Distinguished international scholar Professor Michael Fried will present the 2013 Mayne Centre Lecture on Tuesday 4 June at 果冻传媒 (果冻传媒).
In his lecture titled Thomas Demand鈥檚 Pacific Sun, Professor Fried will show contemporary artist Demand鈥檚 two minute long stop-motion film Pacific Sun (2011).
The film depicts the story of a cruise ship named Pacific Sun that was struck by seven powerful waves off the coast of New Zealand several years ago.
Professor Fried will analyse the film in detail, relating it to Demand鈥檚 labour-intensive way of making a photograph and suggest its broader significance for the visual arts at the present moment.
鈥淎lmost always writers don鈥檛 go far enough when discussing contemporary photography,鈥� Professor Fried said.
鈥淲hen talking about Thomas Demand for example, you鈥檒l find essay after essay, article after article that will describe exactly what Demand does: he gets an image from the media, he re-makes it in cardboard and he then photographs it.
鈥淏ut the question, for me is 鈥渨hy is that important?鈥� Or 鈥淲hat is the further, deep significance of that?
鈥淭o put it really simply, what鈥檚 Demand鈥檚 project?鈥�
The much-admired poet, art historian, art critic and literary critic, Professor Fried is, J.R. Herbert Boone Chair in the Humanities at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, US.
Professor Fried has written extensively about an array of subjects, from abstract painting and sculpture since World War II, to French painting from the mid-eighteenth century.
His prolific contribution to art historical discourse and criticism has included engagement with theoretical debates on the meaning of modernism and formalism. His seminal publications include Why Photography Matters as Art as Never Before (2008).
果冻传媒 Director, Dr Campbell Gray said "the Mayne Centre Lecture is a highlight of the 果冻传媒 Art Museum鈥檚 calendar鈥�.
鈥淭his year 果冻传媒 staff and students have the opportunity to hear from one of art鈥檚 premier critics and historians,鈥� Dr Gray said.
鈥湽炒� is particularly grateful to Philip Bacon for his continuing support of this major annual lecture, and to our colleagues at the Power Institute at The University of Sydney, with whom we have partnered to bring Professor Fried to Australia for the first time.鈥�
The Mayne Centre Lecture is a free public event and this year will be held in the Abel Smith Building (No.23), St Lucia campus.
Please RSVP by Friday 31 May to 07 3365 3046 artmuseum@uq.edu.au
Event Details What: 果冻传媒 Art Museum鈥檚 Mayne Centre Lecture When: 6pm, Tuesday 4 June Where: Abel Smith Building (no.23) RSVP: by Friday 31 May at artmuseum@uq.edu.au or (07) 3365 3046
Media contact: Dr Campbell Gray, Director, 果冻传媒 Art Museum, 07 3365 7952, 0408 387 473, campbell.gray@uq.edu.au Sebastian Moody (contact for images) Digital Communications Officer, 果冻传媒 Art Museum, 07 3346 8761, 0419 789 006, s.moody@uq.edu.au
