About

Dena Ashbolt – Artist Statement

As a perceptual artist, my works are made in front of the subject, I witness, draw the observation through my body, and respond with a mark. I work quickly, the eye leading and informing the hand, a practice that involves a concentration of looking, and intuitive hand/eye co-ordination devoid of distraction.

I am fascinated by Time and my practice, cinematic drawing, engages with responses to the flow of time.

My drawings respond to the flow of time as evinced by movement.

In the life-drawing studio – the appearance disappearing of the life model in movement becomes my subject.

Dena Ashbolt CV

Dena Ashbolt is a recent doctorial graduate at Monash University, Melbourne, whose practice focuses on how the act of drawing may respond to the flow of time. Dena was born in London, United Kingdom, and graduated from the University of Westminster, London with a Bachelor of Arts – 1^st Class Honours in Film and Photographic Arts. In 1987 she emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, where after years of working in the film industry she returned to her studio, her studio practice focused on the relationship between the photographic/cinematographic lens and observational drawing/painting.

Awards, Prizes, Residencies, Conferences

2015        Drawing International Brisbane Symposium.  Publication Paper: Cinematic Drawing: What might that be?    CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

2014        Nillumbik Shire Art Prize, Finalist, Montsalvat, Victoria, Australia

2012        Rick Amor Drawing Prize, Finalist, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

2012        Paul Guest Prize, Finalist, Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia

2012        The Nillumbik Prize, Highly Commended, Montsalvat, Victoria, Australia

2011        Artists Residency at Montsalvat, Victoria, Australia

2011        Nillumbik Shire Art Prize, Finalist, Montsalvat, Victoria, Australia

2010        36^th Alice Prize, Finalist. Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

2010        Rick Amor Drawing Prize, Finalist, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

2010        Williamstown Contemporary Art Prize Finalist. Williamstown, Victoria, Australia

2009        Williamstown Contemporary Art Prize Finalist

2009        Winner Nillumbik Shire Art Prize; Video Drawing, Wet Feet Under the Pier, judged by John Wolseley

2009        Monash University 2009 Colloquium Artist presentation of Video Drawing Hand on the Escalator

1992        Artist residency in Clifton Pugh’s paint studio, Dunmoochin, Victoria, Australia

1981        South Eastern Arts Council Award, United Kingdom

Solo Exhibitions:

2015        Within the Buffer, PHD examination exhibition, Faculty Gallery Monash University, Melbourne,

2013        Witnessing Time, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2012        So when do you throw the flowers out? Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2012        Project Space – Dena Ashbolt: Green Car on the Freeway, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat, Victoria,

2011        Drawing Time, Farfield Mill, 2K Gallery, Cumbria, England

2010        Tracing Space: Temporal Drawings, Gallerie du Viaduc, Montreal, Canada

2009        Drawing Space, Cube 37 & Federation Gallery, Frankston, Victoria, Australia

2009        Being There, emerging artist program at ACGA Gallery, Federation Square, Melbourne, Victoria,

2009        Video Drawings, Postgraduate Gallery, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2008        Stairs E,D &F. Brunswick Street Gallery – video space, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

1983        Face, Silk Screen Print Exhibition, Frankfurt, Germany

1982        Facades, Print exhibition, Commission South Eastern Arts Council UK, Tunbridge Wells Art Gallery,

1980        Crossroads, (touring photographic exhibition on community nursing), Essex, England

Selected Group Exhibitions:

2015        Collective Urge – Nillumbik Shire Collection, Montsalvat, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2014        Transience, Montsalvat, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2013       All About Art, Alcaston Gallery@Depot Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2012        Accumulate – Proliferate, c3 Contemporary Art Space, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2010        Tracing Space: Temporal Drawings, Solo show Gallerie du Viaduc, Montreal, Canada

2010        LOOP’10 – International Video Festival in Barcelona – Screening of Platform One

2009        Video Drawings, Masters show at Postgraduate Gallery, Monash University, Melbourne,

2009        Anxious Sight: Drawing Time Group show, Faculty Gallery Monash University, Melbourne,

2009        LOOP’09 – International Video Festival in Barcelona – Screening of Train Home

2009        Temporal Shift Group show, Cube 37, Frankston, Victoria, Australia

1981                          Summer Show, Royal Academy of Arts, London. England

Collections

Nillumbik Shire Council Collection – Lloyds Bank Limited, United Kingdom – National Westminster Bank, United Kingdom – Museum of Melbourne – short documentary Heja “Portrait of a Potter”

Academic Qualifications

Monash University Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture PHD in Fine Art: Practice led research 2015           Within the Buffer – Drawing in response to the flow of Time

Monash University Melbourne   Masters in Fine Art: Practice led research 2009  Video Drawings, a visual investigation into ways that the human eye and the photographic – cinematographic lens perceive.

University of Westminster, London, England. – 1^st Class BA Honours in Film and Photographic Arts.