From the bush to our own backyards, the eucalypt has long shaped the Australian landscape and imagination. A new exhibition at the Potter Museum of Art delves into the significance of this iconic tree with more than 163 works and five significant new artist commissions.
Opening on July 10, Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the gum tree draws on Australian art history and contemporary works from the University of Melbourne's collection, alongside major loans from across the country to explore the tree as a source of creative inspiration.
Colonial paintings by John Glover, Eugene von Guérard and Frederick McCubbin will sit alongside 20th century works by Arthur Boyd, Hans Heysen, Albert Namatjira, Grace Cossington Smith and Jessie Traill, as well as contemporary artists like Nici Cumpston, Vincent Namatjira, Joan Ross and Christian Thompson.
Translating to “breathing for us” in the Woi Wurrung language, Ngarn Wa’ngal considers the gum tree as both subject and symbol, prompting conversations around Indigenous sovereignty, Australian identity, ecology, climate and the global legacy of the eucalyptus.
A major feature of the exhibition is five new commissions created specifically for the showcase, including a photographic work by Jane E. Brown using early carbon-printing techniques; an installation of seed-filled papier-mâché forms by artist Dean Cross of Worimi descent; a large-scale piece by interdisciplinary artist Megan Evans featuring eucalyptus leaves collected over decades; a layered installation by leading Australian artist Janet Laurence, incorporating materials from the University’s Rare Books and Archives collections; and a floor-based text and moving-image work by Wiradjuri poet and artist Jazz Money.
The free exhibition will also feature an extensive program of talks, curator-led tours, interdisciplinary discussions, hands-on workshops and guided walks exploring significant gum trees across the Parkville campus.
To find out more about Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the gum tree, visit the Potter Museum of Art website here.
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