Bar charts won't save the reef baby
Why scientists are ditching powerpoints and picking up paintbrushes, and what that means for every teacher still flogging a pie chart.
Art
Art shapes how we see and understand the world. From painting and sculpture to photography and digital media, Clever Planet highlights the work of Australian artists, past and present. This page is for educators, students, and anyone passionate about art, offering insights into techniques, ideas, and creative practices. Whether you’re discovering new artists or exploring your own creativity, this is a space to engage with and celebrate Australian art.
When universities treat art like ATMs
Valparaiso University’s plan to sell masterpieces for dorms reveals a crisis in values. For students and communities relying on these galleries as cultural and teaching resources, the move is more than a transaction; it’s a betrayal of trust and a narrowing of educational vision.
The White Cube Isn't Neutral
Everyone around you is doing the same quiet choreography; a conveyor belt of pause, consider, move on. Art in a white cube can justify higher prices than the same art on a cafe wall, but if the buyers who are comfortable in the white cube are diminishing, should the space evolve?
The true cost of winning: Are Australian art prizes supporting artists or institutions?
Thoughts on how Australian art prizes function as economic systems examining what artists pay, what institutions gain, and whether prizes truly support working artists or primarily serve institutional prestige.
And Still I Rise: 20 Women Artists Reclaim the Australian Art Narrative
A major exhibition opening November 8 at AGNSW brings together culturally diverse women artists in a powerful statement of resilience and resistance.
Art... in-person
The Affordable Art Fair is a glorious art bazaar that's making art accessible to everyone. The fair is also a haven for living artists and a direct rebellion against soulless, AI-generated art, creating a vital on-ramp for new collectors.
Blow & Epoch: A Dialogue in Art at the Lyon Housemuseum
Step into the Lyon Housemuseum for a unique exhibition featuring Christopher Langton's bold sculptures and Ry David Bradley's hybrid paintings. Explore how these Australian artists challenge perceptions of reality and art, all within a visionary home turned public gallery.
Still Life Reimagined at the STILL Award 2025
The art world is abuzz with the STILL: National Still Life Award 2025. This prestigious prize, hosted by Yarrila Arts and Museum, showcases how artists are radically reinventing still life.
The Unfurling Triumph of Bronwyn Oliver's 'Tide'
Bronwyn Oliver's magnificent 'Tide' just set a new record for Australian sculpture, selling for $1.25M This powerful work, once gracing Sydney's Quay restaurant, affirms Oliver's enduring legacy as a visionary artist.
Grace Hartigan: The Gift of Attention
We visited North Carolina's Museum of Art in April 2025, where we interviewed Jared Ledesma, Curator of 20th-Century Art and Contemporary Art, about his exhibition "Grace Hartigan: The Gift of Attention."
Melissa Loughnan's vision for MAF26
MAF25 marked Melbourne Art Fair’s transition to an annual format, combining curatorial depth with commercial focus. Under new director Melissa Loughnan, the fair redefined space, flow, and engagement in a revitalised vision for contemporary Australian art.
Allan Mitelman's resonance of surface
Allan Mitelman’s abstract art explores texture, colour, and surface through paintings, drawings, and printmaking. His nuanced, non-figurative works encourage contemplation without narrative constraint.
Frida Kahlo: More than a portrait
Frida Kahlo's life and legacy unfold in a powerful new exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery. "In Her Own Image" reveals how Kahlo transformed pain into creative power through fashion, photography, and fiercely personal artworks.
Traversing Terrains: Arc One's Thoughtful Presence at MAF25
Arc One Gallery presented Janet Laurence's ecological works, Marina Rolfe's perceptual paintings, and John Young's historical explorations. This curation showcased Arc One's dedication to rich Australian contemporary art, reflecting on environment, perception, and cultural narratives.
Paul Yore: Confronting taboos through queer maximalism
Paul Yore creates provocative textile art that combines traditional craft techniques with contemporary cultural critique. Represented by STATION gallery, his maximalist works challenge Australian identity, consumer culture, and sexual politics through meticulous craftsmanship and bold imagery.
Kirstie Rea: In the Company of Nature.
Kirstie Rea’s In the Company of Nature at Melbourne Art Fair 2025 explores the Australian landscape through kiln-formed glass sculptures. Her artworks capture nature’s fluidity and subtle beauty, inviting reflection on humanity’s connection with the environment through delicate forms and textures.