Talk: Contemporary Painting: A Horror Story
For those who missed the July event, we are running an additional daytime session of our illustrated talk – Contemporary Painting: A Horror Story.
Lead by Museum’s Registrar and painting conservator Emily Mulvihill with insights from Museum Engagement Officer and painting expert Sophie Holvast, we will explore selected significant moments in the history of painting and pull out historical references linking the works in Zombie Eaters. We’ll momentarily dip into the horror and depravity that is the zombie formalism movement: the art world flippers, financial enablers and Instagram influencers.
Our painting journey will take a redemptive turn to explore the work by artists who restore our faith in the medium – those who work with integrity, skill and a genuine grappling with one of the most enduring artistic methods throughout history. During our explorations, we will ask the question; What makes a meaningful painting?
Participants will gain an understanding of the curatorial rationale behind Zombie Eaters, an introduction to contemporary Australian painting, and also why the show does not involve any actual zombies.
What to expect: This will be a seated talk in Paul Ramsay Galleries. Our presenter will move through a collection of slides to offer a visual exploration of contemporary painting.
Meet the Presenter: Emily Mulvihill, Registrar, Murray Art Museum Albury
Emily is a conservator, artist, and museum professional with a passion for both the technical and creative elements of art making. As a conservator with a speciality in painting, Emily has absorbed an encyclopaedic knowledge of materials across disciplines, having worked in conservation teams both in Australia and internationally. Emily worked most recently at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York – where she was entrusted with maintaining some of the most valuable works of their collection including those of Claude Monet, Andy Warhol and Umberto Boccioni.
Alongside her career as a conservator, Emily maintains her own strong artistic practice with ceramics and textiles. She is a prolific maker, and from her own design studio produces experimental ceramic vessels for commercial sale, as well as operating a textile label that produces natural botanical dyed clothing pieces.
Emily has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the National Art School and a Masters in Cultural Materials Conservation from Melbourne University. Emily is now located in Albury-Wodonga, after accepting a permanent position in the curatorial team at MAMA.
