ARTIST STATEMENT
As a regional artist I find it is impossible to ignore the effects that changing weather is having on the land. With much of rural NSW under hardship, the Northern Rivers region, the part of the state where I live, seems to be getting wetter. Bizarre perhaps, but a great privilege and a blessing even as I write rain patters on the roof.
Through travel and research this new body of work has developed bringing images of dry land, dead trees, melting ice and exposed fossils coupled with ideas of carbon sinks releasing hold of the carbon deposits that for millennia have held the atmosphere in balance.
An immediate impact on us as individuals is the water crisis; an issue receiving daily media coverage. Political focus on the Murray Darling predicament introduces my dry river metaphor. Ironically, during the preparation of this work deluges of rain have fallen on places that have had little rain for years.
I haven't had much success making sense of all this, but Tim Flannery's The Weather Makers is helping. Considering the epochal cycles of changing climate, which are apparently produced through a complex matrix of influence, caused me to revisit my cycle sculptures. As I am working on lightening my footprint I am using salvaged and offcut timber and stone, the ceramics are fired in a gas kiln. However, I do use electric tools and I drove the work down - if only I could email sculpture.
2007
--
RESUME
EDUCATION
2000 Master of Arts (Visual Arts) by research,
Southern Cross University, Lismore.
1993 Associate Diploma of Arts (Ceramics),
Lismore College of TAFE.
1971 B.Comm (Marketing) with merit, UNSW
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2005 Ceramics by Suvira McD. Solander Gallery, Yarralumla ACT Long After...Groundfloor Gallery, Balmain NSW
2004 Cloudcatcher Groundfloor Gallery, Balmain NSW
Landscape Translations Stanthorpe Regional Gallery Q
2002 Aeonian Earth Barebones Art Space Bangalow NSW
2000 Departing Spirits Lismore RAG
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2006 Casuarina Sculpture Walk Tweed NSW
Festival Art Awards Cowra Regional Gallery NSW
Rock, Paper, Scissors Groundfloor Gallery Balmain NSW
2005 23rd Gold Coast International Ceramic Art Award Q
East Coast Sculpture Show Ballina NSW
(and every year since 1996)
Walkom Manning Art Prize Taree Regional Gallery NSW
Black Head Beach Sculpture Show Black Head NSW
ArtScape Byron Bay Lighthouse NSW
Border Art Prize Tweed Regional Gallery NSW
2004 Sculpture by the Sea Bondi Beach NSW
Sculpture Inside Bondi Pavilion NSW
Alchemy Fox Gallery Brisbane Q
Gold Coast International Ceramic Art Award Q
Thursday Plantation Sculpture Show Ballina NSW
Woodfire - Fusions Gallery, Brisbane Q
Casuarina Beach Sculpture Walk - Tweed Regional Gallery Festival Art Awards - Cowra Regional Gallery NSW
Stanthorpe Arts Festival -Stan. Regional Gallery Q
several local exhibitions with collections of other artist
2003 Art for Answers AFMHR Auction - NGA Canberra
PANdora's Box - PANdanus Gallery Byron Bay
Thursday Plantation East Coast Sculpture Show -Ballina
Legs 11 - Ceramic Art Gallery, Paddington NSW
Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize -SA Museum
Ceramika - Piece Gallery Mullumbimby NSW
Our Place - PAN Artists in Byron Bay Community Centre
AWARDS, GRANTS
2005 Peoples' Choice Gold Coast Int'l Ceramic Art Award
3rd Prize ArtsCape, Byron Bay Lighthouse, NSW
2004 Winner, Acquisition Prize East Coast Sculpture Show
Acquired, Ceramics Stanthorpe Arts Festival
2003 Local Artist Award East Coast Sculpture Show
Finalist, Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize SA Museum
Quick Turnaround Grant, Regional Arts NSW
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2005 Appointed Creative Director, Art in the Park Federal NSW
Artist-in-Residence Fatherhood Project Byron Shire NSW
2004 Tutor Ceramics Dept Southern Cross University Lismore,
Tutor, Dynamic Art Summer School Byron Shire, NSW
2003 - 6 Ongoing Ceramics Workshop for private students
COLLECTIONS
Stanthorpe Regional Gallery Permanent Collection
Thursday Plantation Sculpture Garden, Ballina NSW
TP Health, Ballina NSW
Lismore Regional Art Gallery, NSW
Brisbane Marriott Hotel - A Wind Choreography
numerous private collections in Australia & abroad
PUBLIC SCULPTURE PROJECTS
Richmond Valley Shire Council - The Coraki Healing Stones (1998)
PUBLICATIONS/CITATIONS
Ceramics Technical #9 Kiln Research at SCU
Ceramic Art & Perception # 40 p.79
Periphery # 40-41 Northcoast Art and Craft: A Survey
Exhibition Catalogue Departing Spirits publ.Lismore RAG
See more Gallery Artists! |
