PHILIP WARD-DICKSON  DECEMBER 2008

This series of paintings evolved from an initial concept to depict Banksia wildflowers as a combination of floating realism coupled with reductive symbolic form. My desire to represent Australian flora as out of the vase and off the table, in a style more akin to botanical texts rather than the familiar still life floral paintings of Australian tradition, resulted in this group of paintings that are a combination of representational and abstract elements.

With over two thirds of all known species of Banksia indigenous to Western Australia, and this being the Wildflower State, the emblematic banksias seemed an ideal subject. Banksia flowers, cones and leaves when combined with layered colour, subtle nuance of texture  and painted at times with glowing auras can evoke not only the specimen depicted but also  memories of location and the light and colours so unique to Western Australia.

The painting "Banksia coccinea - Albany" exemplifies the depiction of both object and evocation of the soft grey-glow of Albany skies. The light auras that surround some images pulsate gently on the retina of the viewer allowing meanings to be perceived beyond surface representation.


CURRICULUM VITAE

BORN 1951. Lives and works in Perth, Western Australia.

EDUCATION
1982   Associateship in Art Education, W.A. Institute of Technology [now Curtin University]
1977   Post Graduate Degree, Special Education,  Mt Lawley College of Advanced Education
1977   Teacher's Higher Certificate, Education Department of Western Australia
1972   Graduate Diploma of Teaching, Nedlands College of Advanced Education.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2008   'Banksia'  Turner Galleries, Perth
2001   'On the Edge'   Artplace, Perth
1998   New works,   Artplace, Perth
1993   Greenaway Galleries,   Adelaide
1992   'Claustrophobia'   Delaney Galleries, Perth

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2006    Town of Vincent Art Award, Perth  
2003    "Group Show"  Artplace'  Perth
2003    City of Joondalup Invitation Art Award, Perth
2003    Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Biennial Acquisitive Art Award, Perth   
2002   " Group Show 2002 "  Artplace, Perth
2001   'More Miniatures',  Holmes a Court Gallery, Perth
           'The Vanishing Meateater' , The Verge Gallery, Perth
1999   'Transitions',  Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Annual Exhibition, Church Gallery, Perth
1998   'Artplace at 101', Gallery 101, Melbourne
            New works,  Artplace, Perth
           'Artist's Choice',  Claremont School of Art, Perth
1997   'Five years Artplace',  Artplace, Perth
           'Censorship show',  Artplace, Perth
1996   'Dispositions',  Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
           'Queer in the West',  Perth Instituteof Contemporary Art
           'Five Figurative Painters',  Festival of Perth, Artplace, Perth     
           '6 WA Painters',  Beaver Galleries, Canberra
1995    Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Art Exhibition,  Perth
            Albany Art Prize
1994    Mandorla Art Award
           'Icons to Irony',  Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Art Exhibition, Perth
1993    Bunbury Biennale, Bunbury Art Gallery, Bunbury
            Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Perth
            Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Art Exhibition,  Perth
            Eight Artists Group Exhibition,  Delaney Galleries, Perth
1992   'The Four Seasons',  Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Art Exhibition, Perth

1990   'Sol Invictus', Three artists exhibition Delaney Galleries, Perth
           'Pink Summers',  Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Exhibition, Sydney
1988   'The Big Teez' EXHIBITION, Burswood Convention Centre, Perth    
1985    Four Artist Exhibition,  Gallery 52, Perth
1983   'By Invitation', Craft Award,  Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth  
1982    Porcelain and Terracotta sculptures,  Gallery 52, Perth

AWARDS
1997    Artbridge, 2nd Prize, in collaboration with Indra Geidans.

COMMISSIONS - PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2008    Art Management Committee Member, Royal Perth Hospital Collection, Perth
2003   Artist in Residence, St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls, Perth.
1994    Civic Court Fountain, Rockingham City Council Buildings, Rockingham.
1990    Co-ordinated the publication  of 'Australian Painting Since 1940',   
             Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth.

 COLLECTIONS
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth.
Holmes a Court Collection, Perth.  
Royal Perth Hospital Art Collection, Perth.
City of Wanneroo Collection, Perth.
City of Perth Collection, Perth
 
PUBLICATIONS
2008   Ric Spencer, TheWest Australian, 15th August
2003   Simone Considine, Western Suburbs Weekly  26th August
2001   David Bromfield, 'On Show', The West Australian,  5 May
           Evi Ferrier,  'ArtBeat',  Perth Weekly,  25 April
           Post Impressions,  Post Newspaper,  21 April
1999   Andrew Nicholls, exhibition review,   Westside Observer, 29 October
1997   David Bromfield, 'On Show',  The West Australian, 13 December
1996   Judith McGrath, 'Christmas, time to take it all in',  Sunday Times,  22 December
           David Bromfield, 'Gay, lesbian art draws on more than sexual tyranny', West Australian, 2 Nov  
           Mary O'Donovan,  X Press Magazine, #506
           Anna Heriman, '6 WA Painters',  exhibition catalogue.
           Paul McGillick, Perth Dreamscape finds it's painters,  Financial Review, 9 February
           Sonia Baron, Showing six who characterise painting in WA,  Canberra Times, 17 February
1995   The Westside Observer,  March issue
1994    Neville Drury,  Images Two,  Craftsman House, 1994,  p133, pl 135
1993    John Neylon,  The Adelaide Review,  September
            David Bromfield, On Show,  The West Australian,  March  
1992    David Bromfield, On Show,  The West Australian, March
1990    David Bromfield, On Show,  The West Australian, 3 November
            Ron Banks, 'Sol Invictus',   The West Australian, 3 November

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
2007-           Art Instructor, Health Department of Western Australia.
2003 -2006  Art Teacher, St Mary's Anglican Girls' School.
1992-2002    Full time arts practice in painting , sculpture and mosaics conducted from home studio and                                                   
                   shared studio space at Gotham Studios, Northbridge.
                   Contract work with the Art Gallery of Western Australia and Art On The Move.
1988-1991    Education Officer, Art Gallery of Western Australia.                   
1987-1988    Special Education, Chidley Education Centre.
1985            Art Co-ordinator, Special Art Programme Applecross  Senior High School.
1982-1984    Master of Special Duties, Art Department of the Distance Education Centre.
1981            Master of Special Duties, Office of the Superintendent of Art/ Craft,
                   Education Department of Western Australia.
1978-1979    Selected to pilot the Art Specialist in Special Schools Programme at
                    Buckland Hill Special for Physically Disabled Children,
                    School, Mosman Park School For Deaf Children,
                    Cottesloe School For Partially Hearing Children.
1975-1976    Special Education, Balga Special School.
1974            Art Master, Christchurch Grammar School                                                                   
1973           Art Teacher, Albany Senior High School.