interacting with art for just twenty minutes a day can have profound positive effects on our emotional wellbeing, neuroplasticity and cognitive functioning, stimulating “whole-brain” activity. On art, our brain lights up.
The field of neuroaesthetics is controversial. Some believe it threatens to reduce art – a complex philosophical, cultural and social phenomena – into mere brain scans. Despite this, it’s gaining momentum. A subject is being taught at Harvard, doctors are prescribing visits to art museums, hospitals are putting on exhibitions and “enriched environments”, meaning those alive with art, are being shown to help mitigate age-related cognitive decline like Alzheimer's. From an evolutionary perspective, living in a beautiful environment signalled that it was safe to inhabit. Now it can help us stay healthy.
Science will never fully explain the power of art. What neuroaesthetics does however, is ground a phenomena collectors know well in its physical basis. It feels good to look at and live among art. With this in mind, the marginalising of aesthetics in the environments we inhabit is not just a shame, but a missed opportunity. Why not bring the power of art into everyday life and let it nourish you.
“I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.”
― Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
]]>What We Can Learn from the Major Museums’ Collection Strategies
In Australia, the biggest museums and galleries publish Collection Strategies – future-facing documents that set out the goals, values and direction of their collections. By deciding what should be saved from obscurity, these documents are involved in history-making. Bureaucratic as they may appear, Collection Strategies can tell collectors what art may define the moment we’re in.
Championing Minorities
Broadly speaking, Australia’s Collection Strategies seek “excellence”. They want to diversify their collections, prioritising artists who are immigrants, women, First Nations, queer and gender non-conforming or have a disability. At Queensland Art Gallery, their Collection Strategy favours work that “reflects the globalised world… and the lasting impact of colonialism, war, urbanisation and technology.”
While new perspectives will inevitably rise, identity, climate change and technology do seem key to understanding life in the twenty-first century. When looking back at this moment in history, it will be artists who distinctively, elegantly or powerfully captured these themes that will be called to mind.
From the White Cube to the Auction Room
Whether the museum’s ruling paradigm will translate to the Australian art market is a matter of speculation. Private collectors typically favour beautiful, thought-provoking and relatable work that they can hang on their walls, rather than the experimental and spectacular installations fit for a museum foyer.
The paradigm through which museums organise the world will invariably change. Yet, when we look back from the future, the artists they recorded and anointed as important will emerge as articulators of this time, crowned with an enduring historical significance. Artists who do this best, with the most flair and distinctiveness, will likely stand the test of time. We do not need to embrace museums’ Collection Strategies whole, but it might pay mind to look at what the captains foresee on the horizon line.
]]>Fantastical art is not always an otherworldly delight – it can be disturbing and confronting, evoking the grotesque and uncanny. In their exploration of a world beyond reality, fantastical artists evoke the subconscious – when you sleep at night, what do you see? What lies at the base of your id? Artists also use the fantastical to set up compelling metaphors, hybrid creatures giving form to the dichotomies that lie within us. Are we wild like a horse or civilised like men? Are we housewives or beasts ready to kill?“The only difference between me and a madman is that I am not mad.” - Salvador Dali
Australia has a complex history. Marked by a violent settlement, enriched through multiculturalism and set in one of the most spectacular landscapes on earth, reflections on our national identity rarely result in simple answers. Ripe with questions of who we are and who we aspire to be, whether you celebrate it or not, Australia Day can’t help but inspire contemplation.
Clayton Tremlett, a recent addition to Art & Collectors, explores Australia's historical narratives. An investigation into who we mythologise and why, his work compels us to look anew at criminality, identity and heroes. In this interview with the Castlemaine-based artist, Tremlett traverses what is accepted and what we should question about our “lucky country”.
'Stamp acknowledging Australia's first trial by Media'
From bushrangers to native fauna, your work often features Australian iconography. What interests you about these subjects?
I am interested in questioning how we collectively perceive our Australian Identity. I frequently examine and reuse Australian history (and how it has been presented) as a vehicle to challenge the accepted version of our identity. For example we have an entire species of native plants called 'Banksia'. Is it right to continue to acknowledge Joseph Banks just because he chose to name several plants in a foreign country after himself? If I make a work that draws attention to that, does it help us to reconsider our history and its relevance today?
'Oryctolagus Cuniculus - Eco Terrorist'
You’ve discussed a desire in your career to always seek new knowledge. How has this acceptance, even seeking of the unknown, affected your practice?
I heard a saying once that stuck with me and it goes something like: Science is the business of disproving what is known to make progress and Art is the business of bringing into being something unknown. My view is that Art reflects experience in a myriad of ways. Artworks can be objective or non objective depending on what the artist is attempting to communicate. As an artist, I enjoy the challenge of developing new techniques... to push the boundaries of what is possible. As an educator, I seek to challenge the viewer to question their understanding of our cultural heritage.
The exhibition Beards and Influence saw you model your facial hair after infamous bushrangers. What was it like embodying these historical figures? Did it change your understanding of identity, whether personally or culturally?
Doing the Bushranger series was a great learning experience on many levels. Assuming the guise of 12 different bushrangers over 4 years helped me understand that much of my work is about questioning my identity as a man and an Australian.
How you present yourself is how you are judged, and when you regularly change your appearance, the perception of who you are changes internally but also how you are treated externally. I've learned that we all project a version of ourselves that we THINK is who we are, but that when you change that regularly, it makes people unsure of who you really are.
Culturally it was an experiment in beard options other than Ned Kelly which led to fascinating research into bushrangers as individuals outside their recorded history as criminals. Several wrote books on their experience, some were gay, some escaped and some died of broken hearts.
'Study for Self Portrait as the Bushranger Ned Kelly'
'Self Portrait as the Bushranger Harry Power'
'Study for Self Portrait as the corpse of Mad Dog Morgan'
Unlike most of your work, 'An Exploration of the Square using the Colours of a Galah' is abstract rather than figurative. Why present this subject as abstracted?
I started out at Art School in the 1980's as a non objective painter focussed on the use of colour. This approach broadened over time and I have found myself utilising materials and techniques for their individual qualities and either figurative or non figurative approaches depending on the intent of the ideas driving the project.
I have returned to non objective practice several times, however the 'Galah' series was for a project titled 'Transference' which I instigated for the Castlemaine Art Museum. In essence it was a group show of 4 contemporary artists who explore printing processes using pure colour. I produced 4 screen printed works, utilising the 5 key colours that make up the appearance of the Galah. I wanted to add an Australian twist to the historical conversation of non objective art working with the square as an aesthetic challenge.
'An Exploration of the Square using the Colours of a Galah #1'
'An Exploration of the Square using the Colours of a Galah #4'
What does it mean for something to be iconic? Deriving from the Greek word for image, “eikon”, to call something iconic is to anoint it recognisable, emblematic, quintessential. The ‘Mona Lisa’ is iconic, so is a peace sign, Chanel handbag and Madonna and Child. By becoming an icon, images depart nature to enter the world of symbols. They are held in the collective imagination, standing in for an idea, artist, feeling and time period, sometimes all at once.
Kate Beynon 'Peace (from Transcultural Charms Collection)'
An Artist’s Icons
For an artist, part of becoming well-known is assembling an iconic visual language. Either articulated by a series or peppered throughout their oeuvre, an artist’s icons can appear as subjects, themes or compositional mechanics (think Mark Rothko’s ombre canvases).
In Australia’s art history, few symbols are more iconic than Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly, Charles Blackman’s Alice in Wonderland and John Olsen’s gawky frogs. To spy one at a state museum feels like star-spotting. More than just visually catchy, these icons struck a chord with audiences – taking familiar subjects and expanding their meaning. Nolan’s Ned Kelly, for example, is as much a symbol of the bushranger myth, as it is of modernism Down Under.
Here’s the fun part. Once something becomes iconic, it’s up for grabs. In the tradition of postmodernism, contemporary artists have appropriated, remixed and recontextualised icons of art history and popular culture, begging the question – why is this iconic?
In his work, contemporary artist Philippe Le Miere explores how iconic works of art live on past their creation, finding new meaning in new contexts. In ‘Charles kelly sidney school girl lost ned blackman nolan' three icons of Australian art merge: Blackman’s Schoolgirl, Nolan’s Kelly and Frederick McCubbin’s lost girl in the bush. Our culture’s preoccupation with the lone figure, the bush ranging outsider is made stark. By placing icons, self-evident by design, in new contexts we witness them anew. What’s unspoken, demands inspection.
Philippe Le Miere 'charles kelly sidney school girl lost ned blackman nolan'
Lin Onus 'Gumbirri Garganingi'
]]>Farewell Gill Del-Mace, a friend and an artist whose work has bewitched collectors worldwide. Del-Mace’s perspective was always infused with magic – tattooed women, modern-day Medusas, carousel horses and clowns. She took from a childhood spent travelling between stunt shows, circuses and film sets across Europe, learning the language of theatre. Her resulting practice, playing with concealment and reveal, alludes to Magic Realism, surrealism and the feminine allure.
In our years of sharing Del-Mace’s work with collectors, we’ve again and again witnessed her power. A collector in New York, having once seen a Del-Mace in her friend’s apartment, was driven to track the image down, arriving to us under her spell. Others have found inspiration in the strength of Del-Mace’s figures, seeing ‘The Knife Thrower’ as a metaphor for survival and tenacity. Whatever life throws at you, remain composed.
While Del-Mace is no longer with us, the magic of her work remains. To look upon it is to behold theatre, curtains drawing open to a fantasy realm where anything seems possible. It is a break from the everyday, a reminder to pursue creativity. Her practice, begun in San Francisco in 1975, will live on in homes and imaginations across the world.
Our deepest condolences to Gill Del-Mace’s family, friends and admirers.
]]>When asked where we go for summer, many Australians answer the same: where we always go. This time of year, marinated with impressions and associations, sees families make their annual pilgrimage to the bush, beach and outback. It can be the only time we get there, a reprieve from concrete and commuting. To celebrate life within the Australian summer, here is a collection of art to transport you into the season’s sights, sounds and sensations.
Daughter of John Perceval and Mary Boyd, Celia Perceval was born with painting in her blood. Her work is captured en plein air from the midst of the Australian bush. While landscape painting is often associated with control, Perceval’s approach embraces wilderness; as she has said, “I’m always going off the main thoroughfares into places where it looks like I can’t”.
Painted in the colours of a summer night, Sidney Nolan’s significant ‘Woman on Beach, St Kilda’ depicts a woman emerging from a tent at Luna Park. Like an urban Picnic at Hanging Rock, Nolan evokes the distinct unease that lurks beneath heat. St Kilda was his “kitsch heaven”, the setting of endless adolescent nights spent chasing balmy adventures.
Summer is part of the Australian identity. The lengthening of days and rising temperature conjures a shift in the air. Ties are loosened, windows rolled down and beers cracked open on verandas. Whether you’re looking to decorate the beach house, or bring the beach to your home we hope you find a work of art to quench your summer thirst.
That’s a wrap for 2023! The end of a year is always characterised by contrasting impulses – reflect and rejuvenate. Ancient Romans recognised this duality, naming the month of January for their god Janus, who had two faces, one looking backward and the other forward. It is time to reflect, relax and regroup, but also to pop bottles, metamorphosis and make well-intentioned resolutions, to look at who we are and who we want to be.
To capture the magic of a new year, its pensive and propellant possibility, here is a curation of art to inspire and relax. Who knows, maybe this is the year you finally get your art collection into swing!
Robert Dickerson 'Light and Shadow'
Relax, Rejuvenate & Reflect
The secrets to relaxing and rejuvenating may lie with Reg Mombassa and Michael Leunig’s characters. In ‘BBQ’, Mombassa casts a kangaroo as grill master, while the jiving star of Leunig’s ‘alive and well’ spurs us to get up and dance.
Michael Leunig 'alive and well'
It is in Sidney Nolan’s enigmatic ‘Landscape’ that we find reflection. Painted the year before his famed Ned Kelly would ride into a setting like this, it is a borderwork – linking the start of Nolan’s career with what made him iconic.
Intend, Prosper
Apparently, the custom of making New Year's Resolutions goes as far back as the Babylonians, 4,000 years ago. It seems that the allure of a fresh start, of rebirth, is timeless. What do you hope for in 2024? To be swept away by a rushing romance like Arthur Boyd's 'Lovers'? Or perhaps, prosperity? While in Europe some eat cabbage to win prosperity in the New Year, we recommend Graeme Peebles' ‘Cabbage Soup’. Far more flavourful.
This has been a big year for Australian art. As it comes to a close, let’s cast an eye back to the moments that hit hardest – losses, honors and new life.
Vale John Olsen
In April, Australia farewelled the great John Olsen. A force of personality and creativity, his line is inextricable from the genome of Australian art, vivifying subjects as diverse as tadpoles, Sydney Harbour, the desert and paella. In the poetry of Auguste Blackman, “And all the world will bow as one / We salute you John, our own King Sun.”
Crowds for Clarice Beckett and Cressida Campbell
This year, exhibitions on Clarice Beckett and Cressida Campbell graced Geelong Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia. Both shone light on the undersung presence of women in Australian art, drawing crowds and glowing reviews from across the country.
Clarice Beckett 'Bathing Boxes'
Welcoming Steve Leadbeater and Clayton Tremlett
At Art & Collectors, we welcomed two fresh talents into the collection, Steve Leadbeater and Clayton Tremlett. Expressive and raw, Leadbeater’s work explores the mystery of being human while Tremlett looks at Australianness. Whether the history of bushrangers or semiotics of a galah, he offers new perspectives on our history and culture.
Clayton Tremlett 'An Exploration of the Square using the Colours of a Galah #1'
Clayton Tremlett 'An Exploration of the Square using the Colours of a Galah #4'
What inspires your work?
I find it difficult to separate life from inspiration. I naturally seek it but I’m surrounded by it anyway. My work gives me a glimpse of the divine as I paint from the guts.
But to name names: Sidney Nolan; Emil Nolde; Charles Blackman; A. R. Penck; Georg Baselitz; Ian Fairweather; Barbara Kruger; Willem de Kooning; Paul Klee; Robert Rauschenberg; William S Burroughs; Jenny Holzer; Party Dozen; Pablo Picasso; Jim Morrison; Francis Bacon; John Olsen; Andy Warhol; Wasted Rita; Steven Pressfield; Steven Heller; Bad Brains; The Clash; Mess Hall; Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; The Pixies; Spoon; Rennie Ellis; LCD Soundsystem; Under the Sea; Franz Kline; Keith Haring; Cy Twombly; Jesper Waldersten; Raymond Pettibon; Jean-Michel Basquiat; Patti Smith; Jesse Draxler; David Shrigley; Paul Davis; Dennis Hopper; Saul Leiter; James Victore; David Bowie; Joan Miro; Robert del Naja; Rosalie Gascoigne; Iain McCaig; Alexander Calder; Jackson Pollock; Egon Schiele; and ancient cultures from around the world.
Steve Leadbeater 'Untitled' [Blue Nude]
Since you started exhibiting in the 1990s, have you felt your style change?
Over the years I’ve made work in a variety of styles like realistic, conceptual and abstract, across photography, printmaking, painting and sculpture. My style is something I’m constantly trying to break. As I try, my style seems to evolve rather than break. I’ve found that when I create work that excites me it tends to resonate with others, regardless of style.
In some of your imagery, there is a sense of darkness. How do you understand this?
I’m interested in the mysteries of being human. Less about external beauty and more about internal beauty. I guess society is unfamiliar with art exploring internal physicality and spirituality (darkness). I take visual risks and surrender control of my process to chance and intuition. Some of the results are more joyful than I expect - some are darker. If I've captured the energy I’m usually happy. I acknowledge that much of the darkness perceived in my work reflects the viewer.
You’ve mentioned an interest in the tension between anonymity and identity. What does it mean for you?
Privacy is as important as being heard and recognised. I’m fascinated by these contrasts. In my work they appear as timeless universal imagery opposed with very specific references to my personal life.
What role does making art play in your life?
Art is ever-present. I’m either making art or living a life that demands art be made.
You’ve made art on roller doors, t-shirts, jerry cans and more. How do unconventional materials reflect or enhance your practice?
A key part of my practice is challenging myself. I find that experimenting with materials or formats helps me get to surprising places. It also subverts our relationship to the object and makes my contribution stark and powerful.
]]>Philippe Le Miere’s computer generated landscapes are imagined places, created in 2005 before the digital was ubiquitous and AI could mimic creativity. Expansive in person, they began as free-form sketches which Le Miere transformed into 3D computer-generated models and rendered overnight, fog and soft lighting growing from the machine. At once surreal and familiar, the resulting series is a subversion of one of art history’s most conventionalised genres – landscape art – uniting the historic with what was then an emerging world, new media art.
Philippe Le Miere 'No longer a danger'
Philippe Le Miere 'Pittosporums'
Philippe Le Miere 'The good life'
How these places came to Le Miere’s mind is unclear. They are perhaps inspired by where he grew up on the Mornington Peninsula, half-way up Arthur’s Seat overlooking Port Phillip Bay; perhaps they derive from the recesses of his subconscious. As they made their way onto the computer, however, they began to feel more real. “Working within a virtual space, can at times ‘feel real’' reflects Le Miere, “Rotating about a space, tumbling from all sides, effectively tricks the mind into believing that X, Y. Z coordinates are real.”
Philippe Le Miere 'Grass and Distant Hills'
Philippe Le Miere 'Three Trees'
The computer has a tendency to perfect surfaces. Skin is rendered poreless, skies pristine. To push against this, Le Miere used random noise generators to break the cleaness of his compositions, titling many of them mysteriously – ‘Privacy’ and ‘The good life’ – to strike emotive tones. In the deserted shoreline, grassy fields and hilly ranges of this imagined planet, a strange feeling lingers – like all landscape paintings, the view is a cipher for the human’s psyche. When the works were first exhibited, Le Miere recalls a visitor dismissing them as “just representing a computer game. Surprised, I remember reflecting how this was not the ‘author’s intent’... sometimes meaning can be allusive.”
Philippe Le Miere Installation view of 'The good life'
Philippe Le Miere Detail of 'Dense and green'
Our relationship with computer-generated imagery has changed in the eighteen years since these works were created. The fluency of AI, its democratisation, has transformed the digital from just a tool to, for many, a companion. The boundary between what is “real” and “virtual” feels increasingly porous. Le Miere’s landscapes, genuinely innovative in their time, live in this in-between space – they are atmospheric in the way Clarice Beckett’s tonalist landscapes are, yet removed from specificities of place, textures an imported feature not a slight of the artist’s hand. On his early interest in the digital, Le Miere concludes “My experience of the digital medium has always been seductive – I just love working with the ‘machine’.”
Philippe Le Miere 'Single tree'
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Stemming from exploration and scientific documentation, botanical art is a specialized genre of fine art that focuses on the accurate and detailed depiction of plants, flowers, and other botanical subjects. Capturing the beauty of the natural world, it remains a respected and influential genre that serves both scientific and aesthetic purposes and serves as a testament to humanity's enduring fascination with the natural world.
To behold a print from Florilegium, is to behold history. In 1768 the Voyage of The H.M.S. Endeavour set sail across the Pacific. Aboard were a crew of ninety-four men, including Captain Cook and his botanist Joseph Banks. Their mission was scientific - to discover and record specimens of the earth. When he returned to England, Banks had the watercolours engraved onto copper plates by dear friend and esteemed engraver Daniel MacKenzie. This was an expensive and labour intensive activity. Yet somehow, these exquisite copper plates were never printed, rather they languished in the collection of the British Museum of Natural History.
This failure to publish had long been regarded as one of the tragedies of science. That was until two-hundred years later. In 1980, the British Museum of Natural History brought Banks back to life. Using his original eighteenth century copper plates and a technique called ‘A la poupee’, all 734 studies were printed in editions of 100, and later hand-coloured in fine detail. Art & Collectors is pleased to be able to offer you a selection of these breathtakingly detailed engravings - printed from the original copper plates from the 1770s.
Joseph Banks 'Florilegium, Lumnitzera Littorea (Combretaceae) - Plate 105'
Joseph Banks 'Florilegium Metrosideros Excelsa (Myrtaceae) - Plate 445'
Joseph Banks 'Florilegium Clianthus Puniceus (G.Don) Banks and Solander ex Lindley Plate 432'
Banks’ Florilegium is about more than flora. Stemming from a voyage marred by death, destruction and disease, these works are somehow wondrous. Effervescent and elegant, Florilegium is an encounter with history, art and the natural world. The director of the Natural Museum doubts whether they will ever reprint Florilegium. Instead, the limited series is a rare portal between early and contemporary Australasia. We encourage both burgeoning and established collectors to behold this iridescent series. Luminous, exquisite and sure to be treasured.
Perhaps you’re the kind of art collector whose interests transcend a single artist, movement or idea. You take from modernism and before, collecting abstract, impressionist and figurative art, perhaps with something poppy too. In lieu of a temporal or philosophical preference, you lead with looking. You may have the kind of eye that seeks out a different kind of common thread: colour.
Susan Pickering 'Small Print 2'
Mirka Mora ‘Bird and Girl’
Among the diverse range of artistic expressions, black and white art has garnered a devoted following. It holds a distinct allure to art collectors and artists alike. The simple tonal palette allows artists to distill their creative expression to its purest form, emphasizing fundamental elements of artistry such as composition, contrast, and emotion.
Charles Blackman 'Striated lines'
David Frazer 'No Escape'
Nicola Sene 'Untitled (Sailor Ennui)'
For collectors, this distilled simplicity becomes an invitation to engage more deeply. Without the distraction of colour, we can be compelled into searching for hidden layers of meaning and subtlety that might otherwise go unnoticed - fostering a deeper connection with the work of art. Whether it's the haunting sadness of a monochromatic portrait or the dramatic tension in a grayscale landscape, the visceral emotions that emanate from black and white art can enthrall.
Jeffrey Faulkner 'Littoral'
Moreover, the simplicity of black and white art allows for a timeless elegance. The absence of color has a unique ability to transcend the confines of time and fashion, maintaining its allure and sophistication throughout the ages. Its visual resonance is not bound by the whims of a particular era.
David Larwill 'Flying'
Robert Dickerson 'Light And Shadow'
Judy Cassab 'The Musee Picasso'
Focusing on tone is an excellent way to liberate yourself from the parameters that often govern art collections. It can help you make decisions, create a cohesive home and uncover unexpected connections between works because of a palette that will never go out of style. Black and white will forever be compelling. Its potential for artists, collectors and home decorators is uncapped.
Explore more Black & White Art here
]]>Ann Rado 'Be alert, not alarmed'
Humans have maintained a lasting fascination with cats, spanning over centuries. The elusive felines have appeared in the mythologies and belief systems of various cultures. In ancient Egypt, they were revered as sacred and associated with the goddess Bastet. In Japanese folklore, the beckoning cat, or Maneki-neko, is a symbol of good luck and prosperity.
Beyond myth and legend, cats have a presence in art and literature like no other animal. Serving as inspiration for artists and writers alike, these enigmatic creatures have left an indelible mark on the creative world. Their graceful mystery continues to enchant and fascinate, ensuring that cats will remain a timeless muse for generations to come.
Perhaps from their knowledge of their place in human culture, cats have an innate sense of pride that is unmistakable in their demeanor. With regal poise and an air of self-assuredness, they exude an aura of quiet confidence. This feline pride is not merely vanity; it's a reflection of their independent nature and their ability to gracefully navigate their surroundings.
Enhancing their air of mystery, cats are celebrated for their companionship despite their renowned independence. After their confident explorations, the felines return to their home lovingly to offer moments of affection and connection. In the sanctuary of our homes, they bring warmth and solace, and through their independent spirit, they inspire us to embrace our individuality.
Their presence in our lives, whether as furry confidants or artistic muses, serves as a reminder of the enduring bond between two species, where companionship and independence harmoniously coexist. As we continue to share our world with these graceful creatures, their captivating mystique endures, ensuring that the story of humans and cats remains an eternal tale of connection, mystery, and unwavering affection.
Auguste Blackman - Alice's Bouquet
Charles Blackman - Face + Vase - Blue
In this collection, Charles’s Girls and Flowers meet the practice of his eldest son, Auguste Blackman. Where Charles’s palette is moodier, Auguste embraces brightness – there are eruptions of red buds, faces haloed in gold and kaleidoscopic hair. Yet, like his father, a distant melancholy persists, a desire to connect, a gesture.
Auguste Blackman - Fresh Cuttings
Auguste Blackman - Dead Ringers
In Girls and Flowers, the Blackmans find both hope and longing. Charles’s works were inspired by Barbara’s blindness and their life near the flower farms of Mount Tamborine. As Barbara’s eyesight diminished, the farm’s flowers formed some of the last stimuli she could see, eventually evaporating into fragrance. Charles tried to capture her world.
Charles Blackman - Alice in the Garden
Auguste too is inspired by Barbara, his mother. His images of girls are a reflection of being brought up by vibrant women, and of the diverse and vital roles they play worldwide. What is home without women? “It is her love in all things” muses Auguste, “the world will only succeed with women at the helm… against all odds she will prevail.” She is powerful, yet enigmatic.
Flowers carry universal meaning. They are proxies for care, love, sympathy. To be presented with a bouquet of flowers is to be undone by gesture. In the history of painting, they have been employed as an memento mori – reminders of mortality, for despite their youth and beauty, cut flowers are destined to wilt. Transience is intrinsic to the petal.
On Charles’s flowers, critic Gertrude Langer once wrote:
"Bathed in a light that has its source in the luminous colours, these inward gazing faces full of a gentle sadness, these flowers, which often seem like souls of flowers, have a stringent poetry that lingers in the mind."
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Adrienne Cameron is a visual artist and emerging curator. She grew up in rural Victoria and has lived in Melbourne, the United Kingdom and Germany, having only recently returned to Australia. In this curated collection, she explores the edge of pleasure.
Pleasure! Today most people say they seek happiness for themselves, friends and families but is this the same as pleasure? Generally we just want to feel good and avoid pain. On the other hand, there is a thought that pleasure is intensified by pain. The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, cites how the pain of thirst intensifies the pleasure of quenching it. Some say the same for all addicting pleasures whether food, sex, gambling, or other ‘vices’. Nevertheless, pleasure and fantasy can captivate us in the moment, with little thought for the headache in the morning after a party.
James Whitington 'Shunga I'
The ancient Greek philosophers considered happiness (or eudaimonia as Aristotle and others named it) as the ultimate goal of life. But for them this was not just having a laugh with a friend or enjoying a meal with a lover. Virtue was much discussed amongst the Platonists and seen by many to be essential to the attainment of happiness. According to Epicurus, however, happiness was a complex appreciation of a way of living to achieve tranquillity, free from fear with an absence of pain. Unlike the early Christian belief that a desire for pleasure was prompted by the devil, Epicurus and his followers like the poet Lucretius, considered that we humans should enjoy ourselves but not to the extent that we diminish our futures. We should take pleasure in moderation because licentiousness brings pain and sorrow. Indeed, Lucretius likens the obsessed lover consumed by torments of desire, to the mythical giant Tityos who endures daily tortures from cupids (the original myth had vultures feeding on his liver).
Brett Whiteley - 'The Lovers'
In his book The Sacred Word, digital archaeologist Bernard Frischer reports Epicurus as saying, ‘I know not how to conceive the good, apart from the pleasures of taste, sexual pleasures, the pleasures of sound and the pleasures of beautiful form’.
Steve Rosendale - 'Goodbye Columbus'
Cliff Jones - 'The Life Class'
So how do we explore pleasure today? Should we accept pleasure as a part of life without concern for excess or moderation? Or follow Epicurus’ opinion that as sentient beings with simply one life that ends with death, we should enjoy pleasures in the moment, but with an awareness that the future too can have pleasure if we are well enough to enjoy it.
Mark Schaller - 'Peel Me A Lotus'
Plato divided pleasures into pure and impure: those without pain are pure, and those with impure. He acknowledges that as behavioural motivators, both pleasure and pain are most important in making ethical choices. We can allow ourselves to be lured into bad decisions, ignoring the better choice. But Plato also recognizes that impure pleasures are often a response to our emotions so that we can laugh from malice yet with great joy, as we can laugh with a dying friend. So, pleasure is an intense and important element of our lives and deaths. But it can also come with a bite!
In 1992, Graham Ryles published a pocket-sized handbook to accompany collectors on their escapades through the art world. A Buyer’s Guide to Australian Art is a straight-talking guide to the Australian art market, relevant regardless of taste, budget or experience – the fruit of a lifetime spent honing the collecting impulse.
In this collection, behold gems from Graham’s journeys alongside an interview with him and tips from his book, which despite being published over thirty years ago, still ring true. If there’s one lesson to be learned from this seasoned collector, it’s that the enjoyment and pleasure of collecting is learning.
Lionel Lindsay - 'The Vaquero'
I grew up being taken to art galleries and took art class at school until Year 12. I continued visiting galleries as an adult, seeing ones in England, Europe, Russia and the United States.
As a student, I also began haunting second hand shops, markets and so forth, learning to distinguish between commercial ‘prints’ and ‘original prints’. At that time reference books were very expensive, and I used the State Library for my education. Remember, no photocopiers! All hand-written notes!
Joel Wolter - 'Geelong Railway Station'
Treasures! Everything I bought was a treasure! I had limited knowledge/money and reference material to know names, media used, nationality, style, were they notable, subject matter. I followed what I liked and if what I saw was a real print or work on paper, finances permitting, I snapped it up.
Of course! Some Piranesi genuine works on paper. Ellis Rowan water colours of Australian wildflowers…
John Kay - 'Captain Billair and his wife, from Edinburgh Portraits series'
Tessy Platt - 'Home Land, Lockhart River'
If you’re interested in an artist, visit galleries that have their work – find them through monthly exhibition guides, social media or searching the web. Once you’re there, keep an eye out for the gallery’s current exhibition catalogue which may list the name of the work, materials used, size and price.
When visiting galleries, talk to the staff about your interests. Get onto mailing lists where upcoming exhibitions and opportunities are shared. As Graham writes:
“Don’t be intimidated or shy! Art Galleries need sales! If you ‘feel uncomfortable’ with the responses of the person you’re talking to, leave. There’re plenty of galleries who will welcome you. Remember you have buying power.”
Don’t buy in a hurry. Look, then leave; come back, or don’t. Ask questions like: Is this the artist’s typical style, subject matter, medium? Where else does the artist exhibit, have they won prizes? Are they in state or regional collections? While prizes and representation in public collections should not be your only criteria, it’s worth considering where an artist sits in the ecosystem.
Graham’s emphasis on curiosity extends to all corners of collecting. He urges collectors to be curious about low prices, perpetually auctioned works or the concept of investment potential. Collect art that you long to hang on your walls, that is good quality for your money, has resale potential and derives from a reliable source. Seek out gallerists and art dealers who have sturdy reputations, accreditations and operate with transparency.
Once your collection is underway, Graham advises to not shy away from resale. Turn over what no longer excites you – not for a quick profit, but because rejuvenation is a healthy part of every collection
Kate Hudson - 'Lilies and Camellias'
Read more in Ryles' book: A buyer's guide to Australian art
© Copyright: Graham Hartley Ryles
]]>No need to be a sour puss - as EOFY approaches, snap up tax-deductible art for your home office like this $300 treasure by Erwin Fabian.
Time is dwindling to collect tax-deductible art. If you work from home as an employee, you may be able to claim art up to the value of $300 as part of your home office expenditure. The only catch, and it’s barely a catch: it must hang in your office.
Explore works $300 and under here.
For small to medium sized businesses, the good news continues. There are no limits on how many works you can claim with a threshold of up to $150,000 per a work of art. Plus, because art is considered a depreciating asset it qualifies for an instant asset write-off.
The criteria? It must be tangible (so no NFTs), portable (perfect for the curator-cross-redecorator in the team) and be displayed at your business premises or place of work.
For businesses and employees seeking the benefits of art at work, the sky (or wall perhaps space) is the limit – just act before June 30, 2023.
Eric Thake - 'Introduction at R.C.H. “Mr. Thake—Dr So & So… Dr… Dr… Dr…'
For many of us, the workplace has come home. This normalisation of WFH has brought its own unique delights (your dog is now a colleague) and challenges. For one, how do we maintain our work mindset in an environment once exclusively associated with rest and recreation?
Just as your workplace is engineered specifically for work, so should your home office. As tempting as it is to login from bed, respect this sacred boundary. Make-believe you’re leaving the house and commute to your desk.
Ann Rado - 'Be alert, not alarmed'
You don't, however, have to replicate your office’s uniformity. Instead, take this opportunity to curate the workplace you always dreamed of - one that inspires, edifies and reflects who you are. One adorned with art.
Gwendolyn Martin - 'My Country'
The benefits of art at work are diverse. Studies have linked it to productivity, employee wellbeing and how positively a business is perceived. At home, investing in art can also make you feel more put-together. Rather than folded laundry and abandoned toys, make your Zoom background a feat of cultural innovation.
Hanging art at your business sets a tone – it can make your creative and cultural side shine, impress clients and represent a talking piece more inspiring than watercolour chat.
Remember, we’re experts in art not tax, so consult your accountant to find out if you’re eligible.
Lin Onus - 'Pitoa Garkman (Blue Frogs)'
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Art & Collectors is proud to partner with Minyma Kutjara Arts Project, located in the remote community of Irrunytju (Wingellina), ten kilometres from where the borders of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia meet.
Led by and representing Irrunytju artists, the story of Minyma Kutjara is marked by resilience and determination in the face of adversities – the Stolen Generation, drought and the infamous British Nuclear Tests at Maralinga. As it stands today, Minyma Kutjara is a proud celebration of community and Country, a place for artists to learn, explore, create and share culture.
In this collection of paintings, explore the practices of Minyma Kutjara artists – representations of culture and unbroken story, told with vibrancy and beauty.
Rene Nelson - 'Minyma Kutjara'
Rebecca Parker - 'The Milky Way'
The History of Irrunytju Country
For thousands of years, the Yarnangu people of Irrunytju cared for their Country without interruption. This was threatened in the 1930s by assimilation policy and a severe drought, compounded in 1953 by Britain testing atomic bombs at Maralinga, not far from Irrunytju. Authorised by the Australian government, twelve bombs were detonated, some producing mushroom clouds as tall as 47,000 feet, radioactive fallout drifting all the way to Townsville.
Little thought was paid to the region’s Traditional Owners, with just one naval officer left to find and warn people, covering hundreds of thousands of kilometres by car. Irrunytju people and their Country were profoundly harmed by the event, driven from their Land. In her work, Minyma Kutjara artist Noreen Parker presents her mum’s memory of the event:
“When my mother was a young girl about 15 years, the people were living in the bush in wiltjas in the Spinifex Country. My mother told me this story, how the people were all siting down and they saw a big light and then lots of smoke, the smoke just went up and up and up.
Noreen Parker - 'The Bomb'
The people were frightened; they thought it was a walpa pulka (big storm) or the wanampi (rainbow serpent). My Uncle, my mother’s brother had gone to hunt bush tucker in Maralinga Country, he never came back, he died from that bomb, that’s a true story’.”
Installation of Noreen Parker - 'The Bomb'
Despite the persistent and devastating fallout of the Marlinga testing, Yarnangu people have remained resilient. They returned to their Land in 1967, establishing Irrunytju Community that is named after a rock role in the foothills of the Tomkinson Range, perpetually filled with water.
In 2005, after a ten year struggle, the historic Ngaanyatjarra Lands native title case recognised Yarnangu as the rightful owners of the Land. Spanning 188,000 square kilometres over the Gibson and Great Victorian Deserts, it remains the largest native title transfer in Australian history.
Cynthia Burke - 'Landscape Wingellina'
The Story of Minyma Kutjara
Minyma Kutjara Arts Project was established in 2012 after the region’s first arts centre, the renowned Irrunytju Arts, closed in 2007.
Initiated by and for the community, this new iteration was named after the Minyma Kutjara creation story. With aspects told in whispers, this story is sacred, associated with courtship, pregnancy and childbirth. It tells of two sisters' journeys across vast lands. Against resistance, they arrive on the Irrunytju side of Kaltukatjara, the older sister piggybacking her younger sister. Here lies a mountain called Mana, its topography reminiscent of their silhouette.
Rene Nelson tells the story in her work.
“The places where the sisters travelled and rested can be traced through the desert; their actions often created landmarks, rock-holes and mountain ranges. Near Irrunytju the sisters sat on two hills and made hair belts in preparation for important women’s business. They threw their wana (digging stick) creating the rockhole here.”
Rene Nelson - 'Minyma Kutjara'
Eva Baker - 'Minyma Kutjara'
Joylean Roberts - 'Minyma Kutjara'
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…Workplace
Winter – and the end of the financial year – are officially here. As the skies thin into a steely grey, the time is ripe to warm your workplace with some inspiring art.
Through the federal government’s Instant Asset Write Off Scheme, eligible businesses can claim immediate deductions on assets, like art, that are first installed at their premises between July 1st 2023 and June 30th 2024. For businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million, art up to the value of $20,000 is up for deduction.
For those eligible, it’s a winning opportunity to invite art into the workplace — turning your nine to five into a space that inspires, where visitors feel at ease and invigorated. But what art suits what room? Should a nude go in the kitchenette, a still life in the waiting room? Here, on the eve of EOFY, are some rules of thumb to keep in mind.
John Olsen - 'Laughing Frog'
…Boardroom
Boardrooms need not be boring. Spaces for deliberation, learning and collaboration, they are the physical and psychic centres of workplaces. The tone you set here can permeate through the entire workday.
With this in mind, choose art that feels connected to your employees and purpose. Talking pieces are a good idea, as are eye-catchers — something big, bold or emblazoned with a story. You want to curate a space that feels simultaneously warm, inviting and intriguing.
Our tip: You don’t want to distract from important meetings. Seek work that’s bold without being overbearing.
Rebecca Parker - 'The Milky Way'
Lin Onus - 'Pitoa Garkman (Blue Frogs)'
…Kitchenettes
When it comes to displaying art in workplaces, the kitchen is too often neglected. This doesn’t necessarily, however, mean that you should reorientate your most serious pieces to the kitchen. Rather, in all its happy chaos, tea breaks and post weekend catch-ups, the kitchen lends itself best to levity.
Whether humorous, pretty or joyful, art in the kitchen can make mornings easier. It injects warmth and European charm into the most daunting deadlines. Whatever your taste, opt for pieces that complement not overwhelm. Monday mornings are frantic enough.
Our tip: Give your mind a massage with David Aspden ‘Channels no.1’. While steeping your tea bag consider, are those countries or continents?
David Aspden - 'Channels No 1'
Jasper Knight - 'Hornby'
…Home Offices
More and more people are opting to work from home. We’ve set up conference calls at dining room tables and converted storage spaces into workplaces. What remains critical however, is building mental and physical barriers between working from and being at home.
One way to observe this boundary, is to invest in a home office that feels aesthetically separate from the rest of your home. By populating it with its own selection of art, you can curate a space that is not only practical, but inspiring.
Works that suit the home office best are typically quirkier, more surprising and intellectually rich. They’re generally not risque, but can take aesthetic risks. The aim here is to maintain morale, motivate and communicate what makes you and your work worthy. Plus, they can really enhance the Zoom experience.
Rene Nelson - 'Minyma Kutjara'
Erica Tandori - 'Cloud Chasing'
We’re experts in art not tax. Consult your accountant to see whether you’re eligible for tax-deductible art.
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In 1941, Eric Thake – unable to afford Christmas cards in the midst of the war – decided to make his own, sending a limited run of linocut prints to his friends and family. The first, ‘The Itchy Owl’, was in classic Thake-fashion: bold, distinctive and lightly satirical, something to make people smile in tough times. By 1948 the cards had taken on a life of their own; artists even began sending him their own in hopes he might send one back.
Thake’s friends were a veritable who’s who of Australian art with these particular cards sent to Ursula Hoff – the revered curator, writer and former Deputy Director of the National Gallery of Victoria. Many are inscribed with warm epithets to Hoff, who was not only a close friend but a champion of printmaking. Resistant to thoughtless conservatism, Hoff saw in printmaking depth, intelligence and the democratisation of art.
'In the Melbourne Gallery, "Epstein, Enstein? I can never remember!"'
With bracingly good provenance, these linocuts tell many stories. Sent for over thirty years, they capture the evolution of Australia in one its most distinct voices, blessed with “an uncommon view of common things.” They also speak to a friendship between an artist and scholar, a bond preserved year after year, always with a warm wink.
'Christmas Greetings from Thake's flat'
Born in Auburn, Victoria in 1904, Thake began his career as an apprentice to a process engraving company, working as a commercial artist between 1925 and 1926. He attended night classes at the National Gallery School and studied part time with George Bell. In 1943, Thake enlisted in the air force where he worked as a draughtsman until his appointment as an official war artist in 1944.
Thake straddled commercial and fine art, completing commissions for postage stamps and museum murals, medical illustrations and advertisements. Core to modernism’s novelty was how it challenged the division between design and fine art. In Thake’s practice, the two are symbiotic – his economy of line underscoring punchy and thought-provoking ideas.
'Nuns on the Road to Geelong'
Humorously, inside this work Thake writes
"...or Oil Sheiks to Bahrein?
Ursula, the choice is yours"
'Sunshine and Rain, Lygon Street'
Among his most famous works is ‘There’s an Opera House in Every Home’. It was created in 1972, the year before the Opera House’s completion – and what a journey it had been. One of the architects had fled the project, and the budget had ballooned by almost a thousand-percent. What was already an uncomfortably ostentatious venture for Australians, was getting out of hand.
Thake picks up on this with a twinkle in his eye. He envisions the Opera House as a stack of dishes, crowned with a blowfly. The structure is simultaneously jived and democratised, made familiar and absurd. The inspiration for the Opera House was apparently an orange peel; perhaps then, seeing grandeur in household debris is not so opposed to the Australian spirit.
'There's An Opera House in Every Home'
It has been said that Ursula Hoff, more than any other individual, shaped the character and scholarly reputation of the NGV. She was an immigrant of Jewish-German heritage, compelled to leave Europe during the Second World War.
When she arrived in Melbourne, Hoff brought with her a sharp acumen for art. She became the first official curator at the NGV, heading up the Prints and Drawing department – in turn, becoming the first woman and the first tertiary qualified art historian to work within a state gallery in Australia. Over her career, she was a lecturer at Melbourne University, assistant director of the NGV and the London Advisor to the Felton Bequest.
'The Habitat of the Dodo'
She was also a close friend of Thake’s. The two maintained a correspondence over thirty years with a collection of his linocut greeting cards adorning her North Carlton home’s entryway, many of which held inside-jokes between the two. Like Thake, Hoff was a champion of modern art and printmaking. She saw in prints, the opportunity for aesthetic excellence, intelligence and innovation – traits that shone under Thake’s hand.
A collection of Eric Thake's card recently framed for a collector with Museum Board and Art Glass, ready to adorn a hallway.
'A message from our sponsor'
Across the lifespan of Thake’s cards we witness moments from his intermittent travels into outback Australia, critiques of the art world, particularly the National Gallery of Victoria, and portraits of animals, captured with warmth and wit. Concealed beneath their simplicity, was always a canny observation, a feeling distilled.
Thake continued creating his cards until 1975 when his eyesight began failing. He sent a few after that, his style shifting to something slighter yet nonetheless delightful. In 1980, he sent his final work – ‘Airlines Resume’ – inscribed with “I fear the cards have come to the end of the line, as have I.” Thake passed the following year, an inimitable legacy in his wake.
As the son of Charles Blackman, Auguste Blackman grew up among the greatest Australian artists of that generation, including John Olsen. Upon learning of his passing on Tuesday, Auguste penned a poem in memorium to the titan.
A reflection on Olsen's verve and vision, his legacy and great loves, 'Farewell J.O.' is a moving ode to the man whose line will always live on.
John Olsen - 'The Ship Arrives'
Sweet dawn sounds the land and sing
Currawong and butcher birds choraling
Whispering mangroves spinifex say
"Has the master passed this way"?
No more omelette and glass of wine
The frog jumps over the Great Divine
And we shall live for ever and ever
Send all mail to the Never Never
Oh Master of the drip and splash
It Never was about the cash
But knowing the land and itinerant dwellers
Aren't we all the Lucky Fellas
John Olsen - 'Opera House'
John Olsen - 'Foggy Morning'
Goodbye Lake Eyre from high above
And don't you know the greatest love
The Dreamtime in the here and now
John paints the sacred scenic cow
Oh we'll miss that voice and laughter
Shake all foundations to the rafters
Kiss the sweetest kiss of all
From all of us at the Painter's Ball
Across this red brown muddy land
The rivers run to brilliant sand
The sun is yours to hold and keep
For you the mountains stand and weep
John Olsen - 'Artist & Penguin'
John Olsen - 'White Rhino'
And as the blue bottles party pop
The trucks and ferries now must stop
And all the world will bow as one
We salute you John, our own King Sun
Auguste 12.04.23
In 1980, Auguste Blackman visited Melbourne to manage Tolarno Restaurant and help its owner, George Mora, relocate premises. At the time John Olsen was working with Druckma Press — a printmaking studio run by John Baldessin, John Robinson and Les Kossatz that had a gleaming, state of the art lithopress.
Auguste was in the midst of his printmaking affair, and having recently relocated to Melbourne, lonely. In answer, John Olsen took him for the day to Druckma Press where, before the heroic press, he gifted advice that Auguste still cherishes.
"Additive abstract", said John — the principle that every blob denotes where the next blob ought to go. Rather than already mapped out, art can be journey of marks that come into meaning step by step.
John Olsen with Auguste Blackman
John Olsen - 'Life Drawn Towards the Void'
Explore our John Olsen collection here.
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John Olsen - 'Monkeys'
Olsen was born in Newcastle in 1928 to a clothes buyer and tailor. He grew up in the shadow of the Great Depression without access to art, music or books. Despite this, he was born an artist, going on to study at the Julian Ashton School while cleaning offices at night. He then enrolled at East Sydney Technical College where he was taught by John Passmore and later on, sponsored by art collector Robert Shaw, moved to Europe to study printmaking.
It was at an artist colony in Mallorca, however, that Olsen met poet and historian Robert Graves whose advice came to characterise his practice: “You can paint pretty pictures all your life but without metaphor you’ve got nothing. Read avidly and embrace poetry.” When Olsen returned to Australia in 1960, he embodied Graves’s words, commencing the hugely successful ‘You Beaut Country’ series.
John Olsen protesting the Archibald in 1953 with fellow students.
'Bonnard at Le Cannet'
While there is variety in Olsen’s subjects – frogs, people, paella – he was best known for his landscapes, remarking “There is so much to look at and observe about the Australian landscape, how it varies from tropical to the coastal fringe, and the interior. It’s so multiple. It’s a beautiful animal, that landscape.”
In this great expansiveness, Olsen found notes of sublimity, whimsy and threat. In 1974, he visited Lake Eyre in South Australia after it flooded, witnessing a profound rush and receding of life that art historian Patrick McCaughey argued thereforth “occupied Olsen’s Dreaming.”
'Edge of the Void'
The Edge of the Void Portfolio, a series of six etchings inspired by this trip, is as Graves would have observed, landscape with metaphor – steeped in the paradox that nothingness, or the void, has an active presence. Before Olsen’s eyes, Lake Eyre rolled from a vacant salt pan to wet with life, it ate and rebirthed itself; life improbably sprung from the void.
'Emus at the Coorung'
As often as Olsen’s work was profound, it was humorous. He took delight in all forms of life, marvelling at the awkward gait of the frog, the spindly giraffe and mischievous monkey. On his trip to Lake Eyre, he and naturist Vincent Serventy capsized in a storm that sent paints skyward and sandwiches seaward. Rather than discourage him, the moment tickled him – “Gee, I’m very small-time here,” laughed Olsen.
He was a painter, printmaker, draughtsman, poet, cook and champion swimmer. His achievements were vast, embellished by a 1970 mural for the newly opened Sydney Opera House based on Kenneth Slessors’s poem ‘Five Bells’. The mural still feels contemporary.
John Olsen's 'Five Bells' mural at the Sydney Opera House.
Later this year, Olsen’s work will be projected on the Opera House’s sales for Sydney Vivid. “I’m a lucky boy,” he said of the honour.
'Cat Kitchen I'
Olsen’s absence will be keenly felt in Australia’s cultural life. As Director of the National Gallery of Australia, Nick Mitzevich, told the Sydney Morning Herald, his work held a “quintessential Australianness.” In the squirm of a tadpole, Australian desert or the “beautiful bath” of Sydney Harbour, Olsen’s line lives on, inspiring and delighting with equal abandon.
Vale John Olsen.
Explore our John Olsen collection.
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Cressida Campbell - 'Seeds'
When reflecting on her practice, Cressida cites Edgar Degas’s maxim that you should never paint anything you don’t love – “it doesn’t have to be beautiful in any way, but it has to be something you love to examine.” She has built a practice paying reverence to objects not typically held as beautiful — leeks, bush debris, laundry, half empty wine glasses, household clutter — domestic scenes often devoid of people.
These objects are given painstakingly precise treatment. Carving her designs with exceptional precision on woodblock, she then produces either singular or very few prints, carefully touching up the plate and print. She is inspired by Margaret Preston and Japanese Ukiyo printmaking, which she got to know when she studied at Yoshida Hanga Academy in Tokyo.
Art critic John MacDonald recalls that “she lived on the dole while perfecting [her] idiosyncratic technique.”
Cressida Campbell - 'Resting Butterfly'
Cressida may have dedicated her practice to depicting household objects, but the results are anything but ordinary. Through them, we witness a woman acutely attuned to detail, interior design and the natural world, a master of composition unbothered by trends in art.
Perhaps above all however, her work speaks to a truth. The domestic worlds we inhabit are not incidental, but reflections of the lives they hold. How we look at the world says as much about it as it does us – to find beauty in it, is a triumph of hope over cynicism. As Cressida carves a deliberate window into her world, she offers us a moment of intimacy and voyeurism, a vestiage of her philosophy for life.
A leader in her field, Cressida is represented across national and international collections, including at the National Gallery of Victoria and British Museum. She has a devout collector following, is a multi-award winner and the subject of a monograph.
Explore our full Cressida Campbell collection.
]]>"My main inspiration comes from what is directly around me... I remember combinations of colours I see in houses, pictures, gardens, buildings or sculptures here and around the world"
Cressida Campbell
While the term “collectable” speaks to notions beyond the numerical – such as cultural, aesthetic, social and historic value – it is often used as a placeholder for “tradable”. In art market parlance, tradability is the convergence of volume and value; put simply, who sells on the secondary market and for how much?
This formula produces a list of famous Australian artists. At the top is the art of Brett Whiteley, which since 1969 has sold at auction 2,487 times, generating a staggering $175,936,322. Next is Arthur Boyd at 4,087 works with almost $130 million in revenue. Present too are Sidney Nolan, Fred Williams, Charles Blackman, John Brack, Russell Drysdale and beloved bon vivant, John Olsen.
Fred Williams - 'Acacias'
Brett Whiteley - 'The Lovers'
The art market, like all marketplaces, is a complex ecosystem. It can fall prone to chance, luck and intuition – come auction night, the stars may align or diverge for an artist, leading to splendour or stumbles. Generally speaking, however, the most traded artists stay relatively stable in value.
If fluctuations do occur, they’re often attributable to issues around rarity, public interest, provenance or the popularity of a time period.
Charles Blackman - 'Nude'
It is never advisable to collect art with only tradability in mind. It is too tricky to determine a work’s future value, and too dull to let the market overwhelm your heart. That said, collecting tradable artists can operate like an insurance policy. When or if the time comes, these artists can find new custodians with relative ease. They’re steady assets.
If you want expert advice for acquiring or selling a prized piece, you can always engage us. We offer Market Reports for pre-purchase and resale, as well as ongoing support as fine art consultants.
Sidney Nolan - 'Study for Snake'
There are glaring absences in Australia’s top ten most traded artists, namely women and Aboriginal artists. This is not a reflection of quality – women and Aboriginal artists continue to pioneer some of the country’s most exciting and esteemed art – but rather how slow the market is to adapt.
Soon enough, women and Aboriginal artists will break into the top ten most traded artists – Emily Kame Kyngwarreye currently tops Australia’s most traded female artists at 839 works against nearly $40 million, and Cressida Campbell continues to soar at auction; Lin Onus too, had found impassioned attention.
Lin Onus - 'Pitoa Garkman (Blue Frogs)'
In the meantime, you can support the evolution needed for a healthy cultural ecosystem by championing voices outside the loudest ones. The market is an aggregation of people and choices, collectors navigating risk alongside vision – recognise your voice here.
Tradability can be reduced to numbers: how many works sold and for how much. Unpicking the forces spurring these numbers however, is a far murkier task. The artists at the echelons struck a chord with the public that continues to reverberate in the marketplace, where an enduring audience gathers to share and discover masterpieces.
Cressida Campbell - 'Seeds'
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