Artist Insider: Randy Lee Cutler and Andrew Rewald at National Art School for NIRIN, 22nd Biennale of Sydney

Artist Insider: Randy Lee Cutler and Andrew Rewald at National Art School for NIRIN, 22nd Biennale of Sydney

Canadian artist Randy Lee Cutler and Australian artist Andrew Rewald worked together for 18 months from opposite sides of the world to create a collaborative installation for NIRIN at the National Art School in Sydney. Randy lives in Vancouver while Andrew is based on the NSW north coast in Mullumbimby.

Spread through three rooms in the school’s historic Chapel, their joint work Mineral Garden delves into the secret life of plants and minerals, core areas of interest for both artists.

They also each have separate works as part of NIRIN, the 22nd Biennale of Sydney. Andrew built Alchemy Garden from scratch last year onsite at NAS, a community garden with edible plants which has flourished while being tended to by a team of local residents.

Randy’s project, Mineral Collection, includes her collage works exploring the presence of minerals in our daily environments.

Randy and Andrew were both scheduled to present public talks and tours as part of NIRIN, but these were cancelled due to coronavirus.

Due to regulations for the National Art School as a tertiary institution, the campus remains closed to the general public. Randy and Andrew’s installation, and other Biennale artworks commissioned for NIRIN and first exhibited at NAS in March, have been transferred to Carriageworks at Eveleigh, where they can be seen from 7 August to 26 September, 2020.

In this interview they talk about the profound professional and personal connections they made during their collaboration, the frustrations of remote curation, and their surprise when they first met in person late last year.

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Join us from 6–9pm on Thursday 22 January for the opening of SEARCHERS: Graffiti and Contemporary Art.

Featuring Ben Aitken, Howard Arkley, BAGL, BREAK, Andrew Browne, Daniel Crooks, Adam Cullen, Mikala Dwyer, Dale Frank, Shaun Gladwell, Brendan Huntley, Rhys John Kaye, Luke Kennedy, LAZY, Mim Libro, Fiona Lowry, Eddie Martin, MACH, Tony McGillick, Paul McNeil, TV Moore, Callum Morton, Tresor Murace, Sidney Nolan, POWER, Ben Quilty, Scott Redford, Reko Rennie, RUM, Leslie Rice, Joan Ross, Khaled Sabsabi, Tim Silver, SNAIL, SPICE, Bridget Stehli, Maya Stocks, Latai Taumoepeau & TAVEN

RSVP 🔗 in bio. 

Presented as part of @sydney_festival.

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Sidney Nolan, ‘Untitled’, 1983, spray can enamel on canvas, Nolan Collection, managed by Canberra Museum and Gallery on behalf of the Australian Government
Marking 20 years of the National Art School Gallery, we are thrilled to share this year's program of ambitious group and solo exhibitions that foster critical appreciation and innovative art practice.
 
SEARCHERS: Graffiti and Contemporary Art
17 January – 11 April
Opening: Thurs 22 January, 6pm
Bringing together over thirty of Australia's most dynamic artists united by one charged medium: spray paint, presented as part of @sydney_festival.
 
Queer Contemporary: Liz Bradshaw
13 February – 7 March
Opening: Thurs 12 February, 6pm
Experience a large-scale sculpture and installation by NAS alum Liz Bradshaw as part of @sydneymardigras.
 
Mitch Cairns: Artist's Mouth
1 May – 11 July
Opening: Thurs 30 April, 6pm
Presented with the @instituteofmodernart, the largest and most comprehensive exhibition by Sydney-based artist and NAS alum Mitch Cairns.
 
Margaret Olley: Australian Intimiste
31 July – 25 October
Opening: Thurs 30 July, 6pm
Celebrating the legacy of NAS alum and one of Australia's most beloved painters, Margaret Olley AC.
 
The Postgrad Show 
6–15 November
 
The Grad Show
4–13 December

Full program 🔗 in bio.
 
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Howard Arkley, 'Triple fronted', 1987, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Mollie and Jim Gowing Bequest Fund 2014 © The Estate of Howard Arkley, courtesy Kalli Rolfe Contemporary Art, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales
We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Prudence MacLeod Prize. 

The Prudence MacLeod Prize, which will continue for a further three years, supports a recent National Art School graduate to undertake a six-month residency at @acme.art, London.

Supported by the Lansdowne Foundation, the Prize provides an emerging artist with an opportunity to step forward into an expanded, international context at a vital time in their career. The artist will live and work in London, one of the world's great art cities, in a supportive artist community. This important opportunity will enable the artist to forge professional international contacts, explore London's art world and rich cultural resources, and produce a new body of work.

The recipient of this Prize will receive:
– Return travel to London. To be arranged for the artist by NAS.
– Studio accommodation and workspace at Acme Studios for 6 months.
– Living stipend of $AUD3,500 per month for 6 months. Total $AUD21,000.

Application deadline: Sunday 1 February 2026, 11.59pm
Residency: Monday 6 July – Friday 18 December 2026

The Prudence MacLeod Prize is open to eligible NAS alumni who have graduated within the past five years and meet the selection criteria.

Learn more 🔗 in bio. 

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Acme Fire Station, 30 Gillender Street, 1999 © Acme Archive
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