STUDIO education resource - Museums & Galleries NSW

AUSTRALIAN
PAINTERS
PHOTOGRAPHED
BY R. IAN LLOYD
EDUCATION
RESOURCE
exhibition
resource

CONTENTS
3 ABOUT THIS RESOURCE
4 MAP OF ARTISTS
5 PICK A PALETTE
6 FACE PAGE
7 THE STUDIO JOURNEY
8 ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
9 ABOUT THE ARTS WRITER
10 ANGUS NIVISON
14 MARION BORGELT
19 LUCY CULLITON
23 JULIE DOWLING
27 GUO JIAN
32 JOHN MAWURNDJUL
36 WILLIAM ROBINSON
40 JOHN WOLSELEY
44 ANNA PLATTEN
48 ROSELLA NAMOK
53 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE
This education resource has been produced by Museums and Galleries
NSW to support the national tour of the exhibition STUDIO: Australian
Painters photographed by R. Ian Lloyd.
The aim of this resource is to engage teachers and students with the
exhibition and offer insights into artists’ studio practice via the photographs
exploring these themes. The resource is intended to generate ideas for the
classroom and encourage student research. It can be used as a basis for
discussion before, during and after a visit to the exhibition.
The resource introduces ten artists from the sixty-one photographed by
Lloyd and offers focus questions and suggested activities. It also provides
background information on the journey undertaken by Lloyd and art critic
John McDonald across Australia.
This resource can be used in a variety of ways - as a printed or online
document for individual study or group work, and/or a web-enabled
presentation on an interactive whiteboard or data projector. You can view
the PDF as a slide show by going to view full-screen mode. There are four
active content pages that allow you to explore each artist and the STUDIO
photographs from different entry points.
The material is intended to complement the information provided in the
STUDIO book, STUDIO DVD and the didactic panels in the exhibition.
Teachers are invited to adapt the resource to suit their students’ needs, or
select and integrate sections into existing units of study.
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This symbol links to activities
that engage students in the
formal qualities of the STUDIO
photographs.
This symbol links to activities
that invite students to explore Ian
Lloyd’s documentary photographs
and his practice.
This symbol links to
activities where students will
explore the qualities of the works
of art produced by the featured
artists. Students will also engage
in their own art making activities in
response to these works.
Lines are provided throughout the
resource for teachers and students
to add relevant tasks or notes in
response to the artist, artwork or
photograph depicted.
In a PDF you can type to add
text. On a SMART board you may
use your marker to add notes in
this space or use as a printed
worksheet for student responses
during the exhibition.
Active web links are provided
to further explore the artists
and the key themes behind the
exhibition.
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JULIE DOWLING
EXPLORE THE TEN ARTISTS IN
THIS RESOURCE BY CLICKING ON
THEIR NAME.
ANNA PLATTEN
JOHN MAWURNDJUL
ROSELLA NAMOK
ANGUS NIVISON
LUCY CULLITON
JOHN WOLSELEY
WILLIAM ROBINSON
MARION BORGELT
Guo Jian
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CLICK ON THE ARTISTS’
PALETTES TO DISCOVER
THEIR STUDIOS
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CAN YOU PICK THE TEN ARTISTS? WHO IS THE PHOTOGRAPHER? WHO IS THE ART CRITIC?
CLICK ON EACH FACE TO FIND OUT WHAT CREATIVE WORK EACH OF THESE PEOPLE DO?
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IAN LLOYD & JOHN MCDONALD
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ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
R. Ian Lloyd began his career as a travel photographer. He has since become
a successful documentary photographer who has undertaken commissions
for magazines such as National Geographic, Fortune and Time, and has won
numerous awards for his work. He has photographed 35 books on countries
and regions around Asia including large format books on Kathmandu, Bali
and Singapore; and a four volume series on Australian Wine Regions. His
photographs have been widely exhibited around the world.
Ian Lloyd undertook the STUDIO project with the aim of capturing a broad
cross-section of artists from all over Australia working in a variety of styles.
Ian Lloyd was born in Canada, studied photography in the U.S., and first
arrived in Australia in 1975.
IAN LLOYD AND
THE ART CRITIC
JOHN MCDONALD
TRAVELED
MORE THAN
50,000KM,
AND SHOT
50 HOURS OF
VIDEO FOOTAGE
OF 61 IMPORTANT
PAINTERS WORKING
IN THEIR STUDIO
ENVIRONMENT.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
John McDonald studied at Sydney University. For over twenty years he
has been one of Australia’s best-known art critics, writing a weekly column
for the Sydney Morning Herald, and contributing to local and international
publications. As Head of Australian Art at the National Gallery of Australia
in 2000, John was curator of the exhibition, Federation: Australian Art &
Society 1901-2001, which toured the country for eighteen months. He has
written numerous catalogue essays, and monographs on artists. He has also
written on films, travel and even cricket. As a lecturer, John has appeared at
colleges and public forums throughout Australia, and has taught Art History
and Theory at the National Art School, Sydney.
John McDonald was born in Cessnock, NSW, in 1961.
FOR AN ARTIST, THE
STUDIO IS THE ENGINE
ROOM OF HIS OR HER
CREATIVITY. IT IS BOTH
PLAYGROUND AND PRISON
CELL, THE PLACE WHERE
LONG, LONG DAYS ARE
SPENT WRESTLING WITH
THE MUSE.
John McDonald
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ANGUS NIVISON
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ANGUS NIVISON
ANGUS NIVISON
WALCHA, NSW
Angus Nivison has the messiest studio in the country. Surrounded by paper,
paint, art books, newspapers and drawing materials, he makes works that
can be described as quiet, contemplative and soulful.
R Ian Lloyd’s photograph of Nivison is more than a portrait of the artist in
his studio, it is a portrait of his painting process. By cluttering up his space
Nivison can make happy accidents and discover new ideas. Although he
says that his approach to every picture is different, ‘it always starts in chaos
and ends in relief.’
Nivison says that he has a fear of empty space (known in Latin as horror
vacuii ) – a fear that many artists feel when contemplating a blank canvas or
a new work of art. Nivison says he conquers the terror of the blank canvas
by ‘ruining’ it: ‘I slaughter it and then try to save it. That’s how you get around
painter’s block: make huge mistakes instantly. Do your worst straight away!’
Born in 1953, Nivison lives in Walcha, in the New England district of New
South Wales, where his family has farmed for generations. When he is
not making art, he sometimes works on his brother’s farm. His drawings,
paintings and their titles often refer to rain. It is as though by painting rain
that Nivison can bring rain to a drought stricken landscape.
Explore more of Nivison’s practice:
http://focusmag.com.au/ne/our-area/local_artists/angus-nivison
http://www.utopiaartsydney.com.au/angusnivison.htm
Explore Walcha where Nivison works and lives:
http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2006/s2104299.htm
Write as many words
as you can to describe
Nivison’s studio – fill a whole
page with these words and try
to write or draw these words
in a way that captures their
meaning.
Look closely at the photograph
and write a list of the things that
you can see in the photograph
that may influence Nivison’s
work. Is there anything
missing from this studio?
Where has the
photographer Ian Lloyd
positioned himself to take this
picture? Why did he choose
this angle?
Take a series of photographs
of a familiar subject from
different viewpoints. Which
best suits your chosen subject
matter and why?
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ANGUS NIVISON
Angus Nivison, Loss, 2006, acrylic on canvas, 120 x 105cm
“I SLAUGHTER IT AND
THEN TRY TO SAVE IT.
THAT’S HOW YOU GET
AROUND PAINTER’S
BLOCK: MAKE HUGE
MISTAKES INSTANTLY.
DO YOUR WORST
STRAIGHT AWAY!”
Angus Nivison 2006
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ANGUS NIVISON
Look at the
painting by Angus Nivison.
How would you describe
it? Is it large or small? Is it
a landscape or an abstract
painting? What materials can
you find in Nivison’s studio
that might have been used to
make this picture?
Use materials that are similar
to those used by Nivison to
make your own work of art
about the weather. You may
wish to focus on the type of
weather that is not common
in your environment.
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MARION BORGELT

MARION BORGELT
MARION BORGELT
SYDNEY, NSW
Marion Borgelt must have one of the tidiest studios in the country and unlike
artist Angus Nivison, who thrives in chaos, Borgelt needs a clean slate to
begin working. Ian Lloyd’s photograph of Borgelt’s studio is devoid of the
paint splatters and informality that one usually associates with artists.
Borgelt’s art is as pristine as her inner city studio, and her works of art
are best viewed on gallery style white walls where their rich colour and
strong optics can best take effect. In fact Borgelt’s studio is like a private
art gallery where the artist can experiment with the placement of her work
before sending it out into the public.
Borgelt’s works of art seem to straddle sculpture and painting. In her own
words, ‘technically they’re not just paintings because there’s very little flat
work involved...most pieces interface between sculpture and painting, and
some of them are completely off the wall...’ Bloodlight Strip Figure 4 2006
is a round painting, also known as a tondo, and rather than having a flat
painted surface it is as though the painting has been cut from its stretcher
and rearranged into a dramatic, radiating design.
Born in 1954, Borgelt has lived in many cities including Adelaide, New York,
Canberra, Paris and Perth. She now works in inner city Sydney. The studio
world that she creates could similarly be anywhere - it is a world in itself.
Explore the artist’s website
www.marionborgelt.com/
Learn more about the artist:
Look closely at the
photograph of Borgelt in
her studio. Identify and list
any art making materials or
tools that you can see. Is
there anything unusual about
your list? Where would you
usually find these objects?
Imagine viewing Borgelt‘s
Bloodlight Strip Figure 4 2006
from every possible direction.
How do these different
perspective change the work.
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www.anu.edu.au/mac/images/uploads/MarionBorgelt_EducationResource.pdf
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MARION BORGELT
Marion Borgelt, Bloodlight Strip Figure 4, 2006, linen, acrylic, pigments, nails, wood,
Perspex box, 75 W x 72 H x 6.5cm D
“TECHNICALLY
THEY’RE NOT
JUST PAINTINGS
BECAUSE THERE’S
VERY LITTLE FLAT
WORK INVOLVED...
MOST PIECES
INTERFACE BETWEEN
SCULPTURE AND
PAINTING, AND
SOME OF THEM ARE
COMPLETELY OFF
THE WALL...’”
Marion Borgelt 2006
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MARION BORGELT
Ian Lloyd took
several other photographs of
Borgelt in her studio. Compare
the published photograph
with this photograph, showing
Borgelt surrounded by the tools
of her trade. Why do you think
Lloyd chose to exhibit the more
minimalist photograph?
Imagine Borgelt is holding the
camera and looking back at the
photographer – imagine what
she would see through the lens.
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MARION BORGELT
Limit yourself
to just two colours and create a
circular work of art.
Inspired by Borgelt’s way of
working, cover a flat surface
with a rich, strong colour. Once
the surface is dry experiment
with different ways of cutting,
folding, twisting or pleating the
surface to turn two dimensions
into three.
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LUCY CULLITON

LUCY CULLITON
LUCY CULLITON
HARTLEY, NSW
When this photograph was taken, Lucy Culliton lived at home with her
parents on their property at Hartley, west of the Blue Mountains in New
South Wales. Her studio, a large prefabricated metal shed, was her own
private refuge. Culliton built the studio after winning a painting prize and
describes it as more than a place for painting. In her own words, ‘I’ve got
my lounge, my kettle, my music. I’ve got my menagerie of animals, I’ve got
my garden.’
These things are very much part of Culliton’s daily life and they often become
the subjects of her paintings. According to art critic John McDonald ‘she
surrounds herself with animate and inanimate things, and then paints their
portraits’. Culliton likes to explore how things look en masse and rather
than painting a single plant or object, she often crowds her paintings with a
single subject to make large, riotous compositions.
In Cactus 2004 many different types of cacti fill the painting. Although
cacti flower at different times, Culliton has shown them all in flower in this
painting. Culliton obsessively paints one subject until she feels that she has
exhausted that subject, and then she moves on to something else.
Born in 1966, Culliton now lives on a property on the Monaro Plains in
southern New South Wales. Her new home includes her cactus garden.
See Culliton step out of the
studio and into the classroom:
www.abc.net.au/arts/stories/s2705313.htm
A menagerie is an
old fashioned word for a
collection of animals. Name
all of the animals you can
see in Culliton’s studio. Don’t
forget to scan the walls for
evidence.
Play a game of spot the
difference where you
compare and contrast
Culliton’s painting Cactus
2004 with the painting that is
unfinished in her studio.
By cluttering as
many things as possible into
this photograph of Culliton
in her studio, photographer
Ian Lloyd has used the
same ideas of repetition
and crowding that Culliton
uses in her paintings. What
is the overall effect of this
technique?
Do you have a collection?
Is it of animate or inanimate
things? Photograph your
own collection, or someone’s
you know if you don’t have
one. Give your series of
photographs a title that tells
the audience something
about the collector.
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LUCY CULLITON
“I’VE GOT MY LOUNGE, MY
KETTLE, MY MUSIC.
I’VE GOT MY MENAGERIE
OF ANIMALS, I’VE GOT MY
Lucy Culliton, Cactus, 2004, oil on canvas, 202 x 103cm
GARDEN.”
Lucy Culliton 2006
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LUCY CULLITON
Do a
close up drawing of your
favourite thing in the STUDIO
photograph, translate this
drawing into a painting and
use the colours Culliton has
used on her palette.
Display your painting with
those of your classmates in a
grid. Photograph the artists in
front of the display.
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JULIE DOWLING

JULIE DOWLING
JULIE DOWLING
PERTH, WA
Julie Dowling is an Indigenous artist of the West Australian Badimaya/
Yamatji language group. She lives in Perth with her mother and twin sister
and her studio is a demountable trailer set up in the backyard. Her studio
had a previous life as temporary accommodation for miners in the Pilbara
region of Western Australia.
Dowling is passionate about putting into paint the stories of her community
and her ancestors. Ian Lloyd’s photograph of Dowling’s studio shows old
photographs pinned to the walls alongside fresh portraits. For Dowling, her
ancestors are ever present and their stories directly inform her painting.
Often when Dowling is painting, she has company – friends and family sit
around sharing stories and opinions and this ‘yarning’ makes its way into
her paintings. In her own words, ‘I don’t feel that the work itself is mine,
even when I’m painting. It belongs to my community. It may sound strange,
but that’s how it is.’
Dowling and her twin sister were born in 1966 with fair skin. Dowling’s
paintings assert her Aboriginality, connecting the past and the present and
keeping alive the oral histories of her people.
Look closely at the
photograph of Dowling in her
studio and describe some of
the other things that you can
see in her studio that might
influence her work.
Look at Dowling’s painting.
Experiment by using drawn
patterns to create, hide and
reveal words in your work.
Ian Lloyd’s portrait
of Dowling shows the artist
surrounded by other portraits.
If you were photographed by
ian Lloyd what type of things
would you choose to be
surrounded by?
Make a list of the things that
would be in the background
of the photograph if you
were photographed in your
bedroom.
Read ABC interview including Dowling and her twin Carol:
www.abc.net.au/tv/messagestick/stories/s1590834.htm
Explore the NGA’s collection of her work:
www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvschools/TraditionAndTransformation/artists/Julie-Dowling/
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JULIE DOWLING
Julie Dowling, Dispossession Series: My Great Uncle George, 2004, acrylic and red ochre
on canvas, 120 x 100cm
“I DON’T FEEL
THAT THE WORK
ITSELF IS MINE,
EVEN WHEN I’M
PAINTING.
IT BELONGS TO
MY COMMUNITY.
IT MAY SOUND
STRANGE, BUT
THAT’S HOW IT IS.”
Julie Dowling 2006
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JULIE DOWLING
D e s p i t e
the fact that many of the
stories from her past are
sad, Dowling likes to make
celebratory paintings and
she often uses glitter mixed
in with paint to brighten her
canvasses. Create a painting
where you celebrate a friend.
Collect papers, images and
information for a week and
make a work about an issue
that is important to you.
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GUO JIAN

GUO JIAN
Guo Jian
Sydney, NSW
Guon Jian lives and makes art from his studio apartment that overlooks
Sydney’s busy Parramatta Road. The small space is crammed with plastic
toys and models, books, magazines, postcards and posters. He often paints
at night and will work on more than one painting at a time when he is feeling
inspired. His dream, he says, is to have a really big studio - ‘I’d like to have
lots of paintings on the go, and ride around on a bicycle looking at them.’
Ian Lloyd’s photograph shows Guo Jian in the studio, dressed in his military
uniform and making a face in the mirror. Before coming to Australia in 1992
Guo Jian served almost four years in Chinese People’s Liberation Army
and this experience haunts him to this day. ‘In China we have this military
culture,’ he explains. ‘You see soldiers everywhere you go. That’s why I
keep painting these subjects.’
Guo Jian’s large, predominantly red and green canvases, depict pin up
girls like those shown on the posters in his studio, and grinning soldiers
that carry the artist’s own face. By using his own face in every painting he
relives past experiences and mocks the seriousness of his subjects, as
seen in the painting titled The Day Before I Went Away 2003.
Born in 1963, Guo Jian now spends his time living between China and
Australia.
Explore the artist’s website:
www.guojiantheartist.com/
Compare the two
studio photographs of Guo
Jian located on the previous
page and the next page. What
do the images say about the
painter? Why do you think
Ian Lloyd chose to exhibit the
photograph showing the artist
in military uniform?
What would your ideal studio
be like – small or very large?
How would you choose to get
around it?
Find your favourite studio
among those in the exhibition.
Why is this your favourite?
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The White Rabbit Collection in Sydney is one of the world’s largest
and most significant collections of contemporary Chinese art. Explore
this collection:
www.whiterabbitcollection.org/
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GUO JIAN
Look at the exhibited
STUDIO photograph. A studio
says alot about an artist’s
influences. Make a list of the
books you think have inspired
Guo Jian the most. Does your
book shelf at home reflect
who you are?
Locate other portraits in
the exhibition that include
dressing up, role play and
performance.
Collect together your
favourite toys, trinkets and
souvenirs. Group them in
interesting ways – perhaps
according to size or colour
and then document them
using a camera.
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GUO JIAN
Guo Jian, The Day Before I Went Away, 2003, oil on canvas, 213 x 152cm
“I’D LIKE TO
HAVE LOTS OF
PAINTINGS ON
THE GO, AND
RIDE AROUND
ON A BICYCLE
LOOKING AT
THEM.”
Guo Jian 2006
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GUO JIAN
Play a game
of celebrity heads where you
paint or Photoshop your face
into famous portraits from
history.
Take portraits of your friend
that incorporate a mirror. Pull
silly or serious faces that are
revealed in the mirror. Try
to reflect the camera and
photographer in the mirror to
make it a double portrait.
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JOHN MAWURNDJUL
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JOHN MAWURNDJUL
JOHN MAWURNDJUL
KUNWINJKU COUNTRY, NT
John Mawurndjul’s studio is his country, Kunwinjku country, in Arnhem
land in northern Australia. Mawurndjul works mostly outside – often under
an awning that runs from his house situated in his traditional homelands.
Sometimes he works in the larger centre of Maningrida where he visits for
art business and to see friends and family.
This photograph by Ian Lloyd was taken in Maningrida at a friend’s house,
the day before Mawurndjul traveled to Paris to work on a commission for
the Quai Branly museum. Mawurndjul is shown sitting crossed legged on
the ground with a hollow log in front of him. He applies ochre, ground from
a stone, with a brush made from only a few long hairs, to the log or bark in
a delicate pattern of lines known as rrark.
While Mawurndjul’s patterns may appear abstract they are actually the
secret marks of a traditional ceremony known as the Mardayin ceremony.
The enactment of this ceremony is the subject of his large bark painting
titled Mardayin at Dilebang 2005. Painted directly onto bark, Mawurndjul
uses PVA glue to help bind the ochre and give the surface a shimmering
effect. The bark used in painting is harvested during the wet season from
the large stringy bark trees, which are a type of Eucalyptus tree, found
across his country.
Born in 1952, Mawurndjul began painting in the late 1970s and today he is
widely acknowledged as the greatest living bark painter.
Using a world
map find the place where
Mawurndjul lives on a map.
Shade in the area of Arnhem
Land. Find Paris on the map
then mark the journey.
What music is he playing
on the stereo? What music
do you to listen to when you
work?
Can you find evidence of
music in the other artists’
studios?
Look at the palette
photograph and compare
Mawurndjul’s ochre painting
process with other painting
processes in the resource.
Choose two palette pictures
and annotate these by listing
the materials, tools and
processes you can see.
Watch the Art and Soul video
to discover how Mawurndjul
harvests the bark for his
works:
www.abc.net.au/arts/artandsoul/flash/default.htm
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JOHN MAWURNDJUL
John Mawurndjul, mardayin at Dilebang, 2005, natural pigments on bark, 143 x 74cm
“HE GRINDS A LITTLE
OCHRE FROM A STONE,
MIXES IT WITH WATER
AND GLUE, AND DIPS A
BRUSH WITH A FEW LONG
THIN HAIRS INTO THE
COLOUR. WITH A STEADY
HAND, HE APPLIES LINE
AFTER LINE TO THE LOG.
A TYPICAL PAINTING MAY
TAKE TWO TO THREE
WEEKS OF PATIENT,
UNREMITTING TOIL.”
John McDonald 2006
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JOHN MAWURNDJUL
Extend the
STUDIO picture. What else
is around and what does
Mawurndjul’s country look
like? Use Photoshop or paper
collage to extend the picture.
Make up a secret visual
language that relates to
your life. Create a glossary
of symbols and paint them
to narrate a story. Give the
glossary to a friend and show
them your work. Do they
know what the work means
to you?
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WILLIAM ROBINSON

WILLIAM ROBINSON
WILLIAM ROBINSON
BRISBANE, QLD
William Robinson’s studio is on the ground floor of his house in a Brisbane
beachside suburb. Here he works to a strict daily routine and, unlike artist
John Wolseley, Robinson relishes the structure and organisation of his
studio practice which includes daily walks and playing the piano.
When Robinson was a young man he trained to be a concert pianist. Music
is still very much part of his daily life. As he says ‘I rarely - in fact never - paint
without music. Some artists need absolute silence, but I need to create a
situation where I find the painting rather than impose myself upon it. I need
to be in a state where total consciousness is suspended…but in order to
feel that, I must go into some sort of a state that only music can provide.’
Robinson has lived in or near Brisbane for most of his life. Despite this,
most of his inspiration comes from the rainforest near Springbrook which
is about 100 km south of Brisbane. He and his wife Shirley have a small
house in the rainforest that they regularly visit. His painting Nerang River
Pool 2004 with its vaulted perspective captures the whole experience of the
landscape.
Born in 1936, Robinson claims that it has taken many years of walking in the
rainforest, making notes and sketches, to find his singular, visual language.
Why are there pastels
in the studio photograph.
Does Robinson use them
for preliminary studies? The
painters in this resource use a
variety of materials including
glitter, pastels, house paint
and oil paints. Compare the
different materials used.
Make up an adventure story
based on the painting Nerang
River Pool 2004.
How does Robinson
work and where do his ideas
come from? Are there any
clues in the studio?
How many of the STUDIO
artists are using materials to
create works of art while their
photograph is being taken?
Explore the adventure of Robinson’s work:
www.visualarts.qld.gov.au/content/robinson_standard.asp?name=Robinson_Hide_Seek
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WILLIAM ROBINSON
William Robinson, Nerang River Pool. 2004, oil on linen, 122 x 183cm
“I RARELY - IN
FACT NEVER -
PAINT WITHOUT
MUSIC. SOME
ARTISTS NEED
ABSOLUTE
SILENCE, BUT I
NEED TO CREATE
A SITUATION
WHERE I FIND
THE PAINTING
RATHER THAN
IMPOSE MYSELF
UPON IT.”
William Robinson 2006
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WILLIAM ROBINSON
Lie under
a tree and draw your
experience of the sky through
the tree using pastels.
Develop two paintings from
your sketch – listen to music
that suits the mood of your
emerging composition.
Use classical piano music
for the first and then
contemporary music for the
second – does the work
change?
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JOHN WOLSELEY
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JOHN WOLSELEY
JOHN WOLSELEY
MELBOURNE, VIC
John Wolseley’s studio is a large room in his apartment in St. Kilda,
Melbourne. His preferred studio, however, is just about anywhere in the
Australian bush. Wolseley spends as much time as he can out of the city
- painting in an old train carriage, sketching in a tent or by the banks of a
creek.
Ian Lloyd’s photograph of Wolseley shows him drawing with the naturally
formed charcoal found in a burnt piece of wood. Drawing is central to
his way of working and Wolseley combines detailed natural history style
drawing with expressive mark making where he sometimes uses elements
direct from the landscape to draw with.
The large roll of paper shown in the studio photograph has been covered
in drawings made directly by the environment and as such it bears witness
to the forces of nature. In his own words Wolseley says, ‘in this studio in
St. Kilda, I’ve noticed that things have a more static quality. Whereas, if I’m
outside, under my tarpaulin, I feel the great forces and flux of nature moving
through me.’
Born in 1938, Wolseley is fascinated by geology, science and natural
history. These interests can be seen in A history of parrots, drifting maps
and warming seas 2005 and are expressed in the following statement; ‘I
feel a fundamental connection with nature. What I’m invariably doing in my
work is relating the grasshopper’s leg, or the growth rings on a plant, to the
bigger, more abstract geological systems of the earth.’
Explore the artist’s works:
www.johnwolseley.net/
Survey John Wolseley’s work using Google image search:
Devise a short poem
about the artist John Wolseley
in his studio.
What things seem common
among the painters in the
exhibition? What can you see
that are found in at least five
other studio photographs?
Why do you think
lan Lloyd did not photograph
Wolseley in the natural
environment when he so
often works there? Are there
any other artists who work
outdoors? List and compare
each artist’s practice with
Wolseley’s.
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http://www.google.com.au/images?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&biw=1152&bih=534&tbs=isch:1&aq=f&aqi=g2&oq=&gs_rfai=&q=john%20wolseley
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JOHN WOLSELEY
John Wolseley, A history of parrots, drifting maps and warming seas, 2005, watercolour, carbonised wood on paper, 66.5 x 346cm
“...IN THIS STUDIO IN ST. KILDA, I’VE NOTICED THAT
THINGS HAVE A MORE STATIC QUALITY. WHEREAS,
IF I’M OUTSIDE, UNDER MY TARPAULIN, I FEEL THE
GREAT FORCES AND FLUX OF NATURE MOVING
THROUGH ME.”
John Wolseley 2006
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JOHN WOLSELEY
Many artists
work en plein air (outdoors).
Using a large sheet of paper
explore expressive mark
making techniques using
charcoal in response to the
natural environment.
Elements of John Wolseley’s
work look like natural history
illustration. Collect natural
history images and maps to
collage onto the background.
Hand colour the images using
watercolours.
How was the experience of
working outdoors compared
to working indoors?
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ANNA PLATTEN
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ANNA PLATTEN
ANNA PLATTEN
ADELAIDE, SA
Anna Platten’s crowded studio in inner city Adelaide resembles the prop
room of a theatre. Costumes, furniture, drapes and bric-a-brac all vie for
space and attention. The artist in her paint-splattered coat provides the only
evidence that this is the studio of a painter.
Platten’s process is different to that of many of the artists represented in
STUDIO. In preparing to make a painting, Platten will position props and
even sew garments for her models to wear. In her own words ‘I find that
making the prop is essential, it helps me get into the mood of the painting.
It’s a bit like an actor putting on make-up. Sometimes it allows me to flesh
out an idea which is still very tenuous in my head.’
Platten sometimes depicts herself in her paintings, such as in the large
painting Myself as Madonna 2003. Many of the elements in this painting can
be found in the photograph of her studio. Platten alludes to the Christian
convention of Madonna and child paintings but adds a humorous touch with
the inclusion of the pointy bra, a reference or double entendre to pop star
Madonna.
Born in 1957, Platten juggles the demands of being a mother, a teacher and
an artist. Her paintings are frequently the stages on which the drama and
the delight of these many, often competing roles, are performed.
Explore the artist’s current work:
http://www.evabreuerartdealer.com.au/platten.html
Step into the studio
with Platten. What would you
make, assemble or perform in
her space?
Look at other examples of
Platten’s work using Google
image search – what features
are recurring? Can you see
any of her studio props in her
other paintings.
Where do you think
Ian Lloyd has placed lights
to illuminate the studio and
why?
Find photographs of
Madonna in the 1980’s to
see how Platten has been
inspired by her costume.
Make a work inspired by a
photograph of your favourite
musical artist.
Look at this work to discover props used from Platten’s studio:
http://www.unisa.edu.au/samstagmuseum/images/fullimage/support.asp
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ANNA PLATTEN
“IT’S A BIT LIKE AN
ACTOR PUTTING
ON MAKE-UP.
SOMETIMES IT
ALLOWS ME TO
FLESH OUT AN
IDEA WHICH
IS STILL VERY
TENUOUS IN MY
HEAD.”
Anna Platten 2006
Anna Platten, Myself as Madonna, 2003, oil on canvas,
165 x 195cm
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ANNA PLATTEN
Make a
drawing of your favourite
outfit – it can be fancy dress
or everyday. Use the stage
setting with red curtains to add
drama to your composition.
Look at Platten‘s palette. She
uses traditional methods of
mixing colours. Experiment
with mixing your own colours
and document your results.
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ROSELLA NAMOK
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ROSELLA NAMOK
ROSELLA NAMOK
CAIRNS, QLD
Rosella Namok is part of a group of young artists known as the Lockhart
River Art Gang who are all from the remote community of Lockhart River in
Cape York in far north Queensland.
A few years ago Namok moved south to Cairns where she now has a studio
in a converted double garage alongside her house. Ian Lloyd’s photograph
shows Namok in her Cairns studio, which is large enough to make paintings
like Big Rain…w’re Aangkum 2005 which is over 3 metres long.
Namok paints using her fingers – creating contours and patterns in acrylic
paint. This technique shows the influence of her grandmother who made
sand drawings and her father, whom Namok helped as a young girl to paint
the bodies of dancers for ceremonies. Namok paintings are often about
the natural environment of Lockhart River and she also tells the stories of
her people through her paintings. Namok says, ‘they always tell me lots of
stories. My grandmother yarns, tells me things about the old mission, and
the strong laws they used to have. That really helps me understand those
days’.
People and place are interconnected for Namok. Big Rain…w’re Aangkum
2005 shows the wet season torrents but also refers to Namok’s language
group through the use of the word Aangkum. Her paintings connect climate,
country and kin.
Born in 1979 Namok was just 20 when she had her first exhibition.
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See more of the artist’s works:
www.andrew-baker.com/Rosella%20Namok_Ngatangku%20Ngaachi.pdf
Learn more about this artist:
www.artmuseum.uq.edu.au/docs/OurWayEducationKit.pdf
Visually and
conceptually compare Angus
Nivison’s work to Namok’s.
What are the similarities?
What are the differences?
Australia has a long tradition
of telling yarns. Both Namok
and Julie Dowling do
this through their artwork.
Create a yarn about Ian
Lloyd’s journey to visit and
photograph each artist.
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ROSELLA NAMOK
Rosella Namok, Big Rain … w’re Aangkum, 2005, acrylic on canvas, 350 x 175cm
“MY GRANDMOTHER YARNS, TELLS ME THINGS
ABOUT THE OLD MISSION, AND THE STRONG LAWS
THEY USED TO HAVE. THAT REALLY HELPS ME
UNDERSTAND THOSE DAYS.”
Rosella Namok 2006
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ROSELLA NAMOK
Each layer of paint
is a physical memory of the
paintings made in a studio.
Look at the floor of Namok’s
studio. How many works do
you think she has created
there?
Take photographs of your art
classroom or studio.
Ian Lloyd also photographed
Namok with her dog. Ask
a friend or family member
to pose with their pet and
document them using
photography.
Can you find other animals in
the STUDIO photographs?
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ROSELLA NAMOK
Create your
own weather painting. Write a
story about the weather using
lots of descriptive language.
Exchange your story with a
classmate. Create an artwork
about their story. Does it
look like the writer thought it
would?
Look at Namok’s palette. Why
do you think she is working
with her fingers. She is also
holding a roller in the studio
photograph. Create a large
work using these methods.
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Acknowledgments:
This education resource has been produced
by Museums and Galleries NSW to support
the national tour of the exhibition STUDIO:
Australian Painters photographed by R. Ian
Lloyd.
Images:
R. Ian Lloyd, Photographer
Author:
Lisa Slade, Education consultant
Activities and design:
Anna Scobie, Education consultant
Editor:
Rachel Arndt, Manager, Touring
Exhibitions Services M&GNSW
All copyright reversed 2010. Photographs and
images reproduced courtesy of the artists. The
authors wish to acknowledge and thank John
McDonald for the text extracts and quotations
adapted for this resource from the interviews
conducted during the STUDIO project.
Writing tasks:
John McDonald writes a column in the Sydney Morning Herald each
weekend. He reviews exhibitions in Sydney and around the country. Visit the
studio exhibition and write a review for your local paper. Collect a copy of the
Sydney Morning Herald to research the information you will need to include
in your own review.
Write a journal entry of a day in the life of Ian Lloyd and John McDonald.
Choose a day when they are going to take a photograph of your favourite
studio and interview your favourite artist.
Suggested comparisons:
Contrast and compare the paintings of Rosella Namok and Angus
Nivison who both depict the weather in their work through different cultural
perspectives.
Contrast and compare the self portraiture and performance aspects of Anna
Platten’s and Guo Jian’s paintings.
Compare the opposite natures of Angus Nivison’s and Marion Borgelt’s
studio practice.
Compare the drawing practice that is included in both John Wolseley’s and
Angus Nivison’s paintings.
Compare and contrast artists John Wolseley and John Mawurndjul who both
explore concepts of country and landscape in their art practice.
Explore the concepts of yarning and oral histories through the works of Julie
Dowling and Rosella Namok.
Connect the concept of collecting as inspiration by comparing the practice of
Lucy Culliton and Guo Jian.
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EXit