DECEMBER 2014: J G CRAWFORD PRIZE
I'm delighted and proud to have received an ANU J G Crawford Prize for my PhD thesis. Up to three prizes are awarded each year for a PhD in the sciences and the humanities and, in this case, for "a graduate who has demonstrated an outstanding ability in integrating and applying different fields, approaches and knowledge." Full citation here.
NOVEMBER 2014: ANU VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COLLEGE ARTIST FELLOWSHIP (VCCAF)
These are new paintings made as part of my residency in the ANU Department of Applied Mathematics, where I'm working with Dr Vanessa Robins and Professor Stephen Hyde. I'm exploring the idea of 'cubic membranes' (also known as 'entangled labyrinths'), which are three-dimensional structures formed from two-dimensional hyperbolic surfaces. These soft crystalline structures can be found in nature. For example, they appear to provide a template for the formation of structures inside the scales of the butterfly wing during metamorphosis.
In this new series of paintings, I have moved from working on paper to making larger works on board, using gouache and acrylics. My aim is to visualise the separate but interconnected spaces of the cubic membranes by using tonal graduations of paint within a carefully constructed grid, and to evoke the shimmer of the butterfly's wing through the use of complementary colours and simultaneous contrast. Full essay here.
Entangled labyrinths (2014). Gouache and pencil on board, 25 x 25 cm (left) and 30 x 30 cm (right)
OCTOBER 2014: PULSE - REFLECTIONS ON THE BODY
I have two sets of paintings in this exhibition at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, curated by Mark Bayly.
Left: A private view (2009) and right: Let us calculate (detail, 2014)
JULY 2014: MEGALO STUDIO + GALLERY RESIDENCY
I've just started my residency at Megalo, and am learning how to screen print. This is giving me the opportunity to explore ideas from the Applied Mathematics residency in a different way. Early results are below...
JUNE 2014: SOLO EXHIBITION THE PRINCIPLE OF CONTINUITY
This exhibition is hosted by Culture at Work, at Accelerator Gallery (6 Scott St, Pyrmont, Sydney). The exhibition opens at 2 pm on Saturday 7th, with closing drinks from 1-3 pm on Sunday 15th. Culture at Work is an organisation that fosters connections between the arts and sciences through a program of exhibitions, residencies, public lectures, and workshops.
2014 ANU COLLEGE VISITING ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
This year I am an artist-in-residence in the Department of Applied Mathematics at the Australian National University, as a Vice-Chancellor's College Visiting Artist Fellow. In this inter-disiplinary collaboration I'll be looking at the role of mental imagery in the understanding and development of abstract mathematical concepts, and considering how I can represent imagery of this kind using painting, drawing, and 3D printing. To get the project started, I made a 15 m long wall drawing in the Department at the end of 2013.
Coloured pencil, gouache, and acrylic paint on wall, approx. 22 x 1500 cm (2013)
2014 MEGALO STUDIO + GALLERY RESIDENCY
In July and August this year I'll be taking up a 6 week residency at the Megalo Studio + Gallery in Canberra. In my painting practice I use repetition to create multiple series of works, and I'm looking forward to extending this by experimenting with print techniques such as etching and screen printing.