View source for Azlan McLennan

{{Short description|Australian artist}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox artist
| name          = Azlan McLennan
| image         =
| image_size    =
| caption       =
| birth_name    =
| birth_date    = {{Birth year and age|1975}}
| birth_place   = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| death_date    =
| death_place   =
| nationality   = Australian
| known_for     = [[Visual art]]
| education     = [[Victorian College of the Arts]] in [[Melbourne]].
| movement      = [[Anti-art]], [[Political satire]]
| notable_works =
| patrons       =
| awards        = 
}}

'''Azlan McLennan''' (born 1975 in the United States)<ref name="Art labels">[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,18507141-2702,00.html "Art labels Howard a terrorist"]{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} ''The Australian,'' 18 March 2006. Accessed 1 May 2008</ref> is a visual artist and socialist activist based in [[Melbourne]], Australia.<ref>[http://www.sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1984&Itemid=106 "Trotsky vs Stalin: Azlan McLennan"] ''Socialist Alternative,'' Edition 141, May 2009. Accessed 10 July 2009</ref> He is a graduate of the [[Victorian College of the Arts]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110728000321/http://savevca.org/vca/alumni "Alumni of the V.C.A."] ''Save the VCA''. Accessed 10 July 2009</ref> His art is known for its political content and has been the subject of considerable debate and media attention in Australia.<ref>[http://www.visualarts.net.au/files/NAVAQuarterly(segment).pdf "Artist Profile: Azlan McLennan"] ''NAVA Quarterly''. December 2005. Accessed 10 July 2009</ref>

== Art ==

Conceptually, McLennan's work tends to be unambiguous and antagonistic from a left-wing perspective, loosely following the traditions of [[agitprop]], [[anti-art]] and [[Institutional Critique]], incorporating elements of [[détournement]], [[readymade]] or [[installation art|installation]]. His works have often been characterised as controversial by conservative politicians, journalists and art critics, usually portraying the artist in a negative light.<ref name="The politics">[http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/13/1084289821310.html "The politics of art"] ''The Age,'' 14 May 2004. Accessed 27 April 2008</ref> Alternatively, various liberal lawyers, academics and activists have defended his works, usually on the basis of [[free speech]], due to the offence sometimes caused by his art for its often overt left-leaning bias.<ref>[http://www.visualarts.net.au/files/NQ%20Dec%2008_fin.pdf "25 Years: NAVA at the forefront of Australia’s cultural policy agenda"] ''NAVA Quarterly''. December 2008. Accessed 10 July 2009</ref> The artist has expressed public criticisms over [[Zionism]], the [[War on Terror]], [[Australian nationalism]] and racism, the [[Mandatory detention in Australia|mandatory detention]] of [[asylum seekers]], various political figures and the [[managerial class]] of the [[art world]].<ref>[http://www.visualarts.net.au/files/Art_Censorship.pdf "Dealing With Art Censorship"]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''National Association for the Visual Arts'' Media Release, 30 March 2009. Accessed 20 April 2009</ref>

McLennan has cited the artists [[John Heartfield]]<ref name="Azlan">[http://artabase.net/artist/820-azlan-mclennan Azlan McLennan] ''Artabase''. Accessed 10 July 2009</ref> and [[Leon Kuhn]]<ref name="left">[http://redflag.org.au/article/left-loses-inspiring-artist-and-comrade The Left loses an inspiring artist and comrade] ''Red Flag'', 31 December 2013. Accessed 3 January 2014</ref> as influences. He has work in collections of the [[National Gallery of Australia]]<ref name="Azlan" /> and the [[National Library of Australia]].<ref>[http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/5057674 "Be young & shut up"] ''National Library of Australia''. Accessed 4 November 2013</ref>

== Political affiliations ==
McLennan is a member of the [[Trotskyism|Trotskyist]] organisation [[Socialist Alternative (Australia)|Socialist Alternative]].<ref name="Connex">[http://www.sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=5976:connex-tries-to-censor-pro-palestinian-art "Connex tries to censor pro-Palestinian art"] ''Socialist Alternative,'' 11 March 2009. Accessed 24 May 2009</ref> Previously, he has been associated with the [[Socialist Alliance (Australia)|Socialist Alliance]],<ref>[http://www.melbourne-palestine.info/resources/ageunholyalliance.htm "Zionism and imperialism: an unholy alliance"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010095232/http://www.melbourne-palestine.info/resources/ageunholyalliance.htm |date=10 October 2007 }} ''Melbourne Palestine Solidarity Network,'' 9 August 2006. Accessed 27 April 2008</ref> the [[Stop the War Coalition (Australia)|Stop the War Coalition]],<ref>[http://azlanmclennan.com/?page_id=312 "Propaganda"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314052529/http://azlanmclennan.com/?page_id=312 |date=14 March 2009 }} ''Azlan McLennan'' website. Accessed 25 January 2009</ref> [[Students for Palestine]],<ref>[https://archive.today/20130415225029/http://www.studentsforpalestine.org/?p=314 "Artists Support Boycott Israel 19"] ''Students for Palestine,'' 18 August 2011. Accessed 24 April 2012</ref> the [[Refugee Action Collective (Victoria)|Refugee Action Collective]],<ref>[http://redpenzine.wordpress.com/ The Red Pen Zine] ''The Red Pen''. Accessed 16 November 2010</ref> the [[University of Melbourne Graduate Student Association]],<ref>[http://www.gsa.unimelb.edu.au/elections/Annual_Graduate_Student_Elections_2009.shtml "Annual Graduate Student Elections 2009"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223053959/http://www.gsa.unimelb.edu.au/elections/Annual_Graduate_Student_Elections_2009.shtml |date=23 February 2010 }} ''University of Melbourne Graduate Student Association,'' 15 August. 2009. Accessed 27 January 2010</ref> the [[Victorian College of the Arts Student Union]]<ref>[http://www.sa.org.au/component/content/article/194-edition-145/2086-vca-students-fight-job-and-course-cuts VCA students fight job and course cuts]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''Socialist Alternative,'' Edition 145, September 2009. Accessed 12 June 2010</ref> and the [[United Voice]] trade union.<ref>[http://menasolidaritynetwork.com/2011/05/30/egypt-hossam-el-hamalawy-and-reem-maged-called-before-military-judges/ Egypt: Hossam el-Hamalawy and Reem Maged called before military judges] ''MENA Solidarity Network,'' 30 May 2011. Accessed 7 January 2014</ref> He regularly produces posters for the Australian [[Far-left politics|far left's]] various political demonstrations and meetings.<ref name="Azlan" /> He has written articles for the publications of both Socialist Alternative and the Socialist Alliance.<ref name="left" /><ref name="Connex" />

== Controversy ==

=== Victorian College of the Arts ===
In August 2003, McLennan hired a [[G4S|Group 4 Securicor]] guard to keep gallery punters out of an exhibition opening at the VCA. Group 4 run [[immigration detention]] centres in Australia, such as [[Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Centre|Baxter Detention Centre]] and the now closed [[Woomera Immigration Reception and Processing Centre|Woomera Detention Centre]]. The security guard was reportedly humiliated due to the incident which occurred at a time of high criticism of the [[John Howard]] government's treatment of [[Refugee#Asylum seekers|asylum seekers]].<ref>[https://archive.today/20121209182233/http://www.theage.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2003/09/03/1062548903857.html "VCA artwork raises ethics concerns"] ''The Age,'' 4 September 2003. Accessed 27 April 2008</ref>

=== 24seven ===
In May 2004, McLennan produced ''Fifty-six,'' an exhibition designed to coincide with [[Nakba Day]], the title drawing on the number of years since the establishment of [[Israel]]. The public exhibition in the shop front window space of 24seven Gallery on one of Melbourne CBD's busy streets, was censored by the [[City of Melbourne]] days after it was installed. The installation consisted of a large wall painting of an Israeli flag, with "debatable" statistics on the gallery's window about Israel's treatment of Palestinians. The scandal made international news, many pro-Israel individuals and groups accusing McLennan of [[antisemitism]]. This put a number of Victorian political figures such as former Premier [[Steve Bracks]], Lord Mayor [[John So]] and former City of Melbourne councillor Kimberley Kitching under pressure to respond. The use of taxpayer's money to fund the space fuelled a lot of the debate.<ref>[http://gallery.discoverymedia.com.au/artzinePub/story.asp?id=375&section=ExNews "Making Space – spanking the hand that feeds it"] ''Art Right Now,'' 16 June 2007. Accessed 22 May 2009</ref> McLennan also deeply outraged some critics by insinuating that the [[Nazis]] had a similar position on what they termed [[degenerate art]]. McLennan maintains a strong criticism of Israeli policies.<ref name="The politics" />

=== Citylights ===
In August 2004, McLennan displayed ''State Sponsored'', a collection of portraits of [[Hamas]] militants, including [[Sheikh Ahmed Yassin]] and [[Abdul Aziz Rantisi|Dr. Abdul Aziz Rantisi]] and the dates they were assassinated. The work was exhibited at Citylights project – a public art space in a Melbourne CBD lane way. McLennan was accused of glorifying terrorism by Ted Lapkin, a senior policy analyst of the [[Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council]]. Andrew Mac, Citylights' curator and director defended the work on the grounds of diversity of opinion stating the artist's use of "state sponsored" referred to [[state terrorism]].<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Jewish-group-blasts-offensive-artwork/2004/12/10/1102625519852.html "Jewish group blasts 'offensive' artwork"] ''The Age,'' 10 December 2004. Accessed 27 April 2008</ref>

=== Platform Artists Group ===
In September 2005, the City of Melbourne intervened to terminate McLennan's ''Canberra's 18'' exhibition shortly before it was scheduled to be shown at the [[Platform artists group]]'s [[Artist-run initiative]] (ARI), Platform 2. The exhibition was to include images of the then 18 Islamic organisations proscribed as terrorists by the Australian Government and the basis for their formation. City of Melbourne Deputy Mayor [[Gary Singer]] claimed the proper guidelines were not followed. Human rights campaigner and barrister [[Julian Burnside]] claimed the censorship was about governments testing how much Australians would tolerate such occurrences.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/war-on-terrorism-is-claiming-victims-on-the-walls-of-art-galleries/2005/09/15/1126750082623.html "War on terrorism is claiming victims on the walls of art galleries"] ''Sydney Morning Herald,'' 16 September 2005. Accessed 3 May 2008</ref> McLennan accused City of Melbourne of political censorship and appeasing Zionists.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/09/14/1126377376345.html "City council bans 'terror artwork'"] ''The Age,'' 15 September 2005. Accessed 27 April 2008</ref> Singer's areas of special interests ironically include [[civil liberties]].<ref>[http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=190&pa=1317&pg=1996 "Deputy Lord Mayor Gary Singer"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725155111/http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=190&pa=1317&pg=1996 |date=25 July 2008 }} ''City of Melbourne,'' Accessed 3 May 2008</ref>

=== Monash University ===
[[Monash University Art and Design Faculty]] in Melbourne withdrew McLennan's video ''Mind the Gap'' in October 2005, ironically made for the same exhibition Monash had agreed to show the censored ''Canberra's 18'' work. The video contained graphic footage of the [[Decapitation|beheading]] of British contractor [[Kenneth Bigley]] by [[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad|Tawhid and Jihad]] in 2004. The video criticised former British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] for his role in the Iraq war.<ref>[http://www.unmagazine.org/un7.html "Azlan McLennan"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080520005543/http://www.unmagazine.org/un7.html |date=20 May 2008 }} ''un Magazine,'' Volume 7, 2006. Accessed 27 April 2008</ref> The censorship is likely to have been motivated by the [[Australian Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005]], particularly the controversial return to the crime of [[sedition]] introduced by the Howard government some weeks later and passed into law the following month; a move highly unpopular amongst the arts sector.<ref>[http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=71006 "Artists 'at risk' under terror laws"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060627104653/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=71006 |date=27 June 2006 }} ''NineMSN,'' 8 November 2005. Accessed 29 April 2008</ref>

=== Urban Art ===
City of Melbourne and acting Transport Minister [[Bob Cameron (Victorian politician)|Bob Cameron]] censored ''Pay Your Way'' in January 2006 while McLennan was in residency in Indonesia. The posters – part of the Urbanart ARI program – were displayed in public tram shelters and pulled down only hours later due to complaints. The works featured images of [[Jean Charles de Menezes]], a Brazilian man shot dead by London police and accused Muslim terrorist, [[Joseph T. Thomas|Jack Thomas]].<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/fare-game-shelters-feel-the-brush-of-protest/2006/01/09/1136771500463.html "Fare game! Shelters feel the brush of protest"] ''The Age,'' 10 January 2006. Accessed 27 April 2008</ref> The works were characterised as racist and [[Islamophobic]],<ref>[http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,17795788-2862,00.html "My art is not racist"] ''Herald Sun,'' 12 January 2006. Accessed 24 May 2009</ref> yet McLennan claimed the works were satirising the post [[9-11]] racism and Islamophobia perpetuated by pro-US governments. McLennan is also a [[Muslim]] himself.<ref>[http://www.sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=266&Itemid=106 "Political art meets a paranoid state"] ''Socialist Alternative,'' Edition 99, February 2006. Accessed 25 April 2008</ref> Thomas' lawyer, [[Rob Stary]] attacked the work for jeopardising the trial<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/public-art-threatens-fair-trial-thomas-lawyer/2006/01/11/1136956241052.html "Public art threatens fair trial: Thomas lawyer"] ''The Age,'' 12 January 2006. Accessed 24 May 2009</ref> yet weeks later would defend McLennan publicly against the [[Footscray, Victoria|Footscray]] police.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/defiant-artist-flies-his-unaustralian-flag-again/2006/02/28/1141095741391.html "Defiant artist flies his 'UnAustralian' flag again"] ''The Age,'' 1 March 2006. Accessed 24 May 2009</ref>

=== Trocadero Art Space ===
Only weeks after the ''Pay Your Way'' affair, McLennan's ''Proudly UnAustralian'' was removed by the [[Victoria Police]] in Melbourne. The exhibition – featuring a burnt Australian flag – took place at Trocadero Art Space who rents a public billboard to exhibiting artists. It was to coincide with the 2006 [[Australia Day]] in January. The work was removed some days prior this date and McLennan arrived back in Australia days later to a media furore. The scandal had been criticised as offensive by those such as Federal [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] MP [[Bronwyn Bishop]] who attempted to introduce a ban on [[Flag desecration|flag burning]], and the national president of the [[Returned and Services League of Australia|Returned and Services League]]. [[Free speech]] advocates such as the [[National Association for the Visual Arts]] and criminal defence lawyer Rob Stary denounced the police's actions as an attack on [[civil rights]]. This took place only a few short months after the [[2005 Cronulla riots]] and fuelled the broader debate about [[racism in Australia]].<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1563582.htm "Art prompts call for flag-burning law change"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211040610/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1563582.htm |date=11 February 2006 }} ''The 7.30 Report'' (Transcript), 6 February 2006. Accessed 27 April 2008</ref>

=== Australian Centre for Contemporary Art ===
McLennan wrote an article in 2006 criticising the artistic director of the [[Australian Centre for Contemporary Art]] (ACCA), Juliana Engberg over her reaction to artist and VCA student, Ash Keating and his appropriation of ACCA's waste disposal for the use of his art. The Engberg/Keating scandal became widely known amongst Melbourne art circles from the ACCA exhibition opening where it took place and later through the independent electronic magazine [[Crikey]]. McLennan's polemic further fuelled debate over Engberg's credentials.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/power-of-one/2006/08/31/1156817027357.html "Power of one"] ''The Age,'' 1 September 2006. Accessed 27 April 2008</ref>

=== Anna Schwartz Gallery ===
McLennan featured in ''Rules of Engagement'' at Melbourne ARI West Space in May 2007, which dealt with "relationships, power and exchange within the art system" according to the show's curator Mark Feary.<ref>[http://www.westspace.org.au/projects/rules-of-engagement.html?Itemid=0 "Rules of Engagement"] ''West Space'' (Catalogue Essay), May 2006. Accessed 27 April 2008</ref> McLennan's contribution, ''Art in a Capitalist Society'' depicted an authoritative picture of leading private Australian gallerist Anna Schwartz, linked to a quote about [[Exploitation of labour|exploitation]] from the [[Karl Marx]] treatise ''[[Das Kapital]]''. Schwartz has previously criticised McLennan<ref name="The politics" /> and some have accused McLennan of taking revenge.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/artists-dish-it-out-to-the-dealers/2007/06/14/1181414455138.html "Artists dish it out to the dealers"] ''The Age,'' 15 June 2007. Accessed 25 April 2008</ref>

=== University of Melbourne ===
In a July 2009, ''[[Farrago (newspaper)|Farrago]]'' interview, McLennan attacked the [[University of Melbourne]] over the merger with the [[Victorian College of the Arts]], the [[Melbourne Model]], the liquidation of the [[Victorian College of the Arts Student Union|VCA Student Union]] and likened the Vice-chancellor, [[Glyn Davis]]' perceived political censorship to [[Adolf Hitler]]'s use of [[Nazi art|Fascist Art]] and [[Joseph Stalin]]'s use of [[Socialist Realism]]. He also depicted Davis and the Provost, [[Peter McPhee (academic)|Peter McPhee]], as [[Sex Pistols]] musicians, [[Johnny Rotten]] and [[Sid Vicious]] in a parody of the [[Sex Pistols#Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols|Never Mind the Bollocks]] album cover as well as depicting Davis as the violent [[psychopath]], [[Alex DeLarge]] in [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s film adaptation of [[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]].<ref>"Report on the death of the VCA" ''Farrago,'' Edition 5, July 2009, p. 28–29.</ref> McLennan had previously attacked Davis and the university administration as the former General Secretary of the VCA Student Union.<ref>[http://www.sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1659&Itemid=106 Smashing jobs, courses and student unions: A 2020 vision?] ''Socialist Alternative,'' Edition 128, May 2008. Accessed 28 July 2009</ref>

== See also ==
* [[University of Melbourne Faculty of VCA and MCM#Notable alumni of the VCA|Victorian College of the Arts Alumni]]
* [[Socialist Alternative (Australia)|Socialist Alternative]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090311024341/http://azlanmclennan.com/ Azlan McLennan's web site]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mclennan, Azlan}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:American emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:Australian artists]]
[[Category:Censorship in the arts]]
[[Category:Art controversies]]
[[Category:Activists from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Australian Trotskyists]]
[[Category:Victorian College of the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Australian Muslims]]
[[Category:Australian political artists]]
[[Category:Artists from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:American satirists]]
[[Category:Australian satirists]]