Nic Mason - Text & Catalogues
Links to selected essays and other texts
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Tracy Sorensen, Cycle,
catalogue essay, 2022 
" ... The combination of such objects as equal players on a level surface creates a slightly unsettling, uncanny feeling. The familiar binary of western sensibility gives way to a non- hierarchical continuum of plants, animals, natural things, human beings and human-made things. Donna Haraway calls this natureculture ..." |
Artist Profile (online), article
May 2022 
" ... At once personal and philosophical, gently gendered and totally disruptive of any binary mode of thinking, these works knowingly upend genre conventions in playful, imaginative, and expansive ways, drawing on a knowledge of the natural world from within and without the Western history of painting ..."
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Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Cycle Exhibition text, 2022
" ... At once natural and artificial, inanimate and animate, and extraordinary and ordinary, Mason's paintings blur the boundaries of binaries, reflecting our shifting times ... " |
Discover Central West Magazine
article, May-June 2022 
"Mason references memento mori symbolism, utilising painting as a vehicle for thinking about living with the land. Her thoughts on nature and culture coalesce on the canvas, enacting contemporary storytelling within her works ..." |
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Rebecca Wilson, Paintings within Paintings, catalogue essay, 2021
" ... there is a sense of something haunting, a subtle trauma that runs through these works, which adds to their mystery. A looming threat of change and movement lives alongside the stillness of Mason’s staged scenes, possibly a reflection of the difficulties of the past year or more that the world has endured ..." |
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Gareth Jenkins, Résidence
catalogue essay, 2018
catalogue essay, 2018
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... Ultimately Nic's paintings ask open ended questions, leaving space for the viewer to weave their own stories into these richly layered scenes.'
... Ultimately Nic's paintings ask open ended questions, leaving space for the viewer to weave their own stories into these richly layered scenes.'
Links to other selected elected texts and catalogues
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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
Grey Foundations Companion Essay to the Exhibition Catalogue January 2023 |
Dr Anastasia Murney, Between the Light and the Dark, Grey Foundations at WAYOUT Artspace (December 19, 2022 - January 29, 2023)
" ... In Grey Foundations, an “ode to transition,” there are two distinct themes that cross over. The first is the profound social and psychological effects of COVID-19. The second approaches an environmental politics, weaving between raw and manufactured materials, thinking about how to see and sense things differently ..." http://www.nicmasonartist.com/grey-foundations-wayout.html |
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REVIEW / ESSAY
WAYOUT, a Cementa Initiative January 2023 |
Lucy Smith, WAYOUT, a Cementa Initiative
" ... On the other hand, Nic Mason has maintained her cosy and cheerful style with a series of paintings of objects as they’re found on her studio floor. A painting of a painting, a knocked over jar with flowers, some moth bits, her son’s origami. Her feet and apron make it into half of the series, reminding me of all of the time I’ve spent looking at my feet for inspiration. It is reaffirming to see that through her lockdown experience and despite her anticlimactic first year as a qualified artist, her style and humour rise up to defend her world against its absurdity ..." https://cementa.com.au/blog/2023-01-24-grey-foundations |
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EXHIBITION
CATALOGUE Project Gallery 90 October 2022 |
Artist Statement
"... This series of new paintings within paintings directly follows on from my exhibition of 2021 at Project Gallery 90, ‘Paintings within Paintings’. I continue to reference my paintings back within my new works. Only this time, I don’t reference previous works of mine, rather, I paint in the small painting props created within this series. In one work within this series, I have painted a painting in a painting within a painting in another painting within the painting I am painting. ..." https://www.projectgallery90.com/_files/ugd/83fb03_b497c06deb094f05bb48b8a339b1acf9.pdf |
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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery April 2022 |
Tracy Sorensen, Cycle essay, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery Cycle catalogue
" ... The combination of organic and manufactured elements (the banksia cone and the cheese grater, for example) blurs the line between what is considered “natural” and what is considered “cultural”. “The banksia cone is a cultural object,” says Mason. “It has been shaped by firestick activity over thousands of years. And the cheese grater is rusting, a natural process.” The combination of such objects as equal players on a level surface creates a slightly unsettling, uncanny feeling. The familiar binary of western sensibility gives way to a non- hierarchical continuum of plants, animals, natural things, human beings and human-made things. Donna Haraway calls this natureculture ..." |
EXHIBITION TEXT
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
8 April 2022
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
8 April 2022
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ARTICLE
Art Almanac (online) 2 May 2022 |
Art Almanac
Select Exhibitions "During lockdown, Bathurst-based artist Nicola Mason found inspiration in the vintage appliances and children’s toys that occupy the interior of her home, as well as from her interactions with the natural world, which has resulted in a series of emotive still life paintings ..." source: https://www.art-almanac.com.au/nicola-mason-cycle/ |
ARTICLE
Discover Central West
May - June 2022
Discover Central West
May - June 2022
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NOTICE
Art Guide Australia April 2022 |
Art Guide Australia
"... In her domestic setting nostalgic household appliances, loved kids' toys, and finds from her daily walks with her four-legged friends all make appearances in the theatre of her still-life works ..." https://artguide.com.au/exhibition/nicola-mason-cycle/ |
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ARTICLE
Western Advocate 7 April 2022 |
Sam Bolt
New art at the gallery, p1 and Gallery to open new art displays, p4. " ... With focus Ms Mason has engaged her domestic setting to create still life paintings reflecting an array of interpretations on common household objects ..." Source: https://www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/7689482/three-new-exhibitions-to-launch-at-bathurst-regional-art-gallery/ |
Links to other texts ...
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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
Project Gallery 90 Paintings within paintings, Nicola Mason 2021 |
Rebecca Wilson, Paintings within Paintings, Project Gallery 90 catalogue essay
" ... there is a sense of something haunting, a subtle trauma that runs through these works, which adds to their mystery. A looming threat of change and movement lives alongside the stillness of Mason’s staged scenes, possibly a reflection of the difficulties of the past year or more that the world has endured ..." Source: https://17712692-b1a2-4239-b772-09bf372f9d22.filesusr.com/ugd/83fb03_d3acd2d7cb2a4a238695346f0b6c9263.pdf |
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ARTICLE
Western Advocate 30 September 2021 |
Sam Bolt
Bathurst Art Fair to be held online for the first time in November " ... "Artistry is all about communication and being human, and these fairs are a great way to connect with the community and tell local stories, Ms Mason said." Source: https://www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/7451672/biennial-bathurst-art-fair-to-return-november-in-an-online-first/ |
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ARTICLE
Sydney Morning Herald + John McDonald, blog 6 June 2021 |
John McDonald, Salon des Refusés 2021
"... Finally, this year’s award for best title goes to Nic Mason for Questioning landscape with a pouffe. Before you ring the S.H.Ervin in indignation please check the spelling." Source: www.johnmcdonald.net.au/2021/salon-des-refuses-2021/ |
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EXHIBITION & SYMPOSIUM CATALOGUE & PROGRAM
Listening in the Anthropocene, Creative Practice Circle, Charles Sturt University 27 - 28 August 2020 |
The online Listening in the Anthropocene exhibition will be officially launched by Mandy Martin at 6pm on Thursday August 27, 2020 via Zoom webinar. The artists are Bärbel Ulrich, Claire Baker, David Sargent, Donna Caffrey, Jack Randell, Jacquie O’Reilly, Jan Osmotherly, Jen Bervin, Jenni Munday, Justy Phillips, Karen Golland, Linda Fish, Lisa Roberts, Leanne Lovegrove, Louisa Waters, Marg Leddin, Margaret Woodward, Michelle O’Connor, Nicola Mason, Nicole Welch, Perdita Phillips, River Yarners, Ted Hendrickson, Tracy Sorensen and Wendy Alexander.
This will be followed by the launch of the next three Lost Rocks (2017-21) fictiōnellas with Margaret Woodward: Red Sandstone by Caroline Loewen, Granite by Helena Demczuk and Copper by Catherine Evans. Exhibition items curated by The Creative Practice Circle. Online space designed and compiled by Tracy Sorensen. |
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ARTICLE
Western Advocate 18 August 2020 |
Steven Cavanagh, Arts Outwest
Introducing six creative identities in the Bathurst region ... Meg Allan ... Lino Alvarez ... Will Hazzard ... Amala Groom ... Stephen Hogan ... Nicola Mason ... ' ... Nic Mason is a painter whose art practice is anchored in her background I ecological sciences and a rich domestic life ...' Source: www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/6883072/the-arts-introducing-six-creative-identities-in-the-bathurst-region/ |
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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
Project Gallery 90 Still Home, Nic Mason also featuring works by Alison Mackay August 2020 |
Artist Statement
" ... Through the placement of a chair, an open door, a light filled window or a darkened room the viewer is invited to imagine something more." |
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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing 2020, Adelaide Perry Gallery |
Tiffany Fayne, Curator, Adelaide Perry Gallery, Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing 2020
"...Highly commended works included Richard Lewer’s It’s Nothing Like We’ve Seen Before, capturing the drama and intensity of a fire in full force; Catherine Tait’s beautifully poignant Out of the Shadows portraying the shadowy depths of the human condition and Nic Mason’s A Weekend at Bundanon, Wombats from Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a tender series depicting moments of tentative interaction with wombats while in residency ..." |
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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
Project Gallery 90 Still and Within, works by Alison Mackay & Nic Mason Nov-Dec 2019 |
Artist's Statement
" ‘Still and Within’ includes both interiors and still life paintings by Alison Mackay and Nic Mason. The title references the actuality of these works, but also hints at an introspective mindset integral to the painting process – a focused and internalised headspace found in the artist’s studio ..." |
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INTERVIEW
Orana Arts May 2019 |
Portia Lyndsay, Orana Arts, Nic Mason and Art of Threatened Species 2019
' ... I think both scientists and artists are dedicated to asking big questions and seeking ways forward. I hope some insight is to be gained from these collaborations; that the project leads to further collaborations; and that the exhibition from this project gets an opportunity to talk with many others in heading far and wide.' |
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Catherine Atkinson, Education Specialist, CSIRO
'In this stunning collection of paintings, Nic Mason ponders the impact of interlopers on the Australian landscape. Since European colonisation, Australia has experienced a devastating loss of wildlife species. Introduced species have been implicated in almost all mammal extinctions during this time and continue to wreak havoc with Australia’s unique threatened species. In her elegant compositions, Nic focuses our attention on this calamity with sensitivity, compassion, and a touch of her trademark wit ...' |
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ARTICLE
Western Advocate 21 February 2017 |
Maryanne Jacques, Arts Outwest - Exhibition showcases Nic's major passions
'BATHURST artist Nic Mason’s long background in conservation management combines beautifully with her great skill as a painter ...' Source: Western Advocate online www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/4482148/exhibition-showcases-nics-major-passions/ |
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ARTICLE
Bathurst City Life February 16 - 22 2017 |
t.arting up the STILLness
'... she has been closely studying the skulls of protected, threatened and introduced animals to the Australian landscape and delving deep into the traditions of still life painting ...' Source: Bathurst City Life February 16 - 22 2017 |
Nic Mason, Dave Noble 2016, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm, private collection
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JUDGES COMMENTS
Blackheath Art Prize, Blackheath Art Society 2016 ARTIST STATEMENT
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Matthew Lyn – Judge awarding Highly Commended in the Blackheath Art Prize 2016 for Nic Mason's painting Dave Noble (this work also received the People's Choice Award)
"One of the hardest things in portraiture is to make the subject convincing, I mean really convincing! A beautiful accumulation of varied marks that nevertheless have the sensitivity to all speak together, whilst retaining the wildness and breath of the experience of making this through the action of one’s own body." Source: Blackheath Art Society website blackheathart.com/prizewinners-2/ Artist Statement - Nic Mason
Dave Noble has spent a lifetime exploring the Blue Mountains Region. He has climbed through hundreds of canyons that very few people have ventured into. In 1994 whilst walking remotely in Wollemi National Park he stumbled across a stand of unusual trees. The sample he took started a quest of discovery and the botanical find of the century. It is the story of the Wollemi Pine and a view back to life one hundred million years ago. He works as a national parks ranger. Nic Mason has known him through this work setting for over 10 years. |
Nic Mason, Sharon Riley 2016, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm, private collection
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ARTIST STATEMENT
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Artist Statement - Nic Mason
Sharon Riley is a Wiradjuri woman who grew up and lives with family, in her Country in the Lithgow area. She is passionate about her culture and her obligations to care for her country ~ land, water and stories of Country. She works as an Aboriginal Heritage Conservation Officer in national parks. Nic Mason has known her through this work setting for over 10 years. |
Nic Mason, Dorothy Ethel Healy 2016, oil on canvas, 60 x 80 cm, private collection
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COLLECTORS COMMENTS
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J Healy - Collector, Queensland, Australia
"I can't thank you enough. You're an amazing artist and have done an outstanding job of bringing my grandma to life. I have cried, smiled, laughed and even talked to this piece - I love it." |
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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE & CATALOGUE ESSAY
Cowra Regional Art Gallery, WILD, Nic Mason 2016 |
Tracy Sorensen - Writer of the 'Wild' catalogue essay, Cowra Regional Art Gallery, 2016
"... The beauty amidst the not-quite-right lies at the heart of Nic Mason's paintings. Her work is infused with a deep knowledge of the Australian bush, knowledge gained through a childhood of intent observation and drawing and an adult life working in the field of conservation management ..." Brian Langer, Cowra Regional Art Gallery, 2016 "... WILD is the first substantial body of work shown by Nic Mason since she began painting in oils only five years ago. This solo exhibition not only references Mason’s long background in conservation it is also a personal journey that reveals a visual language developed over time and inspired by the natural environment, and the Australian landscape especially around The Blue Mountains and west of the Great Dividing Range ..." Source: Cowra Regional Art Gallery WILD Nic Mason catalogue |
Nic Mason, Fox and numbat 2015 oil on canvas, 76 x 76cm, private collection
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ARTICLE
Molong Online 29 March 2016 |
New Cowra Gallery exhibitions reflect Australian landscape and figurative art
"... Narrative and symbolism are integral to this work, where Mason plays with the rendering of animal masks and her recurring red bag ..." Source: Molong Online website molong.com.au/art/news/2016/03_16/cowra/cowra.html |
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ARTICLE
Central NSW Discover magazine April 2016 |
Wild and shared interests in art
"... Nic Mason's exhibition also includes two large portraits of work colleagues, Sharon Riley and Dave Noble, whom she has both known for over 10 years. She painted Riley and Noble as they have a deep connection and passion for the land ..." Source: Central NSW Discover magazine, April 2016, Wild and shared interests in art |
Nic Mason, Caitlin, oil on canvas, 100 cm x 75 cm, private Collection
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JUDGES COMMENTS
Central West Regional Art Award, Cowra Regional Art Gallery 2015 |
Dr Andrew Frost - Judge awarding winner of the Central West Regional Art Award 2015, Cowra Regional Art Gallery for my work Caitlin
"Nic Mason's Caitlin is a quietly powerful portrait of the Artist's daughter. Mason has used a number of techniques in creating the picture that ultimately work together. Although there is a temptation for such pictures to verge on the sentimental, Mason has chosen to give her portrait a sense of realism with the rendering of the subject's hair and the dark shadows under the eyes. Mason's painting also came from a strong selection of work by regional artists." Source: Cowra Regional Art Gallery website cowraartgallery.com.au/2015-calleen-art-award-and-central-west-regional-art-award-winners-announced |
Nic Mason, Reflection at Everglades, oil on canvas, 25 cm x 50 cm, private collection
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JUDGES COMMENTS
Blackheath Art Prize, Blackheath Art Society 2011 |
Robert Malherbe and Matthew Lyn – Judges awarding 2nd Prize in the Blackheath Art Prize 2011 for the work, Nic Mason, Reflection at Everglades
"A quiet and intense picture, showing a well known place in a completely different light. A moody awkward composition that resolves itself wonderfully with a quiet drama." Source: Blackheath Art Society website 2011 |