Mandy Gunn – Eco-Artist and Craftswoman

Artist’s Statement

I have a long history of working with a variety of recycled materials e.g. printed papers such as shop bags, wrappings, music sheets, cardboard and books; burnt out inner tubes, road kill echidna quills, found metal, natural materials such as bracken etc. which are transformed into sculptural works and intallations exhibited both inside and out, often as environmental installations.

In general, the work is a reflection of our daily life and surroundings and the amount of waste we create.

Materials chosen are usually ones that can be easily cut by hand and fashioned into 3D works by stacking, glueing and repetition of smaller units as well as weaving. My many years of experience in this last area as well as other textile techniques, in addition to painting and printmaking contribute to my varied approach to art making e.g. monoprints are often made with found objects and paintings contain sand, pigments and even rock. My woven books are totally unique and have been shown internationally.

Artist’s Biography

Mandy has lived in South Gippsland for the last 15 years between Tarwin Lower and Walkerville and works in her large airy studio on her property. She has been working as an artist and teacher for over 30 years with a variety of media-weaving which she began in the 1970s, and which influences a lot of her work, painting, printmaking and what she has become known best for – constructural / sculptural work using recycled materials.

She is exhibiting art works created with every day materials, which are easily cut and glued or woven together into 3D forms.

Mandy’s exhibition history started back in the 80s with large scale woven hangings exhibited and commissioned for major galleries and businesses around Melbourne and overseas. Since her 7 years spent at art school at Monash and the College of the Arts where, in 2000, she completed a Masters Degree, she has held 26 solo exhibitions, many of these at Regional Galleries, been included in group travelling shows and taken part in numbers of residencies, environmental sculpture events and selected acquisition exhibitions. She has also won numbers of awards for her work, pieces of which are included in many public and private collections.

Mandy is delighted to talk to people about her work and welcomes visitors into her space. She also has a permanent display of a variety of work at Thirsty Work Gallery in Tarwin Lower as well as her studio and welcomes visitors to these places too.

Mandy’s contact details are:

www.mandygunnart.com

mandygunnart@hotmail.com