SAM debuts three new exhibits

Opening at SAM on a national tour, Art in Conflict from the Australian War Memorial collection showcases the works of official war artists and contemporary artists who respond to conflict.

The display explores untold stories and neglected histories, giving audiences the tools to deepen the understanding of Australia’s experience of conflict, past and current state.

Three new major bodies of work are included, with two recent official war art commissions from Susan Norrie, sent to Iraq in 2016, and Megan Cope, sent to the Middle East in 2017, along with a landmark commemorative work by Angelica Mesiti.

“I think the artworks speak for themselves, these artists go to these places as civilians, they witness these things on behalf of Australia and they record and interpret it for our records,“ Australian War Memorial head of art Laura Webster said.

“We’ve been trying to make really deliberate choices in representing artists, whether it’s women or people from varying backgrounds — we want to get perspectives that reflect Australian society.”

More than 70 works are split into varying themes, exploring interpretations of recent and historical conflicts, with pieces on frontier wars and violence, the post 9/11 world, personal encounters and First Nations art from Indigenous services.

In another first, SAM Open has also graced the gallery’s new community space with this year’s theme New Horizons, highlighting the talents of artists from across the Goulburn Valley.

A re-jig on what was the SAM Local: Best of Friends show, the annual SAM Open exhibition finds its creators with a call-out to the public.

“It's an exhibition for all ages, all mediums, there's really no restrictions other than we asked the artists to submit work that has been made in the last two years,” SAM exhibitions curator Jessica O’Farrell said.

“It's really very open to the breadth of creative practices that we have here in the Goulburn Valley.”

New Horizons has accumulated works from a varied creative scope, with familiar names in the local art realm of Rachel Doller and Amanda Hocking, along with up-and-coming artists, with the youngest being just three years old.

Fronting the building is a new window commission, The Land I See Is Not Elsewhere, by Melbourne-based artist Nusra Latif Qureshi.

The artist said the window incorporated a response piece to SAM’s large holdings of watercolour landscapes by Albert Namatjira and the extended Hermannsburg School.

“It was about trying not to transform them in any way but just as an artist to translate, I tried to make connections with Shepparton itself, all around us is such a beautiful, lush environment,” Ms Qureshi said.

The piece is a reflection of the nature-filled landscape of the region, among the hues of green and brown strung yarn the window-scape is dotted with Shepparton references, small enough they might be missed.

“There are lots of little, almost hidden things to discover; I think it can give an incentive to adults to start looking again to trust their eyes, I think we don’t trust ourselves enough,” Ms Qureshi said.

SAM’s exhibitions are free to view. For more information on exhibitions and tickets, visit https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/