New Woman: A Century of Women Artists
The seminal exhibition, New Woman at Museum of Brisbane presents a snapshot of the art, personal stories and enduring legacies of Brisbane's most significant and groundbreaking women artists between 1920 and 2019, reflected in painting, photography, sculpture, performance and installation works.
The exhibition is vast in scale: it features 110 artworks from more than 80 artists following each decade from Brisbane's decreasing isolation, spans the introduction of new ideas of modernism and abstraction, and includes internationally regarded contemporary works in a range of media. Works from leading 1920s artists Daphne Mayo and Vida Lahey set the scene for the vital role women have played in gaining respect and investment for the arts in Brisbane. Forging a career as a professional artist required strong support networks, and at times personal sacrifice; many artists left Brisbane to gain education and experience before being recognised at home for their artistic talents and achievements.
Brisbane's unique geographic location has always provided its own idiosyncrasies due to its climate and distance from major world cultural centres, and so necessitated a resourceful and close-knit arts community that fostered teachers, advocates and leaders in their fields, leaving in their wake a strong legacy for future generations. Featured artists include Tracey Moffatt, Margaret Cilento, Gwendolyn Grant, Carol McGregor, Olive Ashworth, Judy Watson, Fiona Foley, Pamela See, Jay Younger, Davida Allen, James Barth, Megan Cope, Sancintya Mohini Simpson, Naomi Blacklock, Courtney Coombs, Emma Coulter, Rachael Haynes and Elisa Jane Carmichael. New Woman runs until March 15, 2020. .
