Associate Professor Alison Alder

ANU School of Art and Design
ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences

Research interests

Printmedia and Drawing

Art and activism

Political and social graphics

Biography

Alison Alder is a visual artist whose work blurs the line between studio, community and social/political art practice. She has worked within community groups, research institutions and Indigenous organisations. Her research is focussed on empowering communities through the visualisation of common social aims and re-presenting history.

Alder is an Australian Parliamentary Library Associate and the outcomes of her research are on exhibition at Parliament House in Canberra. Her artwork is exhibited in major Australian exhibitions including Know My Name at the National Gallery of Australia, Making It New: Focus on Contemporary Australian Art at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney), Roads Cross: Contemporary Directions in Australian Art at the Flinders University Art Museum and Gallery (Adelaide & touring) and See you at the Barricades at the Art Gallery of NSW. Internationally her work is held in the Centre for the Study of Political Graphics (USA), the Interference Archive (USA), New York Public Library Print Collection (USA), the National Normal Taiwan University and the Yilan Museum of Art (Taiwan).

In Australia Alder's work can be found in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, most State galleries, numerous regional galleries, the Australian War Memorial and several private collections including the Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art which is housed at the University of Western Australia.

Researcher's projects

The Next Eight: Australian Prime Ministers 9–16. Australian Parliament House Library

Still Waiting for Tomorrow: Gender Institute, ANU

Two Way Project

Future Feminist Archive: A Contemporary Art and Feminism research project (ongoing)

One To Eight: The First Eight Prime Ministers at the Museum of Australian Democracy

The News Network Project: Research collaboration between artists based in New Zealand, the ACT and Victoria (ongoing)

Fellow: Australian Prime Ministers Centre, Museum of Australian Democracy

Picturing Politics: Symposium and related events, ANU School of Art

The Uniform Project: Art Monthly project with Megan Hinton and Dan Edwards

SOLO EXHIBITIONS (last 5 years)

2023 Australia's First Prime Ministers. Australian Parliament House, Canberra

2018-19 Newscrap. Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra

2017-21 One To Eight. Museum of Australian Democracy, Canberra

2015 Death of a Broadsheet. Megalo Gallery, Canberra

2014 Carcass. Canberra Mueum and Gallery, Canberra

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS (LAST 5 YEARS)

2023 Portrait 23: Identity. National Portrait Gallery, Canberra

2023 Out of the Everywhen. Plimsoll Gallery, University of Tasmania

2022 Techniques of Persuasion - Second Strike, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery

2022 Sustaining the Art of Practice, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, UWA

2022 Newsroom, Gallery 25, Edith Cowan University, WA

2021 Paper Cut, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, WA.

2021 Newsroom, Counihan Gallery, Melbourne

2021 FROM AUSTRALIA: An Accumulation, La Trobe Gallery and touring

2021 First, Firsts. Cross Art Projects, Sydney

2020/21 Know My Name. National Gallery of Australia

2020 Let all the birds fly: the hybrid print. Maitland Regional Art Gallery, NSW

2019 Geelong Acquisitive Print Prize. Geelong Art Gallery, VIC

2019 The Way We Wear. Australian Embassy Gallery, Washington DC, USA

2019 Future Feminist Archive - Live! in Wollongong. Wollongong Art Gallery, NSW

2019 Hi-Vis: Australian Political Posters 1979-2019. Interference Archive, USA

2018 State of the Union. Potter Museum. Melbourne University. Vic

2018 Propaganda. Mornington Peninsular Regional Gallery, Vic.

2018 The News Network II. Forrester Gallery. Oamuru, New Zealand

2018 The News Network. C3 Gallery, Melbourne

2017  Unfinished Business: Perspectives on art and feminism. Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne

2017 Kinmen International Printmaking Exhibition. Kinmen, Taiwan

2017 Widening the Gap. Cross Art Projects, Sydney

2017 Aura: Repetition, reproduction and the mark of the artist. Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, ANU School of Art and Design Gallery

2016 The Uniform Project. Craft ACT, Canberra.

2016 MCA ArtBar. Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney.

2016 Broadcast: The News Network. RMIT Melbourne

2016 Innervisions. International Print Centre New York. USA

2016 Future Feminist Archive. Cross Art Projects, Sydney

2016 Too Hot to Handle. Centre for the Study of Political Graphics, USA

2015 Fremantle Print Award. Fremantle Art Centre, Fremantle, WA

2015 Late Edition. Dunpin Gallery. China Art Academy, Hangzhou, China

2015 Yilan International Print Exhibition. Yilan Museum of Contemporary Art, Taiwan

2015 See you at the barricades. Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney

2015 Some Posters/Local Positions. Cross Art Projects, Sydney

2014/15 Interchange. Silpakorn University, Thailand; ANU School of Art Gallery, Canberra; Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, NSW and ANU School of Art & Design Gallery, ACT

AWARDS/COMMISSIONS/PRIZES (last 10 years)

2022 City Commissions - artsACT, ACT Government

2021 Parliamentary Library Associate, Parliament House Australia

2020 ANU VC/Clare Burton Award for Excellence in Equity and Diversity

2019 Finalist, Geelong Acquisitive Print Prize

2019 Commission: Future Feminist Archive

2018 Commission: Australian War Memorial – Propaganda

2016 Commission: Art Monthly Australasia –The Uniform Project

2015/16 Fellow: Australian Prime Ministers Centre – The First Eight

2015 Commission: National Gallery of Australia – The Known World

2015 Finalist, Fremantle Print Award

2013 Highly Commended, Fremantle Print Award

2010 Winner, Alice Prize

RESIDENCIES

2015/19 Future Feminist Archive. Wollongong Art Gallery & Wollongong University Archives

2014 Open Studio. Toronto, Canada

2013 Lanyon Homestead, Canberra. ACT Heritage, artsACT & ACT Museums and Galleries

2012 Alice Springs Art Foundation. Alice Springs NT

2010 Centre for Contemporary Prints. Connecticut, USA

PAPERS

2021. A Contemporary Revolution: Positivism as a Precursor for Change. Impact 11, Hong Kong.

2018  Posted Extravaganzas: the art of exaggeration and the political poster.  Art History Association, Courtauld Institute, London (paper)

2017  Drawing Home. China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China (paper)

2016  Picturing Politics. ANU School of Art and Design, Canberra (convenor)

2015  Impact9. China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China (exhibitor)

2015  Death of a Broadsheet. Mildura Print Triennial, Mildura Vic (paper)

2011  Impact7. Monash University, Melbourne (round table convenor)

COLLECTIONS

New York Public Library Print Collection (USA), University of NSW, National Gallery of Australia, National Taiwan Normal University (Taiwan), Yilan Museum of Art (Taiwan), Art Gallery of NSW, Art Gallery of WA, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Library, Wollongong City Art Gallery, Art Gallery of South Australia, Queensland Art Gallery, NSW State Library, Kerry Stokes Collection, Powerhouse Museum, Wollongong University, John Curtin University, Centre for the Study of Political Graphics (USA),  Araluen Art Collection, Cruthers Collection of Women's Art, Canberra Museum and Gallery, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, Museum of Australian Democracy, Australian Parliament House Library Collection, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Flinders University Art Museum and City Gallery, State Library of Queensland, Interference Archive (USA), Jessie Street Library, National Museum of Australia.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Past student projects

Francis Kenna. Feeling Spaces: Grounding the Body in Architectural Atmosphere

Sandra Kelch. Changing Space: A Practice-Led Enquiry into Representations of the Urban

Publications

Projects and Grants

Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.

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Updated:  27 July 2024 / Responsible Officer:  Director (Research Services Division) / Page Contact:  Researchers