History
John Nixon / 1980-1
1 During 1980 the Institute's programme developed to provide a critical and scholarly context where work of an avant-garde/progressive nature could be exhibited in Brisbane. The programme instigated an almost exclusively Australian thrust to counter the situation that had occurred over the preceding years, where more overseas artists had been asked to exhibit than Australians. It was my feeling that Australia had produced a large number of progressive artists over the past 15 years who had not had the public gallery exposure warranted by their work, and I wanted to put work of this nature into its 'true historical perspective'. The consistency in the year's programme was that all exhibitions fell under an avant-garde/ progressive banner, and all had large overground/underground reputations in Melbourne and Sydney, many having exhibited from the late 1960s/early 1970s onward, and some 'younger' artists whose work had developed in the last five years. I believe that such a programme is imperative for any 'realistic' view and understanding of current Australian/world art practice. Such a programme forwards a progressive maxim for the continuation and development of public galleries functioning like the Institute to provide the public with new and experimental art in a critical and serious context.
2 In 1981 the Institute's programme will continue to focus on Australian Art. Under my direction the Institute functions like the European Kunsthalle – a temporary exhibitions venue for the exhibition and promotion of the latest developments within contemporary art practice. It should be seen that much of the work exhibited at the Institute, over the last eighteen months, is 'difficult'/'controversial'. This very aspect of the programme allows the Institute a strong educational function. The Institute's programme, since my appointment in January 1980, has been to bring this 'problematic' into the open, to show experimental Australian art in its 'real' contemporary state.
3 During 1980 and 1981 I have attempted to develop in all possible ways a sound model for the function – both artistic and economic – of an exhibitions programme at the Institute of Modern Art, and as such, to provide a useful model for the exhibition, critical assessment and development of progressive art practice in Australia.
(This report is an edited version drawn from 3 reports written between December 1980 and March 1982 outlining my position as Director. It is now July 1989 and I still endorse these beliefs through my continuing work as an independent curator.)
The following artists held solo exhibitions at the Institute of Modern Art during 1980: Robert MacPherson, March; Hilary Boscott, April; Peter Tyndall, April; Imants Tillers, May; Virginia Coventry, June; Jenny Watson, June; John Dunkley-Smith, July; John Davis, August; Gunter Christ-mann, September; Ti Parks, September; Ralph Balson, October; Robert Jacks, October; Anti-Music, November (one day exhibition); Peter Kennedy, November; WT Wiley, December – guest curator John Buckley. 1981: Richard Dunn, February/March; Tony Coleing, April; Bonita Ely, May; Mike Parr, June; John Dunkley-Smith, July; Howard Arkley, July; Anti-Music, August; Peter Kennedy, August; Peter Cripps, September; Virginia Coventry, October; Adrian Hall, November; Kevin Mortensen, November; Robert MacPherson, December. 1982: Imants Tillers, February/March; Elizabeth Gower, March/April; John Nixon, March/April.