Records fall as buyers rediscover female photographers
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It was back-to-the future last week as enthusiastic bidders rediscovered the work of artists from the early 1980s to the early 2000s, pushing prices far above their estimates at the online auction of highlights from the Pat Corrigan collection of contemporary photography.
Nine new records were set, and seven of those were for female artists, some of whom are receiving belated recognition in this era of celebrating womenâs contribution to Australian culture.
Petrina Hicks, Shanae and Jade, 2005, estimate $10,000 to $15,000, from the Corrigan Collection of Contemporary Photography, being sold by Deutscher and Hackett.Â
‘Canberra’s National Gallery is still full of surprises’
Jan 22, 2021
Sculptural work by Xu Zhen, one of China’s most significant artists, at Canberra s National Gallery. Source: Ian Smith
A fallen and malleable Corinthian-style pillar – that looks as though it may have once graced Greece’s Parthenon – suddenly moves, just when you’d least expect it! Snake like, it seems to follow you as you walk through Canberra’s National Gallery. Its title is ‘Hello’, by artist Xu Zhen. As Friedrich Nietzsche once remarked, “If you stare into the abyss, eventually it will stare back at you.”
Xu Zhen’s ‘Hello’ sculpture. Source: Ian Smith