Melinda Muscat –
Red Utopia 3/10 51 CM X 37 CM Inkjet print on paper.
Born 1967 ,
Occupation:
Artist
Education:
1990 Advanced Diploma
of Electronic Design & Interactive Media; Royal
1988 Bachelor of Fine Art: Major – Painting; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Media:
Oil on canvas, pencil drawings, digital painting reproduced into inkjet prints
Experiences related
to art:
Organising exhibitions. Illustrator and graphic designer on a freelance basis. The style of this work is usually similar or related to the fine art work.
Art work also included in a bound book of prints – The York Street Artists – 1991.
Solo exhibitions:
2004 Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, Melbourne
2000 Eckersley’s Open Space Gallery,
1998 Eckersley’s Open Space Gallery,
1994 Blaxland Gallery,
1990 Linden Gallery, St Kilda,
Group exhibitions:
1988 – 2004: participated in 38 group exhibitions and
competitions throughout
Selected:
Postcard Show; Linden Gallery, St Kilda – several years
Smorgon Steel group Contemporary Art Prize, Williamstown – several years
1995 Amcor Paper Exhibition; Westpac Gallery,
1995 Martin Hanson Memorial Art Award,
1994 The Castelmain Aquisitive Art Prize
Important
collections:
Westpac Gallery Melbourne, Victoria, Museum of Victoria, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and collected privately.
Artists’ statement:
“Red Utopia” represents an ideal to me, made up of vibrant colour and beauty. It creates a small world partly made up of flora, fauna and layered textures, which conjure up looking into a forest like scene in red. This image is basically a celebration of the colour red. Colour is of great importance to me, both in painting and in daily life. Bright colour greatly defines my identity.
I also like to explore the juxtaposition of patterns or textures with three-dimensional subject matter, both in my digital paintings and oil paintings. This interest was instigated by recollections of my childhood drawings, which contained people covered with patterned clothing. The feeling of continuing on from childhood ideas is quite satisfying, particularly as it unites art and life, childhood and adulthood.