Sometimes if an artist is emerging, local, or practicing in the present context, they might not be well represented in library database search results.
While you might find some helpful content in exhibition books and library subscriptions, you might also like to explore the following avenues.
Click on each of the headings below to learn some strategies for researching contemporary artists.
Many contemporary artists maintain a professional website portfolio of their work and exhibition history
Is there a CV where you can find their exhibition history?
Is the artist represented by a gallery?
Does the artist maintain a bibliography or publish images of their work?
Contemporary art magazines are an excellent source of exhibition reviews, interviews, artist profiles, and opinion pieces
The library provides digital access to many contemporary art magazines, but the magazines' own websites may be more browsable and lead you to additional content.
To access paywalled content, search for the magazine title in the library catalogue
Most gallery websites include an exhibition archive, where you may find images, an exhibition catalogue, or press
To find recent newspaper articles about art, try searching for an artist by name or exhibition title in Factiva
Search for artist names, exhibition titles, and the titles of artworks in an art database
The National Library's Trove website includes Art & Artist Files, which are collections of artists' ephemera, exhibition and auction catalogues, press clippings, invitations, and other archival content.
These files are a great source of information about contemporary artists who were most active pre-internet.
Search for an artist by name and select "Diaries, Letters & Archives", or browse all Art & Artist files in Trove (tip: experiment with the filters).
Trove will link you to the institution that hosts each artist file, where you can enquire further.
Explore the Whitechapel Documents of Contemporary Art book series. Each item in this series is an anthology on a particular theme, practice, or issue. These books are written by prominent art writers and artists, and a great source of key voices to delve into further.
Many artists complete a research degree and thesis, but don't turn their thesis into a book. Try searching in a thesis database!
Biennale and Triennale catalogues are usually grouped around a core theme or set of ideas, and may lead you to artists and essays to explore further.
Art institutions with online exhibition archives
Contemporary Art Institutions in Naarm (Melbourne)
