ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
DAWN WHITEHAND
“Collage” Mixed Media 25x19 cm
Dawn Whitehand has been a practicing artist for approximately twenty years, and during this time her medium of choice has been clay. Most of her art practice has centered around creating sculpture that reflects the natural environment in both form and texture. Whitehand has exhibited her sculpture nationally and internationally, and is held in several public and private collections. She has post graduate qualifications in fine art, and has images of her sculpture published in several books. Whitehand maintains a studio on the outskirts of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia where she also teaches classes to adults and children and runs skills based workshops. My studio practice explores humanity’s relationship to the environment through the sculptural possibilities of organic materials, such as clay, natural debris and textured found objects. I try to use textured surfaces to capture the vulnerable essence of the landscape. The organic and textual properties of rusty found objects, crackly glazes, and twigs and branches portray the landscape's natural essence, which I hope draws the viewer’s instinctive self closer to their innate belonging within the organic world. This reawakening of humanity's holistic connection to the natural world is imperative in today's context of climate change and the exploitation of the Earth which has led society to this outcome.
“Planet Earth” Ceramic 23x31x18cm
For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net www.arttourinternational.com
January 2013
47