There is little furniture from the Arts and Crafts period in Queensland that can match the fluid carving of the art nouveau foliate motifs in this hallstand from the 1920s, the scale and workmanship bears the mark of two of Queensland’s finest craftsmen — John Merten and Lewis Jarvis (LJ) Harvey. John Merten (1861-1932) was…
Continue reading » “Go back in time with Brisbane’s two finest craftsmen”
‘Embodied Knowledge: Queensland Contemporary Art’ opening at the Queensland Art Gallery from 13 August, is a showcase that reimagines our relationship to our bodies and to our increasingly digital world. Here, we survey a selection of artists whose work features in this vital new exhibition. Profiling 19 talented artists and collectives, ‘Embodied Knowledge’ is a…
Continue reading » “Embodied Knowledge: Corporeal Complexity”
Margaret Olley moved to Brisbane when she was 12 and was a boarder at Somerville House school for girls in South Brisbane from 1937 to 1940 where they were quick to recognise Olley’s talents and recommended to her mother that she attend art school. Her friend and fellow artist Margaret Cilento also began formal art…
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Queensland ceramicist Jessie Gibson (1932—2021) was a fierce advocate for the promotion and understanding of craft artforms. Gibson’s gift to the Gallery, comprising some 48 artworks, collectively capture the energy and innovation of 29 Australian ceramicists and glass artists during the 1980s and 90s. ‘My concerns are the promotions of all crafts, especially quality ceramics,…
The ‘Glengallan’ sideboard 1868 is one of Queensland’s most significant examples of heritage furniture. While the backboard depicts the national symbols of an emu and a kangaroo, the inclusion of the lorikeet and pineapple give it a more local flavour. The carving is attributed to Matthew Fern, who was appointed the first instructor of wood…
Continue reading » “Go back in time with Queensland’s commanding ‘Glengallan’ sideboard”
In these intimate intergenerational portraits, Naomi Hobson shares an affectionate representation of Kaantju and Umpila boys, men and elders from her community. Adorned in vibrant flowers found in their hometown of Coen in far north Queensland, these ‘warriors without a weapon’ share the cultural practice of decorating their beards in preparation of ceremony and to…
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art stands and recognise the creative contribution First Australians make to the art and culture of this country.