The Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at King's College London is delighted to be hosting a panel discussion exploring the life and legacy of Bernard Smith - 'Beyond European Vision: Art History’s Global Encounters' - as well as the UK book launch for Hegel’s Owl: The Life of Bernard Smith, and The Legacies of Bernard Smith Essays on Australian Art, History and Cultural Politics.

Discussion - Beyond European Vision: Art History’s Global Encounters

The Panal

Khadija von Zinnenburg Carroll - Professorial Fellow Chair of Global Art History, University of Birmingham

Anthony Gardner - Professor of Contemporary Art History and Theory, The Ruskin School of Art

Natasha Eaton - Reader in History of Art, University College London

Book Launch

Hegel's Owl The Life of Bernard Smith, by Sheridan Palmer

Bernard Smith began life as a ward of the State; he would go on to become the father of Australian art history. In 2008 Smith invited writer and art historian Dr Sheridan Palmer to write his biography. Bringing together years of interviews and insights through exclusive access to Smith’s papers and library, Palmer deftly reveals the unique character of an exceptional man. For those interested in Smith and his writings, and the development of art history in Australia, Hegel’s Owl offers a rich exploration of the life of Australia’s foremost art historian and founding director of the Power Institute.

The Legacies of Bernard Smith Essays on Australian Art, History and Cultural Politics

Bernard Smith could rightly be called the founder of Australian art history. His influence on Australian cultural life was immense, from the publication of Place, Taste and Tradition in 1945 until his death in September 2011. Each of his publications nurtured an Antipodean view, whether art historical or anthropological, and opened up new fields in Australian scholarship.

The Legacies of Bernard Smith arises from a collaborative international conference convened in 2012 between the Universities of Melbourne and Sydney, and the AGNSW. It is the most significant work on Smith’s impact to date, with over twenty contributing authors, and examines his legacies in Australian art history, museology, Pacific art studies, Australian studies and Indigenous art.