Happy 2013!

Robert Rauschenberg’s Horsefeathers thirteen series, 1972-76

Happy New Year to all! It seemed fitting to begin 2013 by taking a closer look at Robert Rauschenberg’s Horsefeathers thirteen series, which is currently on display here at the National Gallery of Australia.

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Robert Rauschenberg was one of the first artists to work with Kenneth Tyler at Gemini GEL when it opened in 1966. Together the pair made several ambitious prints, including Booster, which – when it was printed in 1967 – was the largest lithograph ever editioned. The Horsefeathers thirteen series is another example of technical complexity: the series comprises sixteen works made using a complex mix of techniques, including lithography, screenprint, pochoir, collage and embossing.

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Rauschenberg consistently returned to collage in his art, and this method of working is demonstrated to great effect in the Horsefeathers thirteen series. In the series Rauschenberg engages us in a game of free association, tapping into our personal lived experience and creating a unique reaction in each viewer. Images from popular culture are juxtaposed with photographs of animals in the wild, newspaper clippings are combined with maps, and arrows draw our focus in several directions simultaneously.

You can read more about Rauschenberg’s work in Jaklyn Babington’s essay here: http://nga.gov.au/Rauschenberg/index.cfm

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We look forward to bringing you more from the Tyler collection in 2013. Remember, if you have particular questions – or just want to know more about a favourite artist or artwork – you can get in touch with us by commenting here on the blog, or via our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

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The Horsefeathers thirteen series will be on display until March – make sure you don’t miss it!

Jörg Schmeisser, 1942 – 2012

The International Prints Department is deeply saddened by the news of Jörg Schmeisser’s death.

In 1976 Schmeisser came toCanberra as a visiting fellow in the Humanities Research Centre at the Australian National University, and from 1978 until the late 1980s he headed the printmaking workshop at the Canberra School of Art. During this time he established strong connections with the National Gallery of Australia, generously giving his time to promote prints and printmaking through a range of workshops and lectures in association with various Gallery exhibitions and events.

A notable example of such an occasion occurred in 1985, when Kenneth Tyler visited the Gallery for the first time, in conjunction with the exhibition Kenneth Tyler: printer extraordinary.  Schmeisser, in association with Tyler and curatorial staff at the Gallery, facilitated a lecture and workshop series attended by printmakers from around Australia. Tyler gave a slide lecture entitled ‘The new surface of prints at Tyler Graphics Ltd’ and together Schmeisser and Tyler led a paper making demonstration, followed by a technical workshop demonstrating lithography, etching and aquatint.

Schmeisser was an inspirational teacher and a commanding artist. His sophisticated works reveal a masterful command of printmaking techniques and his death is a great loss to the art world locally, nationally and internationally.

The National Gallery holds a significant collection of Schmeisser’s work; you can read about a selection here:

http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/Detail.cfm?IRN=167423

Further links relating to Schmeisser’s work are listed below:

http://www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au/cmag/JorgSchmeisser.html

http://www.beavergalleries.com.au/schmeisser.htm

http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/antarctic-arts-fellowship/previous-participants/1990-1999/jrg-schmeisser-92-93