Roslyn Oxley

Roslyn Oxley

Roslyn Oxley is a Sydney gallerist and art dealer. With her husband Tony Oxley, she owns and operates Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, which opened in March 1982 with an exhibition by Gareth Sansom. In January 2013, Roslyn Oxley, together with Tony Oxley was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to the visual arts and the community.[1] Roslyn Oxley is considered one of the most influential gallerists in Australia, supporting the cause of contemporary art, ‘including that which is non-commercial and otherwise challenging’.[2]

Early life

Roslyn Oxley is the daughter of John Robert Walton, founder of the Australian department store Waltons. From 1957 to 1960, Oxley studied art and design at East Sydney Technical College, now the National Art School. For the next two decades she worked as an interior designer in Sydney, Melbourne and New York City for firms and designers including Peddle Thorp & Walker (now PTW Architects and Raymond Loewy). In 1970 she married Tony Oxley and together they co-founded Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in 1982.[3]

1980s

A number of Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery artists were exhibited in important European, North American and Asian art museums during the decade. In 1983, 12 gallery artists were included in ‘D’un autre continent: l’Australie, le rêve et le réel’ at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Mike Parr and Ken Unsworth were included in ‘An Australian Accent’, the Kaldor Public Art Projects exhibition that travelled to New York’s MoMA PS1 and Washington DC’s Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1984. That year gallery artists Dale Frank, John Nixon and Vivienne Shark LeWitt were included in ‘Australian Visions’ at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.[4] In 1988, six gallery artists were included ‘Edge to Edge: Australian Contemporary Art to Japan’ that travelled to Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya and Hokkaido. Gallery artists curated into the ‘Aperto’ section at the Venice Biennale included Dale Frank (1984) and Maria Kozic (1986). In 1986, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery held the first solo show of Marc Newson, which included his Lockheed Lounge.[5] Seminal 1980s artists that also exhibited at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery included John Baldessari, Francesco Clemente, Keith Haring and Barbara Kruger.

1990s

At the new premises in Soudan Lane, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery’s stable of artists expanded during the decade to include Rosalie Gascoigne, Simryn Gill, Bill Henson, Fiona Hall, Tracey Moffatt, Callum Morton, Patricia Piccinini and David Noonan. Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery also began participating at art fairs, beginning with Art Cologne from 1990, and Art Basel from 1996. In 1992, gallery artist Tony Clark was selected for the important international survey show documenta. In 1993, gallery artist Jenny Watson was the Australian representative at the Venice Biennale. During the decade, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery was also active with the Sydney Mardi Gras, exhibiting artists such as Pierre et Gilles, Robert Mapplethorpe and Erwin Olaf. Artists with an Asian focus to their work, including Lindy Lee, Mariko Mori and William Yang, were also regularly shown.

2000s, 2010s and current activity

Since 2000, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery artists have been curated into documenta (Destiny Deacon and Fiona Hall), the Istanbul Biennial (Newell Harry and David Noonan, the São Paulo Art Biennial (Michael Parekowhai) and the Singapore Biennale (Tracey Moffatt), among other significant survey shows. The gallery has also maintained an active presence at art fairs. Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery attended Art Basel until 2008. The gallery has also shown at ARCO, The Armory Show, Art Basel Hong Kong, Auckland Art Fair, Frieze Art Fair New York, Melbourne Art Fair and Sydney Contemporary.

In 2002, the gallery began exhibiting Yayoi Kusama. International figures such as Hernan Bas, Michael Bell-Smith, Elmgreen and Dragset, Tracey Emin and Robert Mapplethorpe were also shown during this decade.

In May 2008, the gallery’s show of photographs by Bill Henson was raided by police and temporarily closed, sparking international debate.[6]

British artist Isaac Julien has continued to show with the gallery since 2007, most recently with ‘PLAYTIME’ in March 2014.[7] Other notable artists to join the gallery in the past two decades have included Imants Tillers (2013 winner of the Wynne Prize), Del Kathryn Barton (twice winner of the Archibald Prize), Daniel Boyd (winner of the 2014 Bulgari Art Award),[8] and Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro.[9] In March 2013, Tracey Moffatt was the recipient of an Australia Council for the Arts Visual Arts Award for her outstanding contribution to the development of Australian art.[10] In 2015, Fiona Hall will represent Australia at the Venice Biennale.[11]

Philanthropy

Together with her husband Tony Oxley, Roslyn Oxley has been an active supporter of the Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale; the Biennale of Sydney; the Contemporary Collection Benefactors at the Art Gallery of New South Wales; the Melbourne Art Foundation; and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. In January 2013, Roslyn and Tony Oxley were also awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for their services to the visual arts and the community.[12]

External links

References

  1. ↑ http://www.artcollector.net.au/Nationalhonoursforthearts?searchTerms%5B%5D=ROSLYN&searchTerms%5B%5D=OXLEY9&searchTerms%5B%5D=GALLERY''. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  2. ↑ McCulloch, Alan, Susan and Emily (2006). The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art. Melbourne: The Miegunyah Press.
  3. ↑ Hutak, Michael. http://www.docin.com/p-97971070.html#documentinfo''. Australian Art Collector. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  4. ↑ Waldman, Diane. "Exhibition Catalogue". http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/exhibitions/publications/from-the-archives/items/view/290''.
  5. ↑ Turner, Brook. http://www.afr.com/p/national/arts_saleroom/marc_newson_world_of_design_UGmtIeE12yPEghQNTbrcLM''. Australian Financial Review. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  6. ↑ Jasper, Adam. http://blog.frieze.com/controversy_in_sydney/''. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  7. ↑ Rees, Lucy. http://www.artandaustralia.com/news/interview/isaac-julien-playtime''. Art and Australia. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  8. ↑ http://www.artandaustralia.com/news/headlines/daniel-boyd-wins-the-2014-bvlgari-art-award''. ARTAND. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  9. ↑ McDonald, John. http://johnmcdonald.net.au/2012/claire-healy-and-sean-cordeiro/''. Sydney Morning Herald. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  10. ↑ Ming, Lin. http://artasiapacific.com/News/AustraliaCouncilRecognizesArtistTraceyMoffattAndCuratorJulianaEngberg''. Art Asia Pacific. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  11. ↑ http://www.artandaustralia.com/news/headlines/fiona-hall-to-represent-australia-at-the-2015-venice-biennale''. ARTAND. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  12. ↑ Djurichkovic, Alexandra. http://www.artcollector.net.au/Nationalhonoursforthearts?searchTerms%5B%5D=ROSLYN&searchTerms%5B%5D=OXLEY9&searchTerms%5B%5D=GALLERY''. Australian Art Collector. Missing or empty |title= (help);