Ralph Body

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.