Donna Marcus

Donna Marcus has earned a PhD at Monash University, Melbourne, 2006 and a Master of Arts (Visual Arts), City Art Institute (University of New South Wales) 1988. Marcus has had numerous residencies overseas such as the Studio Residency Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris, University of Tasmania (1995), Inaugural Global Arts/Sofitel Artist in Residence, Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne, Xiandong Academic Exchange - Griffith University, (2007), Australia Council Skills and Development Grant (London Studio Residency) Arts Development Grant, Arts Queensland (2001). In 2009 Marcus has been commissioned by Cox Rayner Architects with Curator Jacqueline Armistead for 404 George Street, Brisbane and KAUST king, Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She has been the recipient of the prestigious McClelland Sculpture Prize in 2005. In 2010, Marcus was the Queensland representitive for the Australian Pavilion Shanghai, World Expo Shanghi. Her work is now part of the New Contemporary Art Museum collection soon to be completed in Nanjing, Jiangsu. Marcus's work has been aquired by a number of prominant art collections including: Artbank, Ballarat University Collection, Ballarat Regional Art Gallery Collection, Brisbane City Hall Collection, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Griffith University Collection,Kunst von Frauen in der Sammlung Ulla Pietzsch, Berlin, Parks Victoria Collection, Pat Corrigan Collection,Power Obudsman of Victoria, Sale Regional Gallery and William Dobell Foundation.

Exhibitions

Re-Entry - 2010

Re -Entry is part of Occupy, a program of temporary site -specific art and performance designed to actively inspire and engage with Fed Square's diverse communities Re-Entry is current until May 29, 2010

Ascorbic - 2009

Ascorbic continues Marcus' interest in everyday objects that she uses as modules to build sculptures in which the original object remains both recognisable but oddly transformed into a new form. In Ascorbic a found form, a lemon squeezer, is enlarged, cast it in vitreous porcelain, and then twelve of these custom-made components are joined together to produce a work that combines both the aesthetics of the natural and industrial worlds (Ascorbic is strangely reminiscent of anemone, seeds and pods, things found along the shore). Vitreous porcelain makes an ironic reference to the most historic Readymade, (Duchamp's Urinal) and more generally to the aesthetics of the bathroom and the twentieth century obsession with clinical hygiene. In Ascorbic the kitchen and the bathroom, normally entirely separate provinces, are joined in an uncanny confluence of the material and form.

Helen Lempriere Sculpture Award - 2008

Oscilloscope (Trace) An Oscilloscope records change charted through a line which moves and fades and is known as 'The Trace'. There are many types of ossilloscopes; this piece is based on the electrocardiogram (ECG) that records the movements of the human heart that are then displayed graphically as a continuous strip graph. Discarded domestic aluminium objects bear the traces of modern life, its changing daily practices and the persistence of its materials. The accumulation of so much displays movement and life of people and things. Reordered as an Oscilloscope it becomes both a symbol of itself - the objects or 'heartbeat' of everyday life - recording life and waste as they are constructed and constrained by each other. Donna Marcus - Aerate

Helen Lempriere Sculpture Award - 2007

McClelland Sculpture Award - 2007

Page Under Construction

Donna Marcus - I saw the angel in the marble and I carved to set him free

Brisbane City Square Commission - 2007

Donna Marcus was selected as the artist to work with the design project team in the creation of the concept design for the new Brisbane Square. The project design team is lead by renowned Melbourne architectural firm Denton Corker Marshall. Marcus will consult with ABM Amro and the Brisbane City Council. This is an initiative of the Brisbane City Council's Water Art Strategy and a wonderful, and exciting opportunity for Marcus to explore the interfaces between architecture, the already existing natural river corridor and contemporary art. Donna