MICHELLE CAWTHORN MANCHESTER ROAD
WTHORN 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