Susan Cochrane | The University of Queensland, Australia (original) (raw)

Susan Cochrane (b.1949) is an independent researcher, curator and author. From 1984 - 2012 she returned to the influence of her childhood in Papua New Guinea to develop her research interests and curatorial expertise in the field of contemporary Pacific and Aboriginal art and art history and the representation of indigenous Pacific cultures in museums. Since retiring from academia and moving to the Blue Mountains in 2013, Susan has developed links with the local artistic community, and serves on the Board of the Blue Mountains City of the Arts Cultural Trust.
Susan has a high level of academic achievement and awards of merit. She gained her MA (Hons) degree at the School of Creative Arts at Wollongong University in 1984, followed by the achievement of PhD in 1995, both in the discipline of Art History. In 2005 she was awarded MPhil (Creative Writing) at the University of Queensland. In nationally competitive fields, she was awarded a University of Queensland Postdoctoral Fellowship for Women (2005-07), a National Museum Visiting Fellowship (2007) and a Harold White Fellowship at the National Library of Australia (2008). Throughout her academic career she served on committees, convened major conferences and workshops in Australia and internationally.
In 1995 Susan was invited to be the foundation curator of the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, New Caledonia, and Head of the Department of Kanak and Pacific Art (1995-98). In this rôle she established their major collection of contemporary Pacific art, developed full calendars of exhibitions and associated events, trained and mentored Kanak curatorial staff. Other major curatorial achievements as Guest Curator include the Queens;and Art Gallery’s Asia Pacific Triennial (1996 and 1999), Shrines for the Next Millennium for the Sydney Olympics Arts Festival (2000), Across Oceans and Time for the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan ( 2006-07), Pacific artists for Floating Land-Rising Sea for Noosa Regional Gallery, Sepik Art for the River Project at Campbelltown Art Centre (2010). She remains a consultant for the Tjibaou Cultural Centre and Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts. Susan was a juror of the British Commonwealth Arts Awards (2007-10), selector for the Pacific for the Singapore Signature Art Prize (2012) and chair of the jury for the Live Lave Acquisitive Art Award, University of Goroka, Papua New Guinea (2012).
As well as her long engagement with the art and artists of the Pacific region, Susan has held positions of Art Centre Manager for remote Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land and the East Kimberley; Raminginging (1992-4), Wangkatjungka (2001-2), Elcho Island (2011-12). She encouraged Aboriginal staff and artists to participate fully in all the activities of the arts centres and develop management skills.
Susan has an extensive publication list, both art writing and criticism. Her latest title is an interactive E-book, Living Art in Papua New Guinea (2013). Other landmark publications include Contemporary Art from Papua New Guinea (1997), Bérétara : New Pacific Art (2001 in English and French editions), Art and Life in Melanesia (2011). She was editor of Aboriginal Art : Highlights from Collections in Australian Museums and Art Galleries (2001) and is co-editor with Max Quanchi of Hunting the Collectors: Pacific Collections in Australia (2011). Forthcoming is an extensive annotated bibliography, 'Arts of the Pacific Islands' for Oxford Art Bibliographies Online. Other writing includes numerous essays, encyclopaedia entries, catalogue essays, articles and reviews for leading art journals.

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