If you’ve visited our Picasso to Warhol exhibition and are craving more, why not book yourself into one of the Central Institute of Technology’s (CIT) Modernism in Visual Culture lectures. Running every Sunday from 29 July to 2 September, this unmissable series will delve into the fascinating histories surrounding the works of the fourteen modern masters on show at the Art Gallery of WA.
CIT principal art lecturer Sue Geddes-Page is excitedly preparing for the first lecture of the series, Avant-garde Modernism: Cubism and Futurism. Geddes-Page says the lecture will make for an enjoyable experience when she examines Cubism and Futurism with a focus on Cubist founders Pablo Picasso and Georges Braques.
The lecture series is open to anyone with a curiosity about the Picasso to Warhol exhibition, whether they are seasoned art buffs or first-time visitors to the Gallery. Geddes-Page says the series makes for a deeper understanding of the works but the lectures will be informal and accessible, and attendees will be encouraged to ask questions and participate.
“The idea is not to make it into a big academic thing,” Geddes-Page says.” People will most likely have already seen the exhibition or will be on their way to seeing it so we’re giving visitors an extra bit of enjoyment and understanding of the art.”
Each lecture costs $26 but enthusiastic attendees can buy a series pass for $115, making for a saving of $59.
Every lecture will focus on a different area, with subjects ranging from Modernist sculpture to Pop Art to Abstract Expressionism. Geddes-Page says the lectures are tailored to the movements and events that surrounded the artworks: “We really studied the catalogue for Picasso to Warhol and we looked at the key points and transition in Modernism and built the lecture series around these key points. It’s really just about engaging with some beautiful and challenging art both appreciatively and critically to see the way they belong with their time.”
Geddes-Page says her personal favourite in the exhibition is Jackson Pollock’s Shimmering Substance – “I could stand and look at it for hours”–so her lecture on Pollock on 2 September will no doubt be a highlight.
Jackson Pollock
Shimmering Substance. 1946
Oil on canvas, 30 1/8 x 24 1/4″ (76.3 x 61.6 cm).
The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Lewin and Mrs. Sam A. Lewisohn Funds.
© Pollock / Krasner Foundation / Licensed by Viscopy
Sue Geddes-Page has been lecturing in Australia since the 1980s and her teaching expertise ranges from visual culture, history of ceramics and history of design. She’s currently teaching the history of jewellery design. The lecture series will be split between Geddes-Page and her fellow CIT lecturer Louise Morrison.
Written by Coral Huckstep