Bronwyn Oliver was one of the leading sculptors in Australia. Her stunning metal sculptures writhe and swirl into organic forms. Intricate and time consuming to create, Oliver was working to redefine sculpture, using empty space and energy as a material like the metal she painstakingly moulded.
Installation view, Bronwyn Oliver, The Sculpture of Bronwyn Oliver, TarraWarra Museum of Art (19 November 2016 – 5 February 2017); Photo: Andrew Curtis
Installation view, Bronwyn Oliver, The Sculpture of Bronwyn Oliver, TarraWarra Museum of Art (19 November 2016 – 5 February 2017); Photo: Andrew Curtis
Installation view, Bronwyn Oliver, Globe, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2002
Bronwyn Oliver Ammonite, 2005; copper; 95 × 90cm; Photo: Andrew Curtis
Bronwyn Oliver, Serpentine, 1997, copper, 45 x 2340 x 25 cm
Bronwyn Oliver, Tentacle, 2005, copper, 185 x 20 x 20 cm
Bronwyn Oliver, Garland, 2006, copper, 115 x 115 x 7 cm
Bronwyn Oliver, Fringe, 2006, copper, 107 x 107 x 10 cm
Bronwyn Oliver, Grandiflora (Bud), 2005, copper, 60 x 58 x 58 cm
Group Show, The First 40 Years
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2024
Bronwyn Oliver The Sculpture of Bronwyn Oliver
TarraWarra Museum of Art, Healesville, VIC, 2016-17
Bronwyn Oliver Bronwyn Oliver (1959 - 2006)
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2006
Bronwyn Oliver Vine
Hilton Hotel, Sydney, 2005
Bronwyn Oliver
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2004
Bronwyn Oliver
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2002
Group Show, The First 20 Years
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2002
Bronwyn Oliver Globe
University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2002
Bronwyn Oliver Tide
Quay Restaurant, Sydney, 2001
Group Show, All Stars
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 2000
Bronwyn Oliver Sydney Sculpture Walk
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, 1999
Bronwyn Oliver Big Feathers
Queen Street Mall, Brisbane, 1999
Bronwyn Oliver
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 1997
Bronwyn Oliver Seed
Orange Regional Gallery, NSW, 1997
Bronwyn Oliver
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 1993
Bronwyn Oliver Eyrie
Hyatt Hotel, Adelaide, 1993
Bronwyn Oliver
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 1991
Bronwyn Oliver Objects From Another Time
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 1989
Group Show, The Cocktail Party (All Gallery Artists)
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 1988
Bronwyn Oliver
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 1988
BRONWYN OLIVER
Born 1959 NSW
Died 2006
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Education (Art), Alexander Mackie CAE, Sydney
Master of Art (Sculpture), Chelsea School of Art, London, United Kingdom
AWARDS
Clemenger Contemporary Art Award, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (Short Listed)
Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award (Short Listed)
Moet & Chandon Australian Art Fellowship, France
Artist in Residence, Auckland City Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
Visual Arts\Craft Board Artist Project Grant
Marten Bequest Scholarship for Sculpture, Paris, France
Sydney University Power Studio, Cite des Arts, Paris, France
Artist in Residence, Meridian Foundry, Melbourne
French\Australian Artist Exchange. Brittany, France
Moya Dyring Bequest Studio, Cite des Arts, Paris, France
Fellowship in Sculpture, School of Art, Cheltenham, England
Dyason Bequest Scholarship. Art Gallery NSW. Paris
New South Wales Travelling Art Scholarship, London
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
The sculpture of Bronwyn Oliver, Tarrawarra Museum of Art, VIC
Bronwyn Oliver, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Bronwyn Oliver, McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin, Victoria
Bronwyn Oliver, Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
Bronwyn Oliver, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Bronwyn Oliver, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
New Work, Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
Bronwyn Oliver, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Bronwyn Oliver, Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
Bronwyn Oliver, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Fabrications Auckland City Gallery, Auckland
Bronwyn Oliver, Adelaide Festival Centre Gallery, travelled to Lawrence Wilson Gallery, Perth
Bronwyn Oliver, Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
Bronwyn Oliver, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Bronwyn Oliver, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Bronwyn Oliver, Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
Bronwyn Oliver, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Bronwyn Oliver, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Bronwyn Oliver, Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
Bronwyn Oliver, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBTIONS
The First 40 Years, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Deep Inside My Heart, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
20/20: Shared Visions, Artbank, Sydney
Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Handle with Care, The Art Gallery of South Australia, curated by Felicity Fenner
Strange Cargo: Contemporary art as a state of encounter, Newcastle Region Art Gallery, Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, Bendigo Art Gallery, Orange Regional Gallery, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery and Tweed River Regional Gallery
The Year in Art, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Clemenger Contemporary Art Award, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
International Beijing Biennale 2003, Beijing
'Fathoming: Contemporary Australian Sculpture', Regional Galleries Association of Queensland, travelling exhibition, May 2002 - December 2004
'National Sculpture Prize', National Art Gallery, Canberra
'Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award & Exhibition', Werribee Park, Victoria
'All Stars', Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
'Systems End: Contemporary Art in Australia', Oxy Gallery, Osaka, Hakone Museum, Dong Ah Gallery, Seoul
'Moet & Chandon Touring Exhibition' Touring state Galleries, W.A., NSW, Victoria, ACT
'Prospect '93' Frankfurter Kunstverein, Germany
'Asia/Pacific Triennial' Art Gallery of Queensland, Brisbane
'Rediscovery' Australian Artists in Europe 1982-92 Pabellon des Artes, Seville, Expo '92, Spain
'Perspecta '91' Art Gallery of N.S.W.
'Australian Sculpture Triennial' Art Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
'Ten Australian Artists' Chapelle Salpetriere, Paris
'The New Generation' Australian National Gallery, Canberra
'Five Australian Artists' Centre Culturale, City of Brest, France
'Four in Hand' NSW House Gallery, London, England
'Australian Paper Works' Museum of Traditional Industries, Kyoto Japan
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Felicity Fenner, 'Bronwyn Oliver, 1959 - 2006', Art & Australia, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2006, p. 191
Hannah Fink, 'Bronwyn Oliver, 1959 - 2006', Art Monthly Australia, #193, September 2006, pp. 18 - 22
John McDonald, 'The unravelling of life and work', in Spectrum, The Sydney Morning Herald, August 19 - 20, 2006, pp. 16 - 17
Sunanda Creagh, 'Bronwyn Oliver', Open Gallery', Spectrum, The Sydney Morning Herald, August 12-13, 2006, p.16
Sebastian Smee, 'Just Looking', The Weekend Australian, August 12-13, 2006, p. 18-19
Virgina Baxter and Keith Gallasch, `Farewell Bronwyn Oliver', Realtime, No. 7 August/September, 2006, p. 54
Sebastian Smee, 'Nature of a single-minded devotion', The Australian, Friday July 14, 2006, p. 14
Sunanda Creagh, 'Solitary end to sculptor's intensely private life', The Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday July 13, 2006, p. 2
Robert Lindsay, Botanic catalogue, McClelland Gallery, Victoria
Catherine Keenan, 'twister', the (Sydney) magazine, Issue #32, December 2005 pp. 68 - 71
Debbie Hunter, 'New-look Hilton the light's fantastic', Sun Herald, 10/07/2005
'An aluminium ascent into the light', Sydney Morning Herald, 20/06/2005
Annette Larkin, Justin Miller and Damian Hackett, Vogue Living, 'going, going, gone…Three auction house experts reveal their top 10 favourite Australian artists to watch…, pg 110, May-June 2005
The Australian Art Market Report, Autumn 2005, Issue 15, pg. 44
Peter Hill, “Join the Red Dots,” Spectrum, Sept 25-26, 2004, pg. 8
Geoffrey Leeson, “Global Vision,” Landscape Australia, no.103, August 2004, p. 24
Glenis Israel, artwise: visual arts 7 - 10, 2nd edition, John Wiley & Sons, Qld. pp. 60 - 61
Benjamin Genocchio, “Sculpturitis,” Art Monthly Australia no. 155, November 2002, p. 6, 7
Hannah Fink, “Strange Things,” in HEAT 4. Burnt Ground, ed. Ivor Indyk, November 2002, pp. 117-187
Peter Hill, “Critics Picks,” Sydney Morning Herald (Metro), Dec 6 - 12, 2002, p. 31
Bruce James, “Queen of the uncanny turns up the heat,” Sydney Morning Herald (Metropolitan), Wednesday, November 27, p.16
Louise Martin-Chew, “Pieces from the heart,” The Weekend Australian, June 8-9, p. 21
Oliver, Bronwyn “Bronwyn Oliver”, National Sculpture and Prize Exhibition, 2001.
Bryce Hallett 'Sculptors Bank on Prized Alliance' Sydney Morning Herald', 16th November
Laura Murray-Cree 'My Favourite Work in an Australian Public Collection', Art & Australia June 2000 issue
Sebastian Smee 'Going Bush' 'Sydney Morning Herald' 12th January (artist profile)
Andrew Frost 'Australia's 50 Most Collectable Artists' 'Australian Art Collector ' January issue
Benjamin Genocchio 'A Walk in the Park' 'Weekend Australian' 9th October (Sydney Sculpture Walk review)
'Bronwyn Oliver' Catalogue. Essay by Felicity Fenner. Published by Moet et Chandon, Epernay, France
Moet & Chandon Touring Exhibition 1994 Catalogue Essay' Bronwyn Oliver' by Peter Timms, p.11
Catalogue published by Moet & Chandon Australian Art Foundation 1994
Confrontations' Group Show, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Catalogue Essay by Nick Waterlow
Bronwyn Watson 'The Accidental Purist' Sydney Morning Herald, 23 July p.20
'Rediscovery' Australian Artists in Europe 1982-92
Group Exhibition, 10 Artists Pabellon des Artes, Expo '92, Seville, Catalogue Essay by Edward Colless
'Perspecta 1991,' Art Gallery of NSW, Catalogue Essay by Victoria Lynn, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Graeme Sturgeon, 'Contemporary Australian Sculpture' Craftsman House Publication
'French/Australian Artist Exchange' Group Exhibition Catalogue, Chapelle Salpetriere, Paris, Catalogue text, 'Bronwyn Oliver', by Nicholas Fedorenko
'Exotic Blooms on Sacred Ground' Nicholas Rothwell. 'The Australian' 14 February (review of group show)
'Outstanding in Frozen Paris' 'The Sydney Morning Herald', 18 February (review of group show)
Graeme Sturgeon. 'A Bicentennial Look at Australian Sculpture' 'Art and Australia' Spring
SELECTED COMMISSIONS:
Hilton Hotel, Sydney
University of New South Wales, Sydney
City of Sydney, Sculpture Walk, Sydney Open Museum, Botanical Gardens of Sydney
City of Brisbane, Queen Street Mall
Hyatt Hotel, Adelaide
Orange Regional Gallery, NSW
Quay Restaurant, Darling Harbour
Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, Victoria
COLLECTIONS:
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Represented in public and private collections in England, Europe and USA
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Australian National Gallery, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
South Australian State Gallery, Adelaide
University of New South Wales, Sydney
Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
COMMISSIONS
A number of private and public collections have been completed including 'Magnolia' and 'Palm' in the Botanic Gardens for the Sydney City Council Sculpture Walk, and 'Big Feathers' in the Queen Street Mall for the Brisbane City Council.
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