Louisa Dawson’s work examines the everyday, through our daily rituals and the objects we use. She is concerned with social inequalities of travel and mobility, especially with regards to the homeless and other marginalised communities. In her work, Dawson select mundane objects, such as rubbish skips, suitcases, parking meters, caravans and ladders. In re-contextualising these utilitarian and domestic objects she has questioned the pragmatic nature of their conventional use and cultural purpose, and set new precedence’s for the functionality of seemingly absurd and dysfunctional objects.
Australia b. 1980
2007 Masters of Fine Arts, College of Fine Arts, University of NSW.
2004 Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Dresden, Germany.
Guest Student, Professor Bosslet Class.
2001 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Honours, College of Fine Arts, University of NSW.
2008 High Stakes, First Draft Gallery, Sydney, Australia.
2007 Moving House: The Renovation of the Everyday, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, Australia.
2001 Travel, The Lounge, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Sydney, Australia.
Travel Agents, Kudos Gallery, Paddington, Sydney, Australia.
2009 Unravel, Taylor Square Temporary Art Project, Sydney, Australia
Ikea Home Project, Carriageworks, Sydney, Australia
2008 Current '08, Parramatta River, Sydney, Australia
Members Show, Gallery 4A, Sydney, Australia
Sculpture by the Sea, Sydney, Australia
University of Western Sydney Sculpture Award, Sydney, Australia
Art & About, Sydney, Australia
2007 Most Curatorial Biennial of the Universe, Apexart, New York
ISCP, Open Studio Weekend, New York
The Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, Werribee Park, Australia
For Sale, Parramatta Arts Studios, Sydney, Australia
2006 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, Sydney, Australia
Art & About, Customs House, Sydney, Australia
UN Habitat, Vancouver, Canada
Icollect, Collaboration with Jamil Yamani, video screenings, National Museum, Canberra, Australia
Churchie Emerging Art Award, Brisbane, Australia
2005 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, Sydney, Australia
Art & About, Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia
Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, Werribee Park, Melbourne, Australia
2004 Stadtfest, Dresden, Germany
Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, Werribee Park, Melbourne, Australia
2003 Where the small walk tall, Defiance Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2002 Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship, Artspace, Sydney, Australia
2001 Sculpture By the Sea, Bondi, Sydney, Australia
National Tertiary Art Competition, WattSpace, Newcastle, Australia
2009 Open Studios, Frasers Studios, Chippendale, Sydney
2008 Members Show, Gallery 4A, Sydney, Australia
2007 Business and Pleasure: Temporary Visitors, Suite 7/11, New York
2006 Drift Video Works #5, Collaboration with Jamil Yamani, SMIC, Figtree Theatre, Sydney, Australia
May Day, COFA Performance and Exhibition space, Sydney, Australia
The Great Escape, Sculpture Garden, Homebush Bay, Sydney, Australia
Gang, Kampung Street Festival. Chippendale, Sydney, Australia
2005 Department, Blank Space, Sydney, Australia
2004 Jahresausstellung, Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Dresden, Germany
Aussetzung von Helix pomatia, with Susan Donath, Austria, England, Australia
2003 Kaleidoscope, Homeless Persons Week, Tap Gallery, Sydney, Australia
3D, Group exhibition, Space 3, Chippendale, Sydney, Australia
2008 Janet Holmes A Court Artists, Grant, National Association for the Visual Arts
Roberta Allen Mentorship Award
2007 ISCP Residency, New York, Australia Council
RIPE Award, Art and Australia and the ANZ Bank
2006 25/25, Art and Australia and NOISE
Icollect, Grant for video screenings, NOISE
2005 Encouragement Award, Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award
High Achiever Award, University of N.S.W.
Gordon Downing Foundation
2004 Peoples Choice Award, Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award
Ian Potter Cultural Foundation Travel Grant
2003 Waverley Council Youth Art Award, Second Prize, Open Selection
2001 First Prize, Artsparts, Sculpture, UNSW Student Union Art Competition
Emerging Artists support, Sculpture by the Sea
Bosslet,E. , Dresdens Junge Dinger, Index, Klasse Bosslet 1997-2007, Deutscher Nationalbibliothek, Berlin, 2008, p. 7, 20-21.
Messer, B. , Positive Frames, Incubate, COFA UNSW, Issue2, 2008, p. 76-77.
Stein, J. , Louisa Dawson RIPE: ANZ Private Bank and Art & Australia Contemporary Art Award, Art & Australia, vol. 44, no. 3, March 2007, p. 480.
Iccaranio, C. , It’s a bird, it’s a plane, its…Sculpture by the Sea, Sydney Morning Herald, 2.11.06, p. 18.
Jones, J. , Casing the Joint The Daily Telegraph, 12/7/2006, p. 44.
25/25, Art and Australia, (lift out) Vol 43 No 4 Winter 2006, p. 6.
Kyriakidis, M. , Hancock, J. , Space 3- An Independent Australian Creative Network 2000-2005, Sydney, 2005, p. 104 – 105.
Kaji-O’Grady, S. , The Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, Artichoke, Vol: 11, 2005, p. 121.
Sculptors stack on a show in the park The Age, 2/3/2004, p. 7.
Nelson, R. , Nest, eggs and artifice, The Age, 10/3/2004, p. 8.
Loxley, A. , Arts More Fun with Sea and Sun, Sydney Morning Herald, 7.11.2001, p. 16.
James, B. , Schofeild, N, Arts Today, Radio National, ABC Radio, 13.10.2001.
COLLECTIONS
Sydney University
Art and Australia
Private Collections
2008-09 College of Fine Arts, School of Art, University of NSW
Sculpture Performance and Installation
Casual Academic
2008-09 Whitehouse Institute of Design
Sessional Lecturer
2003-06 Matthew Talbot Hostel, Woolloomooloo, sculpture workshops
2006 Jennifer Turpin Studios – Art assistant
ChangeX Festival, Guest Speaker
2005 Sculpture by the Sea, Education workshops
7 Stock, Guest Lecture, Dresden, Germany
2003 Assistant Curator, Kaleidoscope, Homeless Persons Week, Tap Gallery, Sydney