Latest news with #ArtGalleryofSouthAustralia
The Advertiser
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Never-before-seen Margaret Preston artworks go on show
Two recently discovered paintings by one of Australia's most significant artists are going on show to the public for the first time. Margaret Preston is best known for her distinctively Australian still lifes and printmaking, but while based in Ireland during World War I, she painted two post-Impressionist views of the coast. The oil paintings were held in a private collection in Britain, and even art scholars specialising in Preston's work were unaware the paintings existed, according to Art Gallery of South Australia curator Tracey Lock. The paintings will finally go on public display as part of Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940, currently on at the Art Gallery of South Australia, before opening at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in October. The exhibition is a joint project by both galleries, with art from their collections making up about half the works on show - what's more, the galleries have acquired one of the Preston paintings each. With 50 artists and 220 artworks, Dangerously Modern is billed as the first major exhibition to explore the role of Australian women in modernism internationally. At the turn of the 20th century, waves of women artists left Australia to work overseas, in defiance of social expectations at the time. Not only did these artists contribute to the development of modernism in Europe, they returned home with fresh ideas that helped modernise Australia too. The exhibition title comes from an article by artist Thea Proctor, who returned from London to Sydney in 1921 to find her art described as "dangerously modern". The show also includes work from the likes of Nora Heysen and Grace Cossington Smith, but there are names that are less well known, such as Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Many trailblazing women artists were successful during their lifetimes, only to find themselves written out of art history in the postwar period, said Lock. "Almost overnight - bam! They are erased from the record," she said. Dangerously Modern is no less than an effort to bring these artists back into the historical narrative - and a 65,000-word catalogue with essays from 29 art scholars should help. Lock believes part of the reason women have been left out is that Australian art history (and those writing it) did not value the themes these artists were exploring at the time. Rather than the usual tenets of light, landscape and national identity, women artists such as Anne Dangar were exploring notions of spiritualism, for example. "Our women get lost, they get a bit stuck in some blind spot in Australian art, we don't know what to do with them," said Lock. "Frankly, it's time to change, and show the power of this work." While Australia's state galleries regularly loan works, they do not often collaborate on the design and concept of a show. But when AGNSW and AGSA realised they were preparing similar exhibitions, they decided to work together. There are Sydney artists such Proctor, Dangar and Cossington Smith, as well as Grace Crowley, while South Australian names include Dorrit Black along with Heysen and Preston. "Maybe it's in the water or something, but it turns out Adelaide has produced a number of very talented modern women artists," said Lock. Dangerously Modern is on at the Art Gallery of South Australia until September 7 and will show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from October 11 until February 2026. Two recently discovered paintings by one of Australia's most significant artists are going on show to the public for the first time. Margaret Preston is best known for her distinctively Australian still lifes and printmaking, but while based in Ireland during World War I, she painted two post-Impressionist views of the coast. The oil paintings were held in a private collection in Britain, and even art scholars specialising in Preston's work were unaware the paintings existed, according to Art Gallery of South Australia curator Tracey Lock. The paintings will finally go on public display as part of Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940, currently on at the Art Gallery of South Australia, before opening at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in October. The exhibition is a joint project by both galleries, with art from their collections making up about half the works on show - what's more, the galleries have acquired one of the Preston paintings each. With 50 artists and 220 artworks, Dangerously Modern is billed as the first major exhibition to explore the role of Australian women in modernism internationally. At the turn of the 20th century, waves of women artists left Australia to work overseas, in defiance of social expectations at the time. Not only did these artists contribute to the development of modernism in Europe, they returned home with fresh ideas that helped modernise Australia too. The exhibition title comes from an article by artist Thea Proctor, who returned from London to Sydney in 1921 to find her art described as "dangerously modern". The show also includes work from the likes of Nora Heysen and Grace Cossington Smith, but there are names that are less well known, such as Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Many trailblazing women artists were successful during their lifetimes, only to find themselves written out of art history in the postwar period, said Lock. "Almost overnight - bam! They are erased from the record," she said. Dangerously Modern is no less than an effort to bring these artists back into the historical narrative - and a 65,000-word catalogue with essays from 29 art scholars should help. Lock believes part of the reason women have been left out is that Australian art history (and those writing it) did not value the themes these artists were exploring at the time. Rather than the usual tenets of light, landscape and national identity, women artists such as Anne Dangar were exploring notions of spiritualism, for example. "Our women get lost, they get a bit stuck in some blind spot in Australian art, we don't know what to do with them," said Lock. "Frankly, it's time to change, and show the power of this work." While Australia's state galleries regularly loan works, they do not often collaborate on the design and concept of a show. But when AGNSW and AGSA realised they were preparing similar exhibitions, they decided to work together. There are Sydney artists such Proctor, Dangar and Cossington Smith, as well as Grace Crowley, while South Australian names include Dorrit Black along with Heysen and Preston. "Maybe it's in the water or something, but it turns out Adelaide has produced a number of very talented modern women artists," said Lock. Dangerously Modern is on at the Art Gallery of South Australia until September 7 and will show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from October 11 until February 2026. Two recently discovered paintings by one of Australia's most significant artists are going on show to the public for the first time. Margaret Preston is best known for her distinctively Australian still lifes and printmaking, but while based in Ireland during World War I, she painted two post-Impressionist views of the coast. The oil paintings were held in a private collection in Britain, and even art scholars specialising in Preston's work were unaware the paintings existed, according to Art Gallery of South Australia curator Tracey Lock. The paintings will finally go on public display as part of Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940, currently on at the Art Gallery of South Australia, before opening at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in October. The exhibition is a joint project by both galleries, with art from their collections making up about half the works on show - what's more, the galleries have acquired one of the Preston paintings each. With 50 artists and 220 artworks, Dangerously Modern is billed as the first major exhibition to explore the role of Australian women in modernism internationally. At the turn of the 20th century, waves of women artists left Australia to work overseas, in defiance of social expectations at the time. Not only did these artists contribute to the development of modernism in Europe, they returned home with fresh ideas that helped modernise Australia too. The exhibition title comes from an article by artist Thea Proctor, who returned from London to Sydney in 1921 to find her art described as "dangerously modern". The show also includes work from the likes of Nora Heysen and Grace Cossington Smith, but there are names that are less well known, such as Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Many trailblazing women artists were successful during their lifetimes, only to find themselves written out of art history in the postwar period, said Lock. "Almost overnight - bam! They are erased from the record," she said. Dangerously Modern is no less than an effort to bring these artists back into the historical narrative - and a 65,000-word catalogue with essays from 29 art scholars should help. Lock believes part of the reason women have been left out is that Australian art history (and those writing it) did not value the themes these artists were exploring at the time. Rather than the usual tenets of light, landscape and national identity, women artists such as Anne Dangar were exploring notions of spiritualism, for example. "Our women get lost, they get a bit stuck in some blind spot in Australian art, we don't know what to do with them," said Lock. "Frankly, it's time to change, and show the power of this work." While Australia's state galleries regularly loan works, they do not often collaborate on the design and concept of a show. But when AGNSW and AGSA realised they were preparing similar exhibitions, they decided to work together. There are Sydney artists such Proctor, Dangar and Cossington Smith, as well as Grace Crowley, while South Australian names include Dorrit Black along with Heysen and Preston. "Maybe it's in the water or something, but it turns out Adelaide has produced a number of very talented modern women artists," said Lock. Dangerously Modern is on at the Art Gallery of South Australia until September 7 and will show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from October 11 until February 2026. Two recently discovered paintings by one of Australia's most significant artists are going on show to the public for the first time. Margaret Preston is best known for her distinctively Australian still lifes and printmaking, but while based in Ireland during World War I, she painted two post-Impressionist views of the coast. The oil paintings were held in a private collection in Britain, and even art scholars specialising in Preston's work were unaware the paintings existed, according to Art Gallery of South Australia curator Tracey Lock. The paintings will finally go on public display as part of Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940, currently on at the Art Gallery of South Australia, before opening at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in October. The exhibition is a joint project by both galleries, with art from their collections making up about half the works on show - what's more, the galleries have acquired one of the Preston paintings each. With 50 artists and 220 artworks, Dangerously Modern is billed as the first major exhibition to explore the role of Australian women in modernism internationally. At the turn of the 20th century, waves of women artists left Australia to work overseas, in defiance of social expectations at the time. Not only did these artists contribute to the development of modernism in Europe, they returned home with fresh ideas that helped modernise Australia too. The exhibition title comes from an article by artist Thea Proctor, who returned from London to Sydney in 1921 to find her art described as "dangerously modern". The show also includes work from the likes of Nora Heysen and Grace Cossington Smith, but there are names that are less well known, such as Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Many trailblazing women artists were successful during their lifetimes, only to find themselves written out of art history in the postwar period, said Lock. "Almost overnight - bam! They are erased from the record," she said. Dangerously Modern is no less than an effort to bring these artists back into the historical narrative - and a 65,000-word catalogue with essays from 29 art scholars should help. Lock believes part of the reason women have been left out is that Australian art history (and those writing it) did not value the themes these artists were exploring at the time. Rather than the usual tenets of light, landscape and national identity, women artists such as Anne Dangar were exploring notions of spiritualism, for example. "Our women get lost, they get a bit stuck in some blind spot in Australian art, we don't know what to do with them," said Lock. "Frankly, it's time to change, and show the power of this work." While Australia's state galleries regularly loan works, they do not often collaborate on the design and concept of a show. But when AGNSW and AGSA realised they were preparing similar exhibitions, they decided to work together. There are Sydney artists such Proctor, Dangar and Cossington Smith, as well as Grace Crowley, while South Australian names include Dorrit Black along with Heysen and Preston. "Maybe it's in the water or something, but it turns out Adelaide has produced a number of very talented modern women artists," said Lock. Dangerously Modern is on at the Art Gallery of South Australia until September 7 and will show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from October 11 until February 2026.
Perth Now
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Never-before-seen Margaret Preston artworks go on show
Two recently discovered paintings by one of Australia's most significant artists are going on show to the public for the first time. Margaret Preston is best known for her distinctively Australian still lifes and printmaking, but while based in Ireland during World War I, she painted two post-Impressionist views of the coast. The oil paintings were held in a private collection in Britain, and even art scholars specialising in Preston's work were unaware the paintings existed, according to Art Gallery of South Australia curator Tracey Lock. The paintings will finally go on public display as part of Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940, currently on at the Art Gallery of South Australia, before opening at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in October. The exhibition is a joint project by both galleries, with art from their collections making up about half the works on show - what's more, the galleries have acquired one of the Preston paintings each. With 50 artists and 220 artworks, Dangerously Modern is billed as the first major exhibition to explore the role of Australian women in modernism internationally. At the turn of the 20th century, waves of women artists left Australia to work overseas, in defiance of social expectations at the time. Not only did these artists contribute to the development of modernism in Europe, they returned home with fresh ideas that helped modernise Australia too. The exhibition title comes from an article by artist Thea Proctor, who returned from London to Sydney in 1921 to find her art described as "dangerously modern". The show also includes work from the likes of Nora Heysen and Grace Cossington Smith, but there are names that are less well known, such as Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Many trailblazing women artists were successful during their lifetimes, only to find themselves written out of art history in the postwar period, said Lock. "Almost overnight - bam! They are erased from the record," she said. Dangerously Modern is no less than an effort to bring these artists back into the historical narrative - and a 65,000-word catalogue with essays from 29 art scholars should help. Lock believes part of the reason women have been left out is that Australian art history (and those writing it) did not value the themes these artists were exploring at the time. Rather than the usual tenets of light, landscape and national identity, women artists such as Anne Dangar were exploring notions of spiritualism, for example. "Our women get lost, they get a bit stuck in some blind spot in Australian art, we don't know what to do with them," said Lock. "Frankly, it's time to change, and show the power of this work." While Australia's state galleries regularly loan works, they do not often collaborate on the design and concept of a show. But when AGNSW and AGSA realised they were preparing similar exhibitions, they decided to work together. There are Sydney artists such Proctor, Dangar and Cossington Smith, as well as Grace Crowley, while South Australian names include Dorrit Black along with Heysen and Preston. "Maybe it's in the water or something, but it turns out Adelaide has produced a number of very talented modern women artists," said Lock. Dangerously Modern is on at the Art Gallery of South Australia until September 7 and will show at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from October 11 until February 2026.
AU Financial Review
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- AU Financial Review
The Aussie ‘messenger girls' who changed art
When Nora Heysen became the first woman to win the Archibald Prize in 1938, The Australian Women's Weekly celebrated by photographing her in her kitchen and asking for her favourite recipes. This weekend, the Art Gallery of South Australia will focus on Heysen's beguiling portraits and still lifes in an exhibition of local female artists who travelled to Europe before World War II and played an underappreciated role in catalysing the modernist art movement at home.
Time Out
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Adelaide's largest light festival has unveiled a dazzling 2025 program that rivals Vivid
One thing's clear about Adelaide lately: the city is gunning to equal Melbourne and Sydney's status as year-round cultural capitals of Australia. And what better way to cement that status than by hosting an after-dark winter festival to rival those on the East Coast. Illuminate Adelaide is set to literally and figuratively light up the South Australian capital from July 2 to 20 in its fifth year, with 134 free and ticketed events. The 2025 program features nine world premieres and 23 Aussie exclusives, including a new immersive journey at Adelaide Botanic Garden, a debut drone show over Adelaide Oval, an electrifying 12-hour music festival and an all-new culinary program. If you're after some free, after-dark fun, Illuminate Adelaide has got you covered with its annual City Lights display. More than 40 projections and installations will light up the CBD from July 4 to 20, switching on at 5.30pm every night. Each large-scale projection will showcase the talents of local and international artists, brightening landmarks like the Art Gallery of South Australia, State Library and Adelaide Railway Station. Once you've worked up an appetite, head over to Base Camp at Lot Fourteen, the festival's central hub, where you can hydrate, refuel and enjoy family-friendly performances. Or enjoy winter warmers at Adelaide Central Market, which will also come alive with immersive art installations and fresh acts. What has us most excited in 2025 is Horizons, a one-night-only world premiere that will transform Adelaide Oval into a living canvas using hundreds of glowing drones. Taking place on the banks of Karrawirra Parri / River Torrens, Horizons will take you on an incredible 60,000-year journey through South Australia's past, present and future. Another Illuminate Adelaide exclusive is Night Visions, a brand-new, multi-sensory light trail in Adelaide Botanic Garden, featuring cutting-edge lasers, projections and sound. Other ticketed highlights include 10-Minute Dance Party – an immersive, DJ-powered experience inside a shipping container; Universal Kingdom: The Next Era – a prehistoric after-dark adventure at Adelaide Zoo; Offline Club – a series of Dutch digital detox experiences; and Unsound Adelaide – the Southern Hemisphere's only outpost of Europe's cult experimental music festival, featuring legendary Velvet Underground founding member John Cale and more. Debuting in 2025, Illuminate Adelaide will unveil a brand-new culinary program, offering exclusive dining experiences at Adelaide's top restaurants and bars, including 2KW, Aurora, Station Road and NOLA. The festival will also launch Supersonic – a fresh, 12-hour music festival taking over the city's West End for one night only. And that's just a taster of the music program this year... Illuminate Adelaide draws millions of people out of their winter hibernation each year, and we suggest you join them in 2025. Tickets go live at 9am on Wednesday, April 30. You can explore the full program here.
