Curator + Artist + Community Conversations: Raymond Arnold

Through Raymond Arnold's eyes we invite you to re-think our story and our sense of belonging to place. Does the term reconciliation resonate for Ray? Join an open conversation between curator, artist and community.

The new permanent galleries seek to create a space for reconciliation. It aims to change the colonial narrative that has dominated Tasmanian Galleries since the 19th century. The reinterpretation of the QVMAG’s collection reflects our histories, identities and stories in a fresh and contemporary context.

Focusing on local Aboriginal cultures, colonial history and modern diversity, this exhibition encourages us to contemplate the ever-changing cultural landscape and our sense of belonging within it.

As part of the transformation of Royal Park, QVMAG commissioned Raymond Arnold for his work titled Elsewhere World.

In Elsewhere World, Arnold has created a wall full of glimpses and snapshots of the West Coast region he inhabits, depicting both the natural ruggedness of the area, as well as the man-made scars.

Ten years in the making, each etching within Elsewhere World is inspired by a different encounter with the landscape. And the copper plates used in the printing process represent the artist’s own inexorable link to the copper-mining history of the region. 

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Guest speakers

Raymond Arnold was born in Victoria in 1950 and moved to Tasmania in 1983. Influenced by of the island’s natural environment, Arnold developed a career as a printmaker and painter with an international reputation.

He is one of the most important Tasmanian artists of the past 30 years. Today, his Tasmanian art legacy is already well established and he is a driving force in the discourse around land/art issues within Tasmania. Arnold articulates this unique landscape masterfully, introducing viewers to its rugged, compelling beauty and the many vital issues surrounding its past, present and future.

In 2006, Raymond established Landscape Art Research Queenstown (LARQ), a non-profit studio and gallery in the mining town of Queenstown in Tasmania’s west. LARQ’s main intent is to develop a ‘wilderness’ art space with an imbedded residency program. This will become a nest for the incubation of his own art practice and that of others, in response to the unique natural and heritage values of the region.

Raymond has held more than 50 solo exhibitions and participated in group shows in Australia, Europe and the USA. His work can be found in the collections of the Imperial War Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Bibliotheque Nationale and the Musée Courbet in France as well as the National Gallery, the Australian Parliament House and all state galleries in Australia.

 

With more than a decade of experience in commercial galleries across Australia, and through education in creative practice at the University of Tasmania, Ashley Bird has developed a rich career in the arts and cultural sector.

Originally hailing from Melbourne, Ashley first started his career in garment construction, leading to a career path across the industries of film and television.

Since moving to Tasmania and becoming a Curator for the Visual Art and Design collection at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Ashley has remained a passionate professional custodian of the unique collection at QVMAG.

As a practicing artist, Ashley is committed to nurturing and fostering the creativity of Tasmanians through the QVMAG collection, now and in the future.

 

Image: Ollie Khedun.

When

Location

Art Gallery at Royal Park, 2 Wellington Street, Launceston, View Map