Mary Donnelly

Born 1951, Malta
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons)
Master of Fine Arts (Hons)
Graduation show: 2005
Graduation ceremony: 2006, 2009

Artworks in Space YZ

Waiting 1 Dec.06, 2006
Oil on Canvas
51.5 x 70.5 cm

Making the invisible visible series – Senza Titolo S.bw11, 2006
Egg Tempera on Canvas 
60 x 60 cm

My works in Space YZ are influenced by Giorgio Morandi; echoing his composed conversations and family groupings on canvas. My aim in relation to these works was to instil the same “quiet” conversational quality by isolating the objects in a sometimes uneasy space. It is mainly the genre of still-life that I continue to work with, as I find it allows the subjects to have centre stage; to occupy this position even though nothing seemingly happens in this world of stillness and silence; only the passage of time.

I have come under the influence of many artists along the way, I suppose one could describe it as “my family tree”. Morandi has always been there in the background. I would like to think that we share a sensibility, a quality of silence and a framed definition or demarcation of a space for meditation. My works have always contained an element of this defined space. I strive to give my works a “breathing space” in which the viewer’s gaze is captured, gently focusing their attention on the quiet existence of the banal; those things which are seemingly of little value; the insignificant, the excluded, the ordinary and the everyday. 

Composition and placement are the foundation stone of my work within this genre, focusing on the uncanny tensions within staged arrangements, subtle relationships of shapes, tonalities and colour. With my work - my “landscapes/conversations on a table” as I call them - my hope is to portray a narrative present on the table. I invite the viewer to explore the space, to engage with the space and the objects in the works. I look for beauty in the most simple of objects and marvel at the poetry that a single line can convey. I strived within the works not simply to reflect reality; not simply to hold a mirror to the objects, but instead to put forward a fresh approach to the way we see what is in front of us.

Since leaving UWS I am still on a journey continuing to learn and develop as an artist. It is still in my DNA this obsession with form and placement alongside my passion for simplification and line, be it the rhythmical line that informs or the horizontal line that dominates. My artistic voice is to be found within the space on the canvas, the narrative and conversations portrayed. To date, I find that the objects are becoming flatter, still touching their objectivity, but barely just and my studies continue in colour, form and the portrayal of silence and stillness.  

As a mature student, initially I took the route of study at TAFE. This enabled me to gain exemptions to begin the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at UWS. Whereas I acquired the arts basics at TAFE; a grounding in the foundations of mark making, at UWS it was more the “why, when and environment” of an artwork and artist that I was introduced to; ways to explore, refine, develop ideas and the art of research. It was difficult at times with travel from my home in Orange to make lectures, but I was rewarded with Mark Rothko coloured skies on early morning drives down, which had a habit of lifting my spirits and making me look forward to the day ahead.

Learn more about Mary Donnelly by visiting her website and Instagram.