Mike Parr, Imants Tillers, Ken Unsworth, 1984-85
Exhibition: An Australian Accent: Three Artists 1984-85
P.S. 1, New York.
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC.
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth.
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
'An Australian Accent' reversed the format of of previous Art Projects. Kaldor explained his rationale to the 1989 conference of the Art Museums Association of Australia:
"By the early 1980s, times had changed. I increasingly felt the need to present Australian Art abroad, just as I had presented international art in Australia. But even in reverse, I wanted the same principles to apply as in my previous Art Projects. I realised that with limited finances, organisation and time I could not attempt a large or definitive survey exhibition. Instead, I set out to show in a condensed way the best, or what I considered the best, of contemporary Australian art. Although initially I had hoped to show eight to ten artists, the final selection of only three made for a much simpler, more coherent and ultimately more powerful exhibition".
… All those involved in the show were delighted when the first, highly favourable reviews appeared in the New York press. In his New York Times review 'Three vigorous artists from Down Under' (20 April 1984), John Russell described the work as 'educated art that still takes chances'. Similarly enthusiastic reviews appeared in other major publications, attendances at P.S.1 were among the highest they had ever achieved, and art dealers and collectors expressed strong interest in the work.
A great compliment to the exhibition was paid by Washington DC's Corcoran Gallery of Art. Corcoran Director Michael Botwinick and Associate Director Jane Livingston were so impressed by the exhibition that they requested at short notice an unscheduled stop at the Corcoran, which had to dismantle its permanent collection to make room. 'An Australian Accent' was shown in Washington along side the high-profile German neo-expressionist show 'Expressions: New Art from Germany'.
