1 ABOUT THE RAMSAY ART PRIZE The Ramsay
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ABOUT THE RAMSAY ART PRIZE The Ramsay Art Prize supports contemporary The judges of the Ramsay Art Prize 2019 are, Australian artists under 40 working in any medium, Russell Storer, Deputy Director (Curatorial including sculpture, painting, drawing, and Research), National Gallery of photography, installation, sound, digital and Singapore, Richard Lewer, contemporary performance art. The range of materials and ideas artist, and Dr Lisa Slade, Assistant Director, presented creates opportunities to discuss Artistic Programs, Art Gallery of South contemporary Australian art. Australia. Together they have selected 23 Held every two years and supported by the James finalists. and Diana Ramsay Foundation, the Ramsay Art Prize will be an ongoing acquisitive prize. This means that the winning artist’s work will become part of the Gallery’s collection. The winner will receive a monetary prize of $100, 000. Visitors to the exhibition are invited to participate in the People’s Choice Award by voting for their favourite work of art. The winning artist will receive a cash prize of $15, 000, supported by Lipman Karas. Dr. Lisa Slade and Richard Lewer with his work The history of Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2018; photo: Saul Steed. 2
JAMES AND DIANA RAMSAY One of the Art Gallery of South Australia’s most passionate and generous supporters is Diana Ramsay AO. Her name is synonymous with arts patronage in South Australia and, indeed, Australia and her gifts of art have enriched the Gallery’s collection. Born in Adelaide in 1926 into the wine industry’s Hamilton family, Mrs Ramsay grew up in the Glenelg area. She travelled overseas, returning to study social sciences at Adelaide University and worked in Sydney. In 1960, she married James Ramsay (nephew of the famous painter Hugh Ramsay) and they returned from Sydney to live in Diana Ramsay with a Gilles Street Primary School student in The Studio. Adelaide in the mid 1960 s. 3
JAMES AND DIANA RAMSAY (continued) Mrs Ramsay’s involvement with the Art Gallery of South Australia began in childhood as a visitor. In 1969 she joined the newly formed Friends of the Gallery. This relationship grew stronger with Mrs Ramsay serving on the Gallery’s Foundation Council at its establishment in 1981. James and Diana Ramsay shared a lifelong passion for the arts. As the state’s leading cultural philanthropists they have helped to build careers and collections. They have also enriched the lives of thousands of young people through their support of programs such as START and The Studio here at the Gallery. Children enjoying START Day tour with one of our NEO Guides. Photo: Nat Rogers “The aim of the James and Diana Ramsay Foundation is to continue to foster excellence in the arts and support programs for youth” – James and Diana Ramsay Foundation 4
WHAT IS AN ART PRIZE? Art prizes are competitions for artists (both emerging and established) where they can submit a works of art to a gallery which may be selected for exhibition. These prizes can be an important part of an artist’s THINK AND DISCUSS ‘Contemporary art is always related to the time and place in which it is produced’. career, as it provides great exposure for the finalists as well as the winner. Winning entries are often awarded Consider this statement with a monetary prize and the artist’s work is sometimes relation to a work of art in the acquired by the gallery, which also helps galleries to Ramsay Art Prize. Explain how build their collections. this statement could also relate to Woman in a landscape. DID YOU KNOW? The Melrose Prize was held at the Art Gallery of South Australia between 1921 and 1967 and was initiated by Alexander Melrose (1865 – 1944), solicitor, writer and patron of the arts. The prize was primarily awarded for portraiture, except for five prizes which were awarded for figurative sculpture. Although not an acquisitive prize, selected works of art were subsequently acquired by the Gallery, including Woman in a landscape (1949) by Russell Drysdale. 5
DID YOU KNOW? Woman in a landscape provoked the disapproval of some members of the public, with letters of complaint featuring in the press. The criticism centred round the woman’s very plain and untidy appearance. One judge for the prize, Joseph Burke, Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Melbourne, stated at the time ‘it may shock some people because it is not a pretty picture. But art should be a criticism of life and not a sugary imitation of it. ’ Drysdale’s vision of the Australian outback stemmed from his fascination with the isolation and its characters. Drysdale continued to people who endured the unforgiving landscape, and he later took a keen interest in depicting Aboriginal people. In his search for a deeper understanding of the complex nature of Australia throughout his career, Drysdale produced works of art that encouraged tolerance - a vision which remains a focus for some contemporary artists today. image: Russell Drysdale, Australia, 1912 – 1981, Woman in a landscape, 1949, Sydney, oil on composition board, 101. 0 x 66. 3 cm, South Australian Government Grant 1949, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Courtesy of the estate of Russell Drysdale 6
WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY ART? 7
1. All great art has been contemporary art at some stage. The very idea of the contemporary is anything but new. Young radicals like Picasso, Kahlo and Pollock we were once ridiculed and derided. Now they’re household names – the subjects of crowd-pleasing blockbusters and the darlings of auction houses. Their journey from the edge as boundary riders, to the centre, to become defining voices in art, is the story of art history itself. It’s a little like thinking of your grandfather or grandmother as a defiant adolescent. image detail: Ben Quilty, Australia, 1973, Evening shadows, Rorschach after Johnstone, 2011, Robertson, New South Wales, oil on linen, eight panels, 115. 0 x 175. 0 cm (each panel), 230. 0 x 702. 0 cm (overall); Gift of Ben Quilty through the Art Gallery of South Australia Contemporary Collectors to celebrate the 10 th anniversary of Contemporary Collectors 2013. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Courtesy Ben Quilty 8
2. Contemporary art is about contemporary life. With the capacity to tell us about our world and ourselves in ways that are poetic and potent – in ways that we’d never imagine – contemporary artists challenge us to understand engage in our world. Contemporary art is always related to the time and place in which it is produced. image: Alex Seton, Australia, 1977, My concerns will outlive yours, 2011, Sydney, Wombeyan marble, stainless steel eyelets, halyard, 28. 0 x 155. 0 x 75. 0 cm; Gift of the Art Gallery of South Australia Foundation 2011, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. © Alexander Seton. photo: Per Ericson 9
3. Contemporary art is good fun. . and at times, controversial. Contemporary art is fun and fearless. And it can look like anything. Even objects and experiences never considered art are today part of the contemporary art canon. Carsten Höller’s 56 -metre-long slide in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall treated visitors to a theme park experience that awakened their sense of fun, fearlessness and their inner philosopher. Höller’s work, like much contemporary art, has generated its share of controversy too. 10
4. Contemporary art is everywhere and life would be pretty dull without it. It’s part of the very fabric of our lives. A couple of years ago, festival doyenne Robyn Archer challenged us to try one day without art. She awakened us, as all good art does, to the human need for beauty, connection and inspiration. Furthermore, contemporary art, with the help of burgeoning biennials, art fairs and festivals, is moving out of the art gallery and coming to you. image detail: Installation view Lindy Lee, The Life of Stars, 2018 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Divided Worlds, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide 11
5. Contemporary artists are future proofers. As part of the vanguard, those first into battle, those first to feel the brave new world relentlessly unfolding before us, contemporary artists can help us to face the future. They, like the best scientists and bravest thinkers, are the first to ask ‘what if? ’ They see failure as integral to success. Image: Patricia Piccinini, Australia, 1965 , Big mother, 2005, Melbourne, silicone, fibreglass, leather, human hair, 175. 0 c, 2005, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Gift of S. Angelakis, John Ayers, Candy Bennett, Cherise Conrick, James Darling AM and Lesley Forwood, Rick Frolich, Frances Gerard, Patricia Grattan French, Stephanie Grose, Gryphon Partners Advisory, Janet Hayes, Klein Family Foundation, Edwina Lehmann, Ian Little, David And Pam Mc. Kee, Dr Peter Mc. Evoy, Hugo and Brooke Michell, Jane Michell, Paul Taliangis, Michael and Tracey Whiting and anonymous donors through the Art Gallery of South Australia 12
Curiosity Cards How to engage your students with works of art Curiosity Cards promote critical and creative thinking an encourage long looking, resulting in students actively engaging with works of art, with ideas and with each other. These cards are the ideal tool to use, particularly when engaging with works of art you may not be familiar with. A sample can be accessed on our website or you can purchase a complete set of 52 cards from the Gallery Store for $14. 95. 13
EARLY YEARS & PRIMARY RESPONDING 14
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Sera Waters SA Installation Falling: Line by Line, 2018, vinyl wallpaper (adhesive backed and removeable), woollen long-stitches, 2 m x 7 m, Courtesy of the artist 16
EARLY YEARS & PRIMARY– RESPONDING Select a work of art in the Ramsay Art Prize that best represents one of the words from the following: §Fast §Slow §Loud §Quiet §Friendly §Wild 17
Hayley Millar- Baker VIC Photography A Series of Unwarranted Events, 2018, inkjet on cotton rag, 100 x 80 cm, 67 x 67 cm, Courtesy of the artist 18
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EARLY YEARS & PRIMARY– RESPONDING Imagine you are a judge responsible for choosing the winning work. Which work would you choose? Explain your answer. Perhaps vote for your favourite in the People’s Choice Award. 20
Vincent Namatjira SA/NT Painting/works on paper Close Contact, 2018, acrylic on plywood, 62 cm (w) x 188 cm (h) x 3 cm (d), Courtesy of the artist 21
EARLY YEARS & PRIMARY– RESPONDING Contemporary artists often reimagine traditional images or objects and provide new perspectives on historical works of art. After visiting the Ramsay Art Prize, take a walk through the Melrose and Elder Wings. In small groups, locate a work of art that reminds you of one you experienced in the Ramsay Art Prize. Perhaps the artist has used similar materials or addressed similar themes. You may like to use a Venn diagram to organise your thoughts. Share your response with the class. 22
Isadora Vaughan VIC Sculpture Canker Sore , 2018, ceramic, sand, steel, crushed stone, silicon, glass , 4 parts make up installation at 3. 5 m long approx. 2. 1 m tall at highest point, 2 m wide approx. , Courtesy of the artist 23
Jahnne Pasco-White VIC Installation Being Here is Everything, 2018, hand-dyed cottons and linens, cement oxide, acrylic, oil, crayon, pencil, various re-cycled fabrics, rice starch, PVA and Clag, 3. 5 x 7. 83 m, Courtesy of the artist 24
EARLY YEARS & PRIMARY MAKING 25
Huseyin Sami NSW Painting/works on paper Untitled (GWPPW) 2018, household paint on canvas, 2 panels, each 214. 5 x 198. 5 cm, Courtesy of the artist 26
Liam Benson NSW Installation Community Participatory Embroidery, Thoughts and Prayers, 2015 - 2018, glass and acrylic seed beads, bugle beads, sequins, cotton, tulle, 280 cm x 300 cm, Courtesy of the artist http: //artereal. com. au/exhibition/i-have-a-wealth-of-unconditional-love-and-its-yours-if-you-want-it/ https: //vimeo. com/235472590 27
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Emily Ferretti Painting/works on paper Shifting Landscapes, 2018, Monotype on Magnani Incisioni 300 gsm, Entire grid of work is 2400(h) x 4320(w) mm. Individual work: 76 x 55. 5 cm, Courtesy of the artist 29
Artists love to experiment and will often use materials we may consider as ordinary or disposable. Challenge yourself to create a three-dimensional work of art using only white paper. 30
Julia de. Ville Sculpture Mother is my Monarch, 2018, baby giraffe, my last breath, 18 ct gold, 18 ct white gold, sterling silver, bronze, gold plate, black rhodium plate, Akoya pearls, freshwater pearls, rose cut diamonds 6. 05 ct, rose cut black diamonds 0. 67 ct, uncut diamond granules 150 ct, setting from ex-husbands engagement ring (18 ct white gold, rose cut diamonds 0. 33 ct) Case made by Kate Rohde: Resin, Perspex, wood, steel, 200 x 112 x 163 cm h (including case), Courtesy of the artist 31
EARLY YEARS & PRIMARY– MAKING As a class, create an Art Prize for your school. Assign roles to each member of the class to form a committee: Sponsorship: Who will sponsor your prize? What will it be? Perhaps approach local businesses or your school principal. Entries: What are the rules for entering works of art? Venue and Display: Where will the exhibition be displayed and who will install the work? Exhibition: When is opening night? Who will open your exhibition? Will you have a catalogue? Judges: Who have you selected as your judges? What is the criteria for selecting a winner? Will you have a People’s Choice Prize? 32
SECONDARY RESPONDING 33
Tarryn Gill Sculpture Tricksters, 2018, mixed media, 4900 mm W x 2600 mm H x 300 mm D, Courtesy of the artist 34
SECONDARY – RESPONDING To create a new work of art, artists will sometimes review and rework ideas and images from the past. Contemporary artists often copy or find direct inspiration from artists that precede them. This is considered appropriation. Can you find an example of an artist who has used appropriation or referenced another artist or work of art? Provide evidence to explain your answer. 35
Sophia Hewson Performance/Installation Viewer as patient, 2018, oil on board, leather armchairs, plant, side table, tea, dimensions variable, Courtesy of the artist 36
Eric Bridgeman QLD Painting Coconut, 2018, acrylic and twine on ply, 170 x 60 cm, Courtesy of the artist 37
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Kuba Dorabialski NSW New Media Seven Revisionists, 2018, Full HD video with stereo sound (optionally, black fabric theatrical drapes and MDF screen), 21 mins 29 secs, Courtesy of the artist https: //vimeo. com/261208030/052 da 38 cca 39
SECONDARY – RESPONDING Write an exhibition review of the Ramsay Art Prize. Which works will you discuss in your review? Perhaps consider what the purpose is of the Ramsay Art Prize? Become familiar with exhibition reviews in relation to their content and tone. TIP: Check The Adelaide Review, Artlink, Art Guide, The Advertiser or The Australian or see resource list for a recent review of the exhibition Versus Rodin: bodies across space and time. 40
Viv Miller New Media Folk, 2018, animation featuring hand drawn drawings, 4 min 59 sec, Courtesy of the artist https: //vimeo. com/287741625 https: //vimeo. com/search? q=Viv+Miller https: //neonparc. com. au/exhibitions/viv-miller-2018 41
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Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran NSW Sculpture Bronze Deities, 2018, bronze, 24 carat gold plated bronze, marble, concrete, perspex, acrylic mirror, chains and rubber snakes, dimensions variable, Courtesy of the artist 43
SECONDARY – RESPONDING Investigate an Australian artist who has been the recipient of a significant art prize and consider how that award may have shaped their career and/or the course of Australian art. TIP: Tony Albert, Sarah Contos, Ben Quilty or Justine Varga. 44
Ryan Bradley VIC Installation Cn. N 5 D+YUNpy, 2018, Dye Cotton Tapestry & Electroluminescent Wire, 190 cm x 260 cm, Courtesy of the artist https: //vimeo. com/306314734 45
Tom Freeman WA Installation Dippers (greenish, grey, pinky, yellowy) 2, 2018, acrylic paint, wire, porcelain, marble, polyurethane, variable dimensions, Courtesy of the artist 46
SECONDARY MAKING 47
Pierre Mukeba SA Painting/works on paper Ride to church, 2018, brush pen, acrylic paint and applique on canvas, 320 x 424 cm, Courtesy of the artist 48
Jessica Bradford NSW Installation An Image of a Tiger, 2018, pastel and liquid pencil on primed aluminium sheet, bisque fired porcelain, Tung-oiled plywood, Tasmanian oak, metal brackets, Approximately 480 cm in diameter and 88 cm in height. (The ceramic work on top of the table creates a variable height, with a maximum of 106 cm, the listed height of 88 cm is the table top), Courtesy of the artist 49
THINK AND DISCUSS If you could make a work of art from any material in the world, what would it be and why? 50
Dale Collier NSW Installation Using fire to flesh out the fraud, 2018, found painting, projection, charcoal, scorched school desk, dimensions variable, Courtesy of the artist https: //vimeo. com/306327506 p/w: 1818 project https: //soundcloud. com/dale-collier/using-fire-to-flesh-out-the-fraud-audio-file 51
SECONDARY – MAKING Read ‘What is contemporary art? ’ by Dr. Lisa Slade Create a work of art that embodies at least one of these definitions or characteristics. In small groups, begin by unpacking the definitions and brainstorming ideas that would meet these characteristics. Include an artist statement with your work that explains how your work aligns with this contemporary framework. 52
Nathan Hawkes Painting/works on paper Daytime shame (With closed eyes / Together they said "milk" and "bread" / Alas, the summer's energy wanes quickly), 2018, dry pigment pastel and graphite on paper in steel and acrylic frames, three sections, 220 cm X 150 cm each, Courtesy of the artist 53
SECONDARY – MAKING Time-based works such as video, sound art or performance art are referred to as four-dimensional works of art. Create your own 4 D work of art that responds to an event that occurred in the last year. 54
Lina Buck VIC New Media In Context (Actions Becoming), 2018, 2 -Channel video projection, 10 minutes and 28 seconds (looping), Courtesy of the artist https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=cvwwr. LN 8 SJs&t=151 s 55
SECONDARY – MAKING Today’s artists challenge us to ask questions and engage with our world. Create a work of art that engages with a social and cultural issue. 56
Phuong Ngo VIC Installation Loss in the Aftermath, 2018, inkjet prints, perspex, steel, hammocks, mechanical components, dimensions variable, Courtesy of the artist 57
RESOURCES - Books & Education Resources Barrett, T, Why Is That Art? Aesthetics and Criticism of Contemporary Art, Oxford University Press, USA, 2017 http: //bit. ly/2 qzj 65 c Boldt, C & Meredith E, Think and Make Like an Artist, Thames & Hudson, London, 2017 http: //bit. ly/2 q. Ynj. Aj Cree, L, Awesome! Australian Art for Contemporary Kids, Thames and Hudson, Australia, 2002 http: //bit. ly/2 rkqi. CN Hodge, S, How to Look at art, TATE Publishing, 2014 http: //bit. ly/2 qzgqo 8 Hodge, S, Why Your Five Year Old Could Not Have Done That, Thames and Hudson, Great Britain, 2012 http: //bit. ly/2 p. Rhcg. T Klein, J & Klein, S, What Is Contemporary Art? : a children’s guide, Thames and Hudson, London, 2012 http: //bit. ly/2 rko 4 TQ Kyung, A, Who’s Afraid of Contemporary Art? Thames & Hudson, London 2017 http: //bit. ly/2 rx. Dpgz Smith, T, What Is Contemporary Art? , The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2010 http: //bit. ly/2 rxh. Ls. D Ward, O, Ways of Looking: How to Experience Contemporary Art, Lawrence King Publishing, 2014 http: //bit. ly/2 rkv 3 Mw Wilson, M, How to Read Contemporary Art, Thames & Hudson, London, 2013 http: //bit. ly/2 q. Y 3 R 6 E Yenawine, P. Visual Thinking Strategies, Harvard Education Publishing Group, 2014 http: //bit. ly/2 qxm. JI 7 21 st Century Art for Kids, Queensland Art Gallery, 2010 http: //bit. ly/2 q 282 c. S Encounters with Contemporary Art: an education kit for the contemporary collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales http: //bit. ly/2 qxp 4 mx 58
RESOURCES – Websites and videos Art 21 – Getting Started: An introduction to Teaching with Contemporary Art http: //bit. ly/2 rka. Iar A Creative Guide to Contemporary Art (ABC Splash) http: //ab. co/2 qxjv. Vg Art Gallery of New South Wales – Contemporary Art http: //bit. ly/2 q 20 G 94 The Art Story http: //bit. ly/1 N 4 W 21 B Contemporary Art and the Role of Interpretation by Helen Charman and Michaela Ross – Tate Papers http: //bit. ly/2 q 2 oh 9 K The Conversation + In. Daily | Arts + Culture | James Moss http: //bit. ly/2 q. XZ 19 t Introducing Formal Analysis – The Getty http: //bit. ly/2 rx. FKIX In. Daily – The Turbulent World of the Art Prize http: //bit. ly/2 qzf. T 5 EIt’s Not Art – Caitin Eyre (Fineprint) http: //bit. ly/2 qxfz 72 James and Diana Ramsay Foundation http: //bit. ly/2 qxl. ZTi Museum of Contemporary Art http: //bit. ly/2 rkp. Hk. E Sydney Morning Herald + The Age + Canberra Times + Brisbane Times | Spectrum | Review by John Mc. Donald http: //bit. ly/2 qzgbc. K Talking Points Contemporary Visual Arts 2013 -2014 (Australia Council) http: //bit. ly/2 p. Zj. Ddf The Ramsay Prize http: //bit. ly/2 ec 1 Nxo. Ways of Looking Framework http: //bit. ly/2 rxr. Fur 59
RAMSAY ART PRIZE 2017 WINNER 60
Sarah Contos, The Long Kiss Goodbye, 2016. Ramsay Art Prize 2017 Winner Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye , 2016, Gift of the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation for the 2017 Ramsay Art Prize, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley 9 Gallery, Sydney and STATION Gallery, Melbourne: photo: Saul Steed. 61
Sarah Contos works across collage, sculpture and installation and references popular culture and art history. In Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye, the artist brings together the personal fragments of her practice from the last four years, resulting in a colossal quilt that she describes as her most ambitious work to date. Previous works of art and exhibition histories are captured in this textile time capsule, making it a self-initiated retrospective of her career. Contos trained in stage and costume design as well as in fine arts. She has been included in group and solo exhibitions and in 2016 produced Sincerely Yours in collaboration with Australian fashion house Romance Was Born. Among other accolades Contos was awarded the 4 A Beijing Residency in 2013 and was the recipient of the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship (Sculpture) in 2011. image: Sarah Contos Resources Art Almanac – Sarah Contos http: //bit. ly/2 rtvctx Sarah Contos http: //bit. ly/2 r. BWn. C 3 NGA –Intervention Series video http: //bit. ly/2 VGa. V 3 x TATE: When is craft an art? http: //bit. ly/2 syr. Dae Romance Was Born – Sincerely Yours http: //bit. ly/2 r. C 2 Pt 7 62
PRIMARY - RESPONDING Ø Based on your observations and before looking at the wall label, invent a title for The Long Kiss Goodbye. Ø To understand a work of art or learn more about the artist who made it, we need to look for clues. Look closely at Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye for one minute. Make a list of all the things you can see. What do these items tell you about the artist? Based on your list, write a small profile on Sarah Contos. Ø Craft practices have traditionally been associated with women artists. What behaviours or symbols do we associate with being male or female? If you could eliminate any stereotype, which would it be? Installation view: Melrose Wing, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. front: Romance Was Born, manufacturer, Anna Plunkett, designer, Australia, born 1981, Luke Sales, designer, Australia, born 1982, Quilted sleep jacket-chantilly from Whispering Angel Resort 2017 Collection, 2016, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, silk satin; Gift of an anonymous donor through the Art Gallery of South Australia Foundation 2016, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide back: Cami James, Australia, born Adelaide 1986, Nadia Napreychikov, Australia, born Moscow 1987, Di$count Univer$e, Jacket, Bodysuit and boots from Sin is In 2016 Runway Collection, 2016, Melbourne, satin, synthetic, leather, metal, plastic; Gift of an anonymous donor through the Art Gallery of South Australia Foundation 2016, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. 63
PRIMARY - RESPONDING (continued) Ø The definition of decorative art is ‘art concerned primarily with the creation of useful items such as furniture, ceramics or textiles’. Would you classify Contos’ quilt as decorative art? Where would be the best place to display this work of art? Compare this work with other textiles in the collection. • Morris & Company • Rebecca King, Quilt [crazy patchwork], c. 1890 -95 • Jane Judd (née Digby), Quilt [broderie Perse], early 19 th century • Romance was Born, manufacturer, Anna Image detail: Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye , 2016, Gift of the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation for the 2017 Ramsay Art Prize, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley 9 Gallery, Sydney and STATION Gallery, Melbourne: photo: Saul Steed. Plunkett and Luke Sales, designers, Quilted sleep jacket chantilly, 2016 64
Rebecca King, Australia, 1859 – 1915, Quilt [crazy patchwork], c. 1890 -95, Georgetown, South Australia, silk, cotton, 202. 5 x 268. 0 cm; Gift of Dr A W Wall 1972, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. Morris & Company, London, Britain, 1861– 1940, William Morris, designer, Britain, 1834 – 1896, Evenlode curtain, c. 1925, designed 1883, London, indigo discharge & colour woodblock print on cotton, 248. 0 x 70. 0 cm (display); Gift of William & Lili Manos 1991, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. 65
PRIMARY - MAKING Ø Sarah Contos describes her work as a snapshot in time offered as a future memory. Create your own collage that illustrates the past month of your life. Consider including a combination of drawings, objects and fabrics that link to your personal story, or to put it simply - what makes you, you? Ø Does your school have a time capsule? Investigate the type of items that were placed inside. Create your own class time capsule to be opened before you leave for high school. Consider including items that capture this point in time; such as drawings, letters, newspaper articles or photographs. image detail: Sarah Contos, Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye, 2016, screen-print on linen, canvas and lamé, digital printed fabrics and various found fabrics, PVC, poly-fil, glass, ceramic and plastic beads, thread, artists’ gloves, 610 x 330 x 25 cm; Gift of the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation for the 2017 Ramsay Art Prize 66
PRIMARY - MAKING Ø Contos draws inspiration from characters in films, books and history. Create a class quilt using a person from history as inspiration. Each member of the class will illustrate a part of that person’s story using recycled mixed media. Stitch each student’s work of art together to create a large collaborative visual narrative that depicts significant moments in this figure’s life. TIP: You may like to stitch paper instead of fabric or embellish your piece with three - dimensional elements like Contos. Ø Design the bed that Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye would belong on. Imagine the shape of the bed head, its size and the materials you would use. Imagine if the bed had special powers - what would they be and why? Describe how it would feel to be asleep in the bed wrapped in Contos’ quilt image detail: Sarah Contos, Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye, 2016, screen-print on linen, canvas and lamé, digital printed fabrics and various found fabrics, PVC, poly-fil, glass, ceramic and plastic beads, thread, artists’ gloves, 610 x 330 x 25 cm; Gift of the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation for the 2017 Ramsay Art Prize 67
PRIMARY - MAKING Ø Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye is a personal work of art made entirely by hand, honouring the traditions of quilt making – an act of love that is often exchanged between loved ones. Using recycled fabrics create a segment of a quilt that you will give to someone important in your life. Your quilt square may be a portrait of that person and their interests. image detail: Sarah Contos, Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye, 2016, screen -print on linen, canvas and lamé, digital printed fabrics and various found fabrics, PVC, polyfil, glass, ceramic and plastic beads, thread, artists’ gloves, 610 x 330 x 25 cm; Gift of the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation for the 2017 Ramsay Art Prize 68
THINK AND DISCUSS What technique or tradition would you like to see make a comeback? 69
SECONDARY – RESPONDING Ø There has been a resurgence of late in the use of craft techniques by both male and female contemporary artists. Compare Contos’ work with another artist from the list below who utilise textiles. What key themes are being explored and how have these been communicated to the audience? How does their choice of media connect to their conceptual framework? TIP: Nick Cave, Tracey Emin, Grayson Perry, Julia Robinson, Rosmarie Trockel and Sera Waters. Falling: Line by Line, 2018, vinyl wallpaper (adhesive backed and removeable), woollen long-stitches, 2 m x 7 m, Courtesy of the artist 70
SECONDARY – RESPONDING Ø The boundary between craft and art has long been challenged. After viewing Contos’ winning work, locate other works in the permanent collection that may blur the line between art and craft. How do we tell the difference between a textile work that is art and one that is craft? Omega Workshops, Bloomsbury, London, Britain, 1913– 1920, Vanessa Bell, designer, fabric and garment, Britain, 1879– 1961, Pair of Pyjamas in Maud design, 1918, fabric designed 1913, Bloomsbury, London, printed linen, 105. 4 cm (trousers, outer leg); South Australian Government Grant 1984, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide © Estate of Vanessa Bell courtesy of Henrietta Garnett. 71
SECONDARY – RESPONDING The Australian fashion house Romance Was Born worked with Sarah Contos to produce the Sincerely Yours collection. Look at some of the garments in this collection online. Select a garment that displays Contos’ influence. Explain your selection by comparing this garment to Contos’ winning work. Discuss how the materials and visual elements are consistent with Contos’ art practice. Click on image to visit Sincerely Yours collection 72
SECONDARY – MAKING Ø Contos’ process for art making begins with Ø Notions of the self and identity underpin her looking at absolutely everything – each body of work Contos makes. She is scanning science magazines, viewing films sometimes inspired by characters from or gazing out the window to catch the film, literature or history and notes that she gesture of a stranger on the street. Spend is drawn to characters that share similar a week like a bowerbird. Collect magazine attributes. Consider a person, either or newspaper clippings, objects, fabric and fictional, someone in popular culture or a recycled materials. Take photographs and public figure by whom you are inspired. complete a series of spontaneous sketches What are the characteristics that make you of people you see and places you visit. admire them? Create a tribute to that Work out any relationships between the person using mixed media. items collected and create a cohesive work of art. Write a statement explaining the decisions you made about your work. 73
SECONDARY – MAKING Ø Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye was the result of a period of Goodbye appears as a functional work of art personal struggle and change for the artist. due its the soft and inviting textures and its Reflect on a current social, environmental or potential to be used as a quilt. Transform a political issue. Without using text, design a functional piece of clothing into a wearable poster or create a screen-print that responds work of art. to this time or event. image detail: Sarah Contos, Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye, 2016, screen-print on linen, canvas and lamé, digital printed fabrics and various found fabrics, PVC, poly-fil, glass, ceramic and plastic beads, thread, artists’ gloves, 610 x 330 x 25 cm; Gift of the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation for the 2017 Ramsay Art Prize 74
SARAH CONTOS – HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS The Arts and Craft movement in the United Kingdom in the mid-19 th century emerged due to concerns about the quality of design and decoration because of machine production. William Morris was a leading member of this movement and was well known for his pattern designs for fabric and wallpapers. Fast forward to the early 20 th century – Roger Fry, one of the DID YOU KNOW? The Art Gallery of South Australia holds the most comprehensive collection founders of Omega Workshops Ltd in the United Kingdom, was an of Morris & Company important figure in raising awareness about modernism and design. furnishings outside of the Fry aimed to dissolve the division between decorative and fine arts United Kingdom. and provide additional income for his artist friends including Vanessa Bell, an English artist and sister of author Virginia Woolf who produced fabric designs for Omega. Textiles had a reputation for being considered craft rather than art, and they were often associated with women artisans and consequently considered inferior to the fine arts. As contemporary artists continue to ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. ’ – William Morris incorporate craft traditions in their practice, we are encouraged to reevaluate historical female artists who were, at the time, undervalued when compared to male artists. 75
SARAH CONTOS – HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS Investigate the work of Vanessa Bell once stated that her textile work was an extension of her paintings. What do you think she meant by this and what similarities can you identify between her textile designs and her paintings? As a starting point compare Pair of Pyjamas in Maud design, 1918 and Bedroom, Gordon Square, 1912, in the Gallery’s collection. Write a response to the following statement: ‘Progressive artists Vanessa Bell and Sarah Contos challenge ideas about gender and renegotiate the borders between fine and decorative arts. ’ In your research, did you discover any other female artists who were pioneers for women’s rights? Share your findings with your class. Vanessa Bell, Britain, 1879– 1961, Bedroom, Gordon Square, 1912, Bloomsbury, London, oil on canvas, 56. 3 x 46. 2 cm; South Australian Government Grant 1984, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide © Estate of Vanessa Bell courtesy of Henrietta Garnett. 76
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