What is compelling about Dawson’s work is the paradox, in a slick, hi-def, 3D-printed world, of presence-in-reduction: he simultaneously pushes sculpture forward while keeping it rooted in the workshop. It is not about hiding the seams, but reveling in them.
—Dougal Phillips
Exhibition Dates: 15 November – 8 December 2018
View Exhibition Text
cotton/rayon digital tapestry, maple stretcher, stainless steel frame
102 x 152 x 4 cm
cotton/rayon digital tapestry, maple stretcher, stainless steel frame
102 x 152 x 4 cm
cotton/rayon digital tapestry, maple stretcher, stainless steel frame
102 x 152 x 4 cm
cotton/rayon digital tapestry, maple stretcher, stainless steel frame
102 x 152 x 4 cm
cotton/rayon digital tapestry, maple stretcher, stainless steel frame
102 x 152 x 4 cm
cotton/rayon digital tapestry, maple stretcher, stainless steel frame
152 x 102 x 4 cm
brass, silver solder and light bulb
303 x 70 x 120 cm
brass, silver solder and light bulb
303 x 70 x 120 cm
brass, silver solder
dimensions variable
Using chemistry, mechanics and construction techniques, Marley Dawson creates sculptures and installations that highlight aspects of our world and selves that can be uncanny, surreal and extraordinary. Dawson has been exhibiting extensively for over a decade inside Australia and internationally.
Exhibition view, Marley Dawson, Public Furniture, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery (15 November — 8 December 2018)
Exhibition view, Marley Dawson, Public Furniture, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery (15 November — 8 December 2018)
Marley Dawson Broad between Arch and Race / fan blanket, 2018; cotton/rayon digital tapestry, maple stretcher, stainless steel frame; 102 × 152 × 4cm
Exhibition view, Marley Dawson, Cocktails, Dawson, Griggs & Moore, Group Show, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery (21 November — 12 December 2013)
Exhibition view, Marley Dawson, Future Eaters, Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne (22 July — 23 September 2017)
Installation view, Marley Dawson, Purlieu, Awesome Arts Festival, Forrest Place, Perth, 2009
Marley Dawson Public Furniture
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2018
Group Show, State of Play
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2017
Group Show, Future Eaters
Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne, 2017
Marley Dawson Construction (Barangaroo 2016)
Barangaroo Sculpture Walk, Sydney, 2016
Marley Dawson Palethorp
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2016
Group Show, Statistics and Dynamics
Hemphill, Washington DC, 2014
Group Show, Dawson, Griggs, Moore
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2013
Marley Dawson
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2013
Group Show, SEXES
Performance Space, Sydney, 2012
Marley Dawson HEAVY INDUSTRY / LIGHT COMMERCIAL
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2011
Group Show, Purlieu
Awesome Arts Festival, Perth, 2010
Group Show
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2009-10
Marley Dawson Box of Birds
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2009
Marley Dawson Trick Shop
Locksmith Project Space, Sydney, 2009
Marley Dawson Shed
Chalk Horse, Sydney, 2008
Group Show, OBLIVION PAVILION
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2008
Group Show, ECR
Parramatta City Raceway, Sydney, 2008
Group Show, She's not Structural
Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney, 2007
MARLEY DAWSON
Born 1982, Wellington, NSW
Lives and works Bethanga, Australia
Master of Visual Arts, Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney
Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours, First Class), Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Public Furniture, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Palethorp, Roslyn Oxley9, Sydney
Construction (Barangaroo), Barangaroo, Sydney
Explosion/Resolution, Julio Fine Arts Gallery, Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
Construction (T Street NW), 5x5 Project, curated by Justine Topfer, Washington DC
Marley Dawson [performance], Kreeger Museum, Washington
Statics and Dynamics, Hemphill, Washington DC, USA
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Big Feelings (going nowhere), Hillyer Art Space, Washington DC
MCR (with Christopher Hanrahan), Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart
HEAVY INDUSTRY / LIGHT COMMERCIAL, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Relax, db/tp, Sydney
Purlieu, Awesome Arts Festival, Perth
Box of Birds, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Trick Shop, Locksmith Project Space, Sydney
Marley Dawson (shed), Chalk Horse, Sydney
Geronimo Wells End, GrantPirrie Window, Sydney
ECR. A collaboration with Christopher Hanrahan, Performance Space, Sydney
She's not structural, (MVA graduation show), Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Sydney Contemporary, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Bowerbird: Clinton Bradley and the Art of Collecting, Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo
State of Play, Roslyn Oxley9, Sydney
Future Eaters, Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne
That Which Cannot Not Be, Vox Populi, Philadelphia PA
Gravity (and Wonder), Penrith Regional Gallery, Sydney and Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
Mine Moonlight, Museum of American Glass, Millville, NJ
Counter Compositions, Artbank, Sydney
We Pain, Lump, Raleigh, NC
Solid State, Casula Powerhouse, Sydney, AU
Cars = My Automolove, Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, Caboolture, Queensland
Sondheim Prize Finalists exhibition, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
Cocktails: Dawson, Griggs, Moore, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Washington Project for the Arts, Capitol Skyline, Washington DC, USA
Flex, Flex Projects, Washington DC, USA
Seven Points (part one), Embassy of Australia, Washington DC, USA
Call Collect, Hamiltonian Gallery, Washington DC, USA
Sexes, Performance Space, Sydney
Redlands Westpac Art Prize, National Art School Gallery, Sydney
New Work, Fraser Street Studios, Sydney
Illuminations and Bad Faith, Bondi Pavilion, Sydney
Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship, Artspace, Sydney
Phenomenonononon, Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney
Group Show, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
The Horn of Plenty, Para/Site, Hong Kong
Helen Lempriere Travelling Artist Scholarship, Artspace, Sydney
Batteries Not Included, curated by Malcolm Smith, Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney.
Looking Out, curated by Christopher Hanrahan, Macquarie University, Sydney
Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship, Artspace, Sydney
Oblivion Pavilion, curated by Amanda Rowell, Roslyn Oxley 9 Gallery, Sydney
Stone villa annual show, Chrissie Cotter gallery, Sydney
Oblivion Pavilion, curated by Amanda Rowell, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne
Twotap video show. Kent St bar, Melbourne
Science Fair, Firstdraft, Sydney
Locksmith Fundraiser, Sydney
Im a good boy, Firstdraft, Sydney
Volta 2, Performance Space, Sydney
Volta 1, Performance Space, Sydney
Light Brigade, Chalk Horse, Sydney
DIY.Lotekhitec (curated by Jesse Hogan), Brightspace, Melbourne
Riki Tiki Tavi: I could be your big dipper (collaboration with Kate Mitchell), Firstdraft, Sydney
The Antipodes Project, Point Ephémère, Paris [an exchange project between Sydney College
New 06, (as collaborative group, Makeshift: Anna Crane, Marley Dawson, Pep Prodromou, Ned Sevil) Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne
The Antipodes Project, Sydney College of the Arts Gallery, Sydney [an exchange project between Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney and Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris]
Terrain Vague, (collaboration with: Anna Crane, Marley Dawson, Pep Prodromou, Ned Sevil, Anwyn Crawford and Emma Davidson) Mori Gallery, Sydney
No Tyre Kickers, Phatspace, Sydney
Firstdraft is dead, Long live Firstdraft (Directors' Show), Firstdraft, Sydney
Honours graduation show, Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney
How long is a piece of string?, Phatspace, Sydney
Me and my coma, Firstdraft, Sydney
WYWH, Firstdraft, Sydney
Royal Parade, Firstdraft, Sydney
Undergraduate Show, Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney
What the world needs now, Phatspace, Sydney
Shelf life, Newspace Gallery, Sydney
Origins, Newspace Gallery, Sydney
SELECTED AWARDS/SCHOLARSHIPS
New South Wales Artist Fellowship, CreateNSW
Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship, Sculpture
Australia Council for the Arts, New Work Grant
Australia Council for the Arts, Skills and Arts Development Grant
Arts New South Wales, Quick Response Grant
Australia Council for the Arts, New Work Grant
Australian Postgraduate Award
COLLECTIONS
Artbank
Austcorp
Private collections in Australia and the United States
COMMISSIONS
Construction (Barangaroo), Barangaroo, Sydney
Construction (T Street NW), 5x5 Public Art Project, Washington D.C
MCR, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, (collaboration with Christopher Hanrahan)
Wondersite, Forrest Place, Perth
ECR, Performance Space, Sydney, (collaboration with Christopher Hanrahan)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
MOMENTS, Fodder Press, Philadephia
Stella Rose McDonald, 'Solid State', The Art Life, July 20, http://theartlife.com.au/2015/solid-state
Future Eaters, Monash University Museum of Art, Caufield East
Mark Jenkins, 'Marley Dawson: Statics and Dynamics', The Washington Post , 2 March, p E2
Louis Jacobson, 'The Top 5 Photos Show In DC This Year', Washington City Paper, 23 December
Louis Jacobson, 'Marley Dawson: Statics and Dynamics', Washington City Paper, 31 January, p.36
Mark Jenkins, ‘Marley Dawson’, The Washington Post, Sunday 16 June 2013, p E2
Joel Draper, Big Feelings (going nowhere), catalogue essay, Hillyer Art Space, Washington DC
Bree Pickering, Seven Points (part one), Embassy of Australia, Washington DC, 2013, pp 2-7
Lauren Landau, ‘Art Beat with Lauren Landau’, National Public Radio, WAMU 88.5, http://wamu.org/programs/art_beat/13/02/27/art_beat_with_lauren_landau_feb_27, 27 February 2013
Audrey Hoffer, ‘Australian Embassy Aims to Dispel Down Under Clichés’, The Washington Diplomat, edition April 2013
Rachel Pulley, ‘7 Points Exhibition at the Embassy of Australia’, Pink Line Project, http://pinklineproject.com/article/7-points-exhibition-embassy-australia, 04 March 2013
DC Culture Communique, http://culturaltourismdc.tumblr.com/post/44070791435/seven-points, 26 February 2013
Ella Mudie, ‘Sex: the bigger picture’, RealTime issue #113, Feb-March 2013 pg. 46
Sexes, exhibition catalogue, Performance Space, 2012
Lucy Hawthorn, ‘Public Art and its Audience: Iteration again, cast’, Realtime, Issue 106, Dec-Jan 2011, p. 43.
Public art in the island state, ABC Radio National, http://www.abc.net.au/rn/artworks/stories/2011 /3334801.htm 9 October 2011
Fiona Blackwood, ‘Dirt Bike Track becomes Art’, ABC News, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-18/dirt-bike-track-becomes-art/2904644, 18 September 2011
Andrew Harper, Christopher Hanrahan and Marley Dawson ‘MCR’: Critical Response, Iteration Again, 13 Public Art Projects Across Tasmania, http://www.iterationagain.com/archives/1380, September 2011
Anneke van de Vusse, ‘Public art project starts loud and dirty’, 936 ABC Hobart, http://www.abc.net.au/local/ stories /2011 /09/16/ 3319483.htm, 16 September 2011
Pedro de Almeida, Marley Dawson HEAVY INDUSTRY/LIGHT COMMERCIAL, Art Monthly, #243, September 2011, p 37
Adam Gezcy, ‘Doin’ Stuff. Marley Dawson’s machine-sites’, Eyeline, No. 72, pp 21–25
Ella Barclay, 'Marley Dawson', Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship, Artspace, Sydney
Artist Biography and Statement, Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship Publication, (Sydney: Artspace, 2009) pp18
Christopher Hanrahan, 'Trick Shop', Locksmith Project Space Press Release
Dougal Phillips, 'Marley Dawson', Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship, Artspace, Sydney
Sinisia Mackovic, Marley Dawson: Box of Birds, The Thousands, thethousands.com.au/sydney/look/box-of-birds-marley-dawson/, 19 August
Angela Bennetts, 'Marley Daswon: Box of Birds', altmedia.net.au/exhibition-marley-dawson---box-of-birds/10740, 31 August 2009
Christopher Hanrahan, ‘Looking Out’ Exhibition catalog. Macquarie University Press, Sydney, 2008.
Emily Hunt and Raquel Welch, ‘Marley Dawson’ (interview), OBLIVION PAVILION exh. cat., Gertrude Contemporay Art Spaces, Melbourne
Robert Nelson, ‘Inexorable march to ruin celebrated’, The Age, April 2 2008, p17
Sarah Hetherington, ‘I am a good boy’, Artlink, vol. 28, no. 2
Robert Nelson, ‘Inexorable march to ruin celebrated’ The Age, 2 April 2008
Charlotte Day, Oblivion Pavilion, Art&Australia, Spring 2008
Josephine Skinner, Oblivion Pavilion, Runway, Issue 11, 2008
Adam Jasper, Oblivion Pavilion, Time Out Sydney, 13-14 May 2008, p 39
Looking Out’ Exhibition catalogue, Macquarie University Press
Christopher Hanrahan, ‘Marley Dawson’, Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship, Artspace, Sydney
Louise Schwartzkoff, ‘ECR’, The Sydney Morning Herald, August 15, 2008
Amelia Groom, ECR, The Thousands, http://thethousands.com.au/sydney/look/ecr/, 11 August, 2008
Sydney College of the Arts and Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, The Antipodes Project, exh. cat., Paris and Sydney
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, New 06, exh. cat.
Luke Benedictus, ‘A shot of the new’, The Age, 26 March 2006
Marley Dawson and Holly Williams, Me and my coma, exh. cat. Firstdraft, Sydney
