[About]

Top images (L to R): ‘Urbane epicurism’ in Indesign no.43 (2010), writer: Ian Were, © Indesign/author; Katharina Grosse: Picture Park (2007), editors: Nicholas Chambers, Ian Were, © QAG; Footnotes of a Verdurous Tale: Sebastian Di Mauro 1987-2009 (2009), editor: Ian Were, © Sebastian Di Mauro.

Since 1997 Ian Were has edited more than 20 art books and publications, including seven recent books as a freelance editor and writer. He writes on contemporary art, design, architecture and associated issues for several magazines and other publications and, more recently, has written short stories.

From 1996 to 2002 he was editor of Object magazine (26 issues), and publications manager at Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design in Sydney. He was Senior Editor at the Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art from 2002 to 2009 where he edited or co-edited around 12 exhibition publications and edited 23 issues of the Gallery’s Artlines magazine (2005 to 2011).

From 1987 to 1996 he managed various programs at the Australia Council’s Visual Arts/Craft Board, and was instrumental in reviewing and instigating new international studio residencies as well as Asialink’s initial residency program in Asian art schools.
Ian Were taught art at secondary and tertiary schools in South Australian, and in 1975 established an Adelaide-based studio working in metal objects and sculpture — focusing on enamel on copper and steel with mixed media.
From the late 1970s — beginning with street magazines Preview and the Adelaide Review — he has regularly written articles for Australian art and culture journals.

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