17 July 2024

Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dreams

| Annaliese Doyle
Start the conversation
Painting of a man wearing a purple suit with white hair sitting on a pink chair

Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dreams showing at the National Portrait Gallery. Photo: National Portrait Gallery.

Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dreams is a vibrant and dynamic exhibition by acclaimed contemporary artist Joan Ross. In a practice that spans collage, printmaking, sculpture and video animation, Ross probes the ongoing consequences of colonisation in Australia with wit and wry critique. Transforming scenes from colonial artworks through a digital ‘cut and paste’ technique and her signature fluorescent yellow, Ross explores critical issues like climate change, greed and consumerism.

For this exhibition, Ross was invited to select portraits from the National Portrait Gallery collection and situate them alongside her own artworks. The result considers how colonial artworks are contextualised within cultural institutions and asks us to question stories within the archives of history.

The show was curated collaboratively by Ross, Larrakia, Jingili, Anglo, Filipino Curator Coby Edgar, and National Portrait Gallery Curator Dr Emma Kindred.

The details:

What: Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dream
When: Saturday 24 August 2024 to Sunday 2 February 2025
Where: National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Cost: Free!

Start the conversation

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.