Media Statements

A painting by renowned American artist Mark Rothko, valued at $116 million, goes on display at the Ipswich Art Gallery from Sunday in an historic loan from the National Gallery of Australia.

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding officially launched the loan, along with works by Agnes Martin and Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, in Ipswich as part of the Federal Government’s Sharing the National Collection program.

The program will see treasured works from the National Collection on display in Ipswich for two years. Arriving Slowly: Exploring the Abstract is an exhibition of contemporary abstract art, which sits alongside the long-term loans from Canberra.

“This is an amazing coup for the City of Ipswich. Rarely do you see artwork of this quality, value and significance made available to regional galleries,” said Mayor Harding.

“The Ipswich Art Gallery is one of the most well attended regional art galleries in Australia, welcoming more than 100,000 visitors each year, and is highly regarded nationally.

“We are honoured to be chosen by the National Gallery of Australia to exhibit the works of respected American abstract expressionists Mark Rothko and Agnes Martin, as well as Ipswich’s own internationally renowned ceramic artist Gwyn Hanssen Pigott.

“In a career spanning more than 60 years, Gwyn Hanssen Pigott lived and worked in Ipswich.

“This celebration of abstract art is a wonderful feather in the cap for Ipswich, made even more special that one of Ipswich’s own will form part of this historic moment for the Ipswich Art Gallery.”

Federal Member for Blair The Honourable Shayne Neumann MP said he was excited to see these works of art on display in the Ipswich Art Gallery, including Rothko’s 1957 #20 oil-on-canvas painting, which was purchased by the National Gallery in 1981 and was most recently valued at $116 million.

“Our local regional galleries punch above their weight in terms of providing access to exceptional art and artistic experiences to their local communities,” Mr Neumann said.

“Sharing the National Collection with the Ipswich Art Gallery exposes more people to world-renowned works of art that would not be available at a local level.”

Ipswich City Council Economic and Cultural Development Committee Chairperson Councillor Pye Augustine said Ipswich was attracting huge numbers of visitors annually and an exhibition of this magnitude would be another massive boost to the city.

“Tourism is a vital contributor to our $13 billion economy. This year, total visitor expenditure is at the highest level ever reported with visitors contributing a massive $396 million to our city’s economy,” Cr Augustine said.

“People are realising just how much Ipswich has to offer, with stunning scenery in rural towns, art galleries, world-class libraries and incredibly popular school holiday events, attracting almost two million visitors for the year ending June 2024, and this exhibition will draw thousands more.

“The long-terms loan and abstract exhibition are a wonderful feather in the cap for Ipswich, and I am particularly pleased that it will also allow thousands of young Ipswich school children to view and learn about art and abstract expressionism, right here in their home city.”

Mark Rothko (1903-1970) was a key figure in the abstract expressionist movement and a pioneer of colour field painting.

During a career that spanned five decades, he created a new and impassioned form of abstract painting characterised by large areas of colour, often with soft-edged rectangles layered on top.

Two Agnes Martin paintings, Untitled III and Untitled #8, each valued at more than $20 million, will also feature in the exhibition.

Martin (1912-2004) is considered a major figure in postwar American abstraction and an iconic 20th century artist. Her work has influenced many artists and designers and is collected and exhibited by museums of modern and contemporary art around the world.

The Arriving Slowly exhibition includes the work of Ipswich artists, Lincoln Austin, Leonard Brown and Ian Friend, alongside artists from across Australia.

The Sharing the National Collection Program and Arriving Slowly exhibition will officially open to the public from Sunday 17 November 2024.

The National Gallery loans will be at the gallery until 10 November 2026, while Arriving Slowly is on until 16 February 2025.

The Ipswich Art Gallery in d’Arcy Doyle Place in Ipswich Central is open every day, 10am to 5pm, except public holidays.