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Gabby O'Connor

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Gabby O'Connor (born 1974, Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian Installation Artist based in Wellington, New Zealand.

Gabby O'Connor's work "What Lies Beneath" as displayed at Wellington City Gallery in 2011.
Scientist observes art installation in Antarctica, 2013. This is located on the sea ice of Haskell Strait, McMurdo Sound and the art material was produced by the artist Gabby O'Connor.

Work

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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.[1]

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 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 titled Studio Antarctica.[2][3] The second expedition resulted in an exhibition at the Otago Museum titled Data Days.[4]

The artist Gabby O'Connor working in a field container on the sea ice of Antarctica.

In 2018 she commenced a Ph.D. project (University of Auckland Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries that is part of the New Zealand Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge[5] 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[6] at the Suter Gallery in Nelson.

A container on the sea ice of McMurdo Sound - this is an oceanographic laboratory and has a hole in the floor through which the ocean is accessed. O'Connor has used these containers as a base to create artworks.

Education

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O'Connor was awarded a Master of Fine Art degree from UNSW Art & Design in 2004.[7] 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).[8][citation needed]

Exhibitions

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O'Connor has exhibited since 1998, in New Zealand, Australia and internationally.

  • 2023 All the Colours, All the Light, Ashburton Art Gallery, NZ[9][10][11]
  • 2021 SOLO 2021, Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, NZ[9][12]
  • 2021 The Unseen, Tauranga Art Gallery, NZ[10][13]
  • 2018 The Unseen, The Suter Gallery, Nelson, NZ[14]
  • 2017 All the Colours, All the Light, Sharjah Art Museum Islamic Arts Festival 2017[9][12]
  • 2017 Data Days and Studio Antarctica, Otago Museum, Dunedin, NZ[4][15]
  • 2016 StudioAntarctica, Pataka Gallery Porirua, NZ[2]
  • 2014 Inland Ice, NZ IceFest, Christchurch, NZ[16]
  • 2014 Heavy Water, Expressions Gallery, Upper Hutt, NZ
  • 2013 Order, Structure, Pattern, Toi Poneke, Wellington, NZ
  • 2013 Cleave, Urban Dream Brokerage, Wellington[17][18]
  • 2013 Some Time, Corban Estate Arts Centre, Auckland, NZ[18]
  • 2011 What Lies Beneath, City Gallery, Wellington, NZ[18][19][20]
  • 2011 Waiwera House, Auckland, NZ
  • 2011 What Lies Beneath – The Return, North Wall, Oxford, UK[19]
  • 2011 Above, Below, Mahara Gallery, Waikanae, NZ
  • 2008 Cracks In The Stack, Toi Poneke Roof Top Installation, Wellington, NZ[21]
  • 2007 The Rock Show, Toi Poneke, Wellington, NZ[22]
  • 2005 Snowcave, Wellington Art Centre Gallery, NZ
  • 2003 Chasing Horizons, Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney, Australia
  • 2001 Passage [From 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

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O'Connor’s work is held in private and public art collections including the Dowse Art Museum, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School and the Museum Art Hotel.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Stevens, Craig; O'Connor, Gabby (2015). "Combined art and science as a communication pathway in a primary school setting: paper and ice". Journal of Science Communication. 14 (4): A04. doi:10.22323/2.14040204. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Gabby O'Connor - Studio Antarctica". Pātaka Art + Museum. 2016. Archived from the original on 26 July 2016.
  3. ^ O'Connor, Gabby; Stevens, Craig (2018). "Studioantarctica: Embedding Art in a Geophysics Sea Ice Expedition". Leonardo. 51 (1): 57–58. ISSN 1530-9282. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b Barraclough, Breanna; Findlay, Grant (28 June 2017). "Mystery of Antarctic sea ice investigated by science and art". Newshub. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  5. ^ Joyce, Steven (16 August 2016). "Eight new projects for Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge". New Zealand Government. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  6. ^ Jones, Katy (5 April 2018). "Art project helps children tackle affect of climate change on oceans". Stuff. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Profiles: Gabby O'Connor". The Conversation. 11 August 2017. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Antarctic Sea Ice Platelet Family 01 - Biography". The Art of Science Communication. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b c MacKinnon, Toni (14 March 2024). "From the MTG: Artist's work acts as 'bridge between art and science'". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b Feeney, Warren (21 April 2023). "Gabby O'Connor - Art, Science and All Things at Once". ArtBeat. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Gabby O'Connor, All The Colours". Christchurch.Scoop (Press release). 29 March 2023. Archived from the original on 21 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b "SOLO 2021". Dowse Art Museum. 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Exhibitions - Gabby O'Connor: The Unseen". Tauranga Art Gallery. 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Beyond The Unseen: Engaging communities with science". Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge. 29 July 2019. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  15. ^ Elder, Vaughan (29 June 2017). "Objets d'art really cool". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 21 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  16. ^ Florendo, Mic (7 September 2014). "Counting Down in Christchurch to the NZ IceFest 2014". VroomVroomVroom. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Baby it's cold inside". The Wellingtonista. 10 July 2013. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  18. ^ a b c "Aotearoa Found in Translation - Matariki Fest". The Big Idea. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original on 21 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  19. ^ a b Karataglidou, Anna (3 September 2014). "A Glowing Iceberg 'What Lies Beneath' by Gabby O'Connor". Design Is This. Archived from the original on 21 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  20. ^ Yoo, Alice (5 September 2012). "Gorgeous Iceberg Sculpture Made of Tissue Paper and Staples". My Modern Met. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Stack project cracks up from extreme pressure". Scoop (Press release by the Wellington City Council). 6 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  22. ^ "The Rock Show". Scoop (Press release from New Zealand Fringe Festival). 16 February 2007. Archived from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
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