“Collecting art is an art in itself, focused on telling a story and tapping into the world we live in … “, starts Michael Reid in the Autumn/Winter 2011 issue of Vogue Living. For this inaugural From the Archives edition, we revisit Michael’s piece—published nearly 15 years ago—and discover that his insights resonate just as profoundly with today’s collecting rationales.

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WHAT I WANT to look at here is not why people collect, but what constitutes an art collection. The short answer to the riddle of what differentiates a gathering of artworks from an art collection is the curatorial thread of narrative. An art collection tells a story; it is formed when there exists an inherent dialogue between the artworks in the group, and when this overall narrative is larger than any single constituent. When the body speaks, then you can say you have an art collection.

On the top floor of our gallery, we proudly present Upstream, the debut solo exhibition of Baden Croft with Michael Reid Southern Highlands. This collection of sun-parched landscapes—and a single floral study—reveals the artist’s joyful communion with the Australian bush. With thickly loaded brushstrokes, one can imagine Croft stretching across his large canvases, tracing the meandering river bends and the gnarled trunks that border its banks.

If Upstream is rooted in a deep attachment to Australia’s landscapes, it also bears the imprint of Brett Whiteley, one of its most evocative interpreters. Whiteley’s pliable forms and dedication to aesthetics over topographical fidelity clearly resonate with Croft. His canvases embody a similar spontaneity and fluidity, layering bold graphic elements over neutral grounds, reminiscent of Whiteley’s brush-and-ink calligraphy period.

Beyond these references, Croft’s true preoccupation is the pursuit of capturing nature’s abundant beauty and the sensory immersion of being in the wild. Through dynamic forms, movement, and rapid brushwork, he pushes his subjects to the edges of the canvas, distorting them with stretched lines and tilted perspectives.

Situated on the Mornington Peninsula, Croft’s daily routine is dictated by the ebb and flow of the ocean and his studio practice. Mornings spent surfing yield inspiration from the sea’s vastness—a space where ideas gather like waves. Afternoons are devoted to Onshore Studios, a creative enclave where the rhythm of fellow artists mirrors the landscapes Croft captures. Within this community, Croft translates the ever-changing Australian bush and coastline into thick, tactile gestures.

Opening next week at Michael Reid Southern Highlands, Tow the Line II is an exciting new exhibition of boldly original works by celebrated ceramic artist Jennifer Oh. The show brings together a dazzling suite of talismanic, torus-shaped sculptures and eye-catching geometric vessels adorned with striking and ultra-stylish graphic motifs.

Born in the Philippines, raised in Australia and now based between Rome and Sydney following a period spent in London, Oh’s practice is informed by her globetrotting background and the various built environments she has encountered across different states and hemispheres.

Among the optically charged elements playing out across Tow the Line II is an array of zigzagging patterns reminiscent of 1960s Op Art, 1980s Memphis Design, nautical fashions and the dazzle camouflage of World War I battleships.

“The series references the initial nautical inspiration for the works, taken from the dazzle ships that first appeared in WWI,” says the artist. “Stripes as a motif, with their medieval connotations of deviance, have taken a journey towards more ambiguous realms that perhaps these days conjure up sartorial playfulness or seaside gaiety.”

In 2023, Oh received a highly commended nod in the Ceramics Arts Queensland Siliceous Award for her work The Long Tether. This award celebrates excellence and innovation in the world of ceramics, drawing talented artists from all corners of the country.

“I mainly consider my work as investigations into the intersection of form and function. My work is rooted in the traditional aspects of the craft in terms of technique and construction; although my aim is for these vessels to be attributed emblematic properties, whether they be extraordinary, banal, or personal.”

Armidale-based artist JO WHITE is hitting the road and living the dream with her latest series of paintings, which are now available to preview and acquire by request ahead of their official release.

White’s joyous pictures of Kombis, pop-top camper vans and classic 1970s wagons are brought to life with vibrant colour, infectious wit and a sense of wistfulness for the halcyon days of endless Australian summers spent on rambling family beach trips and cruising on wide-open roads.

This new series follows White’s celebrated showing in our collaborative Country Style exhibition, her selection for the Salon des Refusés at S.H. Ervin Gallery and a rapturously received, fabulously irreverent installation of small-scale paintings recently presented by Michael Reid Murrurundi.

We are excited to introduce the artist’s beautifully realised new body of work to her growing band of passionate fans and collectors who adore her inimitable spin on Australian cultural touchstones

The Artists of Ampilatwatja community (pronounced um-bludder-witch) was established in 1999, 325 km northeast of Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in the Northern Territory. Ampilatwatja lies on Aherrenge country, the land of the Alyawarre people. The work produced by their artists is unique and recognisably distinct from other Aboriginal artistic communities.

“These paintings pay homage to the significance and use of traditional bush medicine, allowing an insight into our community. We depict the traditional knowledge of dreaming and country through the translation of waterholes and soaks, bush medicines, mountains and sand hills.”

Adhering to religious laws, the artists disclose only a fragment of their knowledge to the uninitiated. The sacred, esoteric information is hidden from public view, masked by the delicate, layered dots of the paintings. This nuanced approach allows artists to present their work to a culturally untutored audience without compromising its spiritual essence. They speak of two broad levels of interpretation: the “inside” stories, restricted to those with appropriate ritual standing, and the “outside” stories, accessible to all.

Opening Night is the first body of work created in Andrea Huelin‘s new Melbourne Studio, worlds away from the tropical climes of Cairns, where she previously based her practice. For an artist so attuned to the nuances of light, it feels entirely natural that this change of scenery can be felt in Huelin’s newest paintings.

In this exhibition, little ensembles of eclectic vessels, glassware and tchotchkes gleaned from inner-city op-shops appear awash with the ambient glow of vintage table lamps, set agains thick, velvety curtains in cloistered nighttime settings.

The result is a fabulous air of theatricality that’s reflected in this exhibitions title. Where we were once used to observing spiky tangles of tropical flora, the melodramatic nocturnes of Opening Night present elegant masses of gladioli, orchids and other blooms that the viewer might imagine being heaped on the thespian’s dressing table after a standing ovation.

This is Andrea Huelin’s first solo exhibition at Michael Reid Southern Highlands. For information on paintings available to acquire, please contact danielsoma@michaelreid.com.au. An exclusive preview catalogue can also be downloaded here.

Titled “Autumn Fruit and Foliage,” this small offering of six perfectly composed, beautifully resolved still-life paintings marks Louise Anders’ first new release at the gallery in over a year. This collection follows her shortlisting in the prestigious 2023 Lester Art Prize.

Trained in classical painting and drawing methods, Louise’s artistic journey began in 2015 when she left a decade-long career as a scientist to pursue her passion for art. She later completed her studies at the Grand Central Atelier in New York under Jacob Collins. Collins’ style of classical realism—which enshrines the representational mode of Dutch (and broadly Northern European) vanitas—clearly influences her work.

Like Collins, Anders asserts the continuing value of traditional painterly precepts: close and direct observation of her subject, fidelity to the way things truly appear, and an almost scholarly focus on training and technique.

Having returned to her hometown of Adelaide, where she established a studio in the picturesque Adelaide Hills, Anders draws inspiration from her local environment and close observations of nature’s cyclical rhythms.

Observing buds bloom, blossoms transforming into fruit, and leaves fade and fall, she gathers these elements from her garden, capturing them from life and deftly rendering the intricate beauty of nature through a graceful interplay of light and shadows.

Works from “Autumn Fruit and Foliage” by Louise Anders are now available to acquire