Neil Turner – Woodturning – Woodwork Artist
Neil Turner – Artist Biography
Neil Turner now resides on a 10 acre wooded block at Stratham 11 kilometers south of Bunbury. The years spent on his wheat and sheep farm 180 km east of Perth in Western Australia provided the opportunity to use wood normally overlooked and neglected by other woodworkers. His early years were spent juggling work and family with occasional woodturning. Neil Turner has been turning and sculpting wood for over 32 years, attending workshops whenever possible to improve his technique and sharpen his focus and skills. He has in recent years studied and completed a Diploma of Fine Furniture at The Australian School of Wood in Dwellingup.
Neil Turner – Artist Statement
“My rural environment greatly influenced me, as I was able to observe the wind, fire and water impact the land. My intention is to incorporate these aspects into work that has a free, expressive and organic appearance while using carving and turning techniques to achieve a purity of form.
Wood a living breathing organism that captures my imagination. The opportunity to express thoughts and ideas in a tangible creation that continues to react within it’s environment. To design and create in wood poses many challenges both in structure and integrity but the pleasure I derive from my work is simple, a joy and passion to create pieces of work that I like.”
b. 1958, Narrogin, Australia
EDUCATION
1992/94 Woodturning Workshop with Stephan Hughes, Bunbury
1993 Woodturning Workshop with Vic Wood, Bunbury
1999 Woodturning Workshop with John Jordan, Dwellingup
2000 Woodturning Workshop with Graham Priddle, Dwellingup
2000 Woodturning Workshop with Gordon Ward, Dwellingup
2003 Designing Futures Workshop with Louise Hibbit, Dwellingup, Sarah Parker, Hayley Smith & Todd Hoyer
2003 Designing Futures Workshop with Stephen Hogbin, Perth
2005 Creative Workshop Advanced Embellishment with Dwellingup Monique Tippet
2007/9/11 Invitation Collaborative Workshop Bowral
2009/10 Invitation Collaborative Workshop, Bunbury
2009/11 Invitation Goongarrie Station Workshop, Kalgoorlie
2010-11 Diploma of Fine Furniture Dwellingup
2011 Turnfest Demonstrator, Sea World Resort, Queensland
2013 International Turning Exchange, Residency The Center for Art in Wood Philadelphia
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
1999-04 Australian Woodturning Exhibition, Nunawading, Victoria, Australia
2000/01/02 Perth Royal Show – Eastern District Display. Claremont, Western Australia
2002-08/10 Out of The Woods, Claremont Showgrounds, Perth, Australia
2005 Scintillating, Armadale City Redevelopment Authority, Armadale,
Western Australia.
2005/08/11 Collectors of Wood Art Symposium, Philadelphia, USA
2005/08-9 Turned Wood – Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2005-06 Woodworks, Meatmarket Art Centre, Melbourne, Australia
2005-08/11 SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition) Chicago, IL
2005-08 SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition) New York, NY
2006/09 Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2006 ART Scottsdale, WestWorld, Art & Antiques, Scottsdale, AZ
2006 Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Sculpture 2007 – The Shape of Things, Bungendore Wood Works Gallery, Bungendore, NSW, Australia
2007 Pacific Connections, Del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009 On Fire, Mundaring Arts Centre, Mundaring, Australia
2009/10 Coast to Coast, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, Bunbury, Australia
2009 Spirit of Timber – ‘Objects of Desire’, Artgeo Gallery, Busselton, Australia
2011 Mid West Art Prize, Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, Geraldton, Australia
2011 “Signature SouthWest” ArtGeo Gallery, Busselton, Australia
2011 Pi to Pentagon, Collaboration with Harvey Fein, SOFA Chicago Chicago, IL
2012/13 South Western Times Survey, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery Bunbury, Australia
2012 SOFA Chicago, “Thunder Down Under” Chicago, IL
2012 “Neil Turner Unfolding”, South West Showcase, Bunbury Regional Art Galleries Bunbury, Australia
2012 Robyn Wood’s CORES Recycled, The Center For Art in Wood Philadelphia, PA
2012 Crafthaus (online exhibition). “Crafting this Antipodean Place”
2012-16 Art Palm Beach Miami, FL
2013 “Harmony” Professional Outreach Programme (POP), American Association of Woodturners. Gallery of Wood Art St Paul, Minnesota
2013 “Currents” American Association of Woodturners Symposium Invitational exhibition Tampa, FL
2015 “Coalesce” Solo exhibition, Linton and Kay Galleries Perth, Australia
2015 AtGeo Exhibition, ArtGeo Gallery, Busselton. Western Australia
2015 City of Kalgoorlie Art Prize, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
2015 “Patterns” Professional Outreach Programme (POP), American Association of Wood turners, Gallery of Wood Art, Pittsburgh, PA
2015 Perth College 31st Annual Exhibition, Mount Lawley, Western Australia
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2004 Australian Wood Review, Edition 43, 44 The West Australian newspaper, Habitat, December 500 Wood Bowls, Lark Books, Sterling Press, Ashville, NC
2005 “Turning Downunder”, American Woodturner Magazine, Winter
2006 Insite Homes, Autumn Edition. Western Australia.
2006 Instyle Interiors, Edition 3. Western Australia.
2006/07 Insite Homes, Summer Edition. Western Australia.
2007 Capital, Edition 26, Canberra. Australia
2010 Creative Wood New Zealand, March Edition 96. New Zealand.
2011 Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, March Catalogue. Medina, MN
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh PA
Armadale Redevelopment Authority Collection, City of Armadale Collection
Shire of Capel Art Collection
Norton Rockler Collection, Medina, Minnesota. USA
City of Bunbury Art Collection
Government House, Canberra
Numerous International Private Collections (USA, UK and Japan)
GRANTS, ARTICLES AND DEMONSTRATIONS
2013 Artflight Grant (Department of Culture and the Arts WA) – International Turning Exchange
2013 Artist Profile in UK Woodturning Magazine, UK Wood Carving, Crafts Arts International Issue 87
2012-15 Professionally writes articles for American Assoc. for Woodturning, UK Woodturning and Australian Wood Review
2011/12/15/16 Turnfest Demonstrator, Sea World Resort, Queensland
2013/15 Demonstrator at American Assoc. of Woodturning Symposium
2015 Demonstrator at Utah Woodturning Symposium
2013/15 Professional Demonstrations throughout USA
