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James Algie

Jabarrgwa Wurrabadalumba

John Olsen

James Algie's painting references the allegory of Jonah and the whale from the Bible. His work demonstrates the ability to respond to history and culture in a visual form. Examine the impact of culture and society on artists' practice. Is it present in the way marks are made or the materials used? Consider the relevance of these elements when interpreting the visual language of an artwork.

Spiritual and religious themes have been commonly used in both traditional and contemporary art practice. Research the narratives that Wurrabadalumba, Olsen and James Algie have based their works on. Discuss how each artist explored their subject matter. Outline how each artist has captured a narrative in a single image. Consider the expressive qualities of each work focusing on the artists' subjective response to their subject matter and materials.

artwork
01
James Algie
   
Not Jonah
Painting
 
Tyndale Christian School   1-Gnostic(a), adj. Also, gnostical. 1. pertaining to knowledge.
 
2-Geomorphic, adj. 1. of or pertaining to the figure of the earth, or the forms of its surface, 2. resembling the earth in form.
 
3-Guano, n., pl. ~nos. 1. a natural manure composed chiefly of the excrement of seabirds, 2. any similar substance, as an artificial fertiliser made from fish.
 
4-Gregarious, adj. 1. living in flocks or herds, as animals, 2. Bot. growing in open clusters; not matted together.
 
 
Giorgio de Chirico - The Divine horses of Achilles, Balios and Xanthos

collection
art gallery of
new south wales

 

Jabarrgwa (Kneepad) Wurrabadalumba (Australia, b.1896, d.circa 1969)
Dugong hunt 1948
Bark painting: natural pigments on bark
© The artist's estate

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Gift of the Commonwealth Government 1956
 

 
Peter Purves Smith - New York

collection
art gallery of
new south wales

 

John Olsen (Australia, b.1928)
Five bells 1963
Painting, oil on hardboard
© John Olsen

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Purchased with funds provided by the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales 1999