HARRY NANKIN AT THE NGV AND REKO RENNIE IN THE USA

January 28, 2011

Stormy Weather, Contemporary Landscape Photography is an exhibition drawing from the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, currently running at the Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia at Federation Square. Examining contemporary photographers’ active relationships with various environments, the exhibition is a chance to see work by gallery artist Harry Nankin, amongst other notable artists, such as Jill Orr and David Stephenson. Frequently underpinning these works of quiet intensity and considerable beauty is an undercurrent of disruption and contradiction that suggests all is not as it may first appear – head over to have a look before March 20.

Reko Rennie has a major show opening tonight (January 28), all the way over in the United States. Curated by NGV Curator of Indigenous Art, Stephen Gilchrist, ‘Patternation’ is on at the Kluge-Ruhe Institute, University of Virginia. Referencing both Rennie’s use of pattern, and the ‘repetitive “patter” of national discourse concerning Indigenous people in both Australia and the US’, transformed the institute’s gallery walls with his trademark vibrant colour and pattern. While in Virginia, Rennie will collaborate on a public art project at The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative with Native American artist Frank Buffalo Hyde (Nez Perce/Onondaga) January 25-27. Hyde, who lives in Pittsburgh, mixes Indian imagery with icons of pop culture, expressing what he calls the “fragmented contemporary life” of a Native American U.S. citizen. Although not a street artist, Hyde incorporates stencils in his paintings on canvas. See the Kluge-Ruhe Institute’s website for more information.

Top image: Harry Nankin, Of Great Western Tears / Duet 2 (detail), 2007

Bottom image: Reko Rennie preparing for Native, 2010

WELCOME TO 2011…

January 17, 2011

We’re back in the gallery and getting stuck into an exciting and dynamic 2011. We are looking forward to exhibitions of new work from many of our artists, including Donna Marcus, Matthew Hunt, Shaun O’Connor, Helen Pynor, Victoria Reichelt, Neil Haddon, Natalie Ryan, Mark McCarthy and Yhonnie Scarce. Natasha Bieniek will  be presenting her first solo show at the gallery, following up a very successful year that saw her shortlisted for the prestigious Royal Bank of Scotland Emerging Artist award, and included in many group shows.

2011 also sees the the gallery’s project program stepping up a gear, to present an exciting series of exhibitions and events to complement our regular schedule. We’ll be working with some great artists and curators nationwide this year, both emerging and established, and you can expect some fantastic shows from artists such as Izabela Pluta, Eric Bridgeman and Yandell Walton. We’re also venturing off site, presenting Reko Rennie’s new exhibition at MOP Projects in Sydney in the latter half of the year.

On the Screen, the video program curated by Rachel Feery, is also launching into a brand new calendar of events. Fresh from the release of Short Play Volume One (the national video art journal founded by Rachel last November, and available for purchase in the gallery!), Rachel has a great line up of artists for us and you can expect a mini publication featuring the program for the first half of 2011 to peruse through very soon.

All in all, we’re very excited about what’s in store, and we hope you can make it to as many events as possible.

The first show for the year (Unclassified, curated by Gillian Brown and Rachel Feery), opens February 5, so we are looking forward to seeing you in the gallery – here’s to a great 2011!

Image: Matthew Hunt, Pleasure District, 2010