Page 80 - The Venice Biennale 2001 issue of World of Art Magazine

ART in AusTRALiA reVieWS

museum Of syDney Water has volatile properties which artists museum Of syDney
have used to bring an emotional mood to
On the site of first government house On the site of first government house
landscape painting. Classical artists for
corner bridge and phillip streets, sydney. corner phillip & bridge streets, sydney
for further information /interviews /images please example, idealised the planet by showing water Tel +61 2 9251 5988
phone historic houses Trust of nsW as a calm natural resource. Romantic artists,
however, were more obsessed with the power of www.hht.nsw.gov.au
Tel +61 2 9692 8366
nature seeing water as an inspiring but potentially
by WATeR threatening, violent force. A property managed by the Historic Houses
fROm keRRy sTOkes’ pRivATe cOLLecTiOn Water also looms large in the life of Trust of new South Wales
30 June TO 25 nOvembeR 2001 most Australians - either by its absence in opened in May 1995, the Museum of
A new exhibition focusing on water - which Australia’s interior or its abundance on Sydney (MoS) is a new and adventurous
has held a fascination for, and has challenged the coastline. m u s e u m o n a n h i s t o r i c s i t e, t h a t o f
the perceptions of Classical and Romantic Quite apart from sustaining each organism Australia’s first government House. It’s a
artists for centuries -will open at the Museum in our food chain, water covers an immense place with many layers - the archaeological
of Sydney on 30 June, 2001. portion of the earth’s surface. As John Stringer remains of governor Phillip’s house, the
By Water is a diverse exhibition featuring remarks: “It is hardly surprising that water modern architecture of denton corker
rare artworks by prominent artists and has such an intense focus in our culture Marshall, with permanent and temporary
and collections.”
photographers, interesting objects, charts and
displays created by historians, curators,
Over 80 pieces have been especially chosen
artists and others.
a rare collection of books not previously seen
eD RuschA BroWn nAVIgATIon in NSW. These items chosen from the personal for By Water ranging from Dutch paintings
and maps of the 17th century to publications,
collection of Kerry Stokes by Curator John
manuscripts and navigation instruments from
Stringer, reflect Kerry Stokes’ personal interests that
the 18th and 19th centuries. From the 19th
include history, exploration and art.
century on, By Water
presents an intriguing
mix of fine art from
overseas as well as norMAn lIndSAY (1879-1969) IT IS WIllIAM dAMPIEr c 1940 ATTAcHEd IS THE BY WATEr IMAgE
Australian works that
cover both western and
Aboriginal traditions.
Acknowledging the
indigenous perspectives
on water, By Water
includes mid and
late 20th century
works by Aboriginal
artists Ngulmarmar
and Janangoo Butcher T h e M u s e u m o f S y d n e y e x p l o r e s t h e
Cherel. worlds of colonial and contemporary
Images by Bonaventura Sydney through objects, pictures, stories
Peeters, Oswald Brierly, and digital-media technologies. Starting
Conrad Martens, Louis from before 1788 when Australia was
de Sainson, Lewis Roper colonised - some say invaded - MoS
Fitzmaurice, Norman takes you on a journey exploring Sydney’s
Lindsay and Frank people, places and cultures, then and
Hurley span a period now.
of 4 centuries. There’s
an extraordinary three U n d e r t h e f o r e c o u r t o f M o S l i e s t h e
volume set of The South foundations of the house built by first fleet
Polar Times signed convicts for Arthur Phillip in 1788. Since
by Antarctic explorer 1984, a series of major archaeological
Shackleton and a display digs has identified the complex formations
of coins personally of first government House and its later
collected by Kerry Stokes additions buried since their demolition in
during the mission to 1845. Thousands of artefacts used by the
recover the wreck of the occupants have been retrieved and provide
Batavia from the Indian a new view of our colonial roots.
Ocean in 1963.
Kerry Stokes, AO The story of the indigenous people of
has been collecting for Sydney is woven through the fabric of
almost three decades; M o S. fr o m t h e f o u n d a t i o n s o f f i r s t
focussing chiefly on government House and the visualisation
Australian masters. of Sydney’s history through panoramas to
He considers himself a the ghostly tales of the Bond Store and
custodian rather than the hundreds of curious found objects
an owner. in the collectors chests, MoS tells the
stories of Sydney.

78 WORLD of ART