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artist statement

Painting, for me, is a means of understanding and communicating with the world around me when words do not suffice, which is much of the time!

 

For influence, I draw upon many forms of ancient and primitive art. I’m particularly drawn to Oceanic art and Egyptian art.

I choose these influences because such artworks were created as a means of communication, rather than for the “art world”. In these cases the images may have taken the form of picture stories, cautionary tales within mythology, or even as ways of appealing to, or bargaining with, the gods.

 

In an age now where technology is so much at odds with the natural world, I try to convey a feeling of spiritual connection to the natural world. For this reason I mostly avoid representing man-made elements other than the occasional bowl, hut or boat.

 

In the picture plane, I flatten figures, animals, birds and plants, and change them to an un-natural scale in order to unify them. I decorate them as a way of honouring them and giving them importance in my imagined world. I “invent” new hybrid species of animals, birds and plant-forms. They simply evolve on the canvas. 

 

Within this changed spatial relativity, along with the textured, patterned surfaces, I explore the subtle and peculiar relationships between people, animals, birds, plants and the land, via anthropomorphism.

 

Just for fun, I will often employ humour in the way I portray animal and human characters. There is so much to worry about in our crazy world.. and I think that artists musicians and dancers etc can help lighten the load. 

solo exhibitions

2025 'New Work' Anthea Polson Art (upcoming)

2022 "Everything is Connected' Anthea Polson Art 

2020 "Sociable Species" Anthea Polson Art, Gold Coast

2019 "Silent Conversations"  Anthea Polson Art, Gold Coast

2015 Recent  Paintings  Libby Edwards Galleries Melbourne

2013 Recent work Libby Edwards Galleries Melbourne

2012 Recent Work, Libby Edwards Galleries Melbourne

2011 Recent Work, Libby Edwards Galleries Melbourne

2010 Recent Paintings, Libby Edwards Galleries Melbourne
2009 Libby Edwards Galleries Brisbane
2008 Libby Edwards Galleries Melbourne
2007 Libby Edwards Galleries Sydney
2006 Libby Edwards Galleries Brisbane
2005 Libby Edwards Galleries Melbourne
2004 Greetings from La La Land, Libby Edwards Galleries Brisbane
2003 Libby Edwards Galleries Sydney

2002 Libby Edwards Galleries Melbourne
2001 Libby Edwards Gallleries Sydney
2000 Libby Edwards Gallleries South Yarra

1998 "A Response to the Far North" McWhirter's Art Space  Brisbane

 

group exhibitions

2021 (finalist) Arthur Guy Memorial Art prize, Bendigo Regional Art Gallery. 

2020 Anthea Polson Art

2020 Harvey Galleries Sydney

2019 Anthea Polson Art

2018 Anthea Polson Art Gold Coast Queensland

2012  Femme Fatales, Libby Edwards Galleries Melbourne

2011  Contempo, Libby Edwards Galleries Melbourne
2000  Summer Show Libby Edwards Galleries Portsea

1999 Summer Show Libby Edwards Galleries Portsea, Victoria

1998 Sunshine Coast Art Prize

1997  The 'Tate' Gallery Contemporary Art Space Noosa. Qld
1996  'SAVE' Gilchrist Galleries, Brisbane
1996  Group - Gilchrist Galleries, Brisbane

1994 'PRISM' - 10 QLD Artists. NOOSA Regional Art Gallery

1993 Fairhill Gallery Yandina  Qld

1992 Australian Artisans' Studio, Cairns 

1992 'Man, Land, Images'   Palm Court Gallery, Cairns

1991 "Keep the Rivers Flowing' The Environment Centre, Cairns

1991  '8 Local Artists'  Palm Court Gallery, Cairns 

1991 Palm Court Gallery, Cairns "Invisible Art" 

         *(documented by National Gallery, Canberra)                            1991 Palm Court Gallery, Cairns

1991 The Alice Prize (finalist) Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs.
1984 ROAR Studios, Melbourne - three person show
1983 RMIT Post graduate  exhibition RMIT Gallery, Melbourne

 

travelling exhibition (participant)

2000 'Celebrating the Exquisite Corpse'  Bendigo Art Gallery travelling exhibition


collections / acquisitions

University of the Sunshine Coast, Permanent Collection
Wrotham Park Station P & O Resort, Cairns, Queensland
Marriot Hotel - Brisbane

Mornington Regional Art Gallery

Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery. Vic (from Exquisite Corpse Exhibition) 

St Vincent's Private Hospital Melbourne

McDougall-Ireland Pty Ltd. Brisbane. 

Royal South Yarra Tennis Club, Toorak, Vic.
Private collections in Japan, Taiwan, USA, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Majorca and Australia.

*Gallery link

https://antheapolsonart.com.au/artists/jill-lewis/ 

ABOUT

Born in Sydney, educated in Melbourne.

Moved to Queensland in 1987. Taught art in tropical Far North Queensland and the Sunshine Coast before returning to Melbourne in 1999. 

​Art Education

RMIT University BA Fine Art 1980 - 83  

RMIT University Graduate Diploma Painting 1984  

Melbourne College of Advanced Education, Graduate

Diploma of Education 1985

Art Teaching ​ 

University of the Sunshine Coast 1997 and 1998

Sessional Lecturer Bachelor of Arts, Visual Art. Designed, introduced and taught the first visual art course within the Bachelor of Art

Cairns TAFE   Sessional teacher Cert 4 Painting 

Cooloola TAFE Sessional teacher Cert 4 Painting 

 

 

 

 

 

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