NGV Magazine

Features in this issue

COVER STORY A Sampling of History

We explore in our cover story for this issue, Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines through the lens of music, revealing how the artists’ interest in hip-hop informs our understanding of their sampling of culture and iconography in their art.

By Meg Slater

ART IN FOCUS Jean-Michel Basquiat's Untitled (Pollo Frito)

‘In Untitled (Pollo Frito), Basquiat goes beyond the street … to create a highly dynamic visual event, symbolising a network of marks and meanings, like a mirror of vibrant downtown Manhattan and its art scene.’

By Dieter Buchhart

SECRET LIFE OF ART The Paper Boy

‘This delicate study is a dignified portrayal that subtly alludes to the hardship of the sitter’s circumstances. His rough-cut hair, avoidant stare and heavy clothing purposely invoke a sympathetic response.’

By Michael Varcoe-Cocks

JAPANESE MODERNISM Moga: The Audacity of Being a Modern Girl

‘Moga, modern girls, emerged from a particular landscape of a historical moment, and then disappeared. In the 1930s, they strutted down the streets of Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe, arm in arm … these girls took it all in and made it their own: bobbed hair, knee-length dresses, stockings, painted eyebrows and dark rouge.’

By Mariko Nagai

MAKING WITH James Lemon's Creative Process

‘The process involves consistent steps, but the malleability of clay and the extreme heat of the kiln means that each finished stool in the series is unique.’

By James Lemon

LIFE & TIMES Australian Framing Royalty: Lillie Williamson

‘Williamson’s dedication and passion for the art of frame making saw her achieve success and recognition in her lifetime. However, for many years after, her work has sat at the margins of history … now it’s time for her artistic contribution to be celebrated.’

By Holly McGowan-Jackson and Jessica Lehmann