Newsletter
June 2008

In this issue

- Dickerson Gallery in Melbourne to relocate
- Interview with artist, Robert Dickerson
- Upcoming exhibitions
- other Dickerson Gallery news and events

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Melbourne Gallery finds a new home

Dickerson Gallery in Melbourne has announced it is moving to new premises in Collingwood, taking the next step in its evolution into one of the city’s leading galleries for emerging and established Australian artists.
Situated at 44 Oxford Street, Collingwood, the new gallery space will open on 23 July with an exhibition of recent works by Robert Dickerson. The premises were chosen after a targeted search for an ideal property, in an outstanding location. For those who are unfamiliar with Melbourne’s geography, Collingwood is centrally located on the city’s fringe, just 3km north-east of the CBD. Dickerson Gallery (Melbourne) Director, Stephen Nall, says it was the obvious choice of location, because of its developing status as a hub for art and fashion. “Well-known commercial galleries, such as Australian Galleries and Port Jackson Press have been established in the area for many years. More recently, several other galleries have relocated to the area. There has also been a significant migration of professional residents into the area as a result of the conversion of large industrial buildings into high quality residential accommodation” says Stephen. (more)

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Dickerson’s Brush with the Law
After a 15 year break from legally-themed works, Robert Dickerson has produced four new works, depicting the law-including a painting and three drawings. In the past, Dickerson’s portrayals of lawyers and court-room scenes have proved extremely popular, particularly among the legal fraternity. Through his life, the artist has at times endured extensive contacts with solicitors and lawyers as he dealt with various personal matters. While not always an enjoyable experience, that exposure to the legal world has been a source of artistic inspiration that remains with Dickerson, even today. To coincide with his return to the legal theme, Dickerson Gallery is also offering clients the opportunity to purchase individual, framed prints from Dickerson’s Aspects of Law series – usually sold only as a box set. 
 

Robert Dickerson, Lawyer

The busy Nicholas Blowers
Nicholas Blowers was kept extremely busy during his recent visit to Sydney for the opening of his show, Narcissus.  Apart from being the guest of honour at a very crowded opening night, Nicholas also gave a talk to a group of members from the NSW Art Gallery Society, who chose to view the show as part of their monthly tour of Sydney’s commercial galleries. Other visitors to the show included renowned Australian artist, Charles Blackman - the subject of a Nicholas Blowers portrait for the 2006 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. Blackman is no stranger to the Dickerson family, being a contemporary of artist, Robert Dickerson. Both were part of the artists’ group known as “the antipodeans”, which emerged in the 1950s to defend the importance of figurative work against the increasing prominence of abstraction.

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Opera in the Sydney Gallery

In April, Dickerson Gallery (Sydney) was filled with the sound of music, hosting a one-night recital for the Pacific Opera Company. The performance included the premiere of a song cycle “Towards the Psalms” – composed by Betty Beath. The recital was part of Betty’s award for winning Pacific Opera’s inaugural vocal writing prize. Pacific Opera is a not-for-profit organisation which provides professional development and performance opportunities for emerging opera singers.

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Recent Awards and Prizes

Dickerson Gallery’s congratulations go to the following Gallery artists:

Zai Kuang - finalist in the Archibald Prize, and a finalist in the City of Albany Art Prize

Abbas Mehran – finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize

Alison Langley – Highly Commended in the Williamstown Festival Contemporary Art Prize

Samantha Everton – finalist in the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize

Sharon Billinge – short listed for the Australian Print Council 2008 Commission, and exhibited in the Williamstown Festival Contemporary Art Prize

Filomena Coppola – finalist in the 2008 City of Hobart Retrospective Art Prize, on display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery from 2 August - 14 September.

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Staff News

Shoalhaven City Council has appointed Jenny Dickerson to the Council’s Arts Board. The two year appointment recognises Jenny’s contribution as an advisor to the eight-member Board over the past two years, during which time she worked on a committee to rationalise the Council’s collection of 3000 art works. Jenny has also succeeded in arranging for an exhibition in 2009 of John Witzig’s vintage surfing photographs at the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre Regional Gallery.
 

The honour of christening Dickerson Gallery’s new Melbourne space has gone to artist, Robert Dickerson, who has produced a collection of new works for the occasion. He recently took time out from painting to answer a few questions put to him by Newsletter Editor, Cassie Hamer, about his work and other interests.
CH: Bob, you’ve been painting and drawing for more than 60 years now – do you still have the same level of enthusiasm for it now as you did when you started?
RD: Yes, I still feel as enthusiastic, my attitude hasn’t altered. I still pursue the trail of trying to paint a good picture as I always did. Having the luxury of not having so many distractions is one bonus. It allows me to be a lot more focused on my paintings. When I was younger, there was a lot more change happening in my life. Now things are much easier and my work has become even more enjoyable as a result. (more)
 

Sydney

Max Linegar: 9 July - 10 August
Working in pastel and charcoal on gesso primed paper, Max Linegar beautifully captures the play of light at various times of day, providing depth and emotion to his landscape works.  He says, “I like to explore the moods and impressions of the environment in my drawings, evoking nostalgia, melancholy or the uncanny for example.  As such, I feel I impose myself on the landscape as opposed to the other way around, as would be perhaps expected in most traditional landscape work.”
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Max Linegar,
SCG (detail)

David Frazer,
Some day, sometime

Huixuan Zhao: 18 June – 20 July
Gongbi Echoes is a collection of Huixuan Zhao’s recent works, painted in the Gongbi style.  The Gongbi tradition dates back more than 2,200 years and was extremely popular with the Royal families of China.  Similar to traditional Gongbi painting, Zhao’s work is highly detailed, decorative, and displays colour realism. Working on silk, the Chinese-born artist applies watercolours using traditional technique and materials, purchased by her parents in local Beijing markets and sent back to Zhao’s home in Adelaide. Gongbi painting requires extreme concentration, patience and precision. As a result, Zhao’s watercolours are imbued with the serenity and peacefulness that the artist calls upon to complete these finely painted masterpieces.

Robert Dickerson: 23 July – 31 August

Robert Dickerson christens Dickerson Gallery’s new Melbourne space with a collection of recent drawings and paintings, depicting urban and rural landscapes, along with his trademark figurative work.