Damien Minton Gallery | Artists | Michelle Hungerford

A Couple of Hours Out of Sydney
Four artists: four views

Exhibition dates: Wed 20 June to Sat 7 July 2007
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Drive a couple of hours out of Sydney and you will be engulfed by natural landscapes that are unique in every direction.

What you will also find are contemporary artists who live away from the centre of the Sydney art industry, creating their own sense of place.

This exhibition attempts to acknowledge the growing number of relevant artists who are rewriting the old notions of regional isolation.

Michelle Hungerford lives in Tamworth and evokes the countryside of that region.

This latest series of work is based on the landscape and in particular, the light and space in the Australian bush.

“I have arrived at the landscape through a journey of figuration, abstraction and back again. The period of abstract painting for me was like learning to fly. I felt enormous freedom as my works were unmediated by figuration. It was in the abstract that I learnt many lessons about space and light.

When our family moved to the bush, the landscape became a vehicle for my interest in space and light. Something else happened as I found myself increasingly connected to the land where I live. The time spent at Daruka, Tamworth, has been a spiritual awakening for me and I find fascination in the smallest things and in the shortest moments. Through learning to see the small picture I am learning to understand the big picture.

The painting process often leads me to familiar places around the Tamworth area where I live and work. Sometimes the work will evoke a human presence, as in a road or track, and sometimes an eerie sense of the people who have occupied the land previously.

Each of the pieces also portray a moment lost; the strong light effects which are so fleeting but not easily forgotten or a journey through the landscape experiencing the smells, sounds and sights.”

Education

2003Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) Class 1
       Recipient of the University Medal
       Newcastle University, New South Wales. Australia
2002Bachelor of Fine Art
       Newcastle University, New South Wales. Australia
2000Advanced Diploma in Fine Art (Credit)
       New England Institute of TAFE. Tamworth, Australia
1994Diploma of Fine Art (Distinction)
       New England Institute of TAFE. Tamworth, Australia

Solo Exhibitions

2006Scrub, Newhall College, Cambridge University, U.K.
2004Making Light, Focus Gallery, Tamworth, TAFE NSW,
       Australia
2003Bush, Damien Minton Gallery, Newcastle, NSW,
       Australia
2002Making Space, Suters Gallery, Newcastle, NSW,
       Australia
2001Studio Space, Old School Gallery, Walcha, NSW,
       Australia
1990Figure it out, Neith Studios, Gosford, NSW, Australia

Group Exhibitions (selected)

2007A couple of hours out of Sydney, Damien Minton
       Gallery, Sydney
2006Country Energy art prize, Goulburn Regional Gallery,
       Art Space, Woolloomooloo, Griffith regional gallery
2006Norvill art prize, RSL Memorial Hall, Murrurundi
2006Regional Encounters, Tamworth Regional Gallery
2005Daruka to Darlinghurst, Weswal Gallery Tamworth
2005These are a few of my favourite things, Damien Minton
       Gallery, Newcastle
2004These are a few of my favourite things, Damien Minton
       Gallery, Newcastle
2003Surface memories, Tamworth Regional Gallery,
       Tamworth, NSW
2003Eleven Newcastle Artists, Dank Street Gallery, Sydney,
       NSW
2003Love Your Work, State Teacher’s Show, College of Fine
       Art, Sydney
2003Drawing connection, International Drawing Show,
       Muse Gallery, Sydney
2003Hatched – National tertiary show, Perth Institute of
       Contemporary Art, Perth, Western Australia
2002Echo, Newcastle University gallery
2001Drawn In, Watt Space Gallery, Newcastle
1998Local Product show, Tamworth City Gallery

Awards

2006Highly commended Country energy art prize
       - Judge Tim Storrier
2006Highly commended Norvill art prize
       - Judge Susan Archer
2003University Medal - Newcastle University
2002National Tertiary Art Prize - Judge David Boyd
       Newcastle student Acquisitive Prize - Judges Sieglinde
       Batterley & David Thomas
1996Highly commended Tamara Art Prize
       - Judge John Coburn
1993First place medal, Associate Diploma of Fine Art,
       Tamworth TAFE

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