Her Journey: the prize of Art

Women's Art Prize Tasmania Floor Talk.jpg

What does a "creative practice" look like for a female artist today? What has stood you in good stead to drive your personal art practice? What does it take to be a female artist in Tasmania? What is the state of the arts in this country? What do you see the future hold for the next generation(s) of women artists? What do you see they will need in their "tool kit" to pursue their practice?

Louise Daniels, Serena Rosevear and Tash Parker, finalists for the 2022 Women's Art Prize Tasmania, facilitated by author, journalist, writer Hilary Burden, bring to the conversation a diverse creative practice and yet share common ground in the commitment they bring to their personal practice.

This is a rare opportunity to gain insight to understand each artist's personal creative story and join a unique conversation.

Artists/Speakers

Penny Mason is a graduate of the Tasmanian School of Art (1970) and Monash University MFA (Research) (2004).

She has participated in many group shows and solo exhibitions since first exhibiting at the George Paton Gallery, Melbourne (1977). Recent solo exhibitions include Landscape Details, Wilderness Gallery, Cradle Mountain, Weather Events, Moonah Art Centre and Floating Worlds, Raft south, Hobart (2016).

Her work derives from ideas that circulate around the concept of landscape in the context of Tasmania.

Mason is represented in public collections including the National Gallery of Australia and Artbank as well as national and international private collections.

Serena Rosevear is an artist for whom place is integral to the ideas, making and exhibition of her work. Often very low fired or unfired, she regularly uses clay dug from the site of her interest, sometimes employing time or water to bring it to disintegrate during exhibition.

Her work is deceptively simple in form and employment of process, yet strong in conceptual narrative. Having lived her whole life in Tasmania, Rosevear’s work is intimately connected to her home state’s past, present and future. She is a determined defender of the environment and advocate for First Nation voices.

Tash Parker is a multidisciplinary artist and musician based in Launceston, Tasmania.

Her artistic practice is centered around collaboration with musicians, visual artists and technology artists to curate multi-sensory experiences for her audience. This year's shortlisted work is no exception being created in collaboration with fellow finalist, Ursula Woods.

In 2020 Parker received the Tasmanian Women’s Art Prize Emerging Artist award for her music video “Can’t Keep Waiting”. In the past two years, her music videos have won awards at the New York Film Awards, Los Angeles Film Awards, the Melbourne Short Film Festival and Clipped Music Video Awards.

Hilary Burden is a British/Australian author, journalist, and broadcaster, born in England and raised in Tasmania from the age of six.

After gaining a BA in English and Politics at the University of Tasmania, she worked as a TV reporter in Hobart before moving to Sydney to work for Dolly and then VOGUE magazine, before heading to London where she was a journalist/editor for some of the world’s leading publications, including Cosmopolitan, The Sunday Times and The Guardian over a period of 17 years.

Retuning to Tasmania in 2004, Hilary moved to a farmstead in Karoola, pursuing her passion for nature, food and gardens. Her memoir A Story of Seven Summers was published in 2012 by Allen & Unwin.

Since then she has worked as a regular broadcaster for ABC Radio; as columnist for Country Style magazine and the Mercury’s TasWeekend; and, as a contributor to Gardens Illustrated UK.

This program is supported by Tailored Services for the Arts in association with the Women's Art Prize Tasmania.