SYDNEY.- Written and edited by Felicity Fenner, a renowned Australian curator and academic, the book is underpinned by her central essay, providing an authoritative voice guiding the reader through the history of the Gallery. The publication explores the extraordinary archives of the Gallery through the eyes of the world’s leading artists, curators and art world figures. Since the Gallery’s inception in 1982, more than 350 artists have exhibited their work at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, with artists hailing predominantly from Australia as well as from Europe, the United Kingdom, Asia and the United States.

Roslyn Oxley, Founder and Director of Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, said: “We are incredibly proud to have been able to champion the work of some of the most important contemporary artists of our time for more than four decades through our work at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery. The Gallery was founded to provide a platform in support of artist’s creativity, experimentation and uncensored ideas and we continue with that vision 40 years on.”

With the history of Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery being reflective of - and intertwined with - the history of Australian contemporary art, the publication offers a significant educational resource, with extensive installation imagery of exhibitions presented at the Gallery in chronological order from 1982 through until the current day. This is interspersed with a large number of social photographs documenting exhibition openings and events over the years.

With a foreword from Anna Waldmann, former Director of Visual Arts for the Australian Council for the Arts, the book features and has contributions from more than 50 artists, curators and philanthropists including Gareth Sansom, Jenny Watson, Dale Frank, Julie Rrap, John Kaldor, Luca Belgiorno-Nettis, Djon Mundine, Marc Newson, Nicholas Baume, Amanda Love, Rosalie Gascoigne, Bill Henson, Fiona Hall, David Noonan, Tracey Moffatt, Callum Morton, Patricia Piccinini, Destiny Deacon, Bill Culbert, Isaac Julien, Imants Tillers, Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu, Mikala Dwyer, Daniel Boyd, Del Kathryn Barton, Jim Lambie, Brook Andrew, Tom Polo, Kaylene Whiskey and Dhambit Munuŋgurr.

A rich tapestry of stories is conveyed through this homage to the Gallery in the form of essays, extensive photography and voices that collectively document the history of Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, the story of recent Australian contemporary art.

Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery: The First 40 Years shows how the gallery has evolved over four decades, with the number of art world luminaries housed within the pages of the book being testament to the impact and reach of the Gallery’s role as an advocate for artists both within Australia and globally.

Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery: The First 40 Years will be officially launched on the evening of Valentine’s Day 2024, on 14 February 2024, with an artist party at the Gallery, where signed copies will be available for purchase. The book will be available for purchase via the gallery and at good book stores nationally.