IWD 2025 — searching for peace. An image by Daisy Wu.
In these troubles times, we need to be positive and seek peace and harmony.
Caption for the photograph: All quiet on the western front, 1955
Category Archives: Visual Arts
Carol Eyerman
researching a photographer
I have uploaded to our web site a piece on Carol Eyerman, a woman photographer who may have been overlooked in our photo histories despite her significant body of work with LIFE and others. Click here.
Ruth Bernhard
On Our Collections
I have uploaded a piece about one of my most cherished photographs, Ruth Bernhard’s 1946 Dead Sparrow — click here
Imagining A Real Australia
Book Launch at MAPh
This afternoon (Saturday 7 Dec) I had the pleasure of launching at the Museum of Australian Photography Stephen Zagala’s beautiful photography book — Imaging A Real Australia — about Australian documentary photography 1950 — 1980.
Carol Jerrems
Updating our online information
We have updated the information on our website on Carol Jerrems. Loads of links.
Mary Meyer
Early 20th century Australian artist
Being in Melbourne has brought about a few pleasant surprises. Who would have thought that we would be researching early 20th century Australia women painters — who were not photographers.
Research in the State Library of Victoria
Happy days!!
There are some beautiful places to visit and Victoria’s State Library is definitely one of them. Continue reading Research in the State Library of Victoria
Research at Monash University
Doing research for a colleague
We had a fun day today doing some research. We headed across Melbourne to Monash University Clayton Campus to view a document for a colleague. This is what we like doing now that we are in Melbourne — doing research favours for colleagues.
John Albok
On Our Collections
A wonderful photograph by New York photographer, John Albok (1894–1982)
Another cherished photograph that sits on our walls in our Melbourne home.
More on this photograph — click here.
Elaine Campaner, The Lake 2017 Copy
On Our Collections
A much loved work by Elaine Campaner (1969–2020) that has just taken pride of place on our walls in our new home in Melbourne. More on this work — click here.
Oceania: From Melbourne to Papeete
Revisiting a 2019 entry to an exhibition catalogue
This piece was a difficult piece to write. The requirement was to survey 19th century photography across the Pacific in a few hundred words. Many hours were spent reducing the entry and making decisions on what to leave out — reluctantly! If I ever find the time I may revisit this and make it a much longer piece with all the extras inserted back in. Wishful thinking maybe? Here’s the original piece.
Other Lives
Republishing previous article
Have revisited a previous article looking at the aesthetic connections to other mediums and how image makers respond to their era. I may follow up with some thoughts on how this applies in contemporary practice — today. Click here for my 1990s piece.
Rod McNicol, The Roses 2024
On Our Collections
When we moved, we dispersed some of our collections and said to ourselves that we should not buy any more. Then we saw this wonderful new work by Rod McNicol.
A previous notice for this was posted on Facebook — but their algorithm removed it. We have a theory. Click here for the original piece on our website
Elaine Campaner, The Lake 2017
On Our Collections
A much loved work by Elaine Campaner (1969–2020) that has just taken pride of place on our walls in our new home in Melbourne. More on this work — click here.
Klara Langer 1912–1973, Hungary
On Our Collections
Photography collections can be fun! I love good ‘table top’ works and we have a number in our collection. This is one — and I have written a small piece about it — click here
Anzac Days — Colin Abbott
Magnet Galleries Exhibition
I have uploaded a piece about our visit to see the Anzac Days, the Colin Abbott exhibition at Magnet Galleries in Docklands, Melbourne.
Click here for the piece on our web site.
Update: Robert McFarlane Anzac Day
On Our Collection
An update on the previous article: Canberra colleagues have identified that the girl in the centre of the photograph is holding a Kodak Brownie Starlet — ‘Made in Australia’.
Now if only we knew who she was and does she have a photo of Robert McFarlane taking her photograph!
Robert McFarlane Anzac Day 1964
On Our Collection
I have uploaded a short piece about a Robert McFarlane photograph in our collection, Crowd lining the street on Anzac Day at Martin Place, Sydney, 1964.
Click here for the piece on our web site
Hélène Hoppenot
Following my research, collection acquisitions and exhibition on Southeast Asian photography while at the National Gallery of Australia, in 2014 I wrote a piece about Hélène Hoppenot and 1930s women modernist photographers in Southeast Asia. Till now this essay has been unpublished. It is now online — click here — more or less unchanged from the 2014 version with a few notes and links added.
merry christmas 2023
hullo Melbourne!
Merry Christmas from Melbourne, our new home city.
Time out for my birthday
We are moving to Melbourne
We have been extra busy! A couple of months ago the decision was made to move to Melbourne this year. Maybe this was far too optimistic — but we are going for it!
Parting With Your Art — Women:s Art Register
A Guide for Australian Artists
I have uploaded a page about the Women:s Art Register and their very handy publication Leaving Your Legacy: A Guide for Australian Artists.
The guide is a comprehensive starting point — and the organisation is definitely worth supporting. Click here.
Picture in Print 1976 & 2022
Australian Photo-History Publications
I have unearthed an essay from 1976 which was a commentary about photo-history books available at the time.
camera chic
East West Chic
In 2017 The Asia Art Society of Australia (TAASA) hosted a seminar of East West Chic.
I presented a talk on Camera Chic based on a collection we had put together – with fun pictures from Asian studio portraiture. The collection highlighted the fusion of East and West evident in dress, accessories, and studio backdrops. Click here for more
Make sure you see the link to the powerpoint slides with loads of photographs to enjoy.
Parting with your art — library stories
A new upload to my blog about Parting With Your Art.
This time about a friend’s experience of parting with her library plus a tale from me about all those plastic folders. Click here.
Parting with your art — photographer’s cards
Have uploaded a page about my collection of photographer’s greeting cards that has been placed with the AGNSW Library — click here
Thai photography
https://www.facebook.com/theARTMUSEum.PaulCostigan/posts/635188293479667
Anna Gray AM
Queen’s Birthday honour to former NGA curator
As listed: Dr Anne Mary Gray AM
National Gallery Singapore
CHARTING THOUGHTS: ESSAYS ON ART IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
A new research book has been published by the National Gallery of Singapore. It contains essays on Southeast Asian art by 25 scholars.
I was given the honour by the NGS of being one the contributing scholars.
The book is available from the NGS shop and through their website — click here.
Philip Bentley and Group M
A history of Group M photographers by Philip Bentley
Back in 1996, Philip Bentley, Melbourne historian, wrote a thesis on the history of the Melbourne photographers, Group M.
Planetary Gardening at photoaccess
Review by Peter Haynes
Curated by Ashley Lumb and Laura McLean — click on image.
Planetary Gardening at photoaccess
This is an exhibition at photoaccess (Canberra) curated by Ashley Lumb and Laura McLean.
Asian Civilisation Museum
Port Cities Exhibition
click on image for Straits Times news notice — or here for the museum link
Asian Civilisation Museum
Myanmar’s treasures on display at ACM, Singapore
click on image for news on exhibition — or here to link to ACM
Singapore Biennale 2016
Female Abstract Expressionists
Yes they were there
click here — for a story on the presence of females amongst the abstract expressionists.
Polixeni Papapetrou
Featured photographer/artist
Click on the image above for the link to Polixeni’s web site and..
Artlink Art Land
September 2016 issue of Artlink
The September 2016 issue of Artlink is available. Click on image for more
Auckland Photography Festival
Click on the image for the link to the 2016 Auckland Photography Festival
Anna Carey
click on the image for the new series, Stardust, by Anna Carey.
Michael Cook
Click on the image to see the 2016 series by Michael Cook — Mother.
Harold Cazneaux exhibition
National Gallery Singapore
click on image above for the story about this very successful new national gallery.
Shimmer at the Wollongong City Gallery
Photographs of 1930s China by Stanley O. Gregory
Singapore International Photography Festival 2016
Open Call — Singapore International Photography Festival 2016 — click on graphic above
photography
Helen Levitt at Laurence Miller
New Zealand photography at Te Papa
Click on the image above for an article about the exhibition, New Zealnd Photography Collected on at Te Papa in Wellington, NZ.
New Zealand photography
The Auckland Festival of photography — for news on exhibitions and more — click on the image.
NGA Photography: The world is beautiful
Opening 4th December 2015: The world is beautiful
Peace for Paris
Andrew Sayers
Click on the image for an article by Sasha Grishin on Andrew
The V&A and Indian textiles
click on image for the Guardian’s story on the exhibition in London
Marion Boyce
A visit to Rippon Lea (Melbourne) to see the wonderful exhibition of costumes produced by Marion Boyce for the ABC program Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
Obiturary Rose Farrell 1949 – 2015
It with great sadness that we heard that our friend Rose Farrell died recently. There’s a very good piece about Rose written by Robert Nelson — click here.
Photographic Portraits from West Africa
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
In and Out of the Studio
Photographic Portraits from West Africa
August 31, 2015–January 3, 2016
Click image for link to the museum — or for ArtDaily — click here
national gallery singapore
Opening Celebrations announced
Starts 24 November. Complimentary entry for visitors from 24 Nov – 6 Dec 2015. Click on image for link to gallery website.
ArtNews + Art in America
As art publication struggle along with other hard copy magazines, there’s interesting news about how ARTnews and Art in America are to merge to form the world’s largest art-media company.
Photography
An Update on the Australian Centre for Photography (Sydney). There was a story previously about the ACP moving. This was not quite correct. The ACP is not necessarily moving west as all options are still being considered as to where it could be located in the future.
30 Asian Photographers
Photographers in Asia — click on image
Visual Arts Singapore
There’s an announcement online about a new art fair to be held in January at the same time as Art Stage Singapore, Click on the image for more on this.
Australian Centre for Photography
Hot Gossip: The ACP to move west and will be soon looking for a new Director. The news being circulated around Sydney is that the ACP has made its decision to move from Paddington and to move to the western suburbs, to Parramatta. This will definitely require a change to the organisation and some of its programs.
Vincent photographed?
Is This a Photograph of Vincent Van Gogh? click on image for the story
AMBER and Cartier-Bresson
A great and arguably under-celebrated social documentary collection in the UK is having a major retrospective in its home city of Newcastle upon Tyne, in the north-east of England. Forever Amber, celebrating the work of the Amber Film and Photography Collective, opens at the city’s Laing Art Gallery today (27 June-19 September).
Click on image for the notice or click here for the gallery site
AGNSW Sydney Modern Project
an update on Sydney Modern Project — click on image
Visual Arts Singapore
National Gallery Singapore: A story about doubts about whether an artwork is a fake. Click on the image for more.
The Photograph and Australia
A Review worth reading — click on the image — and then get along to the exhibition
The Curatorial Crypt
A Week in photography (care of Artdaily)
Kate Breakey at the Michener Art Museum
Click on image for more
Ian North
Exhibition Notice
Ian North, East Antarctica 1915, Greenaway Art Gallery
Ian North’s latest exhibition is at the Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide, till April 26; Click here for the link to the gallery site. Click here for a review on The Conversation
The Curatorial Crypt
Notices
click on the links below for items of curatorial interest
photography
Colour my world: handcoloured Australian photography
National Gallery of Australia (Canberra) Exhibition open till 30 August 2015
Betty Churcher
11 January 1931 – 31 March 2015
The Photograph and Australia
Exhibition Notice
A must see exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, till 8 June 2015
Between – Picturing 1950–1960s Taiwan
Exhibition Notice
Between – Picturing 1950–1960s Taiwan
ANU Australian Centre on China in the World till 3 April 2015
Trent Parke: Black Rose
Trent Parke: Black Rose at the Art Gallery of South Australia (click on image)
Climarte
NGA Contemporary
National Gallery of Australia/ Contemporary
This new exhibition space down by the lakeside opened in September 2014. See information below the images — these taken from the first exhibition.
New NGA Senior Curator of Photography
Shaune Lakin, The New NGA Senior Curator of Photography
At the end of an exhibition seminar in August at the Monash Gallery of Art, as the NGA Senior Curator of Photography who was about to finish in that role, I handed on the baton and all the challenges to my replacement, the new NGA Senior Curator of Photography (from October), Shaune Lakin (previously The MGA Director).
James Turrell at the NGA
Notice: NGA Visual Arts Exhibition
Opening 13 December 2014 is a retrospective of the work of James Turrell. The NGA had a major work of James Turrell, Within without, installed in 2010 as part of the new gardens off the front entrance a few years ago.
The coming retrospective will offer a five decade survey of this American artist’s works — click here.
Photography at the NGA
Notice: Contemporary Photography at the NGA
Photography Gallery — Gifted artists: Donations by Patrick Corrigan AM
click on the image for the link to the NGA website
Shades of Light
Publication: Shades of Light online
I have published online a version of my 1988 book Shades of Light.
This is accessed through my other website, photo-web. One day soon I hope to update this with some images and more links.
Please click here to visit this publication.