Unveiling a rich tapestry of Australian art

^{Image: Leanne Willis pictured in the exhibition “50 Years of Collecting”, at Deakin University Art Gallery in front of the work by artists (left to right): Anne Scott Wilson, Augustine Dall’Ava , Reko Rennie, Kirsten Lyttle, Queenie Kemarre, Wilma Tabacco, Michael Johnson, Kate Beynon, Helen Tyalmuty McCarthy, Elvis Richardson, Sue Anderson, Janet Dawson, Ray Thomas, Jenna Lee, Eva Älmeberg and Brad Gunn. Full artwork details available at collections.deakin.edu.au/explore Photography Fiona Hamilton.}

Typically, public art collections are deep but hidden – only a fraction of the works held are on display at any given time. This is not the case at Deakin University.

'We have around 56% of the collection on display, which is extremely high,' explains Senior Manager Art Collection and Galleries, Leanne Willis (Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies '92).

'The other institutions typically on average have around 5% of their collection on display, which is on a 10-year cycle. So, if a work is represented in a typical institution's collection, or is donated to their collection, it will probably only be seen once every 10 years.

'However, at Deakin, we try and display as much as we can – both on the university campus and touring as well.'

When Deakin University was formally established in 1974, it already boasted an impressive art collection, thanks to the previous institutions that formed its foundation. In the five decades since, deep connections with Australian artists and donors have grown the collection to become one of the most distinctive and accessible in the country.

^{Image: Jan Senbergs, Geelong Cappricio (If Geelong were settled instead of Melbourne) 2010. Synthetic polymer paint on canvas. Purchase 2010. Deakin University Art Collection. Image © and courtesy of the artist’s Estate and Niagara Galleries, Melbourne. Photo by Fiona Hamilton.}

The Deakin art collection also focuses on contemporary Australian art – works produced in the last 50 years.

These twin philosophies encouraged celebrated sculptor Andrew Rogers (Honorary Doctorate ‘20) to connect with the University through prominent art history scholar Ken Scarlett. Since 2019, Rogers has generously donated 119 of his works to Deakin’s collection, allowing researchers, students and the general public the rare opportunity to consider an individual artist’s lifetime of practice.

'Andrew’s very first sculpture was of his left hand, so his work began quite figuratively,' Willis says.

'At Deakin you can see it's developed over time to explore the space the body occupies, or the form the body takes in a more abstracted version. He might be doing sculptures looking at the void left by dancers, or the wind, or lately he's been doing works using AI as well.'

^{Image: Andrew Rogers, I Am 2015, 3.5m, bronze, for Flinders sesquicentenary of Flinders Town, Victoria. Photographer: David Easton. Image supplied by the artist.}

Shaped by Rogers’ generosity, Deakin is the only institution where you can explore the development of his career as an artist. Deakin also organises the Contemporary Small Sculpture Award – an annual competition that attracts entries from every state and territory in Australia.

Willis says that smaller sculptures encourage artists at any stage of their career to experiment with form and media. Entries in the award’s 16-year history include those created from human hair and recycled beach rubbish, alongside more traditional materials such as bronze.

^{Image: Leanne Willis pictured with Iain Martin in the “50 Years of Collecting” exhibition at the Deakin University Art Gallery in front of the works by artists Jenny Grenfell, Augustine Dall’Ava and others. Full artwork details available at collections.deakin.edu.au/explore Photography by Fiona Hamilton.}

'Another point of difference from many other awards is that we do not charge an entry fee. This means we receive works by emerging artists through to works by people who have an Order of Australia for their contribution to Australian sculpture.'

Each year, 40 finalists are displayed at the Deakin University Art Gallery, with the winning work acquired for the University’s collection. There were a staggering 646 entries received in 2024, with prizes supported by Community Bank at Deakin University.

'Awards like these are incredibly important in providing opportunities and recognition to both emerging and established artists,' Deakin's Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin says.

Another recent Deakin partnership was powered by the work of Australian artist and anti-war activist George Gittoes. Gittoes and his collaborator Hellen Rose visited Ukraine in early 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion.

There, they spent time interviewing Ukrainian people, documenting their experiences and capturing the devastated urban and rural landscapes through art and film. They also tracked down an elusive Ukrainian artist who uses the pseudonym Ave Libertatemaveamor. Ave’s anonymous daily Instagram posts are a striking example of artistic resistance from the front line.

^{Image: George Gittoes on location April 2022, Borodyanke, Ukraine. Painting in progress title Borodyanke Party Dress. Photo by Kate Parunova. Image supplied by the artist.}

As Deakin reflects on its first five decades of operation as a university, a series of special exhibitions will bring together works from the art collection, including recent gifts from the Myer family. All are welcome to attend.