DOCSLIB.ORG

After a Sell-Out 2018 Residency, Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra Return for Their Second Barbican Season in October 2019

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
After a Sell-Out 2018 Residency, Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra Return for Their Second Barbican Season in October 2019 After a sell-out 2018 residency, Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra return for their second Barbican season in October 2019 21 FEBRUARY 2019 Image gallery can be downloaded here © NIC WALKER › Pioneers of cross art form, multi-media productions, Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) reunite with acclaimed Australian artist and photographer Bill Henson to present the European premiere of Luminous, a music and visual feast for the senses › The ACO also perform Bernard Labadie’s string orchestra arrangement of JS Bach’s iconic keyboard masterwork Goldberg Variations › The final mixed programme is a quintessential ACO offering including two much loved British orchestral works – Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending performed by Richard Tognetti and Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, plus Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night featuring students from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama @A_C_O AustralianChamberOrchestra @AustralianChamberOrchestra AustralianChamberOrchestra aco.com.au For further information please contact PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS The Corner Shop PR on 020 7831 7657 Philippa Redfern: [email protected] 1 BILL HENSON Untitled, 2000/2003 LMO SH177 N2A Courtesy of the artist, Tolarno Galleries and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery. Marking the mid-point of the ACO’s three-year residency as International Associate Ensemble at Milton Court, Artistic Director, Richard Tognetti and the ACO have today announced the 2019 season as a highlight of the Barbican Centre’s classical programme for the year. The concerts will take place 3-5 October 2019. Following a sell-out 2018 residency, this year’s programmes are a typically eclectic and bold mix, embodying Tognetti and the ACO’s signature, boundary pushing twist on the concept of what a ‘chamber orchestra’ is back to the London stage. Once again, ACO will collaborate with an inspiring and diverse collection of artists; presenting work which straddles art forms and sheds new light on the great music of the past and present. Richard Tognetti said “Our residency with Milton Court and close relationship with the Barbican Centre has allowed us to build a relationship with London like never before. In 2018 we were overwhelmed by audience responses to our season which was equally thrilling for us as performers. It felt like a festival in both its intensity and the creation of a shared experience. I can’t wait to recreate this again in October with this specially selected programme which we are performing in the UK for the first time” Opening the 2019 programme, the Australian Chamber Orchestra will perform Canadian conductor Bernard Labadie’s string orchestra arrangement of JS Bach’s iconic Goldberg Variations (3 October). The Goldberg Variations has been heralded as one of the greatest pieces of music ever conceived with much written on the obsessive hold the hypnotic music often casts over performers and listeners alike. Bach’s ability to veil music that For further information please contact PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS The Corner Shop PR on 020 7831 7657 Philippa Redfern: [email protected] 2 is fiendishly complex behind a deceptively simple melodic line is unparalleled. This programme marks the latest in the ACO’s canon of innovative and insightful performances of Bach’s music. The ACO, Richard Tognetti and acclaimed Australian artist and photographer Bill Henson will revisit their achingly beautiful, ground-breaking musical and visual feast, Luminous (4 October). First performed in 2005, Henson’s haunting, dramatic photography will remain the visual focus as the ACO are joined on stage by Israeli-Australian singer-songwriter Lior on vocals. The revival will feature music from R.E.M., Benjamin Britten and Piazzolla, with the centrepiece being Peteris Vasks’ sublime violin concerto, Distant Light performed by Richard Tognetti. On 5 October, the ACO will close their second residency with a programme charting a collection of work with a deeply personal connection to Tognetti including two of Britain’s most cherished orchestral pieces. Vaughan Williams’ Lark Ascending has been one of Tognetti’s signature works throughout his career, and his last performance of this beloved work in the UK was for HRH Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace with the ACO. Witnessing this performance within the stunning acoustic of Milton Court will doubtless be an unforgettable experience. The Lark will be accompanied by Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, a tribute to his teacher and the work that brought him to international fame. Throughout the three-year residency, the ACO is working closely with musicians of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and will welcome performers to join them on stage for this closing concert. © NIC WALKER For further information please contact PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS The Corner Shop PR on 020 7831 7657 Philippa Redfern: [email protected] 3 © NIC WALKER Goldberg Variations The Lark Ascending Thursday 3 October Saturday 5 October MILTON COURT, BARBICAN CENTRE MILTON COURT, BARBICAN CENTRE PROGRAM PROGRAM STRAVINSKY (arr, strings) WEBERN Five Movements for Strings Op.5 Three Pieces for String Quartet BRITTEN Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge THOMAS ADÈS (arr. strings) VAUGHAN WILLIAMS The Lark Ascending The Four Quarters, Op.28: I.Nightfalls SCHOENBERG Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) JS BACH (arr. Tognetti) Canons on a Goldberg Ground, BWV1087 ARTISTS JS BACH (arr. Labadie) Richard Tognetti Director & Violin Goldberg Variations Australian Chamber Orchestra Students from the ARTISTS Guildhall School of Music and Drama Richard Tognetti violin Erin Helyard keyboards Australian Chamber Orchestra Luminous Friday 4 October MILTON COURT, BARBICAN CENTRE PROGRAM Featuring music by R.E.M., Britten, Piazzolla, Janác�ek and Vasks. ARTISTS Richard Tognetti Director & Violin Bill Henson Photography, Cinematography, Editing Lior Vocals Australian Chamber Orchestra For further information please contact PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS The Corner Shop PR on 020 7831 7657 Philippa Redfern: [email protected] 4 NOTES TO EDITORS Richard Tognetti ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & LEAD VIOLIN “…it’s our job to bring the listener in through our portal. A numinous moment when, hopefully, we can make time stand still.” Richard Tognetti is the Artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. After studying both in Australia with William Primrose and Alice Waten, and overseas at the Bern Conservatory with Igor Ozim, he returned home in 1989 to lead several performances with the ACO and was appointed the Orchestra’s Artistic Director and Lead Violin later that year. He was Artistic Director of the Festival Maribor in Slovenia from 2008 to 2015. As director or soloist, Richard has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras, and in 2016 was the first Artist-in-Residence at the Barbican Centre’s Milton Court Concert Hall. Richard is also an acclaimed composer, having curated and co- composed the scores for the ACO’s documentary filmsMountain , The Reef and Musica Surfica. In addition, he co-composed the scores for Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and the soundtrack to Tom Carroll’s filmStorm Surfers. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2010. He holds honorary doctorates from three Australian universities and was made a National Living Treasure in 1999. He performs on a 1743 Guarneri del Gesù violin, lent to him by an anonymous Australian private benefactor. Bill Henson Bill Henson is one of Australia’s most notable leading contemporary photographers. Henson’s stark, signature aesthetic is characterised by his use of dramatic chiaroscuro lighting and bokeh blurred backgrounds, carefully employing light as a tool to highlight drama, terror, or awe. Born on October 7, 1955 in Melbourne, Australia, he briefly studied photography at the Prahran College of Advanced Education. Though Henson dropped out at 19, through the recommendation of a teacher he had his first solo show at the National Gallery in Victoria in 1975, with exhibitions soon following at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, and the Venice Biennale. Henson has since shown his work at the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the National Portrait Gallery in Melbourne, among others. For further information please contact PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS The Corner Shop PR on 020 7831 7657 Philippa Redfern: [email protected] 5 Lior Lior is one of Australia’s most successful singer-songwriters, renowned for his beautiful voice and songs that radiate truth and sincerity. Lior burst on to the Australian music scene in 2005 with his acclaimed debut album - ‘Autumn Flow’. Since, Lior has accrued a string of accolades including three Aria nominations (including Best Male Artist), as well as Triple J’s prestigious ‘J Award’ nomination for Album of the Year. Lior has toured extensively both in Australia and internationally and has been a regular performer at WOMAD and art festivals around the world, including an entire season at the Edinburgh Festival. AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA The Australian Chamber Orchestra lives and breathes music, making waves around the world for their explosive performances and brave interpretations. Steeped in history but always looking to the future, ACO programs embrace celebrated classics alongside new commissions, and adventurous cross artform collaborations. Led by Artistic
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Art Gallery of South Australia Major Achievements 2003
    ANNUAL REPORT of the ART GALLERY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA for the year 1 July 2003 – 30 June 2004 The Hon. Mike Rann MP, Minister for the Arts Sir, I have the honour to present the sixty-second Annual Report of the Art Gallery Board of South Australia for the Gallery’s 123rd year, ended 30 June 2004. Michael Abbott QC, Chairman Art Gallery Board 2003–2004 Chairman Michael Abbott QC Members Mr Max Carter AO (until 18 January 2004) Mrs Susan Cocks (until 18 January 2004) Mr David McKee (until 20 July 2003) Mrs Candy Bennett (until 18 January 2004) Mr Richard Cohen (until 18 January 2004) Ms Virginia Hickey Mrs Sue Tweddell Mr Adam Wynn Mr. Philip Speakman (commenced 20 August 2003) Mr Andrew Gwinnett (commenced 19 January 2004) Mr Peter Ward (commenced 19 January 2004) Ms Louise LeCornu (commenced 19 January 2004) 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Principal Objectives 5 Major Achievements 2003-2004 6 Issues and Trends 9 Major Objectives 2004–2005 11 Resources and Administration 13 Collections 22 3 APPENDICES Appendix A Charter and Goals of the Art Gallery of South Australia 27 Appendix B1 Art Gallery Board 29 Appendix B2 Members of the Art Gallery of South Australia 29 Foundation Council and Friends of the Art Gallery of South Australia Committee Appendix B3 Art Gallery Organisational Chart 30 Appendix B4 Art Gallery Staff and Volunteers 31 Appendix C Staff Public Commitments 33 Appendix D Conservation 36 Appendix E Donors, Funds, Sponsorships 37 Appendix F Acquisitions 38 Appendix G Inward Loans 50 Appendix H Outward Loans 53 Appendix I Exhibitions and Public Programs 56 Appendix J Schools Support Services 61 Appendix K Gallery Guide Tour Services 61 Appendix L Gallery Publications 62 Appendix M Annual Attendances 63 Information Statement 64 Appendix N Financial Statements 65 4 PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES The Art Gallery of South Australia’s objectives and functions are effectively prescribed by the Art Gallery Act, 1939 and can be described as follows: • To collect heritage and contemporary works of art of aesthetic excellence and art historical or regional significance.
    [Show full text]
  • BILL HENSON Bill Henson Is One of Australia's Leading Contemporary
    BILL HENSON Bill Henson is one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. Born in Melbourne in 1955, Henson had his first solo exhibition, at the age of 19, at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1975. He has since exhibited extensively in Australia and overseas, including New York, London, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, Montreal, Barcelona, Vienna and Amsterdam. In 1995 Henson represented Australia at the Venice Biennale, with his celebrated series of cut-screen photographs. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of NSW. In 2003 Henson’s work appeared in Strangers: The First ICP Triennial of Photography and Video at the International Center of Photography in New York. In the same year he had a solo exhibition at the Centro de Fotografia, University of Salamanca, Spain. In 2005 a comprehensive survey of his work was held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. This landmark survey show attracted record visitor numbers for a contemporary art exhibition in Australia. In 2006 Henson exhibited a major body of work in Twilight: Photography in the Magic Hour at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Bill Henson’s work is to be found in every major public collection in Australia including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Australia. Overseas collections include the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris, the Houston Museum of Fine Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, the Museum Moderner Kunst, Vienna, the Sammlung Volpinum, Vienna, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Solomon R.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Curating Photography in Australia Dr Daniel
    Curating Photography in Australia Dr Daniel Palmer (Monash University) & Dr Martyn Jolly (ANU) This paper derives from some early research into the various forces currently influencing photography curating in Australian art galleries. We are especially interested in new technologies such as the internet, but more generally the protean nature of the medium itself. Naturally, to better understand the present, we start with a few glimpses of the past. The Pre-History Although the institutional collecting and curating of photography didn’t begin in earnest until the 1970s, in the five or so decades before then the powerful idea of collecting photographs was intermittently discussed, at various levels of institutional authority, with various degrees of vigour. At the end of the First World War, the amateur photographic magazine the Australasian Photo Review called for a ‘national collection of Australian photographic records’. The Mitchell Library was one of several who responded positively to this idea, even suggesting a list of twelve different categories of photographs which amateurs could take for a future repository. However the librarians didn’t follow through on their initial positive noises and collections failed to materialise. Thirty years later, at the end of the Second World War, the idea of a national collection was raised again. Contemporary Photography devoted an entire issue to the new sharp bromide enlargements Harold Cazneaux had made of his Pictorialist negatives of Old Sydney, and declared that they ‘would be a valuable acquisition for the Mitchell Library or Australian Historical Societies.’ However, once more the library failed to follow through, and Cazneaux’s photographs remained uncollected.
    [Show full text]
  • Reviewed by Malcolm Roberts the Henson Case
    BOOK REVIEWS political risk offers a fresh way of The final chapters of Calculating The Henson Case ‘understanding and appreciating Political Risk are devoted to national by David Marr politics and public policy making.’ and international case studies. As a Text Publishing, Melbourne, The result is a serious, academic former state public servant, Althaus 2008 book offering a literature review, a chooses strategic plans from six states $24.95, 149pp quantitative survey, and numerous for analysis. The choice is odd. As ISBN 9781921520037 case studies. Althaus herself notes, the state plans The literature review is heavy were largely marketing strategies going. Althaus reports on an arid intended to create a positive political n May 2008, the Roslyn Oxley9 debate between political sociologists brand for incoming premiers. The IGallery in the Sydney suburb of about what defines political risk. rhetoric about long-term planning Paddington sent out invitations for Much concern is expressed about rarely led to substantive policy an upcoming Bill Henson exhibition, the lack of clarity surrounding the change or shifts in funding. Most of featuring a nude photograph of a concept. At times, the prose slips all, the development plans did not thirteen-year-old girl. On Thursday into ponderous phrases such as entail any significant political risks. 22 May, a column by Miranda ‘risk explains, shapes, delineates There are more interesting issues Devine in the Sydney Morning Herald and defines society and vice-versa; that could have been tackled. Reform and Chris Smith’s afternoon talkback and we can only understand society is typically a high risk venture in show on radio station 2GB sparked if we understand risk.’ We are Australian politics.
    [Show full text]
  • VULNERABILITY and the PASSING of CHILDHOOD in BILL HENSON: INNOCENCE in the AGE of MECHANICAL REPRODUCTION1 Joanne Faulkner
    PARRHESIA NUMBER 11 • 2011 • 44-55 VULNERABILITY AND THE PASSING OF CHILDHOOD IN BILL HENSON: INNOCENCE IN THE AGE OF MECHANICAL REPRODUCTION1 Joanne Faulkner In May 2008 the Australian art community was delivered a shock when one of its luminaries, photographer Bill Henson, received popular attention for all the wrong reasons. The opening night of his exhibition at the Roslyn Oxley9 gallery, in Sydney’s cosmopolitan suburb of Paddington, was cancelled, and works seized by the NSW police force due to a complaint by child-protection activist, Hetty Johnson. The complaint was leveled particularly at the event’s invitation to friends of the gallery, which used an image of a naked adolescent girl. The exhibition had also received adverse coverage from Sydney Morning Herald columnist Miranda Devine, who wrote in the name of ‘innocent childhood’ that: The effort over many decades by various groups—artists, perverts, academics, libertarians, the media and advertising industries, respectable corporations and the porn industry—to smash taboos of previous generations and define down community standards, has successfully eroded the special protection once afforded childhood.2 Thus the boundaries of conflict were drawn: boundaries that echo similar controversies in the US and Britain, pitting the apparently competing concerns for the protection of children against the freedom of artistic expression.3 On one side, Henson was portrayed as an exploiter of children, and representative of a leisure class that flouts community morality. On the other, he was heralded as an artist of first merit, whose work is above the scrutiny of tabloid-reading philistines.4 The divided nature of the discussion meant that a middle ground was difficult to occupy.
    [Show full text]
  • LUMINOUS Directed by Richard Tognetti AUGUST 2019
    LUMINOUS Directed by Richard Tognetti AUGUST 2019 Program Two Worlds, Standing A Beautiful in Short Together and Apart Cohesion Your five-minute read Peter Craven talks to Kate Holden speaks to before lights down Richard Tognetti & Bill Henson singer-songwriter Lior p.12 p.22 p.38 PRINCIPAL PARTNER Bill Henson Untitled, 2000/2003 CL SH 453 N9A Courtesy of the artist, Tolarno Galleries and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery. Holding Performance To A Higher Standard. Just as a successful performance relies on an orchestra playing in harmony, successful investing requires the skills and perspectives of a diverse, global team working together. PIMCO is one of the world’s premier fixed income investment managers, with more than 785 investment professionals and over 2,600* employees around the world. pimco.com.au *As at 31/3/2019. Issued in Australia by PIMCO Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 54 084 280 508, AFSL 246862). This information has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs, and because of this you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to these factors before acting on the information. All investments contain risk and may lose value. PIMCO is a trademark of Allianz Asset Management of America L.P. in the United States and throughout the world. ©2019 PIMCO CMR2019-0325-387845 3 Inside you’ll find features and interviews that shine a spotlight on our players and the music you are about to hear. Enjoy the read. INSIDE: Welcome Program Program in Short From the ACO’s Managing Listing
    [Show full text]
  • Submission to the Senate Inquiry
    Submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Australian film and literature classification scheme responding to sections e and k of the terms of reference Associate Professor Robert Nelson, art critic Summary This submission outlines how Australian art has been unnecessarily impoverished by artists avoiding children in their works. It raises problems in current interpretations of the law and reveals the discouraging effects that misapplied laws have on artists. I also argue that the decisive issue in classification must be the intention of the artist rather than artistic merit. In a separate section, the submission deals with the problem of community perception and attempts to sort out the sense amid much chaotic and capricious demagogy that has occurred through the media. The text looks at the real and imaginary risks to children and distinguishes genuine community opinion from artificially generated community opinion. It describes three fallacious claims against naked children in art and invokes, instead, the necessity of conducting scientifically premised risk evaluation in order to judge the harmfulness of works of art. Finally, the submission turns to the matter of freedom of expression, not to claim that artists can do whatever they like but to reveal how the community must not use two standards in computing risk in art and computing risk in other areas; because any discrepancy of standard amounts to chauvinism against artists. The submission concludes with a plea to the Senate Inquiry to bring reason to the field which is overrun by emotional reactions of no philosophical substance. 1 1 The legal and artistic context This section explains how the deficit of children in contemporary art is the consequence of badly interpreted bodies of law.
    [Show full text]
  • Penrith Regional Gallery & the Lewers Bequest Autumn Exhibition
    Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest Autumn Exhibition Suite 2018 Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest Introduction Welcome to the Gallery’s Autumn suite of exhibitions: 5 x 5 – The Artist and the Patron, tactile and Bill Henson: Paris Opera Series, selected works. Autumn Each year the Gallery seeks opportunities to exhibit and mentor Western Sydney artists and curators. This Autumn we present two shows by early career curators, Micheal Do and Exhibition Marian Simpson. Micheal Do is a recipient of the Copyright Agency’s curatorial residency for 2017, funded through Museums & Galleries NSW. Suite His exhibition 5 x 5 – The Artist and the Patron, looks to the relationship between collectors and artists, and the driving forces and impulses behind private art collection. Five Sydney based collectors were invited to nominate an artist from their own extensive collections, with whom they shared a particular affinity and had collected works over a period of time. The five pairings include art advisor and Artspace Board Member, Amanda Love, and British artist Tracey Emin; lawyer and NAVA Chair James Emmett and artist Julian Meagher; philanthropist, Lisa Paulsen and artist and critic Patrick Hartigan; physician and Director of Holdsworth House, Dick Quan and Indonesian artist Uji ‘Hahan’ Handoko Eko Saputro; and Anonymous – ‘the private collector’ and artist Nigel Milsom. tactile is the first solo curatorial outing for the Gallery’s 2018. Courtesy of the artist of Courtesy 2018. Exhibition Manger, Marian Simpson. It has been undertaken as a professional development opportunity, and to enhance Island Island the Gallery’s offer to both younger audiences, and those with sight impairment.
    [Show full text]
  • The Photographic Collages of Bill Henson
    The photographic collages of Bill Henson: materials, techniques and conservation Carolyn Murphy ABSTRACT During the 1980s and 1990s Bill Henson made a number of photographic collage works. These works, sometimes referred to as cut screens, were created on a support of either plywood, or corrugated cardboard adhered to a wood framework. The support was left bare or covered with glassine and cut up photographs were attached to the support using blue metal tacks, if required, and self-adhesive tape. Over time the tape began to fail and the artist decided to change the works so that rather than readhering or replacing the pieces of tape he used pins to hold the pieces of tape and the photographs in their original positions. Later collage works were taped and pinned by the artist at the time of creation in recognition of the inherent instability of the tape. In a few instances the artist replaced photograph pieces where discolouration or fading affected the appearance of the works. Based on documentation of the works in the AGNSW collection and interviews with Henson, this paper looks at the materials and techniques used to create these works and compares Henson’s approach to their conservation with more conventional conservation approaches. KEYWORDS that inhabited space while it was at the same time an allusion to or suggestion of another world, the world captured in the image. Bill Henson, photography, collage, contemporary art, conservation. Commenting on these works Henson has said: The critical thing in photography is to be able to create
    [Show full text]
  • A Critical Response by Tristan Meecham
    1 COMPLETE SMUT Art Auction Created by Punctum Inc Critical Analysis written by Tristan Meecham. COMPLETE SMUT Art Auction, a one night event, was held at the Melbourne Town Hall as part of the 2016 Festival of Live Art. Punctum Inc created a ‘directed reality’1 that framed the artist within various ‘markets’ and positioned the audience in a complex transaction negotiating commerce, artistic value and agency. This hybrid market place (with reference to fine art markets, livestock markets, supermarkets, stock markets, and even black markets) aimed to ‘collide systems determining the ‘worth’ of art with a public interrogation of those mechanisms of desire and transaction that inform our relationship to art’ (Punctum, 2017). COMPLETE SMUT Art Auction formed a courageous relationship with the audience, a gamble that demanded without any guarantee their invested participation. This auction was real; performance art sold to the highest bidder. Upon entering the Town Hall, audience members were greeted by registrars at a table and inducted into the event. The rules of the event were explained, contracts were signed, credit card details exchanged and bidder paddles provided. Further to this, each audience member received a catalogue detailing the works / artists for sale. Auction protocol and buyers 1 “The artist Paweł Althamer has referred to the artistic strategy of ‘directed reality’ and this evocative phrase is a useful way to describe the combination of clear conceptual premise and partially unpredictable realisation that characterises some of the best examples of contemporary participation” (Bishop, 2012). 2 rights were made clear; the artwork would license for the evening to the highest bidder2.
    [Show full text]
  • Another Look at the Henson Case Tony Mitchell Introduction
    24/05/2012 :: SCAN | journal of media arts culture :: Scan Journal Vol 8 Number 1 October 2011 Unacceptable Censorship, or Confusing Adolescence with Childhood: Another Look at the Henson Case Tony Mitchell Introduction Opening tonight at the elegant Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in the heart of Paddington is an exhibition of photographs by Bill Henson, featuring naked 12 and 13 year-olds. The invitation to the exhibition features a large photo of a girl, the light shining on her hair, eyes downcast, dark shadows on her sombre, beautiful face, and the budding breasts of puberty on full display, her hand casually covering her crotch (Miranda Devine, "Moral backlash over sexing up of our children", Sydney Morning Herald 22 May 2008) This strange photograph is disturbing. We are compelled to look, and look again…The power of the image comes from the striking beauty of [the girl's] facial features, superb in definition, held against the abjection of her body (Roger Benjamin, "The Henson Defence", The Australian, 31 May 2008). The content contains an image of breast nudity that … creates a viewing impact that is mild and justified by context. The image … is not sexualised to any degree. The content therefore warrants a PG classification. Classification Board report, 3 June 2008, TO8/2335. … in a halo of light at a moment of such profound self-absorption she appears to have become her own body, a child and the woman she will soon be, both entirely beautiful. Her breasts are buds. Her crotch is modestly obscured by her hands in deep shadow (David Marr, The Henson Case, 2009,108).
    [Show full text]
  • BILL HENSON Bill Henson Is One of Australia‟S Leading Contemporary
    BILL HENSON Bill Henson is one of Australia‟s leading contemporary artists. Born in Melbourne in 1955, Henson had his first solo exhibition, at the age of 19, at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1975. He has since exhibited extensively in Australia and overseas, including New York, London, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, Montreal, Barcelona, Vienna and Amsterdam. In 1995 Henson represented Australia at the Venice Biennale, with his celebrated series of cut- screen photographs. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of NSW. In 2003 Henson‟s work appeared in Strangers: The First ICP Triennial of Photography and Video at the International Center of Photography in New York. In the same year he had a solo exhibition at the Centro de Fotografia, University of Salamanca, Spain. In 2005 a comprehensive survey of his work was held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. This landmark survey show attracted record visitor numbers for a contemporary art exhibition in Australia. In 2006 Henson exhibited a major body of work in Twilight: Photography in the Magic Hour at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Bill Henson‟s work is to be found in every major public collection in Australia including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Australia. Overseas collections include the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris, the Houston Museum of Fine Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, the Museum Moderner Kunst, Vienna, the Sammlung Volpinum, Vienna, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Solomon R.
    [Show full text]