Vicinity Centres: Integrated Urban Artwork, Car Park Facades, Chadstone

As Vicinity’s nationally appointed art advisor, Catherine Asquith was instrumental in the commissioning process for an integrated artwork for the carpark facades at Chadstone Shopping Centre, a limited invitation urban artwork commission valued at AU$6m. Melbourne-based artist Matthew Johnson was appointed in February 2020, after a highly competitive commission process.  This past July, the $6m project was successfully brought to completion.

As part of its ongoing commitment to Australian Art and the continued development of the Chadstone Art Collection, Vicinity provided an extraordinary opportunity to an Australian artist for the design of an integrated artwork to be installed across several carpark facades.  After a vigorous commission process, Melbourne-based artist Matthew Johnson was appointed as the commissioned artist. 

Matthew’s design concept proposal in essence, was that the integrated artwork would act as a continuous ‘ribbon’ that envelopes around the entirety of the exposed car park facades; the carpark entry points become articulated points of interest to an unfurling story that engages the public from visitation to departure, and a connective visual cohesion to the interior language of the site.

Matthew’s art practice includes a strong understanding of the importance of place and identity, key attributes of any public or urban artwork, and this same principle was evident in his proposal for the integrated artwork.  Coupled with his visual language, one which relies on a mastery of colour theory and balance of compositional structure, with the latter drawn from nature, Matthew’s “Interface” is consolidated via thematic parameters for each of the car parks, i.e. Car Park A, “Billow” (formerly, “Shimmer”), Car Park B, “Arboretum” and Car Park C. “Stream”, all of which helps to articulate the connection of the built forms to the immediate natural environment.

 At its heart, the integrated artwork in its entirety, is viewed by Matthew as one which interfaces with the natural, built and human environment and acts as “an opus, a musical score…that connects …”

You can read more about this impressive commission here.

Vicinity Centres: Northland Artwork Commission

Karen Lee Mungarrja, “SHARE WITH US” / “BUNDYI “, (WIRADJURI) 2023, Gouache on Belgian Linen, 100 x 190cm

Northland Art Collection

Catherine Asquith Art Advisory was engaged by Vicinity Centres to facilitate and manage the commissioning of artwork(s), specifically, work which would be upscaled and fabricated to selected areas (bulkheads) located throughout the Northland Shopping Centre in Preston.

The project required an innovative yet authentic interpretation of the brief and was open to Indigenous Australian artists.

In July last year, Vicinity Centres extended a limited invitation to selected and recommended artists to respond to the project by way of a suite of integrated artworks for allocated spaces situated within the Northland Shopping Centre. 

Considering the rich profile of the community, its defining attributes, and the overall vision for the Centre, the artwork would need to incorporate and celebrate the community that is Northland.

As well as highlighting the site’s cultural significance, history and stories, the commission was also to encompass the stories of future generations and the continued developing nature of this diverse region, and the community’s values.

After a comprehensive and vigorous selection process, and consultation with Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung reference group, Karen Lee Mungarrja was the artist appointed for the commission.

Karen’s proposal response was to employ an integrated approach to the brief, and endeavour to “create visual stories that not only celebrate the attributes of the people that use the space, but represent the ideas in relation to the social and environmental consciousness of the community and the importance of respecting each other and sharing Aboriginal culture.”

Elder knowledge and contribution specific to this project was essential. The Wurrundjeri Woi Wurrung cultural reference group were brought into the process from the outset and have been an integral part of the process. This inclusion and consultation have been a key component in this project, and has allowed for a culturally enriched project, a nuanced understanding its cultural importance, as well as providing a platform of knowledge-sharing and engagement with the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung.

All 5 of the artworks, now upscaled and fabricated to selected bulkheads throughout the Centre, are from the one series and titled “All Are One”.  The series illustrates a multi-layered story referencing the Wurundjeri peoples, Aboriginal culture and the unique diversity of the Darebin community, a community that has programmes and events which celebrate, nurture and provide unique opportunities for all people to have a voice and be heard.

Underlying themes to each artwork in the series is the importance of acceptance, social and environmental consciousness and the development of the community for future generations – all of which can only be a good thing.

See more artworks here

Venetian Media Group: New Collection

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Having facilitated and managed the VMG Art Series in the recent past, we were well acquainted with the dynamics and interior of Venetian Media Group’s Melbourne headquarters in South Yarra. 

VMG is a communications, advertising and branding agency, and our objective for this curation was to highlight VMG’s fundamental mandate:

 create authentic, engaged spaces between brands & consumers where our people, clients and communities are more enriched for the experience

We wanted to curate a collection which reflected the values, philosophy and branding of VMG, one which recognised its location, work, and aspirations, and one which would engage both its staff and visiting clientele.

With these aspects in mind, we then harnessed the following thematic and aesthetic parameters to help guide artwork selection:

•       filmic / cinematic theme

•       figurative /narrative genre

•       strong / defined palette 

•       contemporary / conceptual aesthetic

Each artwork selected has a connection to or reflects something of the above.

Artworks were sourced from Artbank, a federally funded visual arts scheme, which acquires artworks from the primary market and leases to a range of clientele, was consulted for the procurement of the collection.

Selected In Situ shots:

 Victoria Reichelt
Monumenta, 2007
Oil on canvas
103.5w x 103.5h x 7d

 Victoria Reichelt
Film Noir, 2006
Oil on canvas
103.5w x 103.5h x 7d

Zoe Croggon
Untitled #1, 2012
Digital Type C photograph
52.5w x 66.5h

Zoe Croggon
Untitled #2, 2012
Digital Type C photograph
52.5w x 66.5h

Jo Darbyshire
Dust 4, 2005
Oil on canvas
81.5w x 81.5h x 5d

Jo Darbyshire
Dust 2, 2005
Oil on canvas
81.5w x 81.5h x 5d

Jo Darbyshire
Dust 3, 2005
Oil on canvas
81.5w x 81.5h x 5d

Jo Darbyshire
Dust 1, 2005
Oil on canvas
81.5w x 81.5h x 5d

Andrew Hurle
Forge I, 1998
Inkjet print
100w x 100h x 2d

Andrew Hurle
Forge II, 1998
Inkjet print
100w x 100h x 2d

Paul Ferman
Excavare #252, 2013
Digital Type C photograph
129w x 129h x 4.5d

Paul Ferman
Excavare #256, 2013
Digital Type C photograph
129w x 129h x 4.5d

Paul Ferman
Excavare #255, 2013
Digital Type C photograph
129w x 129h x 4.5d

©Catherine Asquith

How to navigate the art market

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Recently I was invited to be a part of Leonard Joel’s new feature “Art Expert” for their Dec/Jan Leonard magazine.

The idea behind the series is to speak with an art industry expert to educate Leonard Joel’s audience on all things art.

I enjoyed this opportunity to provide a brief snapshot on ‘how to navigate the art market’.

Read the full article here.

Images:

Article/Front Cover, Leonard, Dec/Jan

Del Kathryn Barton, Openly Song, 2014, Acrylic on French linen
244 x 183. Exhibited: “The Highway is a Disco”, ARNDT, Singapore, 1st November to 6 December 2015. Auctioned: Lot 33, Australian & International Fine Art & Sculpture, Menzies, 27 February 2020

Bill Henson, Untitled 1/5, 1990-91, from the series Paris Opera Project, type C photograph, 127 x 127 cm; series of 50, Edition of 10 + AP 2

Coen Young, Untitled (Mirror Painting)2 2022, Acrylic, enamel, silver nitrate on paper, 141 x 121 x 9 cm (framed) In situ, Sydney Contemporary, September 2022, Kronenberg Mais Wright

Bonhams, “Important Australian Art”, Sydney, 24 Aug 2021

Lot 14, GWYN HANSSEN PIGOTT (1935-2013), “Family Portrait”, 1996, woodfired porcelain, ten pieces, 26.0 x 48.5cm (10 1/4 x 19 1/8in). overall. SOLD for $30,750 (incl. BP)

In what is becoming de rigeur in cataloguing a Fine Art auction, Bonhams commenced their online August sale with a line-up of relatively modest or typical for the era works by some well-known Impressionist and Modernist women artists; Dorritt Black, Janet Cumbrae-Stewart, market favourite Claire Beckett, May Gibbs and Florence Fuller. 

And whilst typically the first 6 to 8 lots of an auction can simply be the warm-up act to the ‘main event’, the high valued lots, we had only just comfortably arrived at Lot 4, Clarice Beckett’s “Moonlight and Calm Sea” when the tide certainly turned.  With a high estimate of $70K, bidding continued well beyond this anticipated figure with Beckett’s iconic 1931 oil finally selling for $116,850 (incl BP).  The enthused bidding continued for Lot 5’s small oil on card by May Gibbs with a final sale of $7380 (incl BP), again, well above its high estimate of $1800.  However, it was her next work at Lot 6, “Chrysanthemums” of 1894 which elicited perhaps an unexpected wash of collector competition, as the high estimate of $3000 was well and truly obliterated with the drawing room painting eventually selling for $39,360 (incl. BP). 

Lara Nicholls’s insightful catalogue essay regarding the fresh to market Lot 7 “Mother and Child”, by Florence Ada Fuller no doubt provided some of the impetus behind the strong bidding on this intimate and technically sublime oil on canvas, selling at an impressive $221,400 (incl. BP).

With a momentary lull in proceedings and perhaps some temporary respite in competitive bids, it was still a little surprising that Cressida Campbell’s screenprint at Lot 13 only just meeting its reserve, selling at $11,685 (incl. BP).  Gwynn Hanssen Piggot’s suite of woodfired porcelain at Lot 14 however sold well at $30,750 against a high estimate of $24,000. 

Other highlights from the sale included Jeffrey Smart’s elegant 1961 oil on board “The Road” which sold close to its high estimate of $350K for $393,600 (incl BP); the Lin Onus at Lot 34 continued the market’s support of this artist, albeit selling just under it high estimate of $60K, for $61,500 (incl. BP); “Crooked Tree, You Yangs” by Fred Williams at Lot 35 continued in the same manner, selling for $516,600 (incl. BP) against a high estimate of $550K; although John Coburn’s “Autumn Sun” at Lot 44 saw some engaged bidding, with a final sale price of $39,360 against its high estimate of $28K; and the recent fervour for all things Quilty slipped slightly with his very painterly “Flinders Street” of 2002 selling at mid estimate for $79,950 (incl BP).

Works of varying quality by Nolan, Boyd, Dickerson and Blackman saw mixed results, although pleasingly Lot 77, Arthur Boyd’s “Dry Dam, Wimmera” saw a respectable sale at $129,150 (incl BP) against its high estimate of $100K, with the proceeds of this sale to go towards supporting the work of Medecins sans Frontieres.

©Catherine Asquith 2021

Menzies Winter Auction, 30 June 2021

Lot 47, Fiona Lowry, Limitless Are Leaves, Stiff or Drooping In The Fields, 2008, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 152.0 x 219.0 cm, Estimate A$10,000 - A$15,000, Hammer Price + BP A$44,181.82

Menzies’ recent auction of Australian and International Fine Art and Sculpture in Melbourne on 30 June produced some impressive results, with 92% of lots sold by volume and 81% by value for a total of AU$4,684,254 (including buyer’s premium).

Recent reports on the auction have suggested either a renewed interest in female artists or accordingly to Menzies’ post auction press release, “the strength of collector interest in female Australian artists, with works by Margaret Preston, Constance Stokes, Margaret Olley, Emily Kngwarreye and Inge King selling well above estimate.”  Either way, the results are on trend with global developments in market visibility of women artists – historical and contemporary.

And on this note, it was heartening to observe a new auction record achieved for contemporary painter Fiona Lowry, with her work at Lot 47 being knocked down for $36K on the hammer, against a high estimate of $AU15K.

The cover lot, Ben Quilty’s “Skull 3” did not immediately engage the punters, as perhaps expected of a feature lot, with initial bidding as tough as pulling teeth, only to sell at AU$140K on the hammer and at the mid-range of the estimate AU$120K to AU$160K.  More fervent bidding was had with Quilty’s “George Byrne Study” at Lot 9 selling for a solid AU$40K on the hammer against a high estimate of AU$18K.

Other highlights included Arthur Boyd’s “Flame Trees, Horse’s Skull, Black River” selling well at a hammer price of AU$170K, against a high estimate of AU$120K, while to my mind, the more sublime “Shoalhaven” at Lot 31 sold above its high estimate of AU$50K for a hammer of AU$62K; John Perceval’s “Windy Walk” saw energetic bidding to a hammer of A$64K against a high estimate of AU$45K; and the duo Storrier works of Lots 14 & 15 sold sell, with “Summer Evening” at a hammer of AU$46K and “Autumn Night Fire” at a hammer of AU$60K.

Unfortunately, the much anticipated interest in another work by Lin Onus from the “Numerili Suite” failed to eventuate on the night, with an opening of $140K being reluctantly accepted by Cameron Menzies as auctioneer; and the much traded “Kelly” by Sidney Nolan with an ambitious but market ready estimate of $500 to $700K (Smith & Singer’s “Kelly” work sold comfortably at their April 2021 auction for AU$613,636 incl BP) failed to elicit interest beyond the auctioneer’s opening bid of AU$360K.

©Catherine Asquith 2021

Centum Auction @ Leonard Joel

Lot 97, ANGELA BRENNAN (born 1960), “Yellow Painting”, 1998, oil on linen, 122 x 122cm

Leonard Joel’s “Centum” auction, a mid year celebration of 100 works by Australian artists managed to garner good interest and the occasional fierce bidding on selected lots.

Robert Owen’s “Origami Series, Untitled No 2” at Lot 8 enjoyed a comfortable escalation in bids selling at $9500 on the hammer against an estimate of $4500 to $5500; Tom Adair’s “Seidler House” at Lot 10 continued the strong bidding, and was knocked down for $10,000 on the hammer, double its high estimate of $5000; and RONE’s “Untitled (Jane Doe)” ‘street’ work inspired one pundit to bid to $23,000, against a high estimate of $15,000.

A slightly more sombre and considered mood prevailed for the next few lots, until Robert Hunter’s “Untitled No. 3” hit the rostrum as Lot 20, with some strong contention for acquisition taking the final bid to $40,000 against a high estimate of $25,000.

Other notable sales were John Kelly’s “Dobell’s Cow VI” selling on the hammer for $19,000 (Lot 25); Nicholas Harding’s nicely marketed “In the swell (Lilo girl, Swim Ring and Figures)” at Lot 29 selling for $30,000 on the hammer just above it high estimate of $28,000; Marina Strocchi’s “The Pinnacles” at Lot 64 selling for un expected $7000 against a high estimate of $3500; Jenny Watson’s erudite “Angel” at Lot 76 excitedly selling for $9000 against its high estimate of $5500; and a beautifully balanced work by Angela Brennan, aptly entitled “Yellow Painting” at Lot 97 selling at $9500 against a high estimate of $6000.

There were some disappointing albeit surprises; the cover lot for the beautifully presented catalogue to the auction, Peter Smets’ “View Point” only just garnered its hammer price of $23,000 slightly lower than its high estimate; generally always a hotly contested artist, the Adam Cullen “Toilet Training” canvas at Lot 34 also only just met its low estimate of $18,000; and the delightful Celia Perceval “White Cockies Flying Through the Gully with Wild Roses” at Lot 27 sold at $6500 on the hammer, just below its low estimate of $7000.

“Centum” is a well-placed contemporary art auction in terms of scheduling, and with this in mind, of the unsold lots, at least half should sell post-auction.

©Catherine Asquith 2021

#ARTNews: Deutscher & Hackett, "Important Australian Aboriginal Art", 17th March 2021, Melbourne

EMILY KAME KNGWARREYE, “Early Summer Flowers”, 1990: Sold for AU$300,682 incl. BP

D+H’s tightly curated Aboriginal Art auction bore witness to, dare I say, a thriving market for this category.  Achieving a sales total of AU$2.6 against an estimate: $1,646,000 – 2,376,000, the sale knocked down a clearance rate of 131% by value and 92% by volume; clearly collector demand for quality artworks was high.

Results of note were the exuberant works by Emily Kame Kngwarreye (Lots 6, 7 and 11), all selling, with the ‘favourite’, the early 1989 “Anooralya (Wild Yam)” at Lot 6 selling well above its high estimate of AU$250K, selling for AU$429,545 incl BP.  Another ‘favourite’ was the delicate Lin Onus gouache on card of Lot 1, again bid to above its high estimate of AU$25K and selling for AU$42,955 incl BP.  The painting by Lin Onus at Lot 9 failed to elicit the same feverish enthusiasm but nevertheless sold well at AU$220,909 incl BP against an estimate of AU$150K to AU$200K.

The two fresh looking Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri works (Lots 4 and 39) were knocked down with some respectable bidding, with Lot 4, “Rockholes Near the Olgas”, 2008 setting a new record for the artist for a work at this scale and format, selling at AU$58,909 incl BP.

Tracey Moffat’s stunning and indeed, “seminal” series, “Something More” of 1989 (Lot 19) lightly jumped above its low estimate, selling for AU$270K incl BP and going to a no doubt rather chuffed phone bidder.

The superbly provenanced Lot 31, “Sandhills Surround the Rockhole of Yunala”, 2005, by internationally recognised Yukultji Napangati, clearly ignited some rather fierce bidding – online, on the phones and in the room – selling at the high end of its estimate, with a final sales figure of AU$85,909 incl BP.

The state of the Australian Art Market

I was delighted to participate in HamiltonWealthPartners’ “Thought Leader” series and present an overview of “The state of the Australian Art Market” on the 24th November 2020.

Globally, the art market has been impacted by the covid-19 pandemic, and the economic disruption across both the primary and secondary sectors has manifested in decreased sale results, re-scheduling and cancellation of significant art fairs, biennales and curated exhibitions, and obviously curtailment of numerous other operational norms.  Most significantly, it has been the latter, that is operational norms, which have had to be recalibrated for various entities’ infrastructures.  

For many players in this unique market, the “new norm” is presenting both a mixture of adversity and opportunity.

In the talk I considered the state of the play in the Australian Art market against the global backdrop, how it has been affected by the pandemic, the attitudes and aspirations (if any) of the galleries and auction houses, and the way forward.

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Establishing, Developing and Maintaining a Corporate Art Collection, A 4-part series of journal articles which provides an insight into the nature of a corporate art collection.

Corporate Collection 101: Developing a Collection Policy
Part 3

Image: Richard Bell, “Omega (Bell’s theorem)”, 2013, acrylic on linen 180 x 480cm,The Wesfarmers Collection, Perth, ©Richard Bell, reproduced courtesy of the artist

A collection’s acquisition policy is central to its management: it prescribes its core purpose, namely the acquisition of XXX artworks for the corporate’s permanent collection, and addresses how this purpose will be pursued over the next few years and in line with the collecting objectives.  So for example, the collection may decide upon several key strategic priorities across a number of collecting areas, for example, Australian Contemporary Art, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Art and S.E. Asian Contemporary Art, over a designated period of time, say 5 to 10 years, acquiring 2D objects (paintings, works on paper, limited edition prints and photography) with subject matter relating to “the stories of the land and its inhabitants”.

Benchmarking with other similar corporate collections and their respective acquisitions policies, can also be undertaken to ascertain trends across the sector. Such an undertaking will additionally, ensure best practice guidelines have been adequately considered.

As part of developing the collection policy a selection criteria and procurement process should also be addressed by the corporate’s art committee.  Most common is a two-tiered process, wherein the artistic elements are considered alongside art market factors.  For example, in assessing the artwork and the artist, consideration should be given to:

• Establishment or discernment of the significance of the artist’s contribution to the development of ideas and directions in contemporary art;

• Ascertaining the significance and/or relationship of the work itself as it relates to the artist’s oeuvre; and

• Discerning the relevance and suitability of the work within the context of the collection.

Alongside these artistic criteria, assessment of the following attributes is also recommended as part of the selection process:

• Assessment of artist’s CV

• Assessment of artist’s representative gallery, i.e. its standing and reputation within the arts community, in addition to the duration of its operations;

• Assessment of market value of the proposed artwork, i.e. is it in line with the retail value of the works available on the open market and/or via another gallery; and

• Assessment of artist’s secondary market record, if available.

Some corporate collections also acquire commissioned or site-specific works.  Similarly, the same artistic criteria and market assessment should apply. 

Our final journal post in this series will look at collection management protocols.