Melbourne Studio School New Works

Founded in 1998 by Richard Birmingham, Melbourne Studio School grew out of a need to re- calibrate painting and drawing in a post-modern era where conceptual arts practice and critical theory began to dominate teaching institutions throughout Australia and the world.

Loosely based on the New York Studio School model, an atelier system, they prioritise the acquisition of fundamental, analogue painting and drawing skills. You learn by doing. These skills include manual dexterity in mark making, practice in compositional language and exploration of colour theory.

A gradual assimilation is the key to mastering these disciplines while holding the observed and the imagined in balance.

This group exhibition represents the work of 16 artists currently working at the school. Their work represents a cross-section of themes ranging from figuration to abstraction.