Recently, VCA Access gallery ARC ONE hosted a fascinating conversation between John Young and Dr. Sean Lowry. John, a VCA Access 2022 mentor, is regarded as one of Australia’s foremost senior contemporary artists, noted for his discursive and deeply scholarly approach that combines innovative contemporary visual art practice with intellectual rigour. Sean is Head of Critical and Theoretical Studies and Associate Director (Research) at VCA, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne. John is currently mentoring VCA Access student Alice Edy, whilst Sean is her Master’s supervisor.
Having met in the 1980s, the two had not seen each other for 20 years, yet fell easily into a collaborative discussion about four decades of art making. They summarised the realms of John’s practice since 1979 and explored many of these such as the early expressionism and minimalist works, appropriation art and polychrome paintings. They then discussed the History Projects which ran from 2007 to 2019, which shifted focus onto cross cultural works and ethical decisions. There was a dialogue about how technology has influenced John’s practice and the consequences of this. Such a rich and captivating evening which gave us a deeper understanding of John’s enduring and constantly evolving practice.
