Virginia Fraser (artist)

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Virginia Fraser (28 December 1947 – 26 January 2021) was an Australian artist, writer, curator and advocate for women artists.

Career[]

Fraser was born in 1947.[1] She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Media Arts) at Phillip Institute of Technology and a Master of Fine Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts.[2]

A journalist and writer, in the 1980s she began making Super 8 films. She has worked in photography, video and installation art since the 1990s in collaboration with her creative and life partner, Destiny Deacon.[3] She was a member of the City of Melbourne's Acquisitions Panel for many years and encouraged their purchase of works by Indigenous artists as well as assisting with their visual arts programs.[4]

Curator Natalie King worked with Fraser when compiling Deacon's archive for Walk & don't look blak, an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney in 2004.[3][5] More recently, Fraser worked with the National Gallery of Victoria, preparing for Deacon's retrospective DESTINY.[6]

In September 2020 she and Deacon were invited by the School of Art and Design at the Australian National University as inaugural visiting artists/scholars in ANU's First Nations' First Person workshop and lecture program.[2]

Fraser died in Melbourne on 26 January 2021.[3] Announcing the news of her death, the National Gallery of Australia wrote: "we remember Virginia as one of the most rigorous and sustained advocates for women’s contributions to the cultural life of this country".[3]

Collections[]

Examples of photography work, digitally remastered Super 8 films and videos created jointly with Destiny Deacon are held in the National Gallery of Australia,[7] National Gallery of Victoria,[8] Museum of Contemporary Art Australia[9] and Queensland Gallery of Modern Art.[10]

Selected publications[]

  • Fraser, Virginia, ed. (1974). A Book about Australian women. Jerrems, Carol (photographer). North Fitzroy, Vic.: Outback Press. ISBN 978-0-86888-007-5. OCLC 1365981.
  • Bellear, Lisa; Fraser, Virginia; Hall, Barbara (2008), The central business dreaming: Melbourne's indigenous arts and culture (1st ed.), City Of Melbourne, Arts And Culture Branch, Indigenous Arts Program, ISBN 978-0-9775563-3-5
  • Ford, Sue; Finch, Maggie, (curator,); Fraser, Virginia, 1947-, (writer of added commentary.); Lakin, Shaune A., (writer of added commentary.); Langton, Marcia, 1951-, (writer of added commentary.); Ennis, Helen, (writer of added commentary.); National Gallery of Victoria. Ian Potter Centre (host institution.) (2014), Sue Ford, Melbourne, Vic. National Gallery of Victoria, ISBN 978-0-7241-0382-9CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

References[]

  1. ^ "Fraser, Virginia (1947–)". Trove, National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Destiny Deacon & Virginia Fraser". School of Art & Design. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Fairley, Gina (5 February 2021). "Vale Virginia Fraser". ArtsHub Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Virginia Fraser Death Notice – Melbourne, Victoria". The Age. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Destiny Deacon: Walk & don't look blak". Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  6. ^ "DESTINY". National Gallery of Victoria. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  7. ^ Deacon, Destiny; Fraser, Virginia. "Forced into images [video]". National Gallery of Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Artists: Virginia Fraser". National Gallery of Victoria. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Destiny Deacon & Virginia Fraser". MCA Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Forced into images 2001". QAGOMA. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
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