At PICA we recognise that we are situated within the unceded lands of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation. We pay our respects and offer our gratitude to Elders past and present. We acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the importance of their care and continued connection to culture, community and Country.

Always was, always will be.

Galleries are open 12–5pm. Our exhibitions are always free.

2004

2004

The Hatched: Hea/thway National Graduate Show is thirteen this year and like most teenagers, overflowing with energy, ideas, talent and emotions. This is the eleventh year that I have overseen the production of this unique, national initiative. It’s wonderful to report – in a world saturated in visual images – that far from being jaded by the experience, this annual immersion in the work of recently graduated artists continues to be a source of joy and inspiration.


PICA is delighted that outgoing Chairman, Henry Boston, whose invaluable work on behalf of PICA will be sadly missed, has agreed to open the exhibition. A special welcome to Melbourne-based, concept art (heritage) rock cover band, The Histrionics, who will turn this year’s opening into a truly memorable celebration with their performance, “Never Mind the Pollocks … Here’s the Histrionics”!


In 2004, 68 artists from 18 tertiary art schools are participating making Hatched the largest and most comprehensive survey of emerging visual artists in the country. Hatched fulfils several roles, firstly, by providing a national platform for emerging artists and the opportunity to have their work exhibited in a professional and supportive environment. For participating graduates, Hatched also provides a significant occasion in that difficult period following the structured and resourced life of a tertiary institution and the hard realities of starting out as a practising artist. PICA is also concerned to ensure that audiences have the opportunity to engage with the work of Australia’s newest generation of artists in an exhibition in which old and new forms of making, sit happily side by side. The Hatched experience encompasses the art and the craft if you will; from the handcrafted to the fabricated, conceptual to documentary, mechanical as well as analogue and digital technologies, both still and moving images, graphic and product design and 3 and 4D environments, all contributing to the broad spectrum of creative possibilities.


Always keen on spreading the love, this year PICA is extending the Hatched education program beyond secondary and tertiary institutions with our first foray into primary schools. The intention is to get ’em young and keep ’em interested. Jane Brown’s input has been fundamental to this initiative and our sincere thanks for her informed and valuable contribution. Thanks also to Anne-Marie Szlazko at The Program, the youth arts website (www.theprogram.net.au}, who will be featuring Hatched and several of the artists during the exhibition period, establishing a very important national connection for the project. And in 2004, for the first time, a very select number of Hatched artists will be invited to show their work at the Australia Council offices in Sydney.


This year’s Hatched Symposium brings together a fantastic line-up of speakers from around the country. This small symposium brings together artists, arts professionals, and educators, to discuss a range of ideas and opportunities. This year’s symposium includes a forum focussing on postgraduate study and research and a forum addressing the currently ubiquitous and much loved area of video art. The final panel will explore the possibility of experimentation within Australian contemporary art schools. Program details are to be found at the back of the catalogue and papers from the symposium will be published on PICA’s website.


Hatched is endorsed by ACUADS, the Australian Council of University Art & Design Schools.


PICA wishes to particularly thank our major sponsor, Healthway, the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation and the FPWA whose “Play it Safe” message we are proud to support and to gratefully acknowledge the support of the Australian Government, through the Australia
Council, its arts funding and advisory body. This is the second year that the Visual Arts/Craft Board have supported Hatched through its Youth Strategic Initiative program and PICA is extremely grateful for this essential and valuable support..


The financial support of the participating University Art Schools and their wonderful commitment to recent graduates is crucial to the realisation of Hatched and we thank them for it. Particular thanks are due to those staff who coordinate the participation of their graduates, a task undertaken on top of demanding schedules of their own.


Special thanks to Mike Felton and X-Press Magazine, whose ongoing commitment and promotion of Hatched has been critical to its continued success. We also wish to thank Dan Stinton at RTRfm, Tony Bective at LunaPalace Cinemas, and as always, our thanks go to Barry Mather at Printezy.com.


All the PICA staff work enormously hard on this project but Bee Dean, who is responsible for all aspects of exhibition management, coordination and installation and Brad Rummer, who has undertaken all the design as well as the marketing and publicity, deserve our deepest thanks for their hard and meticulous work. Thankyou to Thea Costantino for her work on the graphics and Amanda Rogers on the catalogue. On behalf of PICA I also want to thank Paul Gurney, Art Management student at Edith Cowan, currently undertaking an internship at PICA, Tanya Meyers from Carine Senior High School doing work experience, and volunteers, Lynn Torvund, Rebekah Rousi and Pascal Veyradier for their support both in the office and on install. A big thankyou to our hard-working installation crew: Rick Vermey, Giovanni Di Dio, Briony Paul, Paul Kaptein, Chris Williams, Brendan van Hek and Jake Snell.


As always our sincere thanks go to the participating artists, the class of 2003, for making their work available to us. We are delighted that more than half of them will be in Perth for the opening and symposium. Our hope is that Hatched is not just a celebration of their achievements to date but an auspicious beginning to wonderful lives in the world of art. PICA wishes you every success in the future.