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​News and other interesting projects ....

Last days to see John Baird Retrospective at MPRG

12/11/2025

 
‘The Authentic Consequence’ presents the first major survey of accomplished Mornington Peninsula artist, John Baird and is on display at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery until Sunday 16 November.

​This exhibition traces Baird’s beginnings as an artist through to key examples drawn from his most recent paintings, drawings, collage, and sculpture. As the exhibition curator it has been a privilege to work alongside Baird, and colleagues at the MPRG, as well as participate in conversations, walkthroughs, and informal talks with interested exhibition visitors.
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John Baird and Rodney James
Rose 2009, MPRG opening.
Photo: Kingfolk Imagery

Single Collection auction launched at Menzies

12/11/2025

 
On November 18, 43 select pieces from the Frank and Janet South Collection will go to auction with Menzies Art Brands in Melbourne.

​This is a major collection research and dispersal project that Trish and I have been working on for over two years and includes works by Tom Roberts, Fred McCubbin, Grace Cossington Smith, Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, Margaret Olley, and Julie Dowling to name a few.
View Catalogue
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ARTHUR BOYD (1920–1999)
Laycock’s Jetty, Sorrento 1957
oil on composition board, 84.5 x 112.5 cm
Frank and Janet South Collection, Victoria

FROM THE WEIRD TO THE WONDERFUL:

26/5/2025

 
Valuing artworks for replacement, gifting and sale
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Doing appraisals for private collectors never cease to amaze us. Recently we had the honour of valuing The Goldsmith from 1655, a celebrated Rembrandt etching that had travelled from Holland to America and eventually landing in Australia with a descendant of the original owner.
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We love doing this sort of detective work so if you have something weird or wonderful in your collection that you would like to know more about, please drop us a line.




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Harmensz van Rijn Rembrandt
The goldsmith 1655
etching and drypoint 
7.8 x 5.8 cm (sheet, trimmed to platemark)

Art critic biography wins Premier's History Award

24/5/2025

 
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Trish and I attended the 2024 Premier’s Award for History Award presentation at the Langham Hotel, Melbourne in April and were thrilled to be awarded the top honour from a rich field of 38 shortlisted entries and 140 submissions.

As I explained in my acceptance speech, Letters to a Critic has truly been a labour of love, taking 16 years to complete.
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https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/art-critic-biography-wins-premiers-history-awards
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MAJOR ARTWORK AVAILABLE

20/5/2025

 
Kate Shaw painting from Noöspher series 
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​Kate Shaw
Noösphere, 2017
acrylic and resin on board
60 x 120 cm
Private Collection, Victoria
POA
​This enchanting work by Kate Shaw has recently become available for purchase exclusively through RJA. It was purchased for clients, along with other works by Kate Shaw, from Martin Browne Gallery in 2019. Now that they have downsized, the owners are reluctantly letting it go to a good home. Could that be you?

RJA to sponsor artist selected for inaugural 2025 Sorrento Art Prize

20/5/2025

 
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Rodney James Art is excited to be sponsoring an artist participating in the 2025 & Gallery Australia Sorrento Art Prize Selected from the 60 shortlisted finalists, Robert Croft will be creating a large work for the exhibition and the sponsorship funds will cover the materials and framing.
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More information:
https://www.andgalleryaustralia.net/sorrento-art-prize-
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​Robert Croft
Delight # 2
Acrylic on board
155 x 117cm, Courtesy of & Gallery

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

1/3/2025

 
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​Katungka NAPANANGKA Pintupi 1950-2010
Untitled c. 2005
synthetic polymer paint and natural pigments on linen
122 x 122 cm

Price: $3,000

Katungka is one of the daughters of Katarra Nampitjinpa, an important Pintupi artist who painted originally with the Papunya Tula Artists and then later with Ikuntji artists at Haasts Bluff. Katungka watched her mother and sister, Permungka, paint for many years but she only started painting regularly after her mother passed away in 1999. n 2005, she moved to Alice Springs, where she commenced painting with Papunya Tula Artists. 

‘Katungka paints her mother’s dreaming stories or tjukurrpa from her country Ulkapa, near Kintore and the tjukurrpa from her own country at Intinti, both of which are far west of Haast’s Bluff, over the West Australian border.’
https://www.canberra.edu.au/on-campus/collections/the-art-collection/napanangka-katungka-kutjarr-kunya-at-intinti

Upcoming Gippsland/NGV Partnership Exhibition featured in Leonard Magazine

6/2/2025

 
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​RJA was recently invited to contribute to the Leonard Magazine in their art expert series. Rodney spoke about the challenges and rewards of mounting large-scale exhibitions including the upcoming Fernmania // Lush exhibition that he is curating for Gippsland Art Gallery in Winter 2026. He also unveiled the recently formed partnership between National Gallery of Victoria and Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale that will enable access to their extensive Australian and International Collections and specialist curatorial and exhibitions expertise.

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Max Dupain 1911-1992
Tree Fern c.1940s
silver gelatin print
Private Collection

Mandy Martin painting purchased by the Friends of the Wollongong Art Gallery

1/2/2025

 
RJA is proud to have placed this important painting by Mary Martin, formerly with the C-Bus Collection of Australian Art, back where it belongs. The work was on long-term loan at Wollongong Art Gallery before being acquired by us. As the Wollongong curator remarked. ‘it’s like having an old friend come home’.
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Mandy MARTIN 1951-2021
Outer Harbour, Port Kembla, 1989
Oil on linen
100 x 243.5 cm
 

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

1/2/2025

 
​This gorgeous sugarlift etching is one of our favourite Leunig works. Simplicity and sentiment are perfectly combined. It is in excellent condition and comes with a Letter of Authenticity from the Leunig family collection.
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​Michael Leunig 1945 - 2024

Bird Garden
etching with sugarlift aquatint on paper
40 x 49.8 cm (plate size) 71 x 71.5 cm (sheet size)
Edition: Artist Proof

Price: $3,300 unframed

VALE MICHAEL LEUNIG (1945-2024)

5/1/2025

 
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​A fond farewell to an Australian icon.
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Sad to learn of Michael Leunig's recent passing in December 2024. I was honoured to work alongside Michael in an exhibition we curated for Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery in 2006.

​Vale Michael Leunig. I, for one, will treasure my brief time spent in your company.
CAPTION:
‘Mud wall’ from
Michael Leunig: Personal and Peculiar,
​Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery 2006.
Photo courtesy of MPRG.

Letters to a Critic – An ideal Christmas present for family and friends

29/10/2024

 
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Letters to a critic: Alan McCulloch’s World of Art, our newly published biography and expose of Australian art through the eyes of leading Australian art critic, Alan McCulloch AO, was the focus of a range of talks and conversations over the Winter period.

With Spring finally here (well maybe not in Victoria) and Christmas not too far away (God help us!) now might be a  good time to get a copy (or two).

We love it when you purchase directly from us. Just go to our book store and type Letters50 into the coupon request to secure your copy and get $10 off the RRP. Postage extra.
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PURCHASE BOOK

Monumental Akio Makagawa sculpture relocated

24/10/2024

 
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Akio Makigawa, Under the Obelisk
1989, bluestone and marble.
Akio Makagawa sculpture relocated to Campus Park at Australian Catholic University, Melbourne.
​For the last 18 months, RJA has been assisting the Australian arm of Runjiang Investment Group to value, market and relocate their sculpture collection, including an important three-piece sculpture by Akio Makigawa. The work was commissioned by Norwich Union for the original building at 509 St Kilda Road in 1988-89.

​After much toing and froing, a wonderful new home has recently been found for the sculpture at the Western end of the newly completed Campus Park, ACU Melbourne.

Record breaking sale at Leonard Joel                                        'Roma  Thompson shines'

1/10/2024

 
Heartening to see the auction record for Roma Thompson (1919-2020) well and truly broken, on the back of spirited in-house bidding, with two works offered on behalf of a client at Leonard Joel’s recent Spring ‘Women Artists’ exhibition.
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Born in 1919, Roma Thompson is an overlooked Australian modernist artist and designer who grew up in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Mentone. She left school at fifteen to pursue her passion for art and become a fulltime student at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. In 1945 she became an art teacher at RMIT and taught tapestry design and weaving at Caulfield Technical College. Thompson exhibited with the George Bell Group and Melbourne Contemporary Art Society in the 1940s and 50s before almost disappearing from public view, taking up painting again in the 1980s and exhibiting with Russell Davis Gallery.

RJA are fortunate to be handling a small group of select works from this period, including the two works successfully sold at Leonard Joel. Watch out for future releases or contact us directly if you know the location of Thompson works, would like to learn more about the artist, or are interested in acquiring one for yourself!
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Roma Thompson, The White Bridge, Venice c.1985
Oil on canvas laid on board, signed lower right: R. Thompson, title inscribed verso, 50.5 x 72.5 cm, Leonard Joel, Women Artists, Melbourne, 23/09/2024, Lot No. 36
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Roma Thompson, Geometric Composition II 1990
Oil on board, double-sided, signed lower right: R. Thompson, title and date inscribed on frame verso, 34.5 x 27 cm, Leonard Joel, Women Artists, Melbourne, 23/09/2024, Lot No. 79

New Project - book and exhibition on John Baird

14/6/2024

 
​Rodney was honoured recently to receive a substantial and very welcome Writer’s Grant through the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council Community Grants Program to research a new book on the art and life of John Baird. The book will accompany a retrospective exhibition of John’s work scheduled for Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery in Spring 2025.
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John exhibits with Arthouse, Sydney and Salt Contemporary, Queenscliff and his work explores domestic interiors and his love of boats and sailing. A feature of John’s work is his use of antique wallpapers and oil paint – integrated beautifully to evoke the colours and textures of each chosen scene. Seen here in a recent studio shot taken by John.
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Studio visit, June 2024
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Acknowledgement
Rodney James Art acknowledges and pays respect to the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people, the traditional custodians of the lands and waters on which we live and work.​
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