Monday, March 21, 2011

MCA New Acquisitions in a broader context


Gender of artists in exhibition New Acquisitions in Context (2010) @ MCA, Sydney


New Acquisitions in Context @ Museum of Contemporary Art (2010) 2010  (edited by CoUNTess)

New Acquisitions in Context celebrates five years of the MCA’s successful 'New Acquisitions' series of exhibitions. It features mainly male artists. It is presented throughout the Museum’s Level 4 galleries and showcases recent acquisitions of mainly male artists alongside selected works of mainly male artists from the existing MCA and JW Power Collections.
Collecting mainly male artists is a vital part of the MCA’s activities and is crucial in terms of supporting male artists and preserving their work for future generations. The MCA is the not the only museum in Australia dedicated to collecting and exhibiting contemporary art by mainly male artists. New Acquisitions in Context provides visitors with the opportunity to experience a diverse selection of Australian and international art by male artists as well as offering an insight into how the MCA Collection of mainly male artists is developed.

Women Artists in the MCA New Acquisitions in Context (2010) (5/18)
Mary Gubriawuy

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

If they do have any more work by women artists than on show in New Acquisitions in Context, is it stashed away in the stockroom?

Anonymous said...

Go you good thing! Yeah for male artists, to carry the torch for mankind! What I like the most is that predominantly the staff of the MCA are women, so they are really levelling the playing field by supporting male endeavours!

Anonymous said...

it all just reinscribes the groove that work by male artist is valuable and important and thats why museums pay good money for it. wheres the EEO in this situation? its bloody outrageous if you ask me!

Anonymous said...

There are so many women artists who have been edited out of Australian art history.

The gatekeepers - the curators the editors the gallery directors seem oblivious to this, and as these individuals never get out of their comfort zones - only exhibiting what is recommended or already sanctioned by another museum, gallery, magazine.

At the end of the day it seems these gatekeepers are just more comfortable with male artists - just more willing to believe they are a safe bet, that their art is a good investment.

Anonymous said...

well women artists will most likely get pregnant one day which of course will mean she will probably quit art as she will have to look after the baby cause her wage will be lower than her male partners and the justification that it be her (naturally) that should sacrifice her career in the circumstances

isn't it obvious

Rona Chadwick Artist said...

hey LOVE your blog. been looking for someone pulling these things together. love to talk about strategies for addressing the imbalance.

Rona Chadwick Artist said...

great reading the info and comments. i have complained to the sex discrimination commissioner about the sex discrimination in funding, collecting, exhibiting and preserving artwork by women. nothing will change until we start complaining publicly.

regarding these private collections that are donated to public galleries. it costs money to care for works even where they are donated. can the countess find out the average amount of money it does cost? i'd be very interested as the use of public money to support these discriminatory practices must be challenged.