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Pushing boundariesA new book on the Monash University art collection reveals the university's four-decade commitment to contemporary Australian art. DEREK BROWN reports. In December 1961, the late Sir Louis Matheson, then vice-chancellor of the recently opened Monash University, requested that works of art be purchased to 'embellish' the university's buildings. Four decades later, the Monash University Collection features works by some of Australia's best known artists and has achieved national prominence for its focus on contemporary Australian art. A book released in October by the Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) is the first to trace the development of the Monash Collection from a modest selection of works worth £500 to a well-respected collection of more than 1200 pieces valued at more than $7 million. Museum director Ms Jenepher Duncan, who co-edited Monash University Collection: Four Decades of Collecting with senior curator Ms Linda Michael, says the book showcases the diversity and strength of the Monash Collection over its 41-year history. "In the same way that Monash has long been at the forefront in medical and scientific breakthroughs, the University Collection has always provided a forum for artists who are pushing the boundaries," she says. "As a result, our collection is dynamic and representative of the development of Australian art over the past four decades." According to Ms Duncan, the focus on contemporary Australian art was a conscious decision on the part of the Art Advisory Committee at the time. "The collection began with a very modest budget in 1961 which didn't provide enough money to purchase significant works by established artists, so the collection's Art Advisory Committee made the decision to buy works by emerging artists of the day," she says. "It is a strategy that has paid off in a number of ways. Not only is the collection now recognised as a major representation of contemporary Australian art, but also many of the artists purchased have gone on to become very sought after. This obviously increases the value of the works purchased by Monash." Monash University Collection: Four Decades of Collecting includes seven major essays written by well-known art writers, academics and Monash alumni on a variety of subjects including major movements within Australian art and the use of particular media by Australian artists since the 1960s. The publication is illustrated with 80 full-colour plates and more than 30 black-and-white images of works from the collection. Each image is accompanied by a short explanation of the significance of the work both to the Monash collection and to Australian contemporary art. The book was launched to coincide with the opening of the People, Places + Ideas: A Celebration of Four Decades of Collecting exhibition, which looks at a selection of the works from the past 41 years. Ms Michael says the exhibition has been designed to highlight three of the main themes found within the Monash collection - portraits, conceptual and post-conceptual art - and works inspired by the city and suburbs. The exhibition will run until 15 December at the Monash University Museum of Art at the Clayton campus. Action box |
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