Hannah Gadsby is an accomplished comedian & TV presenter. Who knew she knew about ART?!
Before you get your knickers in a twist over the artsy-fartsy ABC, Hannah Gadsby’s Oz is no normal art program. Sure it reveals to us some of Australia’s incredible historic and modern art and those responsible, and includes a lot of art-speak, but its the delivery that sets it apart. Gadsby makes the art – our history – completely accessible.
Her passion for art is obvious and her delivery swings between that of an entertaining and conversational art teacher to an delightfully irreverent deadpan. Gadsby speaks with some incredible Australian artists including Ben Quilty, Daniel Boyd & Julie Gough who add their own insight to the search for what it means to reflect “Straya” in her art.
It’s a thoroughly enjoyable three part series that opens up our art history in a completely accessible way. From the landing of the First Fleet to how our indigenous population saw it/remember it to our “Blokey McBloke-Bloke” masculine 19th-20th century art to modern representations of who we are. Gadsby’s art history studies and the resultant HECS bill finally came to some good.
Hannah Gadsby’s Oz asks many questions and answers very few. It’s the charm and sharp wit of Gadsby that allows the series to be so open and inquisitive and her guest artists reveal that our art truly does reflect our national identity… whatever that actually is. This series proves when it comes to the state of our art fraternity we’re anything but down on our luck. Just be careful – you might learn something.
Hannah Gadsby’s Oz (3 eps) – Tue 10pm, ABC1.