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Jo Cunningham - Artist Bio Having grown up soaked in salt water and around all manner of things fibreglass, it was at a time when Jo was away from her family and unable to visit the coast that she began painting on surfboards, hoping to somewhat relieve her longing. The first board she painted was the one she rode as a teenager, no longer surfable but too sentimental to throw away. After this first experience Jo was hooked. "There's something about the shape of boards that inspires me so much more than a square canvas. These paintings, these boards, they really create themselves, I'm just along for the ride. And it's so exciting to bring back to life something that would otherwise be thrown away."
The unique personality of each board seems to emerge from the depths of the sea, colours and images framed by rushing water along the rails.
A musician and popular Sydney artist's model by trade, Jo Cunningham is constantly surrounded by creativity in many forms which she draws on for inspiration in her work. It's not surprising then that Jo’s own approach to painting is dance-like and intuitive; a delicious mix between the natural flow of paint and her own desires to engage in representing familiar forms and experience.
Jo often works outside in the elements and particularly delights in painting during wind and rain, allowing it to create unique patterns and textures. Each finished work has it's own personality, a life of it's own. As a result of this unique creative process, Jo's works are often abstract/semi-abstract, allowing an opportunity for the viewer to either resonate with her own personal dance or find their own special meaning in the collaboration of paint, human experience and the elements of nature. The boards are painted in hard wearing enamel ad acrylic house paints, finished in a marine grade varnish containing UV inhibitors so colours won't fade in the sun. Boards come ready to hang vertically or horizontally, and most are suitable for display in or outdoors.
Artist’s CV Joanne Marie Cunningham Born in Sydney, 11th March,1976 Currently lives in Sydney, NSW Summary Art has always been a central part of my life. Whilst studying music and music therapy at a tertiary and postgraduate level, I continued to develop as an artist through the creation of graphic scores, mixed media work and installations wherever I could within the structure of my studies. More recently, being able to turn my focus more fully toward my art, I have developed a passion for painting on abandoned surfboards and working with recycled materials, culminating in a solo exhibition in 2008. Working up to thirty hours a week as a fine art model has enabled me the privileged position of being able to regularly glean wisdom and inspiration from artists, art teachers and students from all over Sydney, which I channel into my own work. Passionate about the arts and community, I have founded numerous community groups and projects with the aim of bringing artists together to support and inspire each other to continue developing as artists and share our art with the wider community. Solo Exhibitions 2008 Ebb and Flow, Gillian Su Gallery, Roseville, NSW Prizes 2013 People's Choice (Online) Prize, Returned To Glory, Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre, Hornsby, NSW 2009 Commended, Art on Loftus, C3 Church Carlingford, Pennant Hills, NSW 2009 First Prize - Mixed Media, Returned To Glory, Hornsby Art Gallery, NSW Selected and Group Exhibitions 2013 Returned To Glory Art Prize, Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre, Hornsby, NSW. 2011 Veterinary Science Foundation Inuagural Fine Art Exhibition And Sale, Greg Wilson Gallery, Chippendale, NSW. 2010 Returned To Glory - Recycled Art Prize, Hornsby Art Gallery, NSW 2009 So This is Christmas, Red Door Creative, Dural, NSW 2009 Art on Loftus, C3 Church Carlingford, Pennant HIlls, NSW 2009 63rd Annual Art Exhibition, North Shore Art Society, Warriewood, NSW 2009 On the Horizon, Hornsby Art Gallery, Hornsby NSW 2009 North Shore Art Society Members Exhibition, North Steyne, NSW 2009 Australian Ethical Art Prize, Tap Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2009 Returned To Glory - Recycled Art Prize, Hornsby Art Gallery, NSW
2009 Workshop Art Centre Art Fair, Workshop Art Centre, Willoughby, NSW 2009 Ewart Art Prize, Workshop Art Centre, Willoughby, NSW
2005 Creative Chaos 2, Mars Hill Café, Parramatta, NSW
2005 Creative Chaos, Hornsby Art Gallery, Hornsby, NSW Media 2009 “Her Art’s All Above Board”, Hornsby Advocate, January 8th 2009, Julie Huffer, p.1, 9. 2008 “Artistic Flotsam is The Next Wave”, Northside, December 2nd 2008, Melissa Davey p.18. http://northside.whereilive.com.au/news/story/artistic-flotsam-is-the-next-wave/ Collections Work featured in numerous private collections
2009- 2010 Active member of Hornsby Art Society and Workshop Art Centre.
2010 Youth Coordinator for Hornsby Art Society. 2009 Producer of “Body Polyphonic” a charity fundraising collaborative project between Sydney life models and emerging fine art nude photographers. Involving auctions, themed photo-shoots and exhibition. All monies raised going to Reclink/Sydney Street Choir.
2007 – 2009 Founder and facilitator of Sydney Life Models Network
2005 – 2009 Founder of two artist support groups in Hornsby and Narraweena, NSW.
2005 – 2009 Life modelling for community art groups and art societies throughout Sydney.
2000 - 2001 Grad. Dip. Music Therapy at UTS
1997 Extra Mural Studies at Australian Institute of Music
1994 – 1996 BA (Music) at UWS Nepean. 1993 Higher School Certificate at Ku-ring-gai Creative Arts High School Employment 1997 – 2014 Resident guitar tutor for Newington Preparatory College, Lindfield, NSW. 2005 – 2014 Professional fine-art model.
1993 – 2009 Numerous music tutoring / music-therapy / community music positions.
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