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Tony Sweeting
Artist Statement I have always been interested in nature, its form, symmetry and intricacies and I have a suspicion that these forms have an influence on the psyche. I think that there is inherent knowledge in each of us of symmetry, caves, holes, shiny slime, cobwebs, mist, wetness, velvety surfaces etc and this comes from experiences where we were safe, that we have had during our evolution. My idea is that there is therefore a "primal instinct" in each of us for shapes, patterns and forms and that the viewer's recognition originates below the normal visual surface, at the molecular level. My works are part of a continuation of this investigation and an effort to trigger the viewer's sub-conscious memory for these forms, shapes and patterns. The marks and patterns are blown around, struck, washed, rubbed out, reapplied, like perhaps our environment is created by nature herself.
As I further my investigation into the parts of these intricate structures I am finding that the same patterns and forms and structures are appearing over and over in many different biological life forms. From the cell itself, to seeds and eggs, to minute creatures, to leaves, flowers and plants themselves, microscopic form, dew, cobwebs, insects, plankton, shells, fungi, moss, decaying surfaces, rust, etc. Even in rock and crystalline structures in nature there are similar patterns and structures appearing to me. The smaller form often reveals itself in the larger. Viewed as a whole though, often the beauty can be missed or appears chaotic but the smaller part of the whole is often delightfully beautiful. Fragments and cellular structures reflect larger biological forms which in turn represent larger familiar forms.
Biography
I was born in 1945 in Sydney and I grew up in Canberra where I was educated and spent most of my life. I had a career in the Government before running a minor construction and repairs business. I completed various art courses including Botanical Drawing, life drawing, water colour, bronze casting, sculpture and etching prior to, and extra to, full time study at the Australian National University National Institute of the Arts, (1998 – 2001). I graduated BA (Vis) Hons in 2002 majoring in painting I have had a couple of solo exhibitions since graduating, participated in several joint exhibitions in Canberra Bega and Sydney and been hung in numerous general exhibitions. I participated in curating the annual Wyndham Art Show for several years. I received funding assistance from the ACT Arts Funding Program for emerging artists, a couple of people's choice awards and several acquisitive awards. I have paintings in collections of the ANU Drill Hall Gallery and John XXIII College and have completed a number of commissions including illustration of a children's book and a large scenery backdrops for several ballet performances. Eight years ago my partner and I moved to a farm at Rocky Hall in the south east of NSW, surrounded by inspiring views, National Parks and forests, beautiful river frontage, majestic granite formations, and immense native fig trees. The idea was to live in the Country with organic fruit and vegetables and the animals (cows and sheep) and make art. The farm also had a log cabin that could be used for a studio, with a bit of reconstruction of course. We have built a gallery and studio complex and I am painting sculpting and printing whenever possible. Exhibitions Solo Exhibitions:
2002 Primal Instinct, CACS Manuka ACT
2002 Faces in Places, Tuggeranong Community Art Centre, ACT
Joint Exhibitions:
2010 Three Kinds of Country, Twyford Hall, Merimbula, NSW
2009 Blokes, Spiral Gallery, Bega NSW
2007 Small, At The Vanishing Point, Newtown, NSW
2004 Passages, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
2004 Threshold, ANCA, Dickson, ACT
2000 Drawing the land: a botanical journey, Photospace, School of Art, ANU
1999 A Hint of Rebecca, Artspace 71 Leichardt St Studios Kingston, ACT
1998 Deconstructing Canberra Exhibition, Foyer Gallery, School of Art, ANU
Exhibitions Curated:
2003-7 ART 2003-2007, Wyndham Community Centre, NSW
Work exhibited in the following:
2009 Out of the Box, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
2009 On the Edge, Towards Postmodernism, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
2008 ART 2008, Wyndham Community Centre, NSW Wyndham
2007 ART 2007, Wyndham Community Centre, NSW Wyndham
2007 Out of the Box , Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
2007 Interiors - Exploring the Immediate Human Environment, SEMAG Biennial Exhibition, Bega Valley Regional
Gallery, NSW
2006 Art of the South East 2007, Spiral Gallery Bega, NSW and 2007 Diary Publication
2006 Adam & Eve Unrobed at Eden, Artworx Gallery, Eden, NSW
2006 Figuratively Speaking - Exploring the Human Image, Moruya Mechanics Institute, Moruya, NSW
2006 Picture This, ANU School of Art painting Alumni, ANU, City, ACT
2005 ART 2005, Wyndham Community Centre, NSW
2005 CCAS Manuka Members Drawing Award 2005, CCAS Manuka, ACT
2005 SEMAG Biennial Members Exhibition, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
2004 ART 2004, Wyndham Community Centre, NSW
2004 The 2004 Bega Valley Art Awards, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
2004 Canberra Art Prize, Italio-Australian Club Inc., ACT
2004 CCAS 2004 Members Exhibition, CCAS Manuka, ACT
2003 CACS the Art Store inaugural Contemporary Art Award, Braddon, ACT
2003 Tuggeranong Regional Art Prize, Tuggeranong Art Centre, ACT
2003 ART 2003, Wyndham Community Centre, NSW
2003 Canberra Art Prize, Italio-Australian Club Inc., ACT
2003 The 2003 Bega Valley Art Awards, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
2003 10th Birthday Exhibition, CACS Manuka, ACT
2003 Shirley Hannan National Portrait Awards, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
2003 SEMAG Human Figure In The Landscape, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
2002 The 2002 Bega Valley Art Awards, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
2002 Tuggeranong Regional Art Prize, Tuggeranong Art Centre, ACT
2002 ART 2002, Wyndham Community Centre, NSW
2001 Liftoff, School of Art, ANU, ACT
2001 Spring into Life, Tuggeranong Community Art Centre, ACT
2001 CSA Drawing Prize, Foyer Gallery, School of Art, ANU
2001 Inaugural Canberra Art Prize, Italio-Australian Club Inc., ACT
2000 Spring into Life, Tuggeranong Community Art Centre, ACT
Awards and Grants:
2004 ACT Arts Funding Program, 2004 Emerging Artists assistance for Passages exhibition
2001 ANU Art Collection Acquisition Award
2001 KPMG Acquisition Award
2001 Network Economics Consulting Group Acquisition Award
2001 Spring into Life, People’s Choice Award
2000 Spring into Life, People’s Choice Award
Collections:
ANU Drill Hall Gallery
John XXIII College
Commissions etc:
2010 Wyndham School of Dancing - Take Ten scenery backdrop, 300x750cm
2007 Wyndham School of Dancing - Snugglepot and Cuddlepie scenery backdrop, 300x750cm
2004 Wyndham School of Dancing - Café Capers scenery backdrop, 210x420cm
2003 John Forrest – The Forgetful Frog, 14 watercolour book illustrations, 18x20cm each
1998 Lawrence Scott – Loretta Scott 1999, acrylic on cardboard, 29.5 x21cm
1998 ACT Squash Club – In the Pink, Pink car pantomime scenery, 120 x 220cm
Reviews:
Editorial, "Group exhibit at the gallery", Bega District News, 16 July 2004.
Glyde, Matt, "Rites of passage", Southcoast Weekly, July 2004.
Jones, Stephanie, "Passages" Brochure for the Passages Exhibition, May 2004
Cerabona, Ron, “A common theme”, Canberra Times, 19 February 2004, Arts and Entertainment P.6
Barron, Sonia, “A colourful and magical world”, Canberra Times, 25 June 2002, Arts and Entertainment P.7
Cerabona, Ron, “Artistic instinct”, Canberra Times, 20 June 2002, Times Out, Feature p.2
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