What’s it all about?
Wanna talk about the Melbourne Art World but don’t feel like enough of an “expert”? Wanna be able to get more involved in the art scene? Or just really hate a certain sculpture but can’t say why?
To many the Melbourne Art World often seems inaccessible, pompous and exclusive. But public art was made with everyone in mind and everyone’s experience of art is interesting and important. We will unpack and explore how exciting the art world is in a fun, useful, and unpretentious way.
What will we cover?
This class is a brief look at the more interesting, scandalous or weird events in Melbourne Art History. It has the dual focus of learning about the art world, and reinforcing the idea that everyone can and should talk about art. Everyone will have a chance to share some of our favourite (or least favourite!) art encounters in Melbourne.
We will share some of the stories and gossip of Melbourne’s art scene – opening up the city’s many public art venues for those who feel “uninitiated”. We will demystify the art world, and begin to more deeply understand some of Melbourne’s public art works which were, after all, made for us. We will also cover some of the scandals and stories behind Melbourne’s public art: legal battles, charges of pornographic content, community outcry and badly received political statements.
The class also has a craft component: together, we will make our own personalised maps of the places that interest us the most about Melbourne’s art scene. While we are talking, participants will be able to trace out and annotate the places they want to visit later. There will even be glitter!
Who will be teaching?
Sophia Dacy-Cole is an emerging artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (honours). She is passionate about the role that politics plays in the art world. She is a romantic who believes that art should be for everyone.