Chris Meigh-Andrews

Sydney Opera House from the Harbour

I have just returned from two weeks in Australia, visiting Melbourne and Sydney to interview artists who began working with video in the 1970’s and 80’s. Spent time in the Faculty of Art and Design and the Dept of Theory of Art & Design at Monash University, Melbourne. Dr Elena Galimberti, researcher at the Australian Video Art Archive enabled me to make contact with a number of important Australian artists as well as view work and access texts and background info. Met a number of key staff involved with research and teaching there including Professor Anne Marsh, Director of the Art Theory programme, Matthew Perkins, Studio Co-ordinator for New Media, Dr Dan Palmer, Senior Lecturer in Art Theory and Dr Vince Dziekan, Associate Dean, Research at Monash.

Artists  I interviewed in Melbourne included Warren Burt, Gary Willis and Peter Kennedy. I also met with Fiona Trigg, Assistant Curator at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and had a personal tour of the excellent facilities and exhibition space there.

In Sydney I met with Professor Ross Harley, Head of School of Media Arts, College of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales. Artists interviewed include John Gillies, Peter Callas and Stephen Jones.