GOMA Q: Contemporary Queensland Art
‘GOMA Q: Contemporary Queensland Art’ presents original insights into the character of Queensland art and culture. The exhibition contextualises the most dynamic achievements in Queensland art today, showcasing artists of all generations working across the spectrum of themes and media. Queensland is a diverse setting and has become the site of exciting and productive artistic exchanges and intriguing ideas, values and aesthetic practices. ‘GOMA Q’ is a concept spun from the state’s evolving vitality and identity.
All throughout 2014, we met with hundreds of Queensland artists, consulting and researching in preparation for this project. After countless discussions and deliberations, a line-up of more than 30 exceptional emerging, midcareer and senior artists working in painting, ceramic, video, performance, installation and sculpture has been established.
Madeleine Kelly Spectra of birds 2014–15

Madeleine Kelly, Germany/Australia b.1977 / Spectra of birds 2014–15 / Encaustic on cardboard with paper and text / 40 parts ranging from 8 x 11 x 11cm to 27 x 9 x 9cm / Purchased 2015 with funds from the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Diversity Foundation through the QAGOMA Foundation / © Madeleine Kelly/Copyright Agency / View full image
Mavis Ngallametta Wutan #2 2014

Mavis Ngallametta, Kugu-Uwanh people, Putch clan, 1944 - 2019 / Wutan #2 2014 / Natural pigments and charcoal with acrylic binder on linen primed in synthetic polymer paint / 272 x 200cm / Purchased 2015 with funds from Cathryn Mittelheuser, AM, through the QAGOMA Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Mavis Ngallametta Estate / View full image
Featured artists include lively scenes from Davida Allen’s day‑to‑days, the delicately layered meditations of Ian Friend, and recent paintings by Gordon Shepherdson — which chart memories of time spent at sea — will show alongside a new generation of painters. Julie Fragar delves further into her ongoing series, putting imagery to the wild tales of her earliest ancestor in Australia, Antonio de Fraga, who set out from the Portuguese colony of Flores on an American whaling ship at the age of 12. Madeleine Kelly takes a new tangent in memorialising her whimsical encounters with local bird life. Rising star Tyza Stewart and the immaculate Michael Zavros each consider some of the unique ways in which individual identities are constructed in contemporary Australia. The works of north Queensland’s Naomi Hobson sparkle with brilliance as they present the artist’s country, between the eastern slopes of the McIlwraith Range south of Lockhart River and its western slopes north of Coen; while senior artist Mavis Ngallametta captures the grandeur, complexity and intensity of her country on the West Cape in her imposing paintings.
D Harding their little black slaves, perished in isolation 2015

D Harding, Bidjara, Ghungalu and Garingbal peoples, b.1982 / their little black slaves, perished in isolation 2015 / Charred wood, antique furniture, wood stain, scent diffuser / Courtesy: The artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane / View full image
Isabel & Alfredo Aquilizan In God We Trust (version 2) 2009

Isabel Aquilizan, The Philippines b.1965 / Alfredo Aquilizan, The Philippines b.1962 / In God We Trust (version 2) 2009 installed in GOMA Q: Contemporary Queensland Art, Gallery of Modern Art, 2015 / View full image
New sculpture and installation works also feature prominently in the exhibition. Up-and-comer Sam Cranstoun tells of the incredible and tragic life and death of Lord Mountbatten, while D Harding examines moments of heartbreaking Aboriginal oppression in the state. Anita Holtsclaw searches the seas for a sense of belonging, and David Thomas’s participatory work walks the audience down a tightrope between happiness and alienation. Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan demonstrate the ingenuity and inventiveness of Filipino culture, showing how abandoned US jeeps from World War Two have been reinvented as exuberant jeepneys. Meanwhile, Brian Robinson’s sci-fi creation stories, rooted in the mythologies and traditions of the Torres Strait, reach into the unknown to explain the present; while Lawrence Omeenyo’s fluid ceramics celebrate his country by immortalising ancestral heroes in hybrid figurative vessels.
Vernon Ah Kee acontentedslave 2015

Vernon Ah Kee, Kuku Yalanji/Waanyi/Yidinyji/Guugu Yimithirr people, Australia b.1967 / acontentedslave 2015 / Synthetic polymer paint and resin over digital print on foamcore / Courtesy: Vernon Ah Kee and Milani Gallery, Brisbane / Photograph: N harth © QAGOMA / View full image
Political dialogues find voice through the cutting works of Vernon Ah Kee. Similarly, Pat Hoffie reflects on the tensions between domestic expectations, international relations, and the measurable dimensions of the sound bite. Chantal Fraser considers the tensions between culture, race and the state, and the consequences for a community when trusted authorities abuse their power. Media artist Moe Louanjli cleverly harnesses the power of a divide‑and-conquer algorithm employed in preparation for modern warfare, while Antoinette J Citizen uses a rudimentary artificial intelligence to predict her near future.
Prolific photographer Kim Guthrie puts the extraordinary lives of ordinary Queenslanders in the frame, while collaborative duo Clark Beaumont perform to the camera, describing love as a potentially selfish and vain engagement. Monica Rohan’s self-portraiture draws attention to the plight of the introvert in a world that demands attention and interaction. Likewise, Liam O’Brien uses video to confront his personal history, seeking explanation for his past impulses.
Liam O'Brien Domestication (still) 2014

Liam O'Brien, Australia b.1987 / Domestication (still) 2014 / Single-channel HD video: 10:15 minutes, colour, stereo / Purchased 2015. QAGOMA Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Liam Campbell O'Brien/Copyright Agency / View full image
With computer animation, Grant Stevens ruminates on the desire to cultivate a sense of self in a society that appears to have little interest in the individual beyond their potential to consume. Tim Woodward uses video to illustrate a relationship between art and religion in their dependence on society for confirmation and support of their value. Paul Bai also plays with perception, representation and the economy of form in his graphic wall-work, while Ross Manning emphasises the subjective experience of the passing present with similar restraint.
Emerging printmaker Teho Ropeyarn’s large-scale work reveals the cultural landscape of his country at the very tip of Cape York, while Jennifer Herd’s pinhole drawings of rainforest shield designs are a lesson in refinement and minimal translation. Ready to challenge expectations, ‘GOMA Q’ demonstrates the inspired, innovative and inventive art of contemporary Queensland. Recognising the Gallery’s enduring responsibility to connect audiences to artists, future exhibitions will continue to provide original insights into the art and culture of the state.
Michael Zavros Bad dad 2013

Michael Zavros, Australia b.1974 / Bad dad 2013 / Oil on canvas / 110 x 150cm / Purchased 2016 with funds raised through the QAGOMA Foundation Appeal / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Michael Zavros / View full image
GOMA Q: Contemporary Queensland Art
11 July – 11 October 2015
Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
Brisbane, Australia