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Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch

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Light,Time & Facade Exhibition Work
Elevating the Spirit Exhibition Work
Fibre Work

KERRYN MADSEN-PIETSCH

Artist Biography

Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch (b.1956) grew up on a country farm located Pomonal/Hall's Gap Rd, in The Grampians, Western Victoria, Australia. The encouragement for what to do with her life was underwhelming/virtually non-existent, with expectations of the era to just marry and 'make a good wife to someone' but being the only daughter with four older brothers, felt this was never going to be enough!

During her secondary school years she discovered the subject of Art her most singular great solace. An anchor for a life path direction finally eventuated once enrolled in a newly formed Yr 12 equiv. Art Tertiary Orientated Program in 1974, at Stawell Technical School.
It consisted of all Art subjects. Irony was that all her brothers had attended this once all-boys technical school and it had just gone Co-Ed.

Formal Qualifications include a Diploma in Art & Design, 1977, Deakin University, Geelong, a Graduate Diploma in (Sec) Education, 1982, Bendigo CAE and 2003 Certificate 4 in Public Art, Tropical North Queensland Cairns TAFE.

Kerryn travelled and worked interstate - SA, NSW, NT & Far North Queensland (FNQ), between 1977 and 1985, gaining 'life experiences' outside the education system. From 1985 Kerryn settled in Innisfail, FNQ to teach and raise a family with indigenous husband, Clifford Madsen, also an artist, from the Kuku-Yalangi language clan, Bloomfield Community, FNQ.

Parallel to a long and varied art teaching career is Kerryn's continual commitment to developing her professional art practice, with many awards and exhibition achievements. She has continued to promote, encourage and foster the arts in her region and has served voluntarily in various art roles/committee positions over the years/decades in various organizations such as: Innisfail Art Society Inc. for management, administrator, organizer, coordinator to many workshops and local exhibitions, arts advisor, curator, RADF, Innisfail and District Ag. Show (Chief Art Steward) and a Flying Arts Regional Representative for organizing, holding local workshops.

Kerryn is the creative founder, co-owner and director of Artropica Innisfail Studio Gallery, a successful retail art and framing business since 1997.

Of her major achievements is the juried selected solo abstract art exhibition, 'Elevating the Spirit', shown at the Cairns Regional Gallery May-June 2007 and 'Main Space', Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts, Townsville, April-May 2009 (independently toured).

Artist statement of professional practice:

Sometimes called an eclectic artist, work is produced in both two and three dimensions across a range of mediums because I employ the multiple skills and knowledge built up over the many years of teaching and visual arts practice. From a heightened sense of awareness, flexibility and openness in one’s practice, only creative quality outcomes are my benchmark. Life drawing practice has been a specialty throughout the ongoing years.

I produce various sized paintings, drawings, relief, 3D and installations, mixed media & collage works, digital, screen (textiles), lino and giclée printing, coiled and stitched banana and other fibre receptacles. As a professional artist I produce work for gallery exhibitions, retail merchandise and the occasional commission.

Themes/creative vision driving my practice:

Although the organic surroundings of tropical North Queensland rainforest, mountains, beach and backyard are a constant and rich source for design inspiration and materials to manipulate, my art practice is very much a spiritual practice, building upon one’s intuitive and creative powers often through play. It is a fertile means of tapping into one’s inner world and making sense of, and to, the outer world. It is a continual process and journey of creativity, revelation, transformation and personal interpretation. Art (thoughts, ideas and their physical manifestations) serves to feed those further down the river.

Visual imagery, personal metaphors and symbols evolve through exploring influences in my art practice that impact on my senses, memory and perception. Being ever mindful of dynamic forces, energies & thoughts that connect and disconnect all things visible and invisible, my current work focuses to reflect such. The multifaceted aspect of human subconscious and conscious thought is complex and my visual language has matured and become much more intimate, personal, satisfying and celebrated.

© All of the images on this website are copyrighted original artworks by their author and are protected by international copyright law. No materials in this gallery may be reproduced, copied, downloaded, or used in any form without written permission of the contemporary artist Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch.