From Nolan to Zavros – discover 120 years of iconic Australian art at QAGOMA
While the weather’s chilly and we opt to spend more time cosying up indoors, now is the perfect time to start ticking some activities off your Brisbane bucket list – the events that are inside, anyway. Top of your agenda should be QAGOMA’s Australian Art Collection, a permanent exhibition that encompasses breathtaking homegrown art from different times and cultures.
Whether you’re a history buff or an avid appreciator of art, your cup will be filled at QAGOMA’s Australian Art Collection. The impressive exhibition captures major historical moments from Australia’s history and brings together the Indigenous and contemporary Australian collections, as well as the gallery’s historical holdings. The display spotlights Queensland stories and landmarks like the Brisbane River, bay and surrounding islands, through artworks such as George Wishart’s ‘A busy corner of the Brisbane River’ (1897) and an installation of jewel coloured bowls by Quandamooka weaver Sonja Carmichael. Dazzling pieces that capture the Australian landscape by artists such as Conrad Martens, Eugene Von Guerard, Arthur Streeton and Sydney Long will feature alongside landscapes by artists such as Kenneth Macqueen and John Olsen.
You can treat your peepers to major wall paintings by Queensland Indigenous artist Dale Harding (Bidjara, Ghungalu and Garingbal peoples) and Torres Strait Islander artist Alick Tipoti (Kala Lagaw Ya people), which will be joined by representations of country by Indigenous Australian artists Judy Watson, Gordon Bennett, Mirdidigkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori and Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Art enthusiasts can also immerse themselves in iconic pieces by Arthur Boyd, Rupert Bunny, William Dobell, Ian Fairweather, Ethel Carrick Fox, R Godfrey Rivers, Sam Fullbrook, Michael Zavros, Vida Lahey, Sidney Nolan and many more.
What are you waiting for? Pop on some winter warmers and stroll through the The Australian Art Collection, which just so happens to be free to attend. To learn more about the exhibition, head to the QAGOMA website.
Image one: Australian Art Collection at Queensland Art Gallery with works by Lindy Lee and Richard Dunn / Photograph: Chloe Callistemon, QAGOMA
Image two: Australian Art Collection at Queensland Art Gallery with works by James Cant, Charles Blackman, Arthur Boyd, Danila Vassilieff and Albert Tucker / Photograph: Chloe Callistemon, QAGOMA.
Image three: Australian Art Collection / Fiona Hall / Installation view of Australian set (from ‘Paradisus Terrestris Entitled’ series) 1998-99 / Purchased 2021. The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / Photograph: Chloe Callistemon, QAGOMA.
Image four: Australian Art Collection at Queensland Art Gallery with works by Anne Wallace, Lindy Lee and Rover Thomas / Photograph: Chloe Callistemon, QAGOMA.
Image five: Australian Art Collection at Queensland Art Gallery with works by Tracey Moffatt, William Robinson and Sam Fullbrook / Photograph: Chloe Callistemon, QAGOMA.
Image six: Australian Art Collection at Queensland Art Gallery with works by James Cant, Charles Blackman, Arthur Boyd, Danila Vassilieff and Albert Tucker / Photograph: Chloe Callistemon, QAGOMA.
This article was written in partnership with our friends at QAGOMA.
To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.
