Catalogue


ABOUT 9 X 5 NOW

16-25 June 2017

Darren Sylvester, 'Adidas Hiker,' Lightjet print, 2017
Darren Sylvester, 'Adidas Hiker,' Lightjet print, 2017. Courtesy of Neon Parc.

9 X 5 NOW showcases generations of practicing artists who have studied or taught at the National Gallery School or VCA Art. The most experienced artist represented attended the National Gallery School in the 1940s, and the youngest completed studies at the VCA just one year ago.

The exhibition title and concept references the famous ‘9 by 5 Impression Exhibition’ held at the Buxton Rooms, Swanston Street Melbourne in 1889. All seven artists in that exhibition, Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Frederick McCubbin, Charles Conder, C Douglas Richardson, R.E. Falls and Herbert Daly, were National Gallery School alumni. McCubbin was also a staff member and Louis Abrahams, also a former student, supplied the 9 x 5 inch cedar cigar box lids on which the works were painted. The Victorian College of the Arts is indebted to Lauraine Diggins of Lauraine Diggins Fine Art for facilitating the loan of works by Roberts, Conder and Streeton from the original 1889 exhibition especially for the opening of 9 X 5 NOW.

At the time women made up the majority of the National Gallery School student cohort and alumni. It is significant to note that Jane Sutherland, Clara Southern, May Vale, Elizabeth Parsons, Jane Price, who practised en plein air painting and were associated with the development of Australian Impressionism were not included in the ‘9 by 5 Impression Exhibition’.

In contrast, representation in the current 9 X 5 NOW exhibition is characterised by inclusivity and diversity of identity, generation and practice. Each contributing artist was supplied with a 9 x 5 inch (23 x 13 cm) plywood board, and a range of works have been returned from across Australia and overseas that include contemporary approaches to photography, drawing, text, painting and cross media practice.

It is easy to forget that en plein air painting promoted by the ‘9 by 5 Impression Exhibition’ was avant garde and challenged the prevailing status quo. In this light, the 1889 exhibition can be considered one of the first Artist Run Initiatives (ARIs), which have since come to characterise exhibition practice in Melbourne.

Many ARIs have been founded and developed by subsequent generations of National Gallery School and VCA graduates as venues for independent exhibitions, debate and the promotion of cutting edge aesthetics. These include Art Projects, Roar Studios, First floor, Basement, TCB art inc, Conical, Westspace, DAMP, Kings ARI, Blender Studios, Blindside, Platform and Caves.

The work in 9 x 5 NOW is indicative of the significant contribution the 350 eminent alumni and staff have made to art education, the visual arts and the broader cultural landscape of Australia. It has been a privilege and a challenge to curate this landmark exhibition.

Dr Elizabeth Gower
Curator, 9 X 5 NOW

9 X5 NOW is one of the highlights of ART150, a year-long program of events, interviews and expert commentary to celebrate 150 years of art in Melbourne at the VCA and its predecessor institution, the National Gallery School – a lineage that began with its establishment in 1867.

More than 300 contemporary visual artists have contributed original artworks for the 9 X 5 NOW exhibition, the biggest show ever to be staged the University of Melbourne’s Margaret Lawrence Gallery.

The funds generated from the sale of works from the exhibition will establish the ART150 Fellowship which will encourage subsequent generations of alumni to pursue and support high ambitions for their work.

I thank the artists for coming to the project with such enthusiasm and acknowledge their participation, generosity, and to recognise the important contribution they will make for generations of future artists.

Professor Su Baker
Director, Victorian College of the Arts


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Artist Works

The exhibition showcases generations of practicing artists who have studied or taught at the National Gallery School or VCA Art. The most experienced artist represented attended the National Gallery School in the 1940s, and the youngest completed studies at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2016.

Kay Abude 1Christopher Beaumon 19 Sandra Bridie Julia Ciccarone
A Constructed World Stephen Benwell 20 Jack Brown Marc Clark
Colleen Ahern 3 Lauren Berkowitz Lyndell Brown Fred Colla 55
Tom Alberts Damiano Bertoli Kirsty Budge 40 Edward Colless
Micky Allan 5 Hannah Bertram Louisa Bufardeci Cate Consadine
Adrian Allen Kate Beynon Michael Bullock Martina Copley
Santina Amato Natasha Bieniek 25 Peter Burke, 42 Yvette Coppersmith
Rick Amor Fergus Binns Tim Burns Lane Cormick 60
Benjamin Armstrong Terri Bird Jon Campbell 45Emma Coulter
Beth Arnold 10Kylie Blackley Hamish Carr Ross Coulter
Rosalind Atkins Barbara Bolt Jon Cattapan Maryanne Coutts
Sean Bailey Chris Bond 30 Angela Cavalieri Steve Cox 64
Su Baker Peter Booth Celeste Chandler Greg Creek 65
Irene Barberis Paul Borg Sadie Chandler Zoe Croggon
Elizabeth Barnett 15 Lynne Boyd Jenny Zhe Chang Sarah Crowest
Chris Barry Ry David Bradley Danica Chappell, 51 Georgina Cue
Tim Bass Mostyn Bramley-Moore 35Kevin Chin  
Belle Bassin Nicole Breedon Nadine Christensen
DAMP Kate Durham Philip Faulks Sam George
Aleks Danko 70 Mark Dustin Carolyn Fels Nina Gilbert
Peter Daverington Eliza Dyball 85 Emily Ferretti Minna Gilligan        
Isabel Davies Chris Dyson Anna Finlayson 100 Andrew Goodman 
Penelope DavisStephen Eastaugh Prudence Flint Sharon Goodwin 115
Kate Daw Craig Easton Emily Floyd, 103 Elizabeth Gower
Janet Dawson 75 Janenne Eaton, 91 Ryan L. Foote Greatest Hits 117
Destiny Deacon Tim Edwards Louise Forthun Janina Green
Marieke Dench Merrin Eirth Fred Fowler 105Rona Green, 119
James Deutsher Dianne Emery Graham Fransella Charles Green 120
Nick Devlin Carolyn Eskdale Virginia Fraser Katya Grokhovsky
Kim Donaldson 80 Catherine Evans Betra Fraval Peter Grziwotz, 122
Adrian Doyle Megan Evans 95 Mark Friedlander Kim Guthrie, 123
Lesley Dumbrell, 84 Fayen d'Evie Tony Garifalakis 110
Stephen Haley  124 Anna Higgins, 140 Raafat Ishak Chris Koller
Irene Hanenbergh Christopher LG Hill Kotoe Ishii 157 Annika Koops
David Harley Rebecca Ann Hobbs, 142 Susan Jacobs, 158 Jessica Kritzer
Melinda Harper Geoff Hogg, 143 Gary James (Spook) Tessa Laird 175
Brent Harris Heidi Holmes, 144 Natasha Johns-Messenger, 160 Claire Lambe
Ry Haskings Timothy Horn , 145 Helen Johnson Peter Lancaster
Gail Hastings 130 John Howley Tim Jones 162 Bonnie Lane
Katherine Hattam, 131 Katherine Huang ,147 Kate Just 163 Lucina Lane
Bill Hay Lou Hubbard, 148 Adrian Kellett Christopher Langton 180
Siri Hayes Kez Hughes, 149 William Kelly 165 Alun Leach-Jones
Andrew Hazewinkel  Clare Humphries, 150 Veronica Kent Katie Lee
Louise Bearman, 135 Paula Hunt Danius Kesminas Richard Lewer
Will Heathcote Noel S Hutchison, 152 Justine Khamara Dane Lovett
Bill Henson Greg Irvine, 153 Anastasia Klose Sean Lowry 185
 Sophia Hewson, 138 Julie Irving, 154 Sophie Knezic, 170 James Lynch
Lily Hibberd Melanie Irwin, 155 Paul Knight
Fiona Macdonald  Lewis Miller Susan Norrie Rosslynd Piggott
Stewart Macfarlane Viv Miller Jamie O'Connell Kenny Pittock, 253
Taree Mackenzie, 194 Adelle Mills Fiona Orr Kerrie Poliness, 254
Victor Majzner Allan Mitelman Selina Ou Elizabeth Presa, 255
Neil Malone Tully Moore Sanja Pahoki Lutz Presser
Gabriella Mangano Kent Morris David Palliser Jake Preval
Silvana Mangano Callum Morton Nikos Pantazopoulos Nusra Latif Qureshi
Amanda Marburg Arlo Mountford  Louise Paramor Lisa Radford
Terry Matassoni Nick Mourtzakis Marc PascalHannah Raisin
Georgie Mattingley Darren Munce 217 Jahnne Pasco-White Steven Rendall
Helen Maudsley Jan Murray Caitlin Patane Steven Rhall
Stephen McCarthy  Noriko Nakamura Steaphan Paton Geoffrey Ricardo
Laith McGregor Sophie Neate Jim Pavlidis Cameron Robbins, 263
Rob McHaffie Nicholas Nedelkopoulos Mary Lou Pavlovic Kiron Robinson
Moya McKenna John R. Neeson Nicholas Pearce Kate Rohde
Ben McKeown Jan Nelson  Sean Peoples David Rosetzky
Andrew McLaughlin Geoff Newton  Simon Pericich Kati Rule
Alasdair McLuckie Naomi Nicholls, 225 Oscar Perry Natalie Ryan
Fiona McMonagle Tom Nicholson  Stieg Persson Pip Ryan
John Meade John Nixon  Drew Pettifer John Ryrie 270
Sean Meilak Rose Nolan, 228Caroline Phillips Nick Ryrie 
Scott Miles, 207 David Noonan  Patricia Piccinini
Bernhard Sachs  Slow Art Collective Andrew Taylor  Darren Wardle
Mia Salsjo  Sally Smart  KathyTemin Jason Waterhouse 
Bill Sampson Shannon Smiley  Simon Terrill Jenny Watson
Sangeeta Sandrasegar Ken Smith  Natalie Thomas Ieuan Weinman
Gareth Sansom Tai Snaith  Jensen Tjhung, 3Irene Wellm 
Mark Schaller Charlie Sofo  Jane Trengove  Ian Westacott 
Rohan Schwartz  Valerie Sparks Kate Tucker, 314 Bradd Westmoreland
Jo Scicluna  Bryan Spier, 297 Meredith Turnbull Kylie White
John Scurry  Susan Stamp  Judith van Heeren Stephen Wickham
Nicholas Selenitsch Stelarc Isadora Vaughan  Rudi Williams
Lani Seligman  Esther Stewar Trinh Vu David Wilson
David Sequeira  Jacqui Stockdale Ace Wagstaff  Grace Wood
Nick Seymour  Mark Stoner Xanthe Waite  Jordan Wood, 339
Vivienne Shark Le Witt Richard Stringer Alex Walker Laura Woodward
Utako Shindo  Darren Sylvester Deborah Walker Alice Wormald
Mark Shorter  Michel Szczepanski John Walker Azza Zein
Marie Sierra Camilla Tadich Lyndal Walker Constanze Zikos
Miranda Skoczek Masato Takasaka, 307 Murray Walker  Simon Zoric 
Simone Slee  Cyrus Tang Amber Wallis, 326 Alex Zubryn

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