CRAIG EASTON
Best wishes to Craig on the opening of his exhibition in Shanghai today
Congratulations to Craig Easton on his exhibition 'Mirrors, Screens, Frames and Pathways", in Shanghai 21 May - 20 June 2016.
About the Artist
Born in 1961 in Dunedin New Zealand, Craig Easton is a Melbourne-based artist working within an expanded model of abstract painting. This model extends through languages including formalism, minimalism, pop, constructivism, architecture, and the screen, to attempt a (re)construction of what place reductive abstract painting might take in today’s culture. Easton has held 27 solo exhibitions since 1996 and is a regular contributor to institutional, independent and commercial gallery projects. His work is held in major public and private collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, the Federal Court of Australia, Artbank, NAB (UK and Australia), RMIT University, East China Normal University Shanghai, Siemens Australia.
CRAIG EASTON | BUILD
8 October - 2 November 2014
Constructed from a diversity of materials and mediums, the work in BUILD at Nancy Sever Gallery this October includes paint on canvas, aluminium and plexiglass, as well as object making, video, drawing, digital painting and photography, reflecting this engagement with painting as an expanded, hybrid field. While many of the materials used in BUILD are readymade products of industry, inspection also reveals a celebration of the hand and its imperfections, the painterly, and process in all its guises. Presenting artworks from 2007 until the present, BUILD also tests the limits of difference across the artist’s practice, ultimately reflecting upon the act of ‘building’ a body of work.
Craig Easton has previously shown in Canberra with Ben Grady Gallery (2000, 2001) and at CSA Photospace (2001) while a visiting artist at the ANU. BUILD is his 27th solo exhibition since 1996 with his most recent: A Strange Arrangement at Margaret Lawrence Gallery VCA, Melbourne (August 2014) where he has been completing a PhD researching the possibilities for reductive abstraction through the alternative structural and conceptual model provided by ancient Chinese gardens. Other recent exhibitions include Concrete Abstractions at Conny Dietzschold,Gallery Sydney (2014); 50 Variations at Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne (2013); Concentrated Abstraction at East China Normal University, Shanghai (2012).
Recent curated group exhibitions include Perceptions of Space: Justin Collection, Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Melbourne; Tangible, Trocadero, Melbourne; Split-Level, Five Walls, Melbourne (2014); SNO 99, SNO Contemporary Art Projects, Sydney; Reading the Space: Contemporary Australian Drawing, New York Studio School Gallery, USA; Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery (2013, 09, 07).
Craig Easton’s work is held in major collections, including the National Gallery of Victoria, the Federal Court of Australia, Artbank, NAB (UK and Australia), RMIT University, Siemens Australia.
BUILD is on show at the NANCY SEVER I GALLERY, 4/6 Kennedy Street, Kingston from 8 October to 2 November 2014. Gallery hours: 11am-6pm Wednesday to Sunday. T. 61 - 2- 6239 5434
WORKS INCLUDED IN THE EXHIBITION
The Canberra Times. Friday 24 October 2014
Solo Exhibitions:
2014
- Build, Nancy Sever Gallery, Canberra
- A Strange Arrangement, Margaret Lawrence Gallery VCA, Melbourne
- Concrete Abstractions, Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney
2013
- 50 Variations, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
2012
- Concentrated Abstraction, East China Normal University, Shanghai
2011
- Formwork, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
2010
- Chinese Garden, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
2009
- Collapse, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
2007
- Container, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
- Finish, Ryan Renshaw, Brisbane
2005
- Essential, Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney
- Loose, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
2003
- Slide, Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney\
- Damage, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
2002
- Easy, Penthouse & Pavement, Melbourne
- Crush, Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney
2001
- Smooth, Ben Grady Gallery, Canberra
- Slow, Photospace, National Institute of the Arts, ANU, Canberra
2000
- Still, La Trobe Street Gallery, Melbourne
- Loaded, Ben Grady Gallery, Canberra
- 28.3.200 MA Show, Gossard Project Space, RMIT University, Melbourne
1999
- Strange Place (with Natasha Johns-Messenger), Level 11, Melbourne
- Open Plan, La Trobe Street Gallery, Melbourne
1998
- Questions of Minimal Importance, West Space, Melbourne
1997
- Pure, Linden Gallery, Melbourne
1996
- The Whole Deal, Stop 22, Melbourne
- Pop Monsters, First Site, RMIT University, Melbourne
Collections:
- National Gallery of Victoria
- Federal Court of Australia
- Artbank
- ECNU Shanghai
- La Trobe University Art Collection
- National Australia Bank (UK and Australia)
- RMIT University Collection
- Siemens Australia
- TRU energy
- Private collections in Australia, New Zealand, Germany
Education:
2011 – 2014 PhD Candidate, Victorian College of the Arts
1998 – 2000 Master of Arts (Research), RMIT University
1994 – 97 Bachelor of Fine Art Honours, (Painting), RMIT University
1981 – 83 Bachelor of Arts (History), University of Otago, New Zealand
Awards:
2012 iAIR residency ECNU, Shanghai
2011-2014 Melbourne Research Scholarship
2011-2013 Halo Architectural Commission
2007 Savage Club Invitation Prize for Painting – 2nd place
2001 Visiting Artist, National Institute of the Arts, ANU, Canberra
1998-99 Australian Postgraduate Award
Selected Bibliography:
- Dan Rule, Around the Galleries, The Age Life & Style, p.5, August 17, 2013
- Harriet Edquist & Elizabeth Grierson, A Skilled Hand and Cultivated Mind: A Guide to the Art and Architecture of RMIT University, 2012, p.140
- Martin Patrick, Collapse, Implosion, Possibility-Film at 11, ex-cat, 2009
- Mark Pennings, Finish - review, Eyeline 65, p.59, February 2008
- Stephen Haley, Unfinished & uncontained, ex-cat,2007
- Adrien Allen, Weep Holes, ex-cat, November 2006
- Andrew Paul Woods, Off the Wall, Presto No.77, October 2005, p.22-23
- Asim Memishi, Awkward Balance, ex-cat, August 2005
- Kit Wise, Contemporary Abstraction: Four Melbourne Painters, ex-cat, April 2005
- Ashley Crawford, Craig Easton: Loose, The Age Preview, p.30-31, April 17, 2005
- Robert Nelson, Slipping into Abstraction, The Age Metro, p.8, April 15, 2005
- Chris Beck, A Fix on Abstract, The Age Review, p.7, April 17, 2005
- David Thomas, Changing Times in Painting, ex-cat, May 2003
- Martina Copley, The Museum Aesthetic, ex-cat, 2003
- Gary Willis, X Melbourne, ex-cat, 2002
- Sasha Grishin, Clever works in a cool show. The Canberra Times, p.14, October 31, 2001
- David Thomas Smooth, ex-cat, August 2001
- Linda Williams, Glacier, ex-cat, September 2001
- Linda Williams, Still - review, Like Art Magazine No.14, pp 44-45, Autumn 2001
- Natasha Bullock, Look See: Five Contemporary Painters, ex-cat, March 2001
- Sasha Grishin, Flirting with aloofness and spiritualism. The Canberra Times, p.16, May 31, 2000
- David Cross, Loaded, ex-cat, May 2000
- Fiona Donald, Strange Place- review, Like Art Magazine No. 11, pp 56-57,March 2000
- Sasha Grishin, A taste of good things to come. The Canberra Times, p.14, December 1, 1999
- David Cross, Questions of Minimal Importance, ex-cat, May 1998
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2014
- Faux Novel, Project Space, RMIT University, Melbourne
- The Museum of Abject Sentimentality, School of Art Gallery, RMIT University, Melbourne
- Tangible, Trocadero, Melbourne
- Perceptions of Space: Justin Collection, Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Melbourne
- Split-Level, Five Walls, Melbourne
2013
- SNO100, SNO Contemporary Art Projects, Sydney
- SNO 99, SNO Contemporary Art Projects
- Reading the Space: Contemporary Australian Drawing, New York Studio School Gallery, NYC
- Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery
2012
- Re: Stretcher, Trocadero, Melbourne
- Herbst. Zeit. Lose, Gesellschaft fur Kunst und Gestaltung e.V. Bonn, Germany
- Frames of Reference, Langford 120, Melbourne
- Drawing Folio 2, Block Projects, Melbourne
2011
- ENP Monochromes, Everything Nothing Projects, Canberra
2010
- Accrochage, Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney
- Strange Frame, SNO, Sydney
- Lost in Painting, Dianne Tanzer Gallery, Melbourne
- Fletcher Jones Art Prize, Geelong Gallery
- Paul Guest Presents, Bendigo Art Gallery
- Nellie Castan Gallery at the Depot, Depot Gallery, Sydney
2009
- Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery
- Drawing Folio, Block Projects, Melbourne
2008
- Gegenstandslos, GKG, Bonn, Germany
- The Robert Jacks Drawing Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery
- Macarthur Cook Art Prize, 45 Downstairs, Melbourne
- Back to Front, 64zero3, Christchurch, New Zealand
2007
- 2007 Stan and Maureen Duke Art Prize, Gold Coast Arts Centre
- Constructive Propositions, Peloton, Sydney
- Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery
- Melbourne Savage Club Invitation Art Prize for Painting, Savage Club, Melbourne
- Location, Location, Location, Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney
2006
- Respirator, Conical, Melbourne
- Melbourne Art Fair, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
- Lexicon, City Library Gallery, Melbourne
- Group Action 2, Criterion Gallery, Hobart
2005
- Recent Acquisitions, Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
- Awkward Balance, Blindside, Melbourne
- Transmission, 64zero3, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Contemporary Abstraction: 4 Melbourne Painters, Criterion Gallery, Hobart
- Liquid Properties, Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney
2004
- No Matter 2, Anna Bibby Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
- No Matter 1, rm 103, Auckland, New Zealand
- Melbourne Art Fair, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
- Compendium, Icon Museum of Art, Deakin University, Melbourne
- Floranova, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
2003
- The Redlands Westpac Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
- Glacier: Contemporary Painting, Touring Benalla Regional Art Gallery, Newcastle Region Art Gallery, QUT Art Museum, Bond University Art Gallery
- Six Artists from New Zealand: Abstraction and Time, Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney
- The Museum Aesthetic, Gallery 101, Melbourne
- X Melbourne, Canberra Contemporary Art Space & Sydney College of the Arts Gallery
- Compendium, Platform Artists Space, Melbourne
2002
- Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, Geelong Gallery
- Figure Out, Mass, Melbourne
- Briefcase 50, Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney
- Aestheticform, Idspace, Melbourne
- Only the Lonely, Block Gallery, Sydney
- South Sur, Canberra Contemporary Art Space
- Abstract Painting Salon 2002, Stephen Mclaughlan, Melbourne
2001
- One Metre x One Metre, Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney
- The White Show, Ben Grady Gallery, Canberra
- 8 X Melbourne, Gallery 482, Brisbane
- Glacier: Contemporary Painting, RMIT Gallery, Storey Hall, Melbourne
- Look See: Five Contemporary Painters, Monash University Gallery, Melbourne
2000
- A Brush with Death, La Trobe Street Gallery, Melbourne
1999
- Opening Exhibition, Ben Grady Gallery, Canberra
- RMIT Fine Art at Yuan-Ze University, Yuan Ze Center for Humanities & Arts, Taiwan
- hi/lo exotico, Centro Alzate-Avendano Bogota, Colombia
- Real Abstraction, Victoria University Gallery, Melbourne
- Stop 22's Greatest Hits, Stop 22, Melbourne
1998
- Finale, Renard Wardell, Melbourne
- Overview, Linden Gallery, Melbourne
- Drawing, Linden Gallery, Melbourne
- RMIT at Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
- hi / lo exotico, Stop 22, Melbourne
- Parking, Level 11, Melbourne
1997
- Naked, Honours Graduate Show, Stripp Gallery, Melbourne
1996
- Graduate Painting Show, RMIT Studios, Melbourne
- Times Five, First Site Gallery, RMIT, Melbourne
- Chinoiseries, Sutton Gallery, Melbourne
VCA Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne August 2014
A Strange Arrangement: Constructing contemporary reductive abstract painting via the ancient Chinese garden.
Craig Easton’s project takes a sometime circuitous route through the possibilities for reductive abstract painting as a contemporary visual language. In doing so its mediums are those of video, sound, photography, object making and architectural intervention as much as paint applied to canvas or any other ‘traditional’ support. At the same time a series of formal and conceptual alignments predicated on the unlikely model of Chinese literati gardens drive many of the choices made. In this strange arrangement between diverse modes comes a framing of reductive abstract painting’s potential to operate as inmersive form.
