Gabby O'Connor
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Gabby O'Connor (born 1974, Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian
Installation Artist Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called ...
based in Wellington, New Zealand.


Work

O'Connor's art practice involves production of site-specific works in paper, rope and light, as well as drawing and theatre-based collaboration. The works are typically large-scale and designed to fit into the location. Typically she works by transforming everyday materials into art. O’Connor often works collaboratively with partners ranging from scientists to community groups. Her works are designed to exist as installations in their own right, and also act as a bridge between art and science. A consequence is there is often an explicit educational component of the art production. She has participated in two scientific expeditions to Antarctica where she produced art pieces in situ. The science was conducted by the K131 research team from National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and the University of Otago. The work was based out of Cape Haskell, a sea ice camp on the
Sea ice Sea ice arises as seawater freezes. Because ice is less dense than water, it floats on the ocean's surface (as does fresh water ice, which has an even lower density). Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth's surface and about 12% of the world's oce ...
of McMurdo Sound. This camp was designed and built by Tim Haskell and included a dedicated art laboratory built from an insulated Intermodal container. Works from her 2015 expedition were subsequently displayed at Pataka Art + Museum in a 2016 exhibition title
Studio Antarctica
The second expedition resulted in an exhibition at the
Otago Museum Tūhura Otago Museum is located in the city centre of Dunedin, New Zealand. It is adjacent to the University of Otago campus in Dunedin North, 1,500 metres northeast of the city centre. It is one of the city's leading attractions and has one of t ...
titled Data Days. In 2018 she commenced a Ph.D. project (
University of Auckland Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries The University of Auckland Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries, formerly known as the National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries (NICAI) is one of nine faculties that make up the University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ...
that is part of the New Zealand Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. This work marked a change in her focus from Antarctica to issues relating to sea level rise and involved development of rope-based sculpture. It resulted in "The Unseen" an exhibition at the Suter Gallery in Nelson.


Education

O'Connor was awarded a Master of Fine Art degree from UNSW Art & Design in 2004. This followed a Certificate of Textile Design from RMIT School of Design TAFE (1998) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Victorian College of the Arts at the University of Melbourne (1996).


Exhibitions

O'Connor has exhibited since 1998, in New Zealand, Australia and internationally. * 2021 The Unseen, Tauranga Art Gallery, NZ. * 2018 The Unseen, The Suter Gallery, Nelson, NZ. * 2017 All the Colours, All the Light, Sharjah Art Museum Islamic Arts Festival 2017. * 2017 Data Days and Studio Antarctica, Otago Museum, Dunedin, NZ. * 2016 StudioAntarctica, Pataka Gallery Porirua, NZ www.pataka.org.nz/gabby-oconnor-studio-antarctica * 2014 Inland Ice, NZ IceFest, Christchurch, NZ. * 2014 Heavy Water, Expressions Gallery, Upper Hutt, NZ. * 2013 Order, Structure, Pattern Toi Poneke, Wellington, NZ. * 2013 Cleave, Urban Dream Brokerage, Wellington. * 2013 Some Time, Corban Estate Arts Centre Auckland , NZ. * 2011 What Lies Beneath, City Gallery, Wellington, NZ. * 2011 Waiwera House, Auckland, NZ. * 2011 What Lies Beneath – The Return North Wall, Oxford, UK. * 2011 Above, Below, Mahara Gallery, Waikanae, NZ. * 2008 Cracks In The Stack, Toi Poneke Roof Top Installation, Wellington, NZ. * 2007 The Rock Show, Toi Poneke, Wellington, NZ. * 2005 Snowcave, Wellington Art Centre Gallery, NZ. * 2003 Chasing Horizons, Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney, Australia. * 2001 Passage rom A-B Enjoy Public Art Gallery, Wellington, NZ. * 2001 Horizonworks, Marsden Art House, Wellington, NZ. * 2000 Water, Tent, First Floor Artists/Writers Space, Melbourne, Australia. * 2000 Water, Moving, Hiroshima Art Project, Residency/Installation, Japan. * 1999 Water, Barriers Studio12 Installation, 200 Gertrude Street Gallery, Melbourne, Australia. * 1998 Water, Blanket, Discrete Project Installation at Arts Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.


Collections

O'Connor’s work is held in private and public art collections including the Dowse Art Museum,
Samuel Marsden Collegiate School Samuel Marsden Collegiate School is a private composite girls school located in the Wellington suburb of Karori in New Zealand. It has a socio-economic decile of 10 - on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 reflecting the lowest socioeconomic communities - ...
and the
Museum Art Hotel The QT Wellington Hotel (previously the Museum Art Hotel, Museum Hotel de Wheels, and originally called the Michael Fowler Hotel) is located in Wellington, New Zealand. It is one of the largest buildings to have been moved from one site to anothe ...
.


References


External links

* http://gabbyoconnor.squarespace.com/about artist's website {{DEFAULTSORT:OConnor, Gabby Australian installation artists Women installation artists 1974 births Living people