Mining the Archive

BACKGROUND Understanding how mining and art are interdependent is a broad and perhaps unexpected enquiry. Johnstone was supported by the School of Art, RMIT University to undertake a short artist in residency with Landscape Art Research Queenstown (LARQ), a 2005-15 artist run initiative (led by artist and printmaker Raymond Arnold) to bring a focus to the Tasmanian Western region through connections to community, cultural product and both the heritage and natural values inherent in the region. The four parts of this show addressed the collision of a number of geological ages within the context of the UNESCO cultural framing of landscape through World Heritage and geopark areas. CONTRIBUTION Mining the Archive looked at the 19th century Mt Lyell Mining Robert Sticht in terms of both his innovations in mining and his obsession for art collecting. Thousands of works from his collection are now in the NGV and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. The installation was the result of a research question around how an artist can communicate the value and volume of a nationally significant but dispersed historical art collection within the context of its original home town. Locals Michael McQueen (electronics) and Peter Turner (timber machining) assisted in its creation, providing concrete community connections. SIGNIFICANCE Johnstone's residency was supported by the School of Art, RMIT University and the Australian Government Regional Arts Fund, through Arts Tasmania. The Unconformity also showed the work of Julian Cooper UK and nationally recognised artist Jan Senbergs and geologist and artist Tim Chatwin.