Joanna Mendelssohn Joanna Mendelssohn i(A25833 works by)
Born: Established: 1949 Sydney, New South Wales, ;
Gender: Female
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Works By

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1 VCA Graduate Kristina Ross Set Her Novel at a ‘Vicious, Cutthroat’ Famous Drama School. She Says She Wrote It for Young Actors Joanna Mendelssohn , 2024 single work review
— Appears in: The Conversation , 12 July 2024;

— Review of First Year Kristina Ross , 2024 single work novel
1 Laura Jones Wins the 2024 Archibald Prize with a Portrait of Tim Winton, Part of a Grand Artistic Tradition Joanna Mendelssohn , 2024 single work column
— Appears in: The Conversation , 7 June 2024;

'In awarding this year’s Archibald Prize to Laura Jones’ portrait of the writer Tim Winton, the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales are doing what they do best: catapulting a relatively unknown artist to instant fame and possible fortune.' 

1 Dassi Erlich and Her Sisters Were ‘Easy Pickings for Predators’. With Their Abuser Malka Leifer’s Conviction – and a New Book – They Take Control Joanna Mendelssohn , 2024 single work review
— Appears in: The Conversation , 30 January 2024;

— Review of In Bad Faith Dassi Erlich , 2024 single work autobiography

'Dassi Erlich was groomed and abused from when she was in year ten, by the principal of her Ultra-Orthodox Jewish school, who knew about her difficult home life. Last year, after a 15-year campaign, her abuser, Malka Leifer, who had fled to Israel, was tried and sentenced, convicted of 18 charges of sexual abuse against Erlich and her sister, Elly. (She was acquitted of charges involving a third Erlich sister, Nicole.)' (Introduction)          

1 From Radical to Reactionary : The Achievements and Legacy of the Influential Artist John Olsen Joanna Mendelssohn , 2023 single work obituary (for John Olsen )
— Appears in: The Conversation , 13 April 2023;

'After media outlets breathlessly described the late John Olsen as a “genius”, I found myself humming The Chasers’ Eulogy Song.'

1 ‘I Can’t Think of a More Timely Painting’ : Blak Douglas’s Moby Dickens Is a Deserving Winner of the 2022 Archibald Prize Joanna Mendelssohn , 2022 single work column
— Appears in: The Conversation , 13 May 2022;
1 A New Study of Artist Ian Fairweather Considers How Chinese Ideas Influenced This Wanderer and Adventurer Joanna Mendelssohn , 2021 single work review
— Appears in: The Conversation , 1 October 2021;

— Review of Fairweather and China Claire Roberts , 2021 single work biography

'Paintings by Ian Fairweather have been a part of every survey exhibition of Australian art since the Whitechapel exhibition of 1961. He is discussed as a major figure in each analysis of Australian art history since Bernard Smith’s Australian Painting of 1962. His paintings are collected in the National Gallery of Australia, all state art galleries and some regional centres. He has been the subject of a monograph by Murray Bail as well as the subject of several significant survey exhibitions.' (Introduction)

1 ‘Wild Enchantment’ : How Daniel Thomas’s Writings Conveyed the Joy of Art to Australians Joanna Mendelssohn , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Conversation , 10 December 2020;

— Review of Daniel Thomas Recent Past : Writing Australian Art Daniel Thomas , 2020 selected work essay

'In 1958, when the young Daniel Thomas was first appointed at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the word “curator” was not in the Public Service Board lexicon. He felt his official title of “professional assistant” was inaccurate so he signed his letters “curatorial assistant”.' (Introduction)

1 Streeton : An Optimistic Celebration of the Golden Boy of Australian Art Joanna Mendelssohn , 2020 single work column
— Appears in: The Conversation , 12 November 2020;

'The Art Gallery of New South Wales has launched its summer season with a large, optimistic reconsideration of one of Australian art’s most favoured sons.'

1 At Last, the Arts Revolution — Archibald Winners Flag the End of White Male Dominance Joanna Mendelssohn , 2020 single work column
— Appears in: The Conversation , 25 September 2020;

'The 2020 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, held under the strangest of all circumstances, has produced a neat piece of history.'

1 Nora Heysen, More Than Her Father’s Daughter Joanna Mendelssohn , 2019 single work column
— Appears in: The Conversation , 1 March 2019;
1 A Very Serious Painting of Barry Humphries Is a Welcome Prize Winner Joanna Mendelssohn , 2016 single work column
— Appears in: The Conversation , 15 July 2016;
'Louise Hearman’s affectionate portrait of Barry Humphries, simply titled “Barry”, is the first major Australian painting to win the Archibald in many years. Even though the subject looks as though he is about to burst into a chuckle, this is a very serious painting indeed. ...'
1 Losing the Big Picture : Surviving the Art Hunger Games Joanna Mendelssohn , 2016 single work criticism
— Appears in: Artlink , September vol. 36 no. 3 2016; (p. 10-19)
'In 2016 the arts in Australia inhabit a dystopian world. It could be described as a place of absurdist contradictions, where only those who have mastered the arcane rules of the Hunger Games have any chance of surviving. Possibly the greatest change is that arts funding is now a partisan political issue in a way that it has not been for some generations. In the past there were concerns about the internal politics of art bureaucracies, but now the allocation of funds to support the arts (or not) has become a party‑political issue. The Commonwealth Government recently presided over the greatest reduction in arts funding in Australian history, but when questioned on this in a public forum, the art‑loving/art collecting Prime Minister was unaware of the impact of his party's budgets on the arts.1 It is probably unfair to blame the current Prime Minister for the devastation that was wrought in the time of his predecessor. Many of the policies from 2013 to 2015 in other areas - health, education, social security - continue to have unfortunate consequences and damage is not so easily undone. In relative terms, the arts budget is a small proportion of overall expenditure. In 2016-17 the total allocation for Arts and Cultural Heritage (excluding broadcasting) was $1,252 million. Compared with a Defence budget of $27,155 million, this seems miniscule, easily overlooked when devising the grand narrative of government.2 Restoring funds to the arts would have the fringe benefit of once again making the arts politically neutral, which surely must have its attractions. ...'
1 Art Magazines and Reviewing Joanna Mendelssohn , 2014 single work companion entry
— Appears in: A Companion to the Australian Media : A 2014; (p. 26-27)
1 Classic Pinter in Western Tradition Joanna Mendelssohn , 2009 single work obituary (for Brian Dunlop )
— Appears in: The Australian , 18 December 2009; (p. 17)
1 The Juror's Tale Joanna Mendelssohn , 2007 single work essay
— Appears in: Griffith Review , Spring no. 17 2007; (p. 201-215)
1 Moving Private Joanna Mendelssohn , 2006 single work essay
— Appears in: Griffith Review , Autumn no. 11 2006; (p. 113-121)
1 My Mother, My Child Joanna Mendelssohn , 2006 single work autobiography
— Appears in: The Age , 11 February 2006; (p. 7)
1 All Their Families Joanna Mendelssohn , 2005-2006 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Griffith Review , Summer no. 10 2005-2006; (p. 15-28) A Revealed Life : Australian Writers and Their Journeys in Memoir 2007; (p. 318-331)
1 Norman Lindsay's The Cousin from Fiji and the Lindsay Family Papers Joanna Mendelssohn , 2005 single work criticism
— Appears in: JASAL , vol. 4 no. 2005; (p. 105-119)
1 Untitled Joanna Mendelssohn , 2004 single work review
— Appears in: Journal of Australian Studies , no. 82 2004; (p. 141-143)

— Review of Lionel Lindsay in Spain : An Antipodean Abroad Colin Holden , 2003 single work biography
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