Discs Of Newton by František Kupka

Georgia O'Keeffe as photographed by her husband, Alfred Stieglitz

Three Reasons To Visit The Art Gallery of New South Wales

With August seeing a critical mass of interesting exhibitions, there is something for everyone this month at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.  As if the museum's permanent collection were not enough of an enticement, there are no less than three temporary exhibitions currently on display that merit a visit to this lovely building in the Domain, just steps to the Botanical Garden.

Paths to abstraction
One of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' most ambitious exhibitions ever, Paths to abstraction presents more than 150 landmark works by some of Modernism's most influential innovators, spanning fifty years of art's gradual progression toward non-representational images.  Some of the most influential names in Modernism are on display, from French greats such as Cézanne, Matisse , Monet, and Gauguin through to Mondrian, Munch, and Marc.  And what modern art exhibit worth its palette would omit Picasso?  Paths to abstraction runs until 19 September.

Alfred Stieglitz
This is the first major exhibition of Stieglitz's photographs in Australia; it includes
the American photographer's best and rarest prints. A large part of the exhibition comes from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, whose collection of Stieglitz works was enhanced by a substantial donation by photographer's muse and wife, the artist Georgia O'Keeffe, after Stieglitz's death in 1946.  The photographs taken by Alfred Stieglitz around his summer house at Lake George, New York, USA dramatically influenced the course of photography.  Alfred Stieglitz finishes on 5 September.

Victorian visions
Victorian visions presents an impressive collection of forty-five oil paintings, watercolours, drawings and sculptures, including works by an eclectic array of luminaries of Victorian art:  Rossetti, Holman Hunt, Burne-Jones, Leighton, Poynter, Watts, and Waterhouse.  Hurry for this one; Victorian visions ends on 29 August 2010.

Guided tours of Paths to abstraction and Alfred Stieglitz are offered daily and are free with exhibition entry ticket.  Guided tours of Victorian visions are also free and offered daily; this exhibition has no admission charge.  It is certainly worthwhile to visit all three since some of Stieglitz's photographs portray artists with works in the Paths to abstraction exhibition.  Both exhibitions present art from an exciting time in art history, when human existence was undergoing great transformation.  Victorian visions add another level of understanding in seeing a contrast in style, showing what art was like before it underwent deconstruction in the early 20th century.

Recognising the popularity of the museum among visitors from Asia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales offers tours in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Japanese.  Other languages and private tours can be arranged.  Rooms in the museum can also be hired for private events and makes an impressive venue for corporate functions.