Blog Posts

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

29/10/2024

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.

PURCHASE BOOK

Monumental Akio Makagawa sculpture relocated

24/10/2024

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.

‘How to Appreciate Curating’ Upcoming Gippsland/NGV Partnership Exhibition featured in Leonard Magazine

4/10/2024

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 an exhibition upcoming Fernmania // Lush exhibition that he is curating for 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.

Auction houses play an important role in bringing to light new works and providing research into provenance and context. RJA maintains strong relations with the Australian and International auction industry and can help find a suitable platform to buy or sell major (or rare and unusual!)

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

Studio visit, June 2024

Montalto Sculpture Collection Valuation, 2023

1/3/2023

A beautiful sunny day greeted Trish and me when we visited one of our local wineries on the famed Mornington Peninsula, Victoria to view and assess an amazing sculpture collection.

Valuing public sculptures can be tricky given the vagaries of time , weather, and natural aging but the majority of the works were certainly well-cared for and in top condition as well as beautifully displayed in the extensive landscaped grounds and fertile natural terrain and gullies. 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the Collection.

New Collection Management Policy for Fraser Coast Regional Council

1/4/2022

Rod and Trish James recently spent time in Queensland’s beautiful Fraser Coast leading the development of a new Collection Acquisition and Management Policy for Council’s Art and Heritage Collection and developing a Preventative Conservation Plan for Hervey Bay Regional Gallery. The Gallery is currently closed for essential building remediation and renewal works with plans to reopen in 2022 with the new and exciting Fraser Coast National Art Prize.