Eminent contemporary Australian artists are reunited in ‘Grounded: Contemporary Australian Art’ at the National Art School (NAS), Sydney. The college has looked to their alumni for this show which includes 2017 Archibald Prize winner Mitch Cairns and Sulman Prize winner Joan Ross, to reflect on their achievements and inspire the next generation of artists, the public and display new or rarely seen works. Other contributors include artists Karla Dickens, Newell Harry, Jumaadi, James Nguyen, Addison Marshall and Justine Varga.
Joan Ross, Colonial Grab, 2014, still from digital video. Courtesy the artist, The National Art School and Michael Reid Sydney
‘Grounded’ spotlights the art school’s multi-disciplinary strength by inviting artists who work across genres and mediums. Within the two-storey gallery space we find installation, painting, sculpture and video, accompanied by ephemera from the early planning stages of some artworks. By providing a comprehensive vision of the art making process, Judith Blackman, curator of the gallery at NAS, hopes to emphasise the important historical tradition of the institution and the “solid training they’ve [the artist’s] had at the School: a very good grounding.”
Mitch Cairns, Draught (head of department), 2017, oil on linen. Courtesy the artist, The National Art School and The Commercial, Sydney
Whilst the artists involved in ‘Grounded’ come from diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds, CEO of the university, Steven Alderton, promises that the “National Art School is the thread that joins these artists together”. In doing so, the institution is not only celebrating the distinct styles that it teaches, but also the freedom, encouraged at their home in Darlinghurst, to own an individualised artistic practice. Cairns’ body of work promises an exciting and original mix of early modernism and graphic form with his approach to line, colour and the lyrical suggestiveness of typography. Ross and Karla Dickens both address colonialism and subjugation. Dickens’ feminist lens focuses on the strength of women from an Aboriginal perspective, where as Vietnamese video-artist James Nguyen explores cultural displacement. Nguyen’s story is particularly poignant now in light of Australia’s inhumane treatment of people seeking asylum.
Karla Dickens, Warrior Woman, 2017, mixed media. Courtesy the artist, The National Art School, Sydney and Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane
In this way the exhibition comprised of some of Australia’s most prominent artists has an international perspective that is particularly compelling. While the artists’ education is ‘grounded’ on the NAS campus, their voices address a global audience.
National Art School
18 August to 14 October, 2017
Sydney
