BIO:
David Jack is the director of the Melbourne Mural Studio. As a third-generation artist, David commenced mural work with artist Harold Freedman at the State Studio in 1973 whilst completing a diploma in Art and Design. In 1980 David was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study murals, ancient and contemporary in Europe, Mexico and USA. He assisted Harold for over 13 years working on most of his major murals including History of Transport Mural (painted), The Geelong Regional History (mosaic), The Legend of Fire (mosaic), the Rosati mosaic floors and the VFL Greats Mosaic at Waverley Park.
In 1989 David co-founded the Melbourne Mural Studio to undertake public art commissions. Notably the Skygarden Mosaics & Chifley Plaza mosaics in Sydney, Australia on Collins in Melbourne & The Milkyway Dreaming mosaic in Darwin Supreme Law Court amongst some 500 projects!
David has contributed articles to Mosaïque, and the MAANZ and the BAMM Andamento journals.
PRESENTATION: ‘Ancient + Ancient = The New’
In 1990 a young indigenous artist, Nora Napaljarri Nelson, in a remote community in the Northern Territory was commissioned to create a 1.8 x 1.8 meter painting of the Milkyway Dreaming. It was then translated by Melbourne Mural Studio into a major mosaic artwork for the Darwin Supreme Law Courts. We will explore the significance of the project, the significance of the moment, the painting, the mosaic, the materiality, and the significance of the confluence of a cultural moment and the part it all plays in the life of its cultural context.
There also will be a discussion on how unique is this project, how does this and other related projects stand the scrutiny of time. Has time given them a significance beyond their original intention or not?