2012 past exhibitions

The Life of Patrick White

Open:

11 August 2012 – 28 October 2012

Venue:

Exhibition Galleries

The Life of Patrick White marks 100 years since the birth of Australia’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature. The exhibition looks at White’s life through the places he lived and is drawn mostly from the National Library’s collection of his papers — despite the fact that White repeatedly maintained he had destroyed them all.

The exhibition also includes a significant contribution from the State Library of NSW collection, including White’s Nobel Prize medal.

Sidney Nolan: Illuminations

Open:

11 August 2012 – 28 October 2012

Venue:

Exhibition Galleries

This exhibition of selected works from Sidney Nolan’s 1982 Illuminations series comes from the Nolan Collection, managed by Canberra Museum and Gallery on behalf of the Australian Government.

Sydney Morning Herald Photos 1440

Open:

30 June 2012 – 22 July 2012

Venue:

Exhibition Galleries

There are 1440 minutes in a day. In these minutes photographers capture a moment. These moments make up a day.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s photography exhibition Photos 1440 is presented by the State Library of NSW as part of Canon’s EOS Festival of Photography. The exhibition features prints and multimedia of the best published and unpublished work by Sydney Morning Herald photographers from 2011 to the present.

World Press Photo 2012

Open:

30 June 2012 – 22 July 2012

Venue:

Exhibition Galleries

See the world’s best photojournalism from 2011, selected from the 55th annual World Press Photo contest. The exhibition features over 200 powerful and evocative images by 57 photographers of 24 nationalities, including multi award-winning Australian sports photographer Adam Pretty.

The coveted World Press Photo of the Year was awarded to Spanish photographer Samuel Aranda for his arresting picture of a mother holding her wounded son inside a mosque being used as a temporary field hospital. The photo was taken following street demonstrations in Sanaa, Yemen against the rule of President Ali Abdulluh Saleh.

World Press Photo receives support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery and is sponsored worldwide by Canon. The exhibition has been brought to Sydney by Canon Australia.

Recycled Library: Altered books

Open:

1 June 2012 – 24 June 2012

Venue:

Exhibition Galleries

Tracing a history of altered books in Australia through the work of seventeen artists, Recycled Library: Altered books incorporates existing and found books presented as sculptures, wall-based collages, artists' books, and photographs. During an era in which the printed page is in danger of being superseded by digital technology, the connecting element in all the work is a continuing fascination with the iconic significance and primacy of 'the book'.

The exhibition focuses on works that have a conceptual, political or social concern and range from the 1970s conceptual works of Paul Partos to the beautifully carved books of Kylie Stillman. Other artists include Simryn Gill, Marion Borgelt, Jayne Dyer, Julie Gough, Paul Hoban, Liz Jeneid, Yvonne Kendall, Archie Moore, Janis Nedela, Ti Parks, Patrick Pound, Alex Selenitsch, David Sequeira, Glen Skien and Hossein Valamanesh.

Recycled Library: Altered books is a national travelling exhibition curated by Michael Wardell for Artspace Mackay and toured by Museum & Gallery Services Queensland. The exhibition tour is supported by the Contemporary Touring Initiative through Visions of Australia, an Australian Government program, and the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian Government and state and territory governments.

Lewin: Wild Art

Open:

3 March 2012 – 27 May 2012

Venue:

Exhibition Galleries

Lewin: Wild Art is about the life and times of John William Lewin (1770-1819), the first free professional artist to settle in Australia. Arriving in NSW in 1800 from London, Lewin's mission was to collect, draw and publish Australia's natural history for European audiences.

He landed in Sydney a conventional natural history artist, steeped in European traditions, but quickly developed his own unique and lively style. Specimens were clearly located in their natural habitat and strong diagonals animated his compositions. The challenge of confronting the new environment - where he found everything 'contrary to our knowledge in England' - inspired his beautifully observed illustrations, which are undoubtedly Australian.

The State Library of NSW holds the largest, indeed an unrivalled, collection of Lewin's art and books, with some 400 works. He is also represented in other Australian and British collections. This exhibition will bring together, for the first time, Lewin's work from these major collections.

Image: Gigantia Lily / [watercolour drawing attributed to John William Lewin], ca. 1806, DG SV*/Bot/2

Finding Antarctica: Mapping the Last Continent

Open:

3 December 2011 – 19 February 2012

Venue:

Exhibition Galleries

It is one hundred years since Douglas Mawson led the 1911 to 1914 Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), arriving on Macquarie Island on 11 December 1911.

In celebration of this centenary, this exhibition will focus on the mapping of Antarctica from the 15th to the 21st century, from crude woodcut maps of the known world through to the latest satellite imagery. The exhibition will tell the story of the gradual discovery, exploration and charting of this significant land mass.

The exhibition will showcase the magnificent collection of rare maps and charts held by the State Library, accompanied by rare published accounts and original sketches from Antarctica exploration by Cook, d'Urville, the United State Exploring Expeditions and the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

Image: Jansson, Polus Antarcticus [1657], Z/ Cb 65/ 8