College of Fine Arts (COFA)

Production of Art is a co-major in the Bachelor of Art Theory at COFA. Mostly attracting first year students, it complements the first session, Audiences for Art. Conducted ‘in situ’ in a variety of exhibiting spaces, Audiences explores the institutional contexts in which art is displayed and promoted. Building on these foundations, Production of Art introduces students to the infrastructure of the art industry: curatorial practices, public programmes, conservation, marketing, etc. A highlight of this course is a ‘hands-on’ experience involving students in all stages of an exhibition – from concept to promotion to realization.

The choice of exhibition, however, is never conventional. ‘Dogs in Space’ (2000) was a ‘live encounter with gallery dogs’. Organized in COFA’s Exhibition/Performance Spaces, it was inspired by the presence of pets in many Sydney galleries. Introduced by their owners – the directors - these animals interrupted the ‘sanctified’ space of the ‘white cube’. Introduced further into a curated exhibition, the dogs became artworks in the tradition of Marcel Duchamp’s infamous ‘ready-mades’. The exhibition’s opening attracted over 150 staff, students and their families. ‘Portraits’ of the animals painted by their owners were auctioned by a representative from Lawsons and the proceeds (over $600!) donated to the RSPCA. It was a lively and thoroughly engaging event that demonstrated how the ‘serious’ can sit comfortably with the ‘light-hearted’. Students came to grips with important questions to do with exhibition display, interpretation and taste. Professional artists and gallery directors rubbed shoulders with the College community. And parents participated in the excitement of sons and daughters.

Following in the footsteps of ‘Dogs in Space’, the 2002 Production of Art group has brought to fruition ‘3 foot square’, an exciting new gallery at COFA that continues the tradition of ‘hole-in-the-wall’ galleries initiated by AVAGO in 1980. Installed in a campus wall facing Greens Road, Paddington, ‘3 foot square’ (its title indicates its dimensions) will showcase small works by students and staff 24 hours a day. As one student put its, the gallery turns the College of Fine arts ‘inside out’. In keeping with the strategies of ‘Dogs in Space’, students have again been enthusiastically involved in all aspects of production, from the construction of the gallery to the catalogue essay to marketing and promotion. In Sydney’s demanding art world, these students at the very beginning of their degree are showing that they can make a real impact.

Dr Alan Krell
Senior Lecturer
School of Art History and Theory
Phone: 9385 0706
Email: a.krell@unsw.edu.au