Michelle Cawthorn | Manchester Road 2019

MICHELLE CAWTHORN MANCHESTER ROAD

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Cover: Michelle Cawthorn Before 10, after 4 2019 oil and archival pen on polyester 84 x 102 cm

MICHELLE CAWTHORN

MANCHESTER ROAD 24 July – 18 August 2019 Exhibition Opening Wednesday 24 July 2019, 6 – 8 pm

It’s the summer of 1979. or maybe 1980? That is the problem with memory, it’s hard to pin down. The works in Manchester Road, represent artist Michelle Cawthorn’s reimagining of a childhood home and garden that no longer exists and draw on her memories associated with this period in her life. No longer the 1970s, and not yet what the 1980s will be, this transition from one decade to another acts as a metaphor for this twilight time in her childhood.

After travelling around Europe for a year in a combi van with her family, the house at Manchester Road that the family moved into on their return was a tired, post-war 1950’s fibro home with large backyard in need of repair and renovation. Carpets were torn up and replaced, walls were painted, bathrooms retiled, the garden replanted. The Dulux colour chart was never far from reach. This period also marked a time of more intimate change too. Puberty had begun and things sprouted in places unexpected, thoughts shifting from Barbies to boys.

The works in Manchester Road explore all these memories unapologetically, but in ways often as subtle as the changes were themselves. These are hinted to in the titles of the works which are suggestive rather than prescribed. The repetitive hatched mark making that characterises the artist’s practice, generates a meditative space that allows her to access memory unconstrained. The smaller works on paper reflect a more immediate approach to this process of memory recall, their scale enabling her to navigate their visual and emotional information with more immediacy. The larger works on paper and canvas riff on the smaller works, their scale allowing both artist and audience to linger longer in this reimagined place.

Sydney 2019

Opposite: A Tiger in the Rain 2019 archival pen, watercolour, white gouache, acrylic wash and Indian ink on HahnemĂźhle paper 158 x 216 cm

Dirty Denim 2019 oil and archival pen on polyester 102 x 84 cm

Maybe 1980 2019 oil and archival pen on polyester 102 x 84 cm

A new plant for the garden 2018 archival pen, acrylic, watercolour, white gouache and collage on paper 39 x 30 cm

Late night conversation 2019 watercolour, Indian ink, acrylic wash and archival pen on paper 39 x 30 cm

Dining room chairs 2019 archival pen, acrylic, watercolour, Indian ink, acrylic wash on paper 39 x 30 cm

Leaf Litter 2019 archival pen, acrylic, watercolour, Indian ink, acrylic wash on paper 39 x 30 cm

Midford Blues 2019 archival pen, acrylic, watercolour, Indian ink, acrylic wash and grafite on paper 39 x 30 cm

A day off from school 2019 archival pen, watercolour, Indian ink and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Wicker chair freckle 2019 archival pen, Indian ink and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Under the sprinkler 2019 archival pen, acrylic and watercolour on paper 39 x 30 cm

Something in the backyard 2019 archival pen, acrylic, watercolour, Indian ink on paper 39 x 30 cm

The picture of the lady in the Health and Beauty book 2019 archival pen, watercolour and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Undergrowth 2019 archival pen, watercolour and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

I used to eat pink begonia petals 2019 archival pen, watercolour, white gouache, Indian ink, graphite and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Growing curves 2019 archival pen, watercolour and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Hysterical blindness 2019 archival pen, watercolour, Indian ink and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm NFS

Nan told me it was called rhubarb 2019 archival pen, watercolour, graphite and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Self-portrait then and now 2019 archival pen, watercolour, graphite and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Grass has hair on it 2019 archival pen, watercolour, white gouache, graphite and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Summer of ‘79 2019 archival pen, watercolour, Indian ink, white gouache, graphite and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Arthur’s place and a wombat hole 2019 archival pen, watercolour, Indian ink and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Safari suit, 2019 Watercolour, Indian ink, acrylic wash and graphite on paper 39 x 30 cm

I borrowed the book on sex from the library, 2019 archival pen, watercolour, white gouache, acrylic and graphite on paper 39 x 30 cm

Mum’s skirt was purple with bells on it 2019 archival pen, watercolour, white gouache, acrylic and graphite on paper 39 x 30 cm

This one’s for the rockery 2019 archival pen, watercolour, and acrylic on paper 39 x 30 cm

Opposite: Garden at Manchester Road 2019 archival pen, watercolour, Indian ink, white gouache, graphite and acrylic on paper 79 x 108 cm

Opposite: Sprinkler on a hot summer’s day, 2019 oil and archival pen on polyester 84 x 102 cm

MICHELLE CAWTHORN Born 1970, Sydney. Lives and works, Sydney EDUCATION 2017-

PhD Fine Arts (candidate), UNSW Art & Design, Sydney

2015

Master of Fine Arts (by research), UNSW Art & Design, Sydney

2012

Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours, Class 1), The College of Fine Arts UNSW, Sydney

2007

Bachelor of Art Education, The College of Fine Arts, UNSW, Sydney

2005

Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting), The College of Fine Arts, UNSW, Sydney

AWARDS AND PRIZES 2019

Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize, Ravenswood School for Girls, Sydney. FINALIST

2018

Bundanon Trust Artist-in-Residence Fellowship. RECIPIENT

Splash: McClelland Contemporary Watercolour Award (inaugural), McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, Victoria. FINALIST Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW. FINALIST Tim Olsen Drawing Prize, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney. HIGHLY COMMENDED Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, Adelaide Perry Gallery, Sydney. FINALIST 2017

Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW. FINALIST Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize (inaugural), Ravenswood School for Girls, Sydney. FINALIST Tim Olsen Drawing Prize, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney. FINALIST Sir John Sulman Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. FINALIST Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre. Friends of Hazelhurst Local Artist Award. WINNER

2016

Wollongong Art Gallery Contemporary Watercolour Prize, Wollongong Art Gallery, NSW. FINALIST Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Woollahra Council Chambers, Sydney. FINALIST

2015

Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, Sydney. FINALIST

2014

Tim Olsen Drawing Prize, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney. HIGHLY COMMENDED Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW. FINALIST Kudos Award, Kudos Gallery, Sydney. FINALIST

2013

Art on Paper: Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre. Friends of Hazelhurst Local Artist Award. WINNER Willoughby Sculpture Prize, Incinerator Art Space, Sydney. FINALIST Chippendale New World Art Prize, X88 Gallery, Sydney. FINALIST

2012

The College of Fine Arts Dean’s List for Academic Excellence, University of NSW. RECIPIENT

2008

Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award, Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW. FINALIST

GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS 2017

New South Wales Artists’ Grant, NAVA and Create NSW

2016

Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, UNSW New South Wales Artists’ Grant, NAVA and Arts NSW

2014

UNSW Art & Design Grant

2012

Australian Postgraduate Award, University of New South Wales

COLLECTIONS Artbank Gippsland Art Gallery, Victoria Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, NSW Private collections in Australia and overseas RESIDENCIES 2019

Bundanon Trust, Bundanon, NSW

2018

Jamberoo Mountain Road, Jamberoo, NSW

2015

Loreto Kirribilli, Sydney

SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2019

Manchester Road, Olsen Gallery, Sydney

2018

Miss Pinball, .M Contemporary, Sydney

2016

Playpen, Egg and Dart, Thirroul, NSW

2015

Bittersweet, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, Sydney Birdland, .M Contemporary, Sydney Little Triggers, AD Space, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney

2014

Sleeper, Sheffer Gallery, Sydney

2013

Idle Thoughts, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha, NSW Memorophilia, Kudos Gallery, Sydney

2012

A tenuous thing, At The Vanishing Point, Sydney BlueBird, Community Gallery, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, Sydney

JOINT EXHIBITIONS 2016

This Is Not A Solo Show, collaboration with Peter Sharp, Verge Gallery, University of Sydney, Sydney

2015

Memory Fragments, Art Space on the Concourse, Sydney

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2018

Antumbra, Olsen Gallery, Sydney Return, AD Space, UNSW Art & Design How We See Ourselves, West End Art Space, Melbourne Jamberoo Mountain Road, Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, Nowra, NSW Imagine, (inaugural exhibition) Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, Victoria

2017

Sculpture Show, The Broadhurst Gallery, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, Sydney Winter Group Show, .M Contemporary, Sydney Re-Launch, AD Space, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney Summer Group Show, .M Contemporary, Sydney

2016

The Charged Object, Gallery Lane Cove, Sydney

2015

The Bird Show, Spot 81, Sydney Annual Winter Group Show, .M Contemporary, Sydney Drawing Now 2015, AD Space, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney

2015

Private Lives: The Artist as Collector, SH Ervin Gallery, The National Trust, Sydney

2014

Summer Group Show, .M Contemporary, Sydney Postgraduate Research Conference, Ancillary Programme, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney

2013

Drawing Now, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, University of New South Wales, Sydney

2012

Tomorrow, Today, COFASPACE, University of New South Wales, Sydney Drawing Show, Walcha Gallery of Art, Walcha, NSW Half a Desk, Kudos Gallery, Sydney Alive and Well, First Draft Gallery, Sydney Half Way Mark, COFASPACE, University of New South Wales, Sydney

2011

Annual Master Class Tutors Exhibition, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, Sydney

2008-10

Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award, (touring exhibition) Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW

2008

1200k West- Fowlers Gap, COFASPACE, University of New South Wales, Sydney

2006

ILIRI Fowlers Gap Field Trip, COFASPACE, University of New South Wales, Sydney

2005

COFA Annual: Graduating Students Exhibition, COFASPACE, University of New South Wales, Sydney Imaging the Land, COFASPACE, University of New South Wales, Sydney

2003

TERRORart, Kudos Gallery, Sydney Dissonance, COFASPACE, University of New South Wales, Sydney

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, INCLUDING PUBLICATIONS, PLEASE SEE MICHELLE CAWTHORN�S ARTIST PAGE ON THE OLSEN GALLERY WEBSITE OR FOLLOW THIS LINK: https://www.olsengallery.com/images/Michelle%20Cawthorn%20CV_2019(updated).pdf

MICHELLE CAWTHORN MANCHESTER ROAD 24 July – 18 August 2019 Exhibition Opening Wednesday 24 July 2019, 6 – 8 pm