Australian Art: from Classical Antiquity to Contemporary Emerging Talents
European settlers and their descendants of Australia have evolved their art world distinctive from the rest of western countries since the 1800s. Immense and sublime nature and abundant life nurtured from fertile soil and bountiful ocean influenced Australian art throughout its history. Sydney, a vibrant and multicultural capital, has two magnificent world-class art museums dedicated to Australian art.
Art Gallery of New South Wales, a national museum comprised of two enormous buildings, has extensive collection featuring from classical art to modern and contemporary art. Museum of Contemporary Art showcases its own collection of contemporary artwork and exhibitions of currently reputed artists.
For the first time in my life, I traveled to Sydney in the second week of February 2023. To understand western civilization in the colonized land, and to study and appreciate Australian art, I visited both museums. I’m truly blessed that I got to witness the whole trajectory of Australian art by observing artwork. Fascinated to share acquired knowledge, I will publish a comprehensive survey on Australia Art comprised of five topics in March. Each topic represents a significant phase of Australian art history.
Topics
1. Art Gallery NSW: European Classical Art 1400–1900
Setting European settlement in Australia as a milestone, classical paintings at the museum were divided into two groups: European and Australian. This article discusses six selected paintings from the first group. European artists of classical era painted them in Europe, and display the power of European civilization.
2. Art Gallery NSW: Australian Classical Art 1800–1900
Just as European classical masterpieces are in museums of Europe, Australian classical masterpieces are in Art Gallery NSW, making them a must-see for visitors. This post features 16 selected Australian classical paintings from the collection of the museum. It explains distinctive characteristics of Australian classical art and its geographical and sociological backgrounds.
3. Art Gallery NSW: Australian Modern Art 1900–1960
- Part 1: Australian Avant-garde
- Part 2: Modern Life
- Part 3: Sensuality
Based on modernist principles and techniques from Europe, Sydney artists employed them in the Australian context. Australian artists portrayed Australian subjects based on observation of composition, form, and color with European avant-garde ideas and techniques. They developed their artworks further through collaboration. The such artistic practice created modern artworks truly unique to Australia, which was distinguished from European avant-garde artworks.
4. Museum of Contemporary Art: Perspectives on Place
Perspectives on Place exhibited by Modern and Contemporary Art Australia showcased two types of contemporary artwork: the first type reveals the national history of colonization and the second type shows the current world governed by the western system. The exhibition offers viewers an opportunity to contemplate and reach a conclusion that the national condition is the global status quo.
5. Museum of Contemporary Art: Primavera 2022 — Young Australian Artists
The exhibition showcased six works created by six emerging celebrities endorsed by Modern and Contemporary Art Australia. The works displayed in the exhibition are portraits of the artists, and viewers can get to know the stories of each artist through them. Remembering the artists featured in the exhibitin is highly recommended, as they will eventually become big names in the art world in the next 5–10 years. Big names mean showering with accolades and solo exhibitions at world-class art institutions.
Thank you for finish reading the article. It shows the list of articles within the comprehensive study on Australian Art. To read listed articles, please direct to the links below.
Classical
- Art Gallery NSW: European Classical Art 1400–1900
- Art Gallery NSW: Australian Classical Art 1800–1900
Modern
- Art Gallery NSW: Australian Modern Art — Part 1 Australian Avant-garde
- Art Gallery NSW: Australian Modern Art — Part 2 Modern Life
- Art Gallery NSW: Australian Modern Art — Part 3 Sensuality
Contemporary
- Modern and Contemporary Art Australia: Perspectives on Place
- Modern and Contemporary Art Australia: Primavera 2022 — Young Australian Artists
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