Speech
Shanghai, 10 November 2002
The Opening of the Robin Best Ceramics Exhibition
Thank you David [David Irvine, Australian Ambassador to China], Director-General,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr He (HER), Assistant Director-General,
Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office, Madam Xia (SHAR), Governor of New
South Wales, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, the Hon Mike
Rann, Premier of South Australia, Senator Tsebin Tchen, the Rt Hon
Alfred Huang, the Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Consul General Sam Gerovich,
distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
I am delighted to be here today to open Robin Best's exhibition of
Ceramics.
While Robin's work is exhibited and held in collections throughout
Australia, most notably the Art Gallery of South Australia, this is
her first exhibition overseas.
So it is a great honour for her to be invited to exhibit during the
prestigious China Shanghai International Arts Festival.
Robin's work is a very good example of the kind of talent and creativity
on display during Celebrate Australia week at the Festival.
Many of the events of Celebrate Australia will highlight the increasing
use and influence of new technologies on artists' work.
Robin is noted for her computer aided designs and industrial ceramics
- and of course the one-off pieces which you will be admiring today.
Robin's work is also uniquely Australian.
Indeed in the unique landscape and fauna of our country, in the interplay
of our nation's geography and history, there has been much to inspire
the imagination of our creative artists.
Robin's cast porcelain forms take their inspiration from the coastline
of the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, my home State.
Like earlier explorers of South Australia, Nicolas Baudin and Matthew
Flinders, Robin has researched, classified and then reinterpreted
the small plant and marine organisms - objects like sharks' eggs and
sea urchins - that she has collected on walks along Maslins Beach.
Robin's work is very evocative of Australia's wonderful coastline.
When I look at her art, I can almost hear the sound of the waves
crashing on the beach. Anyone who has walked through this beautiful
part of South Australia will know what I mean.
And for those who haven't had that chance, I hope that this exhibition
- and indeed the wonderful cultural events of Celebrate Australia
- will be an invitation to undertake your own voyage of discovery
to Australian shores.
I would like to thank the Directors of the gallery, Li Liang and
Linda Johnson, for hosting this exhibition and this function today.
I take great pleasure in declaring this exhibition open.
This page last modified:
Wednesday, 27-Nov-2002 16:39:23 EST
Local Date:
Sunday, 07-Sep-2008 17:15:09 EST
