Margaret Ellen Turner

I grew up in New Zealand, left when I was 20, a journeyman journalist, to ‘go see the world’ and ended up in Australia where I currently live. I began 10 years training as a sculptor, at various tertiary institutions and practiced for 15 years. When circumstances changed and space and time were insufficient, I took up painting, and I’m still at it. With my concern for creating a sense of 3d space on the flat surface of the canvas, I sometime think I am still sculpting. Just with colour and tone now.

I am a child of late modernism – expressionism and minimalism - and Jean-luc Picard’s version of Star Trek and I still kind of hold those Trekian ideals of fairness, exploration, simplicity and honesty-to-materials that underpin those worldviews. You certainly see them in my work, which are grounded in process and exploration of the unknown and are not predicated on an expected outcome – exciting and terrifying in equal measure.

I have presented 15 different solo shows of my work – sculpture and painting - in Australia and the UK, participated in up to 50 group exhibitions, been a finalist 16 times for national art prizes, won five, and received funding from government bodies to undertake different projects. My work is held i...

1985-87 Master of Art (Sculpture), Reading University,
UK
1982 Grad. Dip. Sculpture, College of Fine Art
Sydney
1979-83 Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts), COFA, Sydney
1977-78 Art Certificate, Liverpool TAFE, Sydney

SOLO SHOWS (Last 10 years)
2016 Outskirts, Regional Gallery Caloundra
2014 "Space Invaders" at TEDxNoosa, the J, Noosa
Junction.
2013 "Space Invaders", University of Sunshine Coast
Art Gallery
2010 "The Idea Of Wallum", Noosa Regional Gallery
2009 "erasure", Gympie Regional Art Gallery
2008 "erasure", Caloundra Regional Art Gallery
1995 "Electric Hankies", Umbrella Gallery, Townsville

GROUP SHOWS (LAST 10 YEARS)
2017 Paddington Art Prize Finalist
2017 Regional Gallery Caloundra, Local Artist, Finalist
2016 Regional Gallery Caloundra, Local Artist, Finalist
2016 Outskirts, Regional Gallery Caloundra
2016 Noosa Art Prize, finalist, QLD
2015 Muswellbrook Art Prize, finalist, NSW
2015 City of Whyalla Art Prize, finalist, SA
2014 Stanthorpe Art Prize finalist, QLD.
2013 Kenilworth Painting Prize, Qld, WINNER
2013 Moreton Bay Art Award, Finalist QLD.
2013 Wilson Art Award, Finalist, NSW
2013 Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Finalist, QLD.
2013 True Stories From the Studio, Noosa TAFE
Art Faculty, University of Sunshine Coast
2013 Squeeze, Butter Factory, Cooroy QLD
2012 True Stories From the Studio, Noosa TAFE
Art Faculty, Gympie Regional Gallery.
2012 tidal, Devo...