Visual Arts
Featured Stories
Songs of Survival: The Biennale of Sydney
March 4, 2010Some of the highlights of Australia's largest contemporary visual arts event have been revealed.... more >
Masterclass - Landscape Painting
February 28, 2010Henry Wagons often writes about the country. Watch as he ventures into the world of landscape painting with Archibald winner Lewis Miller as his mentor.... more >
Latest Visual Arts across the ABC
The man who creates with weather
Cameron Robbins' Very Slow Drawing Machine is currently showing at the Fracture Gallery in Melbourne's Federation Square. It's a complicated contraption that captures wind and solar power to produce a series of drawings which transcribe the dynamics of Me... more >
It's twenty years ago that AsiaLink was established in Australia as an organisation with the aim of extending our ties with Asia economically, socially and culturally. Including an arts program AsiaLink tours exhibitions of Australian art and craft throu... more >
Artists enter the Ghost Village
Renowned street artist Stormie Mills has brought artists from across the globe to invigorate Polphail, Portavadie's so-called 'Ghost Village'.... more >
The National Gallery hopes a new exhibition will raise the profile of a long forgotten painter.... more >
Best Aussie designs under the microscope
Lightweight wine bottles and a bladeless fan are among the finalists of the Australian International Design Awards.... more >
Former student thrilled to have artwork displayed in gallery for first time... more >
Carving out a niche in the art-world - with a chainsaw
When the chips fly there's creativity in the air... more >
Home invasion numbers soar in Tasmania in the search for a date
Uninvited guests are the rudest kind. It's even ruder when they stink your house out and leave nasty stains on your floor. The Portuguese millipedes are on the move again across the state and nothing seems to be able to stop them.... more >
Donated treasures the focus of new museum exhibition
An exhibition of donated local art and antiques, including family treasures, opens tonight at the Tasmanian Musuem and Art Gallery.... more >
Fashion world hails Alexander the Great's final collection
Alexander McQueen's final, unfinished collection has garnered rave reviews after being unveiled in Paris.... more >
Paris masterpieces to hang around
The National Gallery extends the record-breaking Masterpieces From Paris exhibition by two weeks.... more >
Mad Men welcomed to the dollhouse
Look out Ken, there is a new man in Barbie's life. In fact, there are two of them - they are Mad Men.... more >
Madonna launching Material Girl line
Madonna and her 13-year-old daughter Lourdes will launch a line of teen clothing called Material Girl in the United States this August.... more >
Art... At the library... In Portland...
Throughout the year, the walls of the Portland library are made available for you to exhibit your artwork.... more >
Naked statues teeter on the edge
New Yorkers reminded rooftop body casts are part of a public art installation, not jumpers.... more >
Sydney's Mitchell Library turns 100
Sydney's Mitchell Library is located in Macquarie Street, directly opposite the Botanic Gardens. It opened in March 1910, following the death of David Scott Mitchell, who bequeathed his vast collection of books, maps, manuscripts and pictures on the cond... more >
The Best of Canberra reveals what makes our region shine. From the city to the scrub, the bush capital has as many surprises as it does national institutions. It's not always about the biggest or the most popular, the shiniest or the most skillful, but wi... more >
Mystery of missing Rolf Harris painting remains unsolved
The mystery surrounding a missing Rolf Harris painting worth 100,000 pounds ($165,000) has taken a fresh twist, with a British court clearing an art dealer of being involved in its disappearance.... more >
Ex-carer sues painter's daughter over artworks
A late artist's former carer is suing the painter's daughter for the return of artworks.... more >
A unique art exhibition that tracks significant events in Aboriginal history in the Pilbara has opened in Canberra.... more >
Islamist gang arrested over plot to kill cartoonist
Irish police have arrested seven people suspected of plotting to kill a Swedish cartoonist who depicted the Prophet Mohammed with the body of a dog.... more >
Art or porn? New laws to paint clearer picture
The NSW Government plans to introduce laws that clarify what is art and what is child pornography.... more >
Giotto frescoes seen in new light
Restoration work in Italy has rediscovered original details of paintings by Italian artist Giotto.... more >
Inflatable architecture on the Fringe
Architect James Stephenson talks to ABC Arts from inside Amococo, an inflatable luminarium built by UK company Architects of Air for the Adelaide Fringe.... more >
New laws to clarify art and child porn
The New South Wales Government says it will introduce legislation into Parliament this week to clarify what is art and what is child pornography. While some members of the arts community say they were initially concerned about the new laws, they now say t... more >
I decided to head underground (literally!) and check out the diverse and random world of DIY publishing at Melbourne's annual zine fair.... more >
Mitchell Library celebrates 100 years
The Mitchell Library in New South Wales is turning 100 and has opened its chest of treasures to celebrate. It's putting 100 items on display for 100 days. The exhibition includes love letters from early explorers, maps from the 1800s and radio scripts fro... more >
Robert Dowling: Tasmanian Son of Empire has just opened in Launceston. Few Australians would recognise his name, but Robert Dowling was the first Australian to achieve success at the Royal Academy in London and was our most successful portrait painter in ... more >
Thousands queue to see Paris masterpieces
People have queued for up to three hours outside the NGA to see the Masterpieces from Paris exhibition. ... more >
Today, a look at Australia's oldest Indigenous publishing house. It's based in Alice Springs, at the Institute for Aboriginal Development. IAD Press is celebrating over 40 years of publishing dictionaries and guides for Aboriginal languages, as well as or... more >
Indigenous man takes out Glover Prize
Ian Waldron has become Australia's first Indigenous man to take out the nation's richest landscape prize.... more >
Turning A Beach Into An Art Gallery
This year's Sculpture by the Sea is the biggest yet, with 64 works by local, interstate and international artists. ... more >
Indigenous artist wins Glover Prize
A Queensland artist has won this year's $35,000 Glover Prize for landscape painting in Tasmania.... more >
Queensland landscape artist wins Glover Prize
A Queensland man has become the first indigenous Australian to claim the nation's richest landscape art award, the Glover Prize.... more >
A room full of everything from surfboards to barbecues and even hospital bed seems odd at a radio station, but apparently it all made perfect sense.... more >
ABC Arts blogger Marcus Westbury visits a zine fair in the bowels of Melbourne's Flinders Street Station.... more >
Artist defends Dennis Ferguson portrait
Man behind paedophile portrait says artists should have the right to express themselves without censorship.... more >
Art Nation - Adelaide International 2010
The Adelaide Festival's visual arts program, The Adelaide International, is bigger and better this year to mark the event's 50th anniversary.... more >
Performer Paul Capsis leads a behind-the-scenes tour of the Adelaide Fringe.... more >
The Adelaide Festival's Reel Life: The Home Movie Project brings the home movies of South Australians to the big screen.... more >
Snake reappears in Elizabeth portrait
A serpent originally included in a 16th century portrait of Elizabeth I but painted over shortly afterwards has reappeared, the National Portrait Gallery in London says.... more >
The Red Cross Blood Service is looking for teenagers to help with a recruiting campaign... more >
Naked snow woman gets frosty reception
Naked snow woman sculpture forced to cover up after a frosty reception from neighbours.... more >
School snap takes top portrait honours
A simple black and white photograph, taken on impulse at a school swimming carnival, has taken out the nation's premier photographic portrait prize.... more >
A simple black and white photograph has won Australia's premier photographic portrait prize.... more >
Self-taught photographer wins portrait prize
A self-taught photographer wins this year's National Portrait Prize with a spontaneous but powerful shot.... more >
Ballarat is known worldwide for its history of underground gold mining. But a photographic exhibition has come to town which depicts Australian mining in a whole new light.... more >
The latest display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery is expected to appeal to history buffs and horse racing enthusiasts.... more >
Dennis Ferguson portrait 'goes too far'
Painting of paedophile Dennis Ferguson entered in this year's Archibald Prize goes beyond the boundaries of artistic expression, NSW Premier says.... more >
A bronze statue of comedian Roy Rene now graces Hindley Street in central Adelaide.... more >
Songs of Survival: The Biennale of Sydney
Some of the highlights of Australia's largest contemporary visual arts event have been revealed.... more >
Adam Elliot opens an exhibition of his claymation creations from his film Mary and Max at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.... more >
Naomi Campbell avoids assault charges
British supermodel Naomi Campbell will not face charges relating to assault accusations by her driver.... more >
Local talent on display: Regional Art Gallery opens two new exhibitions
Showcasing local talent: Two art exhibitions will open this Friday night at the Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery... more >
Catherine Martin on Being Inspired in Paris
Rupert Bunny was an Australian painter known for his romantic portrayal of Parisian life in the late 19th century. It seems fitting that Australian costume and set designer, Catherine Martin, shares an affinity with Bunny. She knows his era well, so much... more >
Four years ago, photographer Joachim Froese started a project that was to give him a new understanding of what books and literature can mean in someone's life. A big reader since childhood, he shared that passion with his mother, Brigitte. There was alway... more >
The history of clothing in one tiny town
An exhibition of culture and costume drew a crowd of nearly 200 people to the tiny town of Aberdeen, in the New South Wales Hunter Valley.... more >
Vivid Sydney festival gets ready for a second year
The ABC's Adrian Raschella takes a look at what's planned for the second Vivid Sydney festival. ... more >
Record entries for Glover Prize
A record number of artists are vying for Australia's richest landscape art prize which will be announced on Friday. ... more >
Jin Xing, Gideon Obarzanek and Waleed Aly
Childhoods spent in China's People's Liberation Army and an Israeli kibbutz.... more >
Pod tour Before and After Science exhibit
Enjoy one of the best exhibits the Festival has on offer... more >
Man cave transformed into undies warehouse
Wollongbar man Mick Ikin loves underwear... designing, making, selling and wearing it.... more >
Take a peek at some of the photos on ABC Contribute from avid photographers on the Sunshine Coast. Join the group and load your local photos!... more >
Naomi Campbell on the run after alleged assault
Naomi Campbell is wanted for questioning by New York police after a driver accused the British supermodel of assaulting him.... more >
BBC Director General Mark Thompson has announced plans to reduce the scale of the BBC's output by axing two domestic radio stations -- Six Music and the Asian Network -- and by reducing its online output by 25%.... more >
Titanic exhibition heading to Australia
An exhbition of artefacts from the Titanic is coming to the Melbourne Museum in October. Items on show include a gentleman's engraved calling card. ... more >
Making waves: Chicago's Aqua Tower
In Chicago a new 82-storey apartment building called Aqua Tower has captured the city's imagination and that of architecture commentators around the world. It's unlike any skyscraper I've seen. Rather than a uniform glass tower of rigid lines, its facade ... more >
Anyone who has ever owned, or dreamed of owning, a Rolls Royce, would be familiar with the winged woman that sits on the bonnet. Next year it will be one hundred years since this mascot, know as the Spirit of Ecstasy, was commissioned, and there's an inte... more >
Penrith on the (fairly) big screen
Take one internationally-acclaimed French artist, add a touch of Western Sydney, and put the results on the wall of a famous art gallery - that's the recipe for an exhibition on at the moment in Sydney.... more >
Danish Currency a winner in Esperance
Local horses and fashionistas were in their element this weekend at the Esperance Cup. Favourite, Danish Currency took out the Cup by a nose.... more >
The Ballets Russes in Hamilton
An exhibition detailing the impact of the Ballets Russes on Australia has opened at Hamilton's Art Gallery... more >
Corby portrait among Archibald entries
A pixelated portrait of drug trafficker Schapelle Corby looking out through prison bars is among the entries for this year's Archibald Prize.... more >
This Sydney event exemplifies the trend toward small-scale events that eschew the rigid infrastructure of the arts and exploit the opportunities to be found in and around local spaces.... more >
Townsville designer impresses in New York
Katelyn Aslett's designs will feature in events such as the New York fashion show.... more >
There should be some pretty interesting shots on the TV news tonight. Over 5,000 people stripped off at the Sydney Opera House this morning, to take part in American photographer Spencer Tunick's latest event. He's made a career out of taking photographs ... more >
Sydney stripped bare for Opera House shoot
Some 5,000 Aussies pose naked on the steps of the Sydney Opera House - all in the name of art.... more >
One of the big, yet-to-be-resolved issues of the online age is how we preserve history. What happens when the hard copy, that is paper documents, letters, and journals, cease to exist or are impossible to find? How do historians and biographers record... more >
Art Nation - Edge Of Elsewhere
Edge of Elsewhere, one of the highlights of the Sydney Festival, shifts the focus away from big cultural institutions to a part of Sydney that deserves more attention.... more >
Art Nation - Flying Arts Queensland
For 40 years Flying Arts has been bringing art to remote and regional parts of Queensland.... more >
Performer Paul Capsis, a veteran of the Adelaide Fringe, leads us on a tour of the festival. Watch the full story on Art Nation, Sunday 7 March, from 5pm on ABC1 and on ABC2 from 7pm.... more >
Philanthropist and Art collector, Anne Lewis opens her home to 702 and Simon Marnie for this week's Sunday Brunch.... more >
In 1973, art entrepreneur John Kaldor brought UK performance artists Gilbert and George to Australia where they performed their famous singing sculpture installation to the tune of 'Underneath the Arches'. Thirty-seven years later John Kaldor has brought ... more >
Genevieve Lacy's latest recorder adventures
...are part of 2010 Adelaide Festival. Her latest project is En Masse: part concert, part film -- a complete aural and visual experience.... more >
Mission days: Marie Munkara and Roy Kennedy
Described as a subversive race through mission days, Marie Munkara's Every Secret Thing has just won the Northern Territory Book of the Year. Earlier in manuscript form it won the prestigious David Unaipon Award. Last year Roy Kennedy won the NSW Aborigin... more >
Nice table - didn't you used to be a bridge?
The Warrnambool branch of the Triton Woodworkers have reworked wood from the old Hopkins river bridge into some beautiful tables... more >
A Central Victorian company has designed buildings specifically to reduce the owner's carbon footprint... more >
Street artists transform Yarra Place
A local group of street artists come together to transform an inner Melbourne laneway and in the process help raise money for homeless children. Take a stroll down Yarra Place to experience this colourful street canvas. Curated by Drewfunk. ... more >
"I love the journey and beauty found in trying to capture the energy and atmosphere of my subject."... more >
Masterclass - Landscape Painting
Henry Wagons often writes about the country. Watch as he ventures into the world of landscape painting with Archibald winner Lewis Miller as his mentor.... more >
From light-filled environments to walk-in kaleidoscopes, Olafur Eliasson's unique, experiential works explore the intersection between nature and science. Eliasson's exhibition Take Your Time is on at the Museum of Contemporary Art until April 11, 2010.... more >
Paris masterpieces break gallery record
The National Gallery's Masterpieces from Paris exhibition attracts record 250,000 visitors. ... more >
More than 800 vintage Chanel garments, accessories and shoes are up for sale in an auction expected to fetch more than $600,000. ... more >
Spencer Tunick disrobes Sydney
American photographer Spencer Tunick has made a career out of taking photographs of hundreds of naked people assembled in high-profile locations. On Monday, he's doing a dawn shoot on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. Thousands of people have registe... more >
Reading on Vocation: Architects
This is the first of our monthly series 'Reading on Vocation', in conjunction with The Wheeler Centre. Today we talk to architects. Architects are professionals whose practice straddles the arts and sciences. What they do has to look great and ultimately... more >
Where have all the teacups gone ?
Artist Kitty Taylor has spent six months visiting kitchens throughout Tasmania and believes they are changing from work spaces to fashion spaces.... more >
It's not often you get the chance to create a large mural that will have an impact on the community and reflect years of identity.... more >
Van Gogh's windmill legit and on display
A painting of a windmill newly attributed to the Dutch master Vincent Van Gogh has gone on display after spending decades in the depot of a Dutch provincial museum.... more >
Friday night festival fun with Peter Goers
Get amongst the Adelaide Festival... more >
Forget rose bushes to decorate your garden, how about some artwork?
Some green thumbs plant roses, shrubs, or even a passionfruit tree to spruce up the garden, Jenny De Thomasis plants artwork.... more >
The Tale of the Loch Ard Peacock
Find out about the $4 million bird in Breakfast's shipwreck segment.... more >
Gilbert and George's Manifesto For Life
Eccentric British artists Gilbert and George have managed to remain cutting-edge well into middle age. The inseparable duo, who met in 1967 and married in 2002, have spent decades producing works that challenge social norms. However, their avant-garde a... more >
Luxury hospital - how will this building cure the sick?
The world of ideas is a global space now and we hear about the latest more or less immediately. So we were curious about a new hospital just opened in Bath, in the UK, which is said to be more akin to a luxury hotel than a hospital. Could this be true? Is... more >
Tonight at the Newcastle Community Arts Centre a new annual portrait prize for the Hunter will be unveiled for the very first time. "Art from the Heart" features work by artists who are supported by three Hunter organisations, supporting people who are li... more >
Naked truth is Tunick's tunics are lost in transit
Famed photographer Spencer Tunick is the emperor with no clothes - literally - in Sydney.... more >
The Loch Ard Peacock joins the Victorian Heritage Register
The story of the Loch Ard Peacock is a great piece of our local maritime history which has now been preserved on the heritage register... more >
Gilbert and George seduce with live sculpture
ABC presenter Virginia Trioli talks to Gilbert and George at the National Gallery of Victoria in front of a live audience. The contemporary art duo discuss their artwork, from performance based sculptures through to large scale photo works. The live discu... more >
Herding CowParade into Margaret River
Travelling through the Margaret River region of the South West, you might be forgiven in thinking that Dr Seuss had lent himself to the bovine community.... more >
Cameron Robbins, Cara Rosehope and Peter Mares
How the weather can make art, and Australia's Afghan heritage... more >
The Best of Canberra: Public Space
Canberra is full of amazing spaces. Inside and out, full of people or empty of everyone bar you... Which one is your favourite? It could be the foyer of one of our great buildings, or it could be somewhere in the middle of nowhere... more >
Obama statue heads back to school
A statue of Barack Obama that was torn down from a public park in Indonesia has been relocated to the US president's former school in Jakarta.... more >
We can get a bit cynical about art sometimes but it really can change peoples lives, as Alzheimer's sufferer John Little discovered.... more >
Storm chasing might seem like a weird thing to do but that's how photographer Nick Moir gets his kicks. Art Nation joined Nick on the hunt for some wild weather in NSW's Hunter Valley. See more of Nick's work: Sydney Morning Herald multimedia http://www... more >
Kaye Green and the Tamarind Suite
Just over 30 years ago, a young artist called Kaye Green left her home in Tasmania and travelled to Albuquerque in New Mexico in the United States. Kaye had gone to study for a Masters in Fine Art at the University of New Mexico, or more specifically at a... more >
Remember the huge community concern that was sparked in 2008 when photographs by Bill Henson were seized from a Sydney art gallery? They were images of children and to some they were sexualised images of children. As a result of the anxieties and concern... more >
Tracy Bowden looks at the multi-million dollar hair extension industry and meets the Hindu women who service it.... more >
Fashion week opens with silence for McQueen
London Fashion Week opened Friday with a minute's silence for Alexander McQueen, as it mourned one of Britain's most daring and innovative designers who hanged himself earlier this month.... more >
01/64 - Bridging the gap in photographs
As part of the Artexpress project, one former art student took a look at the discrepancies in life expectancies for Australians.... more >
At first you think Denis Darzacq's photographs must be doctored, surely he captured his subjects so clearly with the help of hidden wires and editing, then you discover no tricks were used and this make the photographs even more remarkable. ... more >
The Art Gallery of Ballarat will house unseen photos and memorabilia of one of the biggest rock bands the world has ever seen.... more >
Children take photos from the heart
Children's photos tell story of loneliness, isolation and sadness - but also love and hope.... more >
Dinosaur dig inspires artworks
Dinosaur bones from outback Queensland will be on display tonight in Brisbane as part of an art exhibition opening. ... more >
Hopkins shows his talent on canvas
Oscar-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins unveils 50 landscape and abstract artworks in London.... more >
The Gucci fashion group says it will continue to develop the Alexander McQueen brand despite the death of the British designer in London last week.... more >
French library gets Casanova's sex diaries
A rare manuscript by the 18th-century libertine Casanova, recalling his sexual conquests and many adventures, has entered the collection of France's National Library.... more >
Ron Mueck is notoriously media-shy and prefers to let his art speak for itself. Art Nation presenter Fenella Kernebone makes it her mission to try to get inside his head.... more >
Local artist using cans to paint youth icon
The local Youth Information Referral Service is the heartbeat for many of Mackay's youth, so it's important it has a strong, positive and youthful look.... more >
The Art Gallery of SA adds a striking sculpture to its collection - Patricia Piccinini's Big Mother.... more >
Inquest told McQueen committed suicide
British fashion designer Alexander McQueen hanged himself on the eve of his mother's funeral, an inquest into his death has heard.... more >
1950s cover girl recalls former glory
83-year-old Canberran Mary Grigg reveals she was People magazine's first-ever cover girl.... more >
"Cartoonists for Peace" gather in Colombia to promote greater tolerance and understanding. ... more >
The opposition is still pressing the government to justify its decision to hand back $250 million in licence fee rebates to the free-to-air TV networks: Channels Nine, Seven and Ten. This week Opposition Leader Tony Abbott suggested the payments looked li... more >
Ged Kearney: Australian Nursing Federation
As the government targets coalition plans to revive aspects of John Howard's WorkChoices laws, Labor is facing its own pressure point on industrial relations, specifically when it comes to its revamp of the award system, which has created winners but also... more >
About six years ago now the then 26-year-old Ramy Habeeb had just finished a stint teaching English language in Japan. He'd graduated from McGill University, Montreal, with a double major in literature and religious studies and when he returned to Egypt,... more >
Chatting for charity: The Wonderful Women of Wamboin
It can be hard living in a rural community of 3,000 but as one woman found out, it's worth making the effort to know your neighbours.... more >
Nolan painting to be auctioned
A Sidney Nolan painting of Ned Kelly titled 'First-Class Marksman' will be auctioned for charity.... more >
Trends and Products: event design, testing your pulse
There are so many festivals and events nowadays, so how do they get created and what are the key elements? Event design is now a university course and soon these designers will literally be taking your pulse to assess your enjoyment of the event.... more >
Finally this week, we're looking to the past to ask this question: what can Australia's oldest houses teach us about a more environmentally friendly way of building our homes today?... more >
Making water dance: the art of fountain design
One of the simplest ways to instil a sense of joy in to an otherwise boring space is to install a fountain. Whether it's the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome, or a small water feature on a balcony, fountains have the power to captivate and uplift the human s... more >
Artist's bid to tell the female convict story
Why are thousands of Australians sewing and decorating bonnets?... more >
Versace, Prada, Dior? No, l'op shop
Design consultant Laura Washington shares her op shop fashion bargain tips with Scott Levi.... more >
Artscape - The Art Life at Asia Pacific Triennial
Andrew Frost explores the growing connection between Australia and Asia at the much lauded GOMA exhibition, The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art.... more >
South West Survey 2010 kicks off
Instead of a key to the front door, the South West Survey celebrated its 21st year by opening its doors to 67 artworks selected from almost 200 artists across the region, called 'Over There'.... more >
Here Comes the Bride, Wearing a Tablecloth and Napkins
Carolyn Forte knows a thing or two about wedding planning. Her own three have been extraordinary.... more >
Warrnambool's Customs House Gallery to close
Warrnambool's Customs House Gallery is set to close because the TAFE needs the building back... more >
The paintings of Hilda Rix Nicholas
Hilda Rix Nicholas painted women of action in the landscape of the Monaro... more >
Liz Davenport: married young, achieved much!
Liz Davenport, who got Perth fashion design widely noticed, admired and bought, attributes much of her success to the equality in her marriage that allowed her to focus on business, as well as family.... more >
Cal Wilson, Elizabeth Bard and Maria Filippow
Love, art, food and Paris... more >
Your masterpieces - we have a winner!
Congratulations to Vicki Macdonald, the winner of the 'Masterpieces from Paris' competition for her creation 'Magpie Morningsong'.... more >
Canberra artists and art collectors have donated more than 400 works to victims of the Victorian bushfires. ... more >
Artworks Feature: Australian Cubism
One of the most influential art movements of the twentieth century was Cubism. 'Invented' by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, the word itself comes from the French art critic Louis Vauxcelles, who thought that the landscape paintings Braque was doing bef... more >
Seven months ago, Darwin-based artist Katie Saunders successfully applied for an artist's residency that she'd found on the internet. Applying for residencies is one thing artists can do, along with applying for grants and art competitions, that lets them... more >
Russell Drysdale is one of Australia's most iconic painters. In 2008 the sales figure for a Russell Drysdale broke all records for an Australian painting (around 1.7 million). It's a figure that suggests interest in Drysdale hasn't diminished over the yea... more >
Contemporary art's old masters return to Oz
Old masters of the contemporary art world return to Australia to celebrate 40 years of the Kaldor Public Art Projects.... more >
Designing a new view for the zoo
Over the weekend the second new stage of the Adelaide Zoo redevelopment was officially opened... more >
Chris McAuliffe investigates revivals, the latest being The 80s are Back exhibition at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum. Culturally was there more to the decade than synth pop and shoulder pads?... more >
Remembering the bombing of Darwin
Darwin-based photographer Glenn Campbell captures the wartime sites and relics such as gun emplacements and plane wrecks that are scattered across the Top End.... more >
Exhibition remembers Dunera Boys 70yrs on
A new exhibition at the National Library marks the 70 anniversary of the arrival of the Dunera Boys. ... more >
You can find great street art in any Australian city and there's plenty in Melbourne, which is where Reko Rennie caught up with one of the legends of stencil art - Blek Le Rat.... more >
Images depicting Newcastle's surfing history are on display at the Lovett Gallery at the Newcastle Region Library. The exhibition is part of celebrations for Surfest's 25th anniversary, and feature the recent work of photographer Richard Bartlett as well ... more >
Fashion world mourns 'genius' designer
Leading voices from the fashion industry have paid tribute to British designer Alexander McQueen, found dead at his London home. ... more >
Tributes paid to bad boy of British fashion
Friends and fashionistas pay tribute to Alexander McQueen, who has died aged 40.... more >
Alexander McQueen was the quintessential bad boy made good, rising from London's East End via couture house Givenchy to his own label and becoming one of Britain's best known and most unique designers along the way.... more >
Museum showcases our biodiversity
The biodiversity of our mammals, birds and marine creatures are now on show in a state of the art gallery at the South Australian Museum.... more >
Fashion designer McQueen found dead
British fashion icon Alexander McQueen has been found dead at his London home.... more >
Art critic, writer and blogger Andrew Frost investigates the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art. Watch the full story on Artscape at 10pm Tuesday 16 February on ABC1... more >
Fruit of the vine, work of human hands
"One half of the world's population, approximately three billion people on six continents, lives or works in buildings constructed of earth."... more >
Bob Dylan's first canvas artworks unveiled
A collection of Bob Dylan paintings, billed as the US musician's first works on canvas, have gone on show in London.... more >
ABC Arts blogger Reko Rennie meets his hero, French street art pioneer Blek Le Rat, as they collaborate on a new work in an iconic Melbourne laneway.... more >
Black-eyed Freud portrait fetches $4.9 million
Black-eyed Lucian Freud self-portrait fetches almost 3 million pounds at a London auction.... more >
Freshwater croc alarms visitors - and brings gardens alive
A freshwater crocodile in Brisbane's Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens recently came to the attention of authorities, but it turns out that local children have known about the reptile for quite a while.... more >
Biennale to shake up art world
Organisers promise contemporary works will excite, challenge art lovers and newcomers alike.... more >
All Stars' jerseys emblazoned with Domic's designs
Indigenous artist Sid Domic is winning praise for designing the Indigenous All Stars jerseys for Saturday's rugby league exhibition match.... more >
Alex Miller, Sophie Cunningham, Amy Barclay and Daniel Browning
How to tell a story... more >
ABC Mid West and Wheatbelt's new station manager on taking the long way to Geraldton.... more >
Conversation: Alex Ritchie on graphics, facades and experiential space
Alex Ritchie is an architect working with graphics and experiential architecture. Find out why, next on ABC By Design... more >
This week in our trends and products segment, a very new approach to the shape of home. Imagine living in, or working in a structure resembling an over-sized hard-boiled egg. Well that's exactly what Belgian architectural firm dmvA designed for their cli... more >
Theatre Machine - a design revolution stirs
Joshua Prince-Ramus is one of the new generation of architects making their way in the world, a commentator on our changing world and an architect putting that commentary into action in very fresh and breathtaking buildings. He is on a mission to put agen... more >
After the Glass House: Philip Johnson's follies
Last week on the program we went inside the Glass House, one of the most influential houses in 20th century architecture, designed in 1949 by one of America's greatest architects, Philip Johnson. An elegant and completely glass-walled open plan home that ... more >
A snapshot of history found in a chest
Adrian McMillan was helping to demolish a house one day, when he made a magnificent discovery.... more >
Tim Sharpe created his quirky character Laser Beak Man 10 years ago as a form of expression - now, together, they're taking on TV.... more >
Do you randomly open books at the first page and read the first line? And if you do, what does it tell you? Writer Nick Earls thinks the first line in a novel can be powerful and writing it can be tyrannical. Nick's titles include Zigzag Street, Perfec... more >
Last year, Clare Toms was our contact in Mexico as swine flu broke out, now she's back in Glen Innes with her first solo exhibition. ... more >
Marty Pouwelse, Anthony Cornelius and Ian Bersten
Marty Pouwelse and Anthony Cornelius actively seek out the biggest and best storms possible. Ian Bersten is a tea and coffee historian who says many tea traditions need to be thrown out!... more >
Sword-swallowing 'Space Cowboy' breaks the world record, by downing eighteen stainless steel swords.... more >
London-based sculptor Ron Mueck is known the world over for his breathtakingly life-like depictions of the human form. Taking the skills he learned as a puppet-maker many years ago in Melbourne, Ron presents the body in all its visceral vulnerability, b... more >
Fancy the idea of taking a long walk and looking at art? Art that depicts the very landscape you're in? In South Australia the Heysen Trail goes from Cape Jervis on the coast up 1,200 km through the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Flinders Ranges to Parachiln... more >
In the small town of Gerringong on the beautiful south coast of New South Wales we're meeting members of the Boolarng Nangamai Aboriginal Art and Culture Studio. The studio is a dynamic place set in a bush foods and medicine garden. Boolarng Nangamai memb... more >
Indonesia to remove 'Little Barry' statue
A statue of US President Barack Obama as a boy will be removed from a park in the Indonesian capital Jakarta just weeks before he visits his old hometown.... more >
A little garden gnome was the catalyst for a local artist's two-year project. Yvonne Blakeney has been painting "all her life", but little did she know a chance discovery in her garden would lead to self publishing a storybook called 'Where's Elf'.... more >
Get your very own guided tour of an art exhibition in a historic section of Sydney.... more >
Will the advent of the electronic book ruin publishing? Stephen Page, the CEO England's literary publishing house, Faber and Faber thinks not.... more >
Is this the world's best library?
You would be hard pressed to find too much fault with Mount Gambier's new multi-million dollar library. But is it really one of the world's best? ... more >
Artists inspired by Black Saturday fires
For artists affected by the deadly Victorian bushfires, the experience inspired some powerful work. ... more >
Nearly a year since Victoria's devastating Black Saturday bushfires, artists from burned out areas have put their work on display in Melbourne. The paintings not only show the terror and devastation but also the recovery and regeneration.... more >
More than half-a-century after the death of her father in Germany, Cairns artist and photographer Ingrid Douglas is painting her most challenging portrait.... more >
Sculpture fetches world record price
A bronze statue by Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti has sold for $118.4 million at Sotheby's in London.... more >
Old stories given life with brand new technology
Down to the barbicels of an archangel's wing... more >
Rarely seen Picasso fetches $14m
A Picasso masterpiece not seen in public for more than 40 years has sold at auction for 8.1 million pounds ($14.6 million) - more than twice the expected price.... more >
Writing about breakfast and pho - Melbourne food bloggers Phil Lees and Ellie Parker
Melbourne food bloggers Phil Lees and Ellie Parker talk about writing about food.... more >
Picasso portrait sells for $14.6m
Pablo Picasso has once again proved his appeal to wealthy collectors with the artist's portrait of his second wife Jacqueline at the top lot at Christie's impressionist and modern art sale in London.... more >
What can a blind architect see?
Chris Downey is blind and he is an architect. He addresses some fascinating questions next on By Design. What makes a building beautiful if you can't see it, and how can you create beautiful structures if you're blind?... more >
Transforming Uncommon Ground: The Gardens of Vladimir Sitta
A conversation with the landscape architect Vladimir Sitta and with Tempe MacGowan, the author of a new book on his work.... more >
It's an art prize with true regional flavour. All the money is raised locally, the artists must be local and the judges live down the road!... more >
Witty, wealthy and extremely talented, Philip Johnson was one of the greatest architects America has produced. He helped establish modernism in the United States, was the founding curator of architecture at the Museum of Modern Art, and also a significant... more >
Dignified home for colourful WWII bell
A bell used to ring time during rugby union games and to wake up the odd drunk in a Brisbane pub is on show at the Australian War Memorial.... more >
Hilda Rix Nicholas; the right man for the job
The outback landscape provided plenty of inspiration to Australian painters, but few have captured the places and the faces like Hilda Rix Nicholas... more >
Shuttle artefacts: going once, going twice
As NASA prepares the move from using the space shuttle to renting space vehicles from private industry, artefacts of the nearly three decade-old program are being distributed online.... more >
Mavis Ngallametta is a master weaver, who creates sculptural artwork based on traditional weaving techniques from the far north-western Cape York area of QLD.... more >
New St Patrick's Cathedral framework up
Forget front row seats at the Australian Open final or those platinum tickets to Beyonce. Olympic opening ceremony passes are a dime a dozen compared to the rarity value of the invitations that will be handed out to a lucky few hundred when the new St Pat... more >
Paris treasures draw bumper crowds
The National Gallery in Canberra is currently hosting the most valuable collection of art that's ever been shown in this country. The priceless collection of Van Goghs, Cézannes, and Gauguins - to name but a few - is set to become the country's most popul... more >
Re/gendered a platform for exploration
A Midsumma exhibition held underneath Melbourne's Flinders Street Station explores notions of gender.... more >
Art Nation presenter Fenella Kernebone checks out Campbelltown's Edge Of Elsewhere exhibition, part of a three-year project to showcase works from Sydney's western suburbs.... more >
Artworks Feature: Peter Blizzard
This January sculptor and art educator Peter Blizzard died of cancer. He was 69. He died while a major retrospective of his work was being held at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, in central Victoria. Peter Blizzard began his artistic career at the Post Mas... more >
You might know Fiona Foley's work through her photographs of 2004 called HHH, hooded figures modelled on the Klu Klux Klan but wearing strongly patterned robes and hoods. Or the earlier portraits in Native Blood; a series in which Fiona appears stripped ... more >
War artists occupy a fairly iconic place in our cultural imagination. Like journalists, they place themselves at the edge of danger in order to observe and respond, on our behalf, to the reality of conflict. In the First World War, Arthur Streeton and Ge... more >
Disputed da Vinci work sells for $1.5m
A disputed portrait once believed to have been painted by Leonardo da Vinci sold for more than $US1.5 million.... more >
Seven-year-old draws comparisons to Picasso after selling 16 paintings for more than $32,000.... more >
New look soon for your local ABC website
Your local ABC website has been redesigned and will soon appear in a whole new look. The new design will make it easier to find and enjoy great local stories.... more >
Art takes over the Esplanade as sculptures brighten Brighton
Wildlife, abstract and even a colony of fans are claiming the Esplanade for the next week as the Brighton Jetty Classic Sculptures invade.... more >
Nude volunteers needed for Opera House strip
New York photographer Spencer Tunick is looking for thousands of Australians to disrobe in the name of art on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.... more >
Art centre stage at MONA FOMA 2011
The curator of Tasmania's music and art festival MONA FOMA is predicting more of an art focus for next year's event. ... more >
New Zealand International Arts Festival
The New Zealand International Arts Festival kicks off across the Tasman next month. Based in Wellington, it has attracted top international acts over the years, many of whom don't make it to Australia. This year is no exception, with 18 premieres througho... more >
We know that Australians are big readers, but the book business is now bigger than the music industry and on equal footing with film. According to University of Melbourne researchers, annual book sales are worth about $1.7 billion. Of that, the top ten p... more >
Anna Bligh, Premier, on Queensland's design future
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is on a mission, a design-led future for Queensland. This is, she says, about the way we think, about positioning the value of design across everything we do. Find out what she means and why this is her approach.... more >
Trends and Products: dressing up or down?
Whereas once women were expected to dress up, now this rule is for men. Find out why young men are dressing up and are careful about their grooming, while young women are increasingly dressing down, as are older men.... more >
A new art exhibition in China has seen many of the country's world famous cultural treasures given a radical facelift.... more >
Mona Lisa mystery: Da Vinci to be exhumed
Leonardo Da Vinci's remains are to be exhumed to determine the identity of the Mona Lisa.... more >
Exhibition honours great Australians
Past winners of the Australian of the Year award feature in a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.... more >
Stunning images from the Goldfields-Esperance region
Your photos in ABC Contribute show the beauty and diversity of the region.... more >
India Flint, the botanical alchemist
For twenty years, India Flint has been experimenting with techniques for dyeing fabrics with plants. As well as using this in her own textiles and designs, she teaches workshops on the art of botanical dyeing and she's now the author of a book called Eco-... more >
The campaign for the return of the Elgin Marbles and the long-running trial in Italy of Marion True, former curator of the Getty Museum, over illegal trafficking of antiquities are just two high-profile examples of widespread concerns about the way antiqu... more >
Vincent Plush (National Film and Sound Archive) and Robyn Holmes (National Library of Australia) were the organisers of the four-day celebration of Voss the opera and all matters arising.... more >
Jim Sharman director of stage and screen
First and only director of the opera Voss, confidante of Patrick White and director of many of White's plays. Sharman's recent memoir is called Blood and Tinsel.... more >
Barry Jones, historian and national treasure
Historian Barry Jones discusses the figure of Voss and the models that Patrick White used to create him, among them, German scientist and explorer Ludwig Leichhardt.... more >
Jailed art addict subject of Archibald entry
An ex-lawyer John Avery is in jail for stealing to fund his addiction to art. Now an artist who he used to buy paintings from is painting Avery's portrait for the archibald prize.... more >
Conceptual artist Karen Casey uses neurotechnology and gaming software to create brainwave-generated art with three leading performance artists.... more >
Fenella Kernebone visits Ron Mueck's exhibition of hyper-real figures at the National Gallery of Victoria. Watch the full story on Art Nation at 5.30pm this Sunday on ABC1.... more >
Heath Killen is the one-man Society for the Preservation of Australian Secret Histories.... more >
