Sadly, Australian artist and art educator Russell Lake has passed away this week after a long and complex cancer journey. My sincerest condolences to Russell’s extended family, friends, colleagues and art students.

I met Russell in Brisbane in 1984. We were both ardent small guage filmmakers, and the pic above is Russell with his trusty Super 8 camera on the Art Safari road trip escapades in 1987.

Russell was a co-founder of the anarchic One Flat/O’Flate artist collective and I was drawn to his love for unruly installation and assemblage art, and his extensive arts advocacy work with the Artworkers Union Qld.

Artworkers, as we called it, was  membership-driven and Russell was a key player,  for many decades he was a custodian of their important archival resources.. This localised artists’ union was an artist-led arts advocacy and equal rights organisation which evolved into the Queensland Artworker’s Alliance after a series of public meetings in 1986. In 2012, QAA was integrated into the Flying Arts Alliance. These are a few of many political and cultural memories flooding back as I write now and remember him with love.

Russell and I spoke just a few weeks ago during a lively phone conversation about his happy high school years in the 1970s and his ongoing work as a secondary school art teacher in the Queensland State education system. During the phone call Russell was excited by his newfound vigour and sense of new possibility after a long hospital treatment regimen.  He was planning trips to the Moreton Bay Islands to visit friends.. However, Russell declined rapidly in the past week and will be forever remembered by many as an artist who worked passionately towards pluralising contemporary art making in Queensland, and advocating for a better, and more just, artist-led future.

Artists and arts workers Adam Boyd and Russell Lake (seated at desk) and Virginia Barratt in window in performance, Bellas Gallery [now Milani Gallery], Adelaide Street, 1987 ( Photographer: Unknown)

Invitation 1986, Russell Lake Collected Works exhibition, John Mills National artist run space, 40 Charlotte Street. Brisbane {Collection of the artist].

Russell Lake, Adam Boyd and Jeanelle Hurst exhibition at That Contemporary Art Space, December, 1985

UV Experience –  That Space Artist-run group group show and fundraiser December 1985. Arists including Zeliko Maric, Russell Lake Sally Hart and over 50 artist participants who made UV art works for the event. Performers Virginia Barratt and Michelle Andringa
Photo; The Shared Camera

RELATED LINKS

RELATED ARCHIVAL RESOURCES