artonline 73 September 2006

Events and exhibitions

For event bookings email eventbookings@nga.gov.au or call +61 2 6240 6504.
All events are free unless otherwise stated.

View the full calendar of events online at nga.gov.au/Calendar.

Thailand 1150–1250 'Buddha Shakyamuni under the serpent's hoods', stone. Collection of the National Gallery of Australia

The Indian Gallery
nga.gov.au/IndianArt

In the new entrance-level Indian Gallery recent acquisitions join old favourites. In juxtaposing works of different media – stone, wood, paper, metal and cloth – visitors are introduced to the spectacular art of South Asia through fine examples of key images from the major strands of Indian culture and religion.

Director's floortalk
Wednesday 6 September 12.45 pm
Ron Radford, Director, gives an introduction to the new display of Indian art. Asian Art Galleries

detail: Imants Tillers 'Izkliede' 1994 oilstick, gouache, synthetic polymer paint on 292 canvasboards. Collection of Gene and Brian Sherman

Imants Tillers
one world many visions
until 16 October
nga.gov.au/Tillers
events

Screenings: Jonas Mekas
Saturday 9 September
In his films, Lithuanian born film-maker Jonas Mekas explores themes of displacement, memory, loneliness and also the joy of family and friends.
Based in New York since the 1950s, Mekas is regarded as a vital force in American independent cinema and one of the inventors of the diary form of film-making.
10 am Lost, lost, lost, 1976, 2 hr 58 min.
2 pm Reminiscences of a journey to Lithuania, 1971–72, 82 min.
4 pm Zefiro Torna or scenes from the life of George Maciunas, 1992, 34 min.
James O Fairfax theatre

detail: Imants Tillers 'Nature speaks: AU', 2002, synthetic polymer paint and gouache. Collection of Mr Len Watson

Curator's floortalk
Thursday 14 September 12.45 pm
Images, poetry and music relating to Imants Tillers’ Diaspora series
Join Dr Deborah Hart, Senior Curator of Australian Painting and Sculpture, for a floortalk about the images, readings of poetry and recorded music relating to Tillers’ Diaspora series in the exhibition. Exhibition Galleries

Performance
Thursday 14 Septmber 7.30 pm
The Canberra Youth Orchestra performs music to complement the Imants Tillers: one world many visions exhibition.
$10; $7 members/concession/Canberra Youth Music (includes exhibition entry). Bookings essential. Exhibition Galleries Foyer

Michael Riley 'Untitled (Storm and grasslands)', from the series 'Fence Sitting', 1994. Courtesy of Rachel Perkins © Michael Riley, Licensed by The Michael Riley Foundation and VISCOPY, Australia.

Michael Riley
sights unseen
until 16 October
nga.gov.au/Riley
events

Screening
Friday 8 September 12.45 pm
Deadly 35 mm film, 1991, 99 min., M15+ James O Fairfax Theatre

Sign interpreted tour
Sunday 10 September 2 pm
Auslan sign interpreted tour of the exhibition with Brenda L Croft, curator of the exhibition. Bookings essential for complimentary ticket. Exhibition Galleries (meet in Gallery Foyer)

Screening
September 17 Sunday 10 am
Rumble fish DVD, 1983, 94 min., M15+
James O Fairfax Theatre

detail: James Rosenquist 'The bird of Paradise approaches the Hot Water Planet' 1989, colour pressed paper pulp with lithographic collage, Collection of the National Gallery of Australia Purchased with the assistance of the Orde Poynton Fund 2002 © James Rosenquist. Licensed by VAGA & VISCOPY, Australia

Last days

Rosenquist
welcome to the water planet
until 12 September
nga.gov.au/Rosenquist

Over a period of 100 days, artist James Rosenquist with master printer Ken Tyler produced 720 sheets of handmade, hand-coloured paper forming the basis of the series which combines commonplace objects like pots and flowers to objects with extra-terrestrial imagery. Using brilliant luminous colours on a massive scale these works show earth as a rich but vulnerable planet under threat from a growing consumer culture

Kenneth Tyler floortalk
Tuesday 12 September 12.45 pm
Join printer/publisher Kenneth Tyler (USA) as he discusses his collaborative work with James Rosenquist. Orde Poynton Gallery

Valentina Kulagina 'Poster: Kunstausstellung der Sowjetunion' [Art exhibition of the Soviet Union] 1930 colour lithograph Purchased with the assistance of Jack and Mel Banning 1993 Collection of the National Gallery of Australia

Opening soon

Revolutionary Russians
Commemorating the centenary of Shostakovich
23 September 2006 – 28 January 2007
nga.gov.au/RevolutionaryRussians

Avant-garde and revolutionary artists produced graphics, books and photographs in the decades of political and cultural turmoil after 1905.
Revolutionary Russians celebrates the centenary of the 1905–06 Russian Revolution and the centenary of the birth of the great composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975), utilising the Gallery’s prints, posters, illustrated books and photography collections.

Curator’s perspective
September 26 Tuesday 12.45 pm
An introduction to the exhibition by Christine Dixon, curator of the exhibtion. Orde Poynton Gallery

Asian art
Lecture and tea ceremony
Sunday 10 September 1.30 pm
‘The way of tea with Urasenke’
Dr Hounsai Genshitsu Sen, 15th-generation grand master of the Urasenke Chado tradition and Japan–UN Goodwill Ambassador, presents a lecture and demonstration on the Japanese way of tea with a vision towards creating world peace. Guests are also invited to participate in a tei-cha tea service on the day. Endorsed by the Japanese and Australian governments as a 2006 Australia–Japan Year of Exchange event. Bookings essential.

The Barbara Blackman Temenos Foundation lecture
Tuesday 12 September 6 pm

‘The human face of God on Buddhist and Christian iconography’
Jeremy Nadler, philosopher and author, discusses the portrayal of the human being as divine in the monumental statues of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, subsequent representations of Buddha, Christ and the struggle in the first centuries of our era to find a new image of the divinised human being.
James O Fairfax Theatre

detail: Michael Riley 'Untitled', from the series 'cloud [cow]' taken 2000, printed 2005 Pigmented prints, ultrachrome chromogenic inks on Ilford Gallery Pearl photographic paper, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra © Michael Riley, Licensed by The Michael Riley Foundation and VISCOPY, Australia. Part of Michael Riley: sights unseen.