"As a practising artist/craftrsperson with an interest in education, teaching and learning, the potential of studio based training greatly appealed to me."
Museums and larger arts spaces are increasingly looking at ways to improve access to their exhibitions for a wider range of people. Contemporary art spaces face a more difficult battle than museums in trying to become more relevant to their diverse communities.
The time is post-recession, the economic climate is uncertain, Australian designers and consumers inhabit the suburbs but are cut off from each other, and someone decided to do something about it in the City of Caulfield, Victoria.
Exhibition review Jemmy
Mehmet Adil, Craige Andrae, Johnnie Dadie, Simryn Gill, Richard Grayson, Linda Marie Walker, Paul Hewson, Shaun Kirby, David O'Halloran, Bronia Iwanczak, Andrew Petrusevics, Bronwyn Platten, George Popperwell, Jyanni Steffensen, Steve Wigg
Curated by Alan Cruikshank
Ebenezer Studios Basement
February 18 - March 13 1994
As an organisation, Arts + Industry is fundamentally concerned with economics and income generation. Assisting artists and designers to either find employment with industry or create opportunities as self-employed designer/makers is integral to their goals.
Written with Shiralee Saul and Susan Fereday. How does an art object differ from a manufactured 'designer' commodity? Is the traditional status of the work of art undermined by repetition, reproduction and affordability? Are the qualities of fetish, uniqueness and authorial presence removed from or reinstated in the art multiple.
How do artists survive when they are not able to sell work in galleries -- sales are at a record low and many galleries have folded-- or get commissions through State agencies -- because these are few and far between?
Article written with collaborator Shiralee Saul. Discusses the planned Futurama which was slated to start in 1996 as a 4-5 day event in Melbourne Victoria - organised by Installation Publication a partnership of 2 artist administrators.
Artists are particularly vulnerable to economic downturn for two main reasons...the business cycle and the role of other jobs in a tight employment market.