Meredith Turnbull takes a non-hierarchical approach to art making, combining sculpture, photography, decorative objects and jewellery in artworks that invite reflection upon use value and decoration, adornment and excess. In Closer, the artist presented an installation of newly commissioned work that responded to the University of Melbourne Art Collection. Turnbull drew from the collection’s eclectic and vibrant holdings of decorative arts to make new forms and display contexts for objects ranging from large-scale wood carvings, glazed earthenware and porcelain to modernist fine art jewellery. Closer engaged with decorative traditions to explore the intersections between visual art, craft and design.

Curated by Jacqueline Doughty.

About the artist

Meredith Turnbull is a Melbourne-based artist, curator and writer. She completed a Bachelor of Art (Honours) in Art History at La Trobe University in 2000, a Bachelor of Fine Art (Gold and Silversmithing) at RMIT University in 2005 and a PhD at Monash University in the field of sculpture and spatial practice in 2016. Recent projects include Hardbody sculpture at Daine Singer and Softbody sculpture at Pieces of Eight in 2017. Turnbull has held solo exhibitions at STATION Gallery, MADA Gallery, Pieces of Eight, Bus Projects, The Other Side, West Space, the Centre for Contemporary Photography, TCB and The Narrows. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at Heide Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Victoria, Craft Victoria (with Manon van Kouswijk), JamFactory, Adelaide (with Tom Borgas and Kate Beckingham), Melbourne Art Fair, Margaret Lawrence Gallery and the George Paton Gallery. Meredith Turnbull is represented by Daine Singer, Melbourne.