17 June- 23 July 2000

A major international touring exhibition of thirteen contemporary Australian artists organised by the Sherman Galleries.The exhibition is an official event of the ‘Reaching the World’ Olympic Arts Festival.

Dr Gene Sherman, Director of Sherman Galleries, together with William Wright, the organising curator and Nicholas Jose, author of the novel The Rose Crossing (from which the exhibition title is appositely borrowed) have taken cross cultural exchange as a cue and combined it with their abiding interest in Asian culture to compose the curatorial framework behind the exhibition.

The Rose Crossing features thirteen emerging and established artists, six of whom are of Asian origin and one Middle Eastern including Chen Yan Yin, Guan Wei, Michael Johnson, Tim Johnson and My Le Thi, Felicia Kan, John Olsen, Tim Storrier, Imants Tillers, Hossein Valamanesh, Savandhary Vongpoothorn, John Wolseley and John Young.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Sunday 18 June – Guan Wei will discuss his paintings in which genetic engineering, nature and dreams playfully collude.

Sunday 2 July – Artists, My Le Thi and Tim Johnson,  will talk about their collaborative works in the exhibition.  The works incorporate their combined interests in Buddhist iconographic landscape schemes and Aboriginal design, and a desire to impugn racial discrimination.

Sunday 9 July – Melissa Chu, Director of Gallery 4A, will discuss work in the exhibition by Guan Wei, Felicia Kan and Savandhary Vongpoothorn,  and the theme of ‘crossings’ between Asian and Australian culture.

Sunday 16 July – Prue Davidson will talk about ‘Nature’ in the paintings of John Wolseley, Tim Storrier, Imants Tillers and John Olsen included in the exhibition and how the works relate to Nicholas Jose’s book The Rose Crossing.

Sunday 23 July – Peter Valder will discuss Chinese horticulture (particularly roses), art and culture.