Recent International Forms in Art : The 1976 Biennale of Sydney.
Art Gallery of NSW, 13 November – 19 December, 1976.
Directed by Tom McCullough
The second Biennale of Sydney took place at the Art Gallery of NSW over November-December 1976. It was directed by Tom McCullough. Works were selected from Australian and International artists on the basis “that sculpture and sculpture-related artforms currently seem the most vigorous area within the visual arts from which to assemble an exhibition.” 1 McCullough took a primary focus on art from Japan and the Pacific coast of the U.S. Other curators were invited to select works from New York, London and Europe.
“In effect the biennale will question the very nature of sculpture itself.” [McCullough, quoted in Eneide Mignacca, “Hanging the Human Marlins”, Nation Review, 2-6 Dec., 1976]
A number of video works were shown in the exhibition.
Les Levine: Bear Media Monument (1976)
Videotaped images of koalas on television and tabloid. Recorded while in Australia prior to Biennale.
Levine was born in 1936 in Dublin, Ireland, and studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London. He moved to Canada in 1958 and [in 1976] lives and works in New York City.
Tsuneo Nakai: Horizontal Line (1976)
Video Installation: Video camera, 6 monitors, wire, plumbline, videotape.
Nakai was born in1946 in Osaka, Japan, and studied at Osaka Municipal College of Technology. He lives and works in Japan.
Michael Nicholson: Poli-Poll-Pool-Shots (1976)
Video installation, 3m radius.
Michael Nicholson was born in 1916 in the U.K. He studied 1938-39 at city and Guilds School of Art, London. 1948 LCC, Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts, London. 1949 LCC Central School of Arts and Crafts, London. At the time of the Biennale Nicholson lived and worked in Sydney, Australia.
Stelarc: Event for Stretched Skin (1976)
Performance, Recorded in Videotape and Photographs. Dimensions: 400cm x 120cm. Videotape shown on single monitor (1/2” EIAJ format)
Stelarc was born in 1946 in Cyprus and after emigrating to Melbourne studied at Caulfield College of Advanced Education and the Royal Melbourne College of Technology, Australia. In 1976 he lived in Yokohama, Japan.
John Sturgeon:
Shapes from the Bone Change (1975)
The Two Triangles (1975)
Conjunct (1976)
Two Aspects
Videotapes shown on single monitor (1/2” EIAJ format)
Sturgeon was born in in 1946 in Illinois, U.S.A., and studied at University of Illinois (BFA, 1968) and Cornell University (MFA, 1970). In 1976 he lived and worked in California, U.S.A. [See Korot and Schneider, Video Art]
The following document [from the Stephen Jones archive] outlines the programme for the first week of events associated with the Biennale.
The Biennale Of Sydney
Proposed Program for First Week
Visiting overseas artists
(a) Lynda Benglis from New York, Fujiko Nakaya from Tokyo, Jim Allen from Auckland, and Michael McMillen from Los Angeles will talk about their sculpture at the Art Gallery of N.S.W. theatrette at advertised times during the first week of the Biennale.
(b) Stuart Brisley, from England, will perform his work eight hours daily from Friday 12th November, to Thursday 19th November in Hyde Park, called “Standing, Lying, Walking and Talking”.
Friday November 12th, 1976,
Official Opening. 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. (Art Gallery of N.S.W. by invitation).
Saturday 13th November, 1976 -
Sunday 14th November, 1976 -
Monday 15th November, 1976 -
Tuesday 16th November, 1976 -
- 1) Fog Sculpture by Fujiko Nakaya, Domain
- 2) Stuart Brisley's 2nd performance, Hyde Park.
- ) Preview - “Spiral Jetty", film by Robert Smithson, at Art Gallery of N.S.W. and associated programme of videos, films etc.
- 4) Martin Plaza and Kinneal Park at Kings Cross will show Australian sculptures.
- 5) Participating artists' talks in Art Gallery Theatrette.
Wednesday 17th Novermber, 1976 -
- Fog Sculpture by Fujiko Nakaya etc.
- Hyde Park – Stuart Brisley's 6th performance, and ...
- 10 am to 2 pm – 100 School students will present "Sculpture in the Park".
- 8.00 pm. Seminar with Tommaso Trini, Italy, "Sculptors and Critics" (Society of Sculptors and Associates - The Rocks).
Thursday 19th November 1976 -
- Fog Sculpture by Fujiko Nakaya, etc.
- Hyde Park - Stuart Brisley's 7th and final performance.
Friday 19th November 1976 -
- Fog Sculpture by Fujiko Nakaya etc.
- 8 p.m. Lecture by Tommaso Trini for the Visual Arts Board, Australia Council and Power Foundation at Sydney University's Carslaw building.
Visits to some Sculptors' studios will be organised for special times, on mornings during the Biennale. Details from the Society of Sculptors and Associates, 3 Cambridge St., the Rocks, Sydney (phone 241 2900).
The Art Gallery of New South Wales is open at the following times from 13th November to 17th December, showing the works of 80 sculptors from 10 nations selected for the 1976 Biennale Of Sydney.
Monday to Saturday - 10 am to 5 pm. Sunday - 12 noon to 5 pm.
Admission charges - Adults - 30 cents. Children (6yrs. to 17yrs.) - 15 cents
Apart from the State Gallery exhibition, various private galleries will show their own exhibitions of sculpture during November and December.
All locations and times to be announced in the press when confirmed.
Biennale Of Sydney – 13 November to 19 December 1976 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Director: Thomas G. McCullough, P.O. Box 302, North Sydney, NSW 20160, Australia.
Several videos were produced out of the Biennale. Those currently known about are:
Stephen Jones: Performance Work as Social Work, (1977) which documents some of the performance and installation work of the Biennale. It includes sections on:
Fujiko Nakaya, Marr Grounds, Stuart Brisley, Jim Allen, Michael Nicholson and many others.
Marr Grounds: B for Art 1 to 4 of 4; works produced by different video and film-makers from the 2nd ArtBit Installation.
Reference:
1Tom McCullough (director), Recent International Forms in Art, Biennale of Sydney, 1976, Sydney: Biennale of Sydney.
