2009
Birds by Marian Drew
The exhibition Birds builds on the body of work Still Life.
In this exhibition I focus only on birds, the most celebrated of animals in terms of the decorative arts. One aspect of this body of work poses questions about the value and hours spent in the production of women's needlepoint or fancywork. The bird, the ubiquitous decorative motif in a lot of needlework is in this case is dead but still beautiful? I am interested to raise ideas about the function and value of the decorative, our ideas of ‘beautiful’, domestic labour in women’s traditional needle work and the perception of nature as merely decorative. Birds explores some the great diversity and extraordinary character of birds and brings together the love of birds and labours of love.
Marian Drew
After completing her Degree in 1984, she was awarded a German Government Scholarship to study experimental photography in Germany. Since that time her work has been recognized thorough grants, awards and residencies in Australia, Europe and the US. She is Convener of Photography Programs (2006-2009) and Associate Professor at the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, Brisbane and is represented by commercial galleries in Australia, New Zealand and the US. Her work is represented in Australian State and National Gallery collections as well as numerous private and public collections. Her first major monograph was published in 2006 by the Queensland Center for Photography.
Marian Drew’s art practice in photography and video explores current relationships to time, domesticity, history, landscape, drawing and mechanical reproduction.
Marian Drew is represented by Dianne Tanzer Gallery, Melbourne; Hill Smith Gallery, Adelaide; Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney; Hous projects, New York and sells works through QCP, Brisbane.
