VIRTUAL GALA
Until 2020, you’d encounter forty artists a day working away in the sun-filled Arts Project Australia studio, immersed in creating bold artworks spanning painting, textiles and drawing right through to photography, digital art and artist zines. When you set foot in the studio, you’d experience the incredible collegiality, energy and warmth of the artists as they interacted with their peers, staff and visitors and share their work, ideas, and creative narratives. The gallery would present 14 solo and group exhibitions, feature 800+ artworks by 190+ studio and invited artists, and welcome 3,000+ artists, families, students, collectors, curators, volunteers and board members to celebrate at our openings. In 2020, we presented two exhibitions in the gallery—Will Murray Solo and Pleased to Meet You—then, on the 16th of March, we all went home. Artists and staff retreated to domestic offices and studios and began working toward isolated COVID-safe work environments. As artist and publisher Trent Walter so eloquently put it, “This year has been trying on many levels. Not being able to work alongside your friends and your colleagues is contrary to the essence of inclusion that I’ve experienced at Arts Project Australia. If this year has proven anything, it’s that in a crisis we turn to the arts to nurture us — whether it be through drawing, comics, music or filmmaking. The creative work that they make, the artists from Arts Project Australia, nurture us.” As we approach the end of 2020, Arts Project Australia artists, staff and board have not rolled over, stopped working, making or given up in the face of tough times. As Claire Hooper put it, “In such a tough year, 150 APA artists were working from home. Yeah, that’s right, working — not falling in a heap covered in crumbs. I mean, it’s just showing off!” And it’s the truth. Arts Project Australia artists, staff and board have risen to the challenge. Art packs were delivered to artists as they set up home studios, artists and staff met daily on Zoom and many new artworks were created that reflect this historic time we are living and creating through. The Arts Project Australia Virtual Gala is a celebration of the artists and their incredible work in 2020, as a continuation of the work they do every year, come hail or shine. It is also a celebration, albeit a virtual one, of our vibrant and creative community—our family—of artists, supporters and friends. Enjoy the 201 artworks and the experience of our Virtual Gala and, remember, 100% of every winning bid goes directly into the hands of Melbourne-based artists. Visit auction and bid at Leonard Joel or enter the two virtual gallery spaces below to browse Virtual Gala works. For information on how to bid, please visit Leonard Joel's How To Buy guide. Join the Arts Project Australia Virtual Gala on Facebook and Youtube live stream on 3 pm Saturday 28 November. The Virtual Gala will feature special moments with APA artists, words from Arts Project director Sue Roff and curator Sim Luttin, and entertainment from an exclusive line-up: ● Paul Kelly - rock music singer-songwriter & guitarist ● Moira Finucane - actor & burlesque performer ● Claire Hooper - comedian, television & radio presenter & writer ● Trent Walter - artist & publisher ● Mama Alto - jazz singer, cabaret artiste & gender transcendent diva ● Maude Davey- actor, writer & director ● Paul Cordeiro - artist, dancer & choreographer ● Piera Dennerstein - classically trained soprano ● Jazida - burlesque performer ● Rachel Lewindon - composer, pianist, sound designer & musical director - Prices quoted as reserves and don’t include framing and shipping fees. Artworks are unframed and can either be mailed or stored safely. 100% of sales go to the artists.
Read MorePICTURESQUE
“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.” ― Joseph Pulitzer Michelle Coulson creates beautiful abstract drawings and paintings based on Australian landscapes, seascapes and urban scenes. She also takes reference from artworks by Van Gogh and Matisse and, occasionally, hones in on a singular portrait, animal or building. With a skilful light touch, Coulson creates intricate patchworks of colour and line, resulting in small-scale renderings that are both picturesque and intimate. Sections of text have started to work their way into a number of her compositions, adding new dimensions to her signature style. Coulson (b 1967, Melbourne) is an emerging artist and has worked at Arts Project Australia since 2016 and Picturesque is her first solo exhibition presented as a virtual installation in 2020. She has exhibited in various group exhibitions at Arts Project Australia including Silver Linings, Pleased to Meet You, Whatever You Love, You Are and Annual Gala. She has work in private collections throughout Australia and held within the National Gallery of Australia's collection. Walk through the exhibition via entering a virtual room, scrolling the slideshow below or downloading the Michelle Coulson's Picturesque Catalogue (this link redirects to a PDF). OPEN YOUR CAMERA & SCAN THE PICTURESQUE / MICHELLE COULSON QR CODE — Mapping Our Own Future is a weekly series of solo and group virtual exhibitions curated from the Arts Project Australia stockroom. An extension of the gallery to a virtual space, the series offers a place to connect with APA artists from home. Visit other virtual exhibitions here. Picturesque was produced by Arts Project Australia gallery manager and curator Sim Luttin. Unless otherwise stated, artworks are for sale can can be purchased through our website. Prices quoted are unframed & don’t include framing and shipping fees. Artworks can either be mailed or stored safely until we return. In-person collection is only available if accessibility is an issue, until government restrictions are lifted. 60% of sales go to the artists and 40% of sales go to APA to support our studio and artists.
Read MoreMIND’S EYE
John Bates is an established painter whose striking, delineated compositions are characterised by flat planes and vivid colour. Through the use of a minimal palette emphasising the two-dimensional surface, the work plays with ordinary perception of landscapes and seascapes. His process involves creating a dense surface by applying thick layers of acrylic colour. Mind's Eye presents a collection of Bates' 2018 and 2019 iconic landscapes that are of this world, yet ethereal in their conceptual and bold representation. Bates has been a regular artist at Arts Project Australia since 1990 and has presented two solo exhibitions at Arts Project in 2000 and 2006. He has been featured in numerous group exhibitions at Spring 1883, 2017-2019; Melbourne Art Fair, 2000-2014; Home Sweet Home: Works from the Peter Fay Collection, National Gallery of Australia touring exhibition, 2004-2005; Pacifica, Galerie Impairé, Paris, 2010; and Art des Antipodes, MADMusée, Liège, Belgium, 1996. Public collections include the National Gallery of Victoria and Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery. His work is also held in national and international private and corporate collections. Walk through the exhibition via entering a virtual room, scrolling the slideshow below or downloading the John Bates Mind's Eye Catalogue (this link redirects to a PDF). OPEN YOUR CAMERA & SCAN THE Mind's eye / john bates QR CODE Mapping Our Own Future is a weekly series of solo and group virtual exhibitions curated from the Arts Project Australia stockroom. An extension of the gallery to a virtual space, the series offers a place to connect with APA artists from home. Visit other virtual exhibitions here. Mind's Eye was produced by Arts Project Australia gallery manager and curator Sim Luttin.
Read MoreUNTAMED
Georgia Szmerling’s multi-disciplinary practice includes ceramics, painting, drawing and photography with a dominant interest in the portrayal of the natural world. Rich in texture and highly expressive, her wild plant formations suggest a sense of lyrical movement while her abstract, whimsical ceramic creatures exude a tender charm. In her current exhibition Untamed, the freshness and freedom of the environments depicted seem to resonate more than ever after months of indoor living. The colours appear brighter and more saturated, the lines clean and sharp. These scenes are unrestricted, untouched and unburdened, and conjure a deep sense of longing for the experience they speak to. Playful and filled with uninhibited energy, these works harness a kind of essence that underpins the landscapes, the rambling free-form line windswept and unbridled. They are a delight, and in the absence of (until recently) the real thing, offer a much-needed burst of joy and respite. Georgia Szmerling (b 1979) has worked in the Arts Project Australia studio since 2003. She has exhibited extensively including at Spring 1883, The Establishment, Sydney, Melbourne Art Fair, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne; Classic Albums, Tanks Art Centre, Cairns; Renegades: Outsider Art, National touring exhibition (2013 – 14); BSG Works on paper prize, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne; Group Show, Chapter House Lane, Melbourne; Small Universe, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne and the Darebin Art Prize 2015, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, Melbourne. Walk through the exhibition via entering a virtual room, scrolling the slideshow below or downloading the George Szmerling Untamed Catalogue (this link redirects to a PDF). OPEN YOUR CAMERA & SCAN THE close to home QR CODE Mapping Our Own Future is a weekly series of solo and group virtual exhibitions curated from the Arts Project Australia stockroom. An extension of the gallery to a virtual space, the series offers a place to connect with APA artists from home. Visit other virtual exhibitions here. Untamed was produced by Arts Project Australia gallery administrator Jo Salt.
Read MoreFERVENT REPOSE
Highly resolved and beautifully composed, George Aristovoulou’s carefully segmented picture planes are filled with heavily rendered swatches of colour. The abstract fields of patterning seamlessly blend together, lending a dream-like quality to the meticulously constructed imagery. In his current exhibition Fervent Repose, Aristovoulou creates fantastical, vibrant drawings that generate impact with their dense, smudged workings. His practice manifests a flourish of visual energies melded with a somewhat tranquil quality; a complex combination. The works in this exhibition seem to capture the balance of the serene wildness seen and felt in nature. They demonstrate the palpable energy of the natural world - that feeling that leaves us indebted and in awe. George Aristovoulou (b 1981, Melbourne) is an emerging artist who has worked in the Arts Project studio since 2011 and has exhibited in numerous group exhibitions including Melbourne Art Fair, Arts Centre Melbourne, Latrobe University, and Bundoora Homestead Art Centre in Melbourne. His work is held in private collections throughout Australia. Walk through the exhibition via entering a virtual room, scrolling the slideshow below or downloading the George Aristovoulou Fervent Repose Catalogue (this link redirects to a PDF). OPEN YOUR CAMERA & SCAN THE close to home QR CODE Mapping Our Own Future is a weekly series of solo and group virtual exhibitions curated from the Arts Project Australia stockroom. An extension of the gallery to a virtual space, the series offers a place to connect with APA artists from home. Visit other virtual exhibitions here. Fervent Repose was produced by Arts Project Australia gallery administrator Jo Salt.
Read MoreCLOSE TO HOME
Anne Lynch is an accomplished artist who has sustained a professional art practice since the early nineties. She is known for her pastel on paper artworks; her small-scale landscapes have a sense of melancholy that is also carried within lone figures that hover over gentle fields of colour. Her early work centred on rural landscapes, while recent drawings increasingly focus on subjects closer to home—fleeting domestic moments suspended in time. In current exhibition Close to Home, viewers will encounter a selection of Lynch's colourful domestic scenes: people joyfully playing instruments, dancing and waving, while a cat sprawls on a bright blue carpet. Birds perch on and in glass jars, fish swim in a tank surrounded by houseplants, and fresh flowers are arranged in vases perfectly poised on tabletops. This intimate collection could be interpreted as reflecting an artist's yearning—a desire for joy, domestic bliss and harmony. Lynch has worked at Arts Project Australia since 1995 and presented her first solo show in 2013. Her work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions including Renegades: Outsider Art, The Arts Centre Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise; Outsider Art Fair, Phyllis Kind Gallery, New York; and Home Sweet Home: Works from the Peter Fay Collection, National Gallery of Australia touring show. Public collections include the National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria, as gifted by Stuart Purves. Her work is held in national, international, corporate and private collections. Walk through the exhibition via entering a virtual room, scrolling the slideshow below or downloading the Anne Lynch Close to Home Catalgoue (this link redirects to a PDF). OPEN YOUR CAMERA & SCAN THE close to home QR CODE Mapping Our Own Future is a weekly series of solo and group virtual exhibitions curated from the Arts Project Australia stockroom. An extension of the gallery to a virtual space, the series offers a place to connect with APA artists from home. Visit other virtual exhibitions here. Close to Home was produced by Arts Project Australia curator and gallery manager Sim Luttin.
Read MoreDOLLARS AND [NON]SENSE
It’s the federal budget week in Australia and, while we don’t want to dwell on this rather dreary subject too long, it does give us pause to reflect, again, on what a roller-coaster year it has been. Not that we need any reminding, however, our recovery does require generating new cultural opportunities, jobs, and spending. And who better to lead this initiative with considerable flair, creative thinking and positivity than our artists and the arts. For those winners in Josh Frydenberg's 2020 budget, there are many ways to spend tax incentives online on all sorts of goods and services. Our call to action is for people to make a conscious decision to invest in culture and support local artists by putting dollars into contemporary art and craft, as well as online performances, music and creative workshops. It’s a good thing to do for our recovery, our culture and economy but, more importantly, it's good for the health and well-being of our artists and the broader community. A little goes a long way and creatives are used to expecting little and giving a lot. They are crucial to rebuilding a thriving culture. Our argument is sound and makes perfect sense, however, don’t take our word for it — the people have spoken! The findings of the Australia Council for the Arts 'Creating Our Future National Arts Participation Survey' captures Australians’ engagement with a diverse range of creative activity, “arts in the eye and experience of the Australian public.” Prior to COVID-19, 98% of Australians engaged with the arts in some way and 68% attended live events, from the visual arts and crafts through to theatre, festivals and literary events, while 16% of the population surveyed were involved in community arts of one kind or another. 56% of people also reported that arts and creativity positively impact our sense of wellbeing and happiness. So there you have it. Dollars and sense is an exhibition that responds to the federal budget week with some insights and abstract contemplation, as well as humour and nonsense. Focusing on work by Boris Cipusev, along with artists Peter Ben, Samraing Chea, Valerio Ciccone, Adrian Lazzaro, Julian Martin, Chris O'Brien, Gavin Porter, Josef Power, Paul Quick, Lisa Reid and Cathy Staughton. Walk through the exhibition via entering a virtual room, scrolling the slideshow below or downloading the Dollars and sense (this link redirects to a PDF). OPEN YOUR CAMERA & SCAN THE QR CODE Mapping Our Own Future is a weekly series of solo and group virtual exhibitions curated from the Arts Project Australia stockroom. An extension of the gallery to a virtual space, the series offers a place to connect with APA artists from home. Visit other virtual exhibitions here. Dollars and sense has been produced by Arts Project Australia curator and gallery manager Sim Luttin.
Read MoreCONSONANCE OF COLOUR
Chris Sahyoun's abstract works are sensitive in their build-up of patterned compositions and multi-coloured line work, with arcs and coloured swatches of ink and pastel igniting the surface of the paper. In his current virtual exhibition Consonance of Colour, Sahyoun combines transparent washes, loose gestural brush marks and bold lines to create a sense of depth and space. The combination of various mediums applied through a multitude of layers affords the works elegance and movement, characterised by a dynamic compositional format that is at times harmonious and rhythmic yet can also erupt with frenzied energy. Sahyoun embraces abstraction with an ease and inexplicable touch that renders the works magnetic and enchanting; a skilful blend of dazzling colours and luminous voids that teases the imagination and provokes an emotive response for the viewer. Chris Sahyoun (b 1977) has been a studio artist at Arts Project since 2012 and has exhibited in Arts Project Australia’s annual group exhibitions. His work is held in private collections nationally. Walk through the exhibition via entering a virtual room, scrolling the slideshow below or downloading the Chris Sahyoun Consonance of Colour Catalogue (this link redirects to a PDF). OPEN YOUR CAMERA & SCAN THE QR CODE Mapping Our Own Future is a weekly series of solo and group virtual exhibitions curated from the Arts Project Australia stockroom. An extension of the gallery to a virtual space, the series offers a place to connect with APA artists from home. Visit other virtual exhibitions here. Consonance of Colour has been produced by Arts Project Australia gallery administrator Jo Salt.
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