Australian poster collectives were artist collectives established in the late 1960s, 70s and 80s in the capital cities of Australia, largely led by women and focused on various forms of political activism.
There were also such collectives in the 1990s, such as RedPlanet.
Collectives made posters for concerts, bands, marches and community groups. Feminists were active in the collectives and some were women-only collectives.[3] Women were leaders in the poster collective movement, establishing groups, providing training, opening the groups up to other women and decision-making by consensus.[4]
The collectives were considered to be democratic art movements outside the gallery systems, able to quickly reflect changing social and political views and challenge social norms by designing, printing and displaying posters in public areas.[1][5][3] Some artists were members of more than one collective and often did not sign their name to posters but attributed them to the collective.[1][4]
Similar collectives emerged in the UK, Europe, the US and Cuba during that time.[5][6]
This article covers Australian poster collectives from the 60s to 80s rather than later collectives from the 1990s such as RedPlanet.[7][8]
Poster collectives were influential in developing the community arts movement and some of the collectives expanded into training workshops, community arts projects, community food co-operatives and other community support.[15][1] Some artists within these collectives later worked in partnership with community arts groups and/or developed their own individual art practices and careers. The following list of poster collectives and artists is not exhaustive but shows the foundational influence of the collectives on the careers of some Australian contemporary and community artists.
By location, the poster collectives and their members included:
Harridan Screenprinters. Artists: Marla Guppy and Anne Sheridan.
Women's Domestic Needlework Group. Women-only, focused on doyleys, needlework and traditional sewing skills but printed 10 posters for an exhibition of doyleys and further posters for skills-exchange classes. Artists: Marie McMahon, Frances Phoenix.[23]
Social Fabric. (Screenprints on fabric rather than paper) Artists: Jan Mackay, Marie McMahon and Kathy Letray
Garage Graphix (Mt Druitt, Western Sydney). Posters focused on picturing western Sydney in a positive way and Indigenous rights.[1] The majority of members were women including Indigenous women. Artists: Maxine Conaty, Leeanne Donohoe, Marla Guppy, Alice Hinton-Bateup and Lin Mountstephen.
Redback Graphix. Commercial graphic arts workshop rather than a collective but concerned with community issues, initially located at the Film and Drama Centre, Griffith University, Queensland, then moved to Wollongong, south of Sydney, then to Sydney.[24] Artists: Michael Callaghan, Gregor Cullen, Alison Alder and Leonie Lane
B.U.G.A. U.P. (Billboard Utilising Graffiti Against Unhealthy Promotions) Published posters/catalogues of its protest graffiti campaigns, some concerned with sexploitation in advertising but mainly focussed on antismoking and alcohol.[28][29] The movement spread to most states besides NSW. Founders: Bill Snow, Rick Bolzan, Geoff Coleman.
Melbourne
Jillposters. Women-only, also open to non-artists who wanted to make a statement through posters. Artists: Julia Church, Carole Wilson, Lesley Baxter, Ally Black, Linda Brassel, Zana Dare, Deej Fabyc, Maggie Fooke, Julie Higginbotham, Catriona Holyoake, Barbara Miles, Kate Reeves, Linda Rhodes, Julie Shiels, Lin Tobias, Julia Tobin, Kath Walters, Chaz and Karen.
Dag Printing. Artists: Wendy Black, Angela Gee and Eveyln Vyhnal.
Brunswick Work Co-Operative/Redletter Community Workshop.[7] Artists: Bob Clutterbuck
Another Planet Posters (formerly Community Access Screenprinting Project). The majority of artists were women.[1] Artists: Julia Church, Kath Walters, Colin Russell
Bloody Good Graphix/Graphics. Artists: Julia Church, Kath Walters
Canberra
Megalo International Silkscreen Collective (Canberra, now Megalo Print Studio).[30] Artists: Alison Alder (co-founder), Colin Little (co-founder)
Acme Ink, screenprinting workshop at Gorman House Canberra.[31] Artists: Julia Church, Mark Denton, Mandy Martin, Dianna Wells,[32] Louise Saxton[33]
Adelaide
Anarchist Feminist Poster Collective.[34] Some posters are held in the Flinders University Museum of Art.[35] Artists: Sally O’Wheel and Megan Schlunke
Community Association of Prospect (CAP) Poster Collective. Artists: Ann Newmarch, David Kerr, Kathy Muir, Peter Hollard, Z Ryan.[43]
Brisbane
Mantis Prints/Press.[44] Women-only. Artists: Lyn Finch and Cherie Bradshaw.
Redback Graphics/x. Started at Queensland Film and Drama Centre, Griffith University, Queensland.[45] Co-ordinator: Margriet Bonnin. Artists: Michael Callaghan,[46] Lyn Finch, Cherie Bradshaw, James Swan
Black Banana Poster Collective.[47][48] No community access, mainly political posters against Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen's government.[45] Artists: Ivan Nunn, Phyllis Patterson, Stephen Nothling and Robyn McDonald (later established Inkahoots).
Darwin, Katherine, Northern Territory
Jalak Graphics. In the early 1980s, Chips Mackinolty of Earthworks moved to the Northern Territory to work with Aboriginal organisations. His poster imprint was Jalak Graphics which created posters for the Central and Northern Land Councils and other Aboriginal community organisations with designs by various artists and printing by the Sydney and Wollongong collectives.[49][50] Artist: Chips Mackinolty, Lorna Fencer, Abie Jangala.
^"Black Banana Poster Collective". ARI Remix - A Polyvocal Memory of Australian Artist-Run Culture and Heritage "Work in Progress". 13 June 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
^Printmaking, Prints and. "Cabaret". www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au. Retrieved 31 October 2020.