Ralph Body
School of Humanities
Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics
I am a researcher, writer and information management professional. My area of particular interest is nineteenth and twentieth-century art, especially that of Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Germany. I have also written extensively on contemporary art in my capacity as a reviewer. I wish to utilise my skills and knowledge to help others enrich their understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts. I am currently seeking opportunities to publish or collaborate in the museums, heritage or higher education sectors.
My area of particular interest is nineteenth and twentieth-century art, especially that of Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Germany. I have also written extensively on contemporary art in my capacity as a reviewer. My research interests include: cross-currents in Australian and New Zealand art; regional and transnational modernisms; the social functions of art; the rhetoric of art criticism; the character and influence of art magazines; artists' letters; histories of collecting; art and the archive; art of the fin de siècle, Edwardian and interwar periods; émigré and expatriate artists; art and visual culture in Weimar Germany; disability and accessibility initiatives in the art world; art historical appropriation in modern and contemporary art; queer portraiture; and the urban and suburban in art.
I have recently completed a PhD in Art History, investigating the significant role played by the art world networks of the South Australian artist Hans Heysen (1877-1968) in establishing, shaping and maintaining his career and reputation. These encompassed fellow artists, art critics, publishers, dealers, collectors and museum trustees and directors. Due to Heysen’s geographical isolation written correspondence played an essential role in his long-distance career management and his letters provide valuable insights into the importance of his networks. The theoretical writing of Howard Becker and Pierre Bourdieu informed an analysis of this correspondence and other archival sources. By examining the changing manner in which Heysen's art was displayed, assessed, promoted and sold, this research presented new insights into the importance of his networks in managing his interests, responding to broader shifts in the Australian art world and helping him achieve critical and commercial success.
-
Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2014 - 2019 PhD Candidate University of Adelaide -
Research Interests
Aesthetics Archival, Repository and Related Studies Art Criticism Art History Art Theory Art Theory and Criticism Arts and Cultural Policy Australian History Cultural Studies Cultural Theory Culture, Gender, Sexuality Curatorial and Related Studies Design History and Theory General Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Heritage and Cultural Conservation History and Philosophy of the Humanities Museum Studies New Zealand History Performance and Installation Art Visual Arts and Crafts Visual Cultures
-
Journals
Year Citation 2020 Body, R. (2020). Anne-Louise Willoughby, Nora Heysen: A Portrait. Australian Studies Journal = Zeitschrift für Australienstudien, 33/34, 159-162.
2019 Body, R. M. (2019). Review: Matthew Potter, British Art for Australia, 1860-1953: The Acquisition of Artworks from the United Kingdom by Australian National Galleries. Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide, 18(2), 1-7.
2013 Body, R. M. (2013). Of Uncertain Genus: Resituating John Buchanan. Art New Zealand, (145). 2009 Body, R. M. (2009). The Doyen of Dunedin Art: Alfred Henry O’Keeffe’s Late Works. The Journal of New Zealand Art History, 30, 17-36. 2008 Body, R. M. (2008). Review: Donald Bassett, Fix: The Art and Life of Felix Kelly. The Journal of New Zealand Art History, 29, 101-102. 2007 Body, R. M. (2007). Lightweight? – Review. Scope: Contemporary Research Topics: Art, (2), 134-135. -
Book Chapters
Year Citation 2022 Body, R. (2022). Around the galleries: Independent art exhibitions in Adelaide, 1919-1939. In C. Adams, & B. Dickey (Eds.), South Australia 1919-1939: Essays from the Professional Historians Association (SA) (pp. 218-237). Adelaide: Professional Historians Association (SA). 2021 Body, R. (2021). To Serve the Creator: the Ecclesiastical Art of Voitre Marek. In E. Freak (Ed.), Dusan and Voitre Marek: Surrealists at Sea (pp. 146-158). Adelaide: Art Gallery of South Australia. 2007 Body, R. M. (2007). Shifting Skins. In L. Plummer (Ed.), Modulations: Cantata Re Configured: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5: a multimedia installation series by Lyn Plummer. Dunedin: L. Plummer and R. Browne. -
Conference Items
Year Citation 2019 Body, R. M. (2019). “My dear Lionel”: Epistolary Encounters and the Uses and Misuses of Artists’ Letters. Poster session presented at the meeting of Ngā Tūtaki – Encounter/s: Agency, Embodiment, Exchange, Ecologies, Art Association of Australia and New Zealand Annual Conference, 2019. University of Auckland. 2016 Body, R. M., & Spiers, O. (2016). Bookended: The first and last twenty years of Australian art magazines. Poster session presented at the meeting of The Work of Art - Art Association of Australia and New Zealand Annual Conference. School of Art, Australian National University, Canberra. 2015 Body, R. M. (2015). Distant vistas, urban art worlds: the role of Hans Heysen’s networks in establishing his reputation (c.1904-1914). Poster session presented at the meeting of Image, Space, Body - Art Association of Australia and New Zealand Annual Conference. Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art and the State Library of Queensland, Brisbane. -
Curated or Produced Public Exhibition or Events
Year Citation 2012 Body, R. M. (2012). A. H. O'Keeffe: Light in the Shadows (No. Of Pieces: Exhibition of two months duration.) [Exhibition]. Dunedin Public Art Gallery. -
Theses
Year Citation 2019 Body, R. M. (2019). Behind the Scenes: Hans Heysen's Art World Networks. (PhD Thesis, University of Adelaide). 2008 Body, R. M. (2008). Alfred Henry O'Keeffe in Retrospect: Paint and Personality: a thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Arts in Art History and Theory at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. (Master's Thesis, University of Otago).
-
Memberships
Date Role Membership Country 2017 - ongoing Member Australian Museums and Galleries Association Australia 2015 - ongoing Member Art Association of Australia and New Zealand Australia
Connect With Me
External Profiles