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Christine Johnson, artist

Christine Johnson


EDUCATION AND FELLOWSHIP STUDIES
 
1977 - 79        Diploma of Fine Art
                       Monash University
 
1980               Graduate Diploma of Fine Art
                        RMIT   
 
1981                Diploma of Education
                       Melbourne State College
 
2009              Certificate of Small Business
                        NMIT
                        
2013-14           Creative Fellowship, State Library of Victoria
 
 
 
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Since completing her studies in Fine Art, Christine Johnson has had numerous solo exhibitions throughout Australia.

Significant works can be seen in Melbourne at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Park Hyatt Hotel and Crown Promenade Hotel and are in the public collections of the National Library of Australia, State Library of Victoria, Monash University, University of Queensland, Artbank and Victorian regional art galleries in Mildura, Benalla and Hamilton, Victoria.

Christine is represented by Fox Galleries, Melbourne.
www.foxgalleries.com.au/christine-johnson/

FIVE SOLDIERS
In 2019 Christine Johnson was commissioned by the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University to produce a suite of works to commemorate the lives of five of its former students who were killed in World War I.
Five Soldiers will be on display as part of the exhibition Return; The Way Back Home at the Matheson Library, Monash University until May 2020. In 2019 Johnson was also commissioned by the Faculty of Pharmacy to create a painting of Eucalyptus kruseana as a gift to honour the distinguished service of the Faculty’s retiring Dean, Professor William N. Charman -- the Sir John Monash, Distinguished Professor, Dean Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University.

VOYAGES BOTANICAL
In 2012 Christine was awarded a Creative Fellow at the State Library of Victoria and undertook research on early Australian botanical art. The result of this extensive research was the touring exhibition, Voyages Botanical. It includes 30 solar-plate engravings and related drawings and paintings. The exhibition was launched in December 2014 at the Alliance Française, Melbourne and concluded at Albury Regional Gallery in January 2019. 
 
Tour venues for Voyages Botanical
Alliance Française, Melbourne
Mildura Arts Centre, Victoria
Montsalvat, Eltham, Victoria
Bribie Island Museum, Queensland
Noosa Regional Gallery, Queensland
Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, New South Wales
Wangaratta Art Gallery, Victoria
Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria 
Dogwood Crossing, Miles, Queensland
Albury Regional Gallery, Victoria
 
During the course of the tour Christine taught Cyanotype workshops at Bribie Island, Wangaratta, Mildura Arts Centre and at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne and gave lectures about the project at  The Alexandra Club, Wangaratta Art Gallery, Bribie Island Museum and Blue Mountains Cultural Centre.
 
While Voyages Botanical was at the Mildura Arts Centre in 2015 Christine was also artist in residence at The Art Vault. She discovered the fascinating story and collection of the virtually unknown botanist, Eileen Ramsay, the subject of her next exhibition in 2020.
In 2017 she presented a paper on Eileen Ramsay at Melbourne University to the School of Culture and Communications at the conference, Art and Affect and at Mueller Hall - National Herbarium of Victoria.
 
 
EXHIBITION HISTORY; SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018                Firmament, Fox Galleries, Collingwood, Melbourne
2017                Inland, The Art Vault, Mildura, Victoria
2014 -19         Voyages Botanical Touring Exhibition
2017                Florae, Fox Galleries, Collingwood, Melbourne
2016                Inland, Port Jackson Press
2011                 Indigene, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
                        The Botany of Beauty, Greenhill Galleries, Perth
2010                Halation, BMG, Adelaide
                        Afterglow, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2009                Hothouse, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2008                Arabesque, Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney
2006                Other Echoes, Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney
2005                Sub Rosa, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2004                Spira Mirabilis, Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney
                        Dark Wood to White Rose, a survey exhibition, Benalla Art Gallery and Hamilton Art Gallery, Victoria
2003                New Paintings, Eastgate and Holst, Dealers in Fine Art 
                        By autumn… the rose-garden, Legge Gallery, Sydney
2001                Paintings, Eastgate Gallery, Melbourne
2000                Spiritus, paintings and drawings’, Legge Gallery, Sydney
1998                Paintings, Legge Gallery, Sydney
1997                Paintings, Eastgate Gallery, Melbourne
1996                A garden for the heart, Garden’s House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
1995                Rosegarden and Labyrinth, Legge Gallery, Sydney
1993                Night Garden, Melbourne Contemporary Art Gallery, Melbourne
                         Paintings, Legge Gallery, Sydney
1992                Paintings, Melbourne Contemporary Art Gallery, Melbourne
1991                A Still Place, Legge Gallery, Sydney
1990                Ornamental Gardens, Legge Gallery, Sydney
1989                Ornamental Gardens, Melbourne Contemporary Art Gallery
 
RECENT GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019-2020       Return; The Way Back Home, Matheson Library, Monash University, 
2019                Baldessin Studio – The Story, Montsalvat, Victoria.
                        Group exhibition, Fox Galleries, Collingwood
                        Layers of Settlement, The Art Vault, Mildura, Victoria
2015                Arkley (and friends…) Tarrawarra Museum of Art, Victoria
2014                Mirror of the World, State Library of Victoria
 
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
State Library of Victoria
National Library of Australia
Monash University, Clayton, Victoria
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville
University of Queensland
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne
Artbank
Mildura Arts Centre, Victoria
Benalla Art Gallery, Victoria
Hamilton Art Gallery. Victoria
Park Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne
Crown Promenade Hotel, Melbourne
 
 
Other Projects
 
Christine’s early work history includes five years as an art director on independent films and music videos. She taught Visual Arts at Prahran and Dandenong TAFE colleges. During this time she was the co-ordinator of TAFE Drawing Conferences and started an art gallery for students at Dandenong TAFE.
 
In 1987 Christine collaborated with Howard Arkley on Suburban Landscape and this painting was included in the retrospective of Arkley’s work, Arkley (and friends…) at Tarrawarra Museum of Art in 2015. https://www.twma.com.au/exhibition/howard-arkley-and-friends/
 
Curatorship
In 1988 Christine was the curator and co-ordinator of Artists Make Books, an Australia Council funded touring exhibition. She designed the installation of the exhibition and obtained sponsorship and publicity for the exhibition. She published the catalogue and arranged the exhibition’s tour to interstate venues.
 
2014-2019 Christine worked with curators from regional galleries to create the tour of Voyages Botanical.
 
In 2019 Christine was the curator of Baldessin Studio – The Story at Montsalvat, Victoria, an exhibition about the development of the Baldessin print-making studio in St Andrews, Victoria.
 
Printmaking
Five Soldiers, A box set of 10 solar-plate engravings, commissioned by Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 2019
 
Voyages Botanical, A box set of 30 solar-plate engravings, printed at Baldessin press, St Andrews, Victoria, 2014 and supported by the State Library of Victoria
 
Two editions of multi-plate etchings commissioned by Port Jackson Press
 
Tapestry
The Victorian Tapestry Workshop commissioned several tapestries including a large tapestry based on Christine’s painting Mutabilis which toured internationally and featured in The Art of Collaboration (VTW 2008)
 
Painting Commissions
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University 
The Park Hyatt Hotel: Four paintings for the main foyer
Crown Promenade Hotel: Paintings for the lobby
Private commissions including Japan and USA
 
Books
In 2019 Christine collaborated with writer Michael Shmith on the monograph, Five Soldiers, a guide to the history of each of  five young men who tragically lost their lives in World War One. The production of the book was supported by the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, published by Fox Galleries, and printed by Ellikon Fine Printers.  
Voyages Botanical, 2014, 56pp illustrated book to accompany the exhibition published by the artist.
 
Radio and Film
In 2019 Christine participated in the production of a documentary film about the development of her work for the Five Soldiers project.
 
In 2015 film-maker Marianne Latham made a documentary about Christine’s work titled Voyages Botanical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfOxm7E9tXw
 
In 2011 Christine created a concept for radio, based around her artistic process and the history of Australian botanical art. The programme, Tiny Blooms, includes interviews, diaries, poetry and music. It was produced for ABC RN Hindsight by Gretchen Miller and broadcast in March 2012. 
 
References
Australian Painting Now (Craftsman House ISBN 90 5703 252 X)




GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2015  'Wrap Up', Port Jackson Press, Melbourne

2008 ‘Melbourne Art Fair’, Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne

            ‘Autumn Catalogue Exhibition’, Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney

2007 ‘Summer Stock Show’, Australian Galleries Painting and Sculpture,

            Melbourne

            ‘Art Sydney’, Royal Hall Industries, Sydney

            ‘Autumn Salon’, Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney

            ‘The Sunshine Coast Art Award (finalist)’, Caloundra Regional Art

            Gallery, Queensland

            ‘Small Pleasures’, Australian Galleries Painting & Sculpture, Melbourne

2006 ‘Stock Show’, Australian Galleries Painting & Sculpture, Melbourne

            ‘New Year Group exhibition’, Australian Galleries, Melbourne

            ‘A rose is a rose…’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria

            ‘Melbourne Art Fair’, Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne

            ‘Sacre Coeur Alumnae Art Show’, Sacre Coeur, Melbourne

            ‘One Square Foot’, Melbourne Art Rooms, Melbourne

            ‘50th Anniversary Exhibition’, 5th June, Australian Galleries, Melbourne

2005 ‘Thirty’, Port Jackson Press Gallery, Melbourne

            ‘The Art of Collaboration, Masterpieces of Modern Tapestry’ from the Victorian

            Tapestry Workshop, Singapore Tyler Institute Gallery, Singapore

            ‘Artists for Kids Culture Annual Art Exhibition and Auction’, Prahran Town Hall,

            Melbourne

            ‘The Big Small Tapestry Show’, Victorian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne

            ‘New Acquisitions’, Benalla Art Gallery, Victoria

            ‘Brisbane Art Fair’, Martin Browne Fine Art, Brisbane

            ‘MLC Acquisitive Exhibition’, MLC, Melbourne

            ‘A rose is a rose is a rose’, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria

            ‘Wild Garden’, Martin Browne Fine Art at The Yellow House, Sydney

            ‘Notes from the Natural World’, Australian Galleries Works on Paper, Melbourne

2004 ‘Summer Exhibition’, Martin Browne Fine Art at The Yellow House, Sydney

            ‘Collectors Exhibition’, Port Jackson Press Print Room, Melbourne

            ‘The Year in Art’ S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney

            ‘The Blake Prize For Religious Art’, Hermann Black Gallery, Sydney University,

            Sydney

            ‘The Melbourne Art Fair’, Martin Browne Fine Art, Exhibition Buildings,             Melbourne

            ‘Artists for Kid’s Culture Trust’, Melbourne

            ‘Print Room Opening’, Port Jackson Press, Melbourne

2003 ‘The Year in Art’, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney

            ‘Artists for the Tarkine’, Bright Gallery, Melbourne

            ‘Artists for Kid’s Culture Trust’, Melbourne

            ‘Opening exhibition’ Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney

2002 ‘City, Land, Sea’, University and Schools Club, Sydney

2000 ‘We are Australian’, touring exhibition

            ‘Australian Contemporary Art Fair’, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne

1999 ‘Redlands Exhibition’, Sydney

            ‘Evolution’, Legge Gallery, Sydney

1998 ‘Australian Contemporary Art Fair’, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne

1997 ‘Mulch and Metaphors; The Garden in Contemporary Art’, Mornington Peninsula

            Regional Gallery, Mornington

            ‘Being there’, Legge Gallery, Sydney

            ‘A collector’s exhibition’, Eastgate Gallery, Melbourne

1995 ‘Group show’, Legge Gallery, Sydney

1992 ‘The 9th R.M. Ansett Art Award’, Hamilton Art Gallery, Hamilton, Victoria

            ‘Homage to Spain’, Melbourne Contemporary Art Gallery, Melbourne

            ‘Public Sphere Personal Vision Public Space’, Linden Gallery, St Kilda,             Melbourne

1991 ‘Group exhibition’, Legge Gallery, Sydney

            ‘The Green show’, curator Robin Williams, Irving Galleries, Sydney

            Conrad Jupiters Art Prize for Painting, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Queensland

            Charleston Square Art Prize, Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, New South Wales

            ‘An installation publication – Potlotch’, 200 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne

1990 ‘Melbourne Art Fair’, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne

            ‘Group exhibition, Gallery artists’, Melbourne Contemporary Art Gallery,             Melbourne

            ‘Artists against animal experimentation’, Deutscher Brunswick Street Gallery,

            Melbourne

            ‘Monash University Collection – A selection’, Monash University Gallery,             Melbourne

            ‘Works on paper’, Legge Gallery, Sydney

1989 ‘Opening exhibition, Gallery artists’, Melbourne Contemporary Art Gallery,

            Melbourne

            ‘Heidelberg Heritage 9" x 5" Exhibition’, Linden Gallery, St Kilda

            ‘Artworkz one Exhibition’, South Melbourne Town Hall

            ‘Caulfield Ten Years After’, Chisholm Institute of Technology, Melbourne

            ‘Exhibition No.31, Store 5’, curator Gary Wilson, Prahran, Melbourne

1988 ‘St Kilda Arts Festival Exhibition’, Linden Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne

1987 ‘Box Hill Invitation Drawing Prize’, City of Box Hill, Melbourne

            ‘Ormond College Welcomes New Art’, curator Tony Clark, Ormond College,

            Melbourne University

1986 ‘Diamond Valley Invitation Exhibition’

1980 ‘Drawings by four artists’, Hawthorn City Art Gallery, Melbourne

1979 ‘Group exhibition’, Hawthorn City Art Gallery, Melbourne

AWARDS, GRANTS AND COMMISSIONS

2005 Two etchings, Elina and Australian Sunrise,published by Port Jackson Press, Melbourne

2004 Tapestry design for the Victorian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne (in production)

            Two colour etchings, Memento and Winter Rose published by Port Jackson Press, Melbourne

2003 Paintings for the Function Foyer of the Crown Promenade Hotel, Southbank,

            Melbourne

2000 Commission for Karalyka Centre, City of Maroondah, Victoria

1999 Commission for foyer of the Park Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne

1997 Ernest Horton Memorial Grant

1992 The 9th R.M. Ansett Art Award, Hamilton Art Gallery, Victoria

1991 Curator-Artists Make Books:

            An exhibition of artists’ books hosted by Linden Gallery, St Kilda and sponsored             by the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council. The exhibition toured the             following regional and interstate venues: Chameleon Gallery, Tasmania, Latrobe             Valley Arts centre, Victoria and Contemporary Arts Space, Canberra

1990 Project grant, Visual Arts Board, Australia Council

1988 St Kilda Arts Festival Acquisition Prize




copyright Christine Johnson
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