NIC MASON
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Nic Mason - Text & Catalogues

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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery

​April 2022
Tracy Sorensen, Cycle essay

" ... 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 ..."

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EXHIBITION TEXT

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery

8 April 2022
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery

" ... At once natural and artificial, inanimate and animate, and extraordinary and ordinary, Mason's paintings blur the boundaries of binaries, reflecting our shifting times ... "

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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 ..."
Link to this text within the catalogue

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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.


listening_in_the_anthropocene_exhibition_symposium_catalogue_and_program.pdf
Link to Listening in the Anthropocene Exhibition & Symposium Catalogue & Program
Link to CSU Creative Practice Circle Listening in the Anthropocene Exhibition & Symposium website

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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."

​

still_home_project_gallery_90_catalogue.pdf
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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 ..."

2020 PLC_AdelaidePerry_Catalogue EDITED small.pdf
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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 b
y 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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still___within_project_gallery_90_catalogue.pdf​
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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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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE ESSAY

A K Bellinger Gallery, 
Résidence, Nic Mason
​October 2018
Dr Gareth Jenkins 

'... Nic Mason's paintings simultaneously intrigue the eye and the mind generating a compelling charisma that draws the viewer into their intimately detailed scenes, so singular in character as to span the gap towards universal story making. There is a playfulness here, and the passage towards the unknown, there is the emptiness that is a waiting to be filled and there is that very human tendency we possess of imbuing the most ordinary of objects with a talismanic presence.
​
Ultimately Nic's paintings ask open ended questions, leaving space for the viewer to weave their own stories into these richly layered scenes.
'
​
residence_nic_mason_akb_catalogue_final_small.pdf
File Size: 868 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE ESSAY

gallery of small things, BALANCE, Nic Mason
​July 2018
​​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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EXHIBITION CATALOGUE ESSAY

STILL, Tablelands Artists Cooperative Gallery
​February 2017
Corey Tatz, A voice that was still
​

'... It takes time to absorb her work, and to let the narrative speak. The red bag with brass locks and leather handle is full of hope. Is this a journey, a destination, new beginnings, or maybe a farewell? A series of skulls from both introduced and native species - stacked on top of one another like an evolutionary timeline that is about to topple. The dolls borrowed from Nic’s husband’s grandmother are comforting, but also unsettling. A tinge of melancholy prevails.  The animals depicted throughout her work reveal eyes that convey intelligence beyond their childlike bodies ...'

Source: Tablelands Artist's Cooperative Gallery
www.nicmasonartist.com/uploads/3/0/3/8/30381405/still_nic_mason_t_arts_gallery_catalogue.pdf
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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


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​Nic Mason, Dave Noble 2016, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
JUDGES COMMENTS

Blackheath Art Prize, Blackheath Art Society
​2016


​




ARTIST STATEMENT
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.
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​Nic Mason, Sharon Riley 2016, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm, private collection
ARTIST STATEMENT
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.

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Nic Mason, Dorothy Ethel Healy 2016, oil on canvas, 60 x 80 cm, private collection
COLLECTORS COMMENTS
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

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​Nic Mason, Fox and numbat 2015 oil on canvas, 76 x 76cm, private collection
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
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​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


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Nic Mason, Caitlin, oil on canvas, 100 cm x 75 cm, private Collection
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
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Nic Mason, Reflection at Everglades, oil on canvas, 25 cm x 50 cm, private collection
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
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  • Home
  • Projects / Exhibitions
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      • Cycle 2022
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    • Text
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  • Blog / news
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