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Michael Sankey
Artist Statement
My current suite of work revolves around the use of image and verse, and primarily Haiku verse. The images to be shown will be taken from my forthcoming book 'Light and Life: Images and Verse' a collection of 27 images to be published in about a month's time. This is part of a larger series of 4 books looking at different elements of my lived life, captured and enhanced with verse. The work has evolved from my passion for multimodal representation that allows people from different background to engage with my work on different levels, with the view of meeting them where they are, not necessarily expecting them 'to get' what 'I get'. As such these images resonate on many levels and are represented in different forms; as prints, as canvases, as wearables and in a book.
Biography
Michael is primarily (now) a digital artist, exhibiting new content almost daily on his Instagram and Facebook feeds. His style is best described as eclectic, demonstrating a diversity of practice. He adopts many genres in his work, but it is strongly influenced by how best to use design, shape and light. He finds these are constantly changing and tries to highlight, out of this, the quirky and fun side of life. Michael graduated from art college in 1981, majoring in photographic fine art. Since then, he has worked in and around image making and the arts for most of his career. He is currently the Creative Director of Gimme Five Creations, a photographic art-based creative enterprise. You can read more about Michael’s professional life at https://michaelsankey.com/about/ or in his photography endeavors, or at the Prahran College of the Arts (photography) Alumni site at: https://prahranlegacy.org/2025/01/09/6307/
Influences
As a Photographic media artist my influences are many. My early years were influenced strongly by the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, a French humanist photographer, and also an artist. He was considered a master of candid photography, and pioneered the genre of the 'decisive moment'. Australian Max Dupain was also an early influence with his modernist documentary images. I suppose my style is now best described as eclectic, a diversity of practice that I bring from many genres.
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions 1996 ‘Differing Views‘, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld 1991 ‘Camera obscurities and recent developments‘, USQ Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld 1988 ‘Newmarket’, The Bread of Life Café, Geelong, Victoria 1987 ‘Seascapes’, Tea Rooms Gallery, Vue Grand Private Hotel, Queenscliff, Victoria 1980 ‘Graduate Exhibition’, Prahran College of Advanced Education Gallery, Prahran, Victoria Group Exhibitions 2016 ‘Eclectic Views 1-3‘. Downlands Arts Exhibition, Downlands College Toowoomba, Qld 2013 ‘Instagraming’, Downlands Arts Exhibition, Downlands College Toowoomba, Qld 2012 ‘Slithers 5’, USQ Staff Show, USQ Library Building, Toowoomba, Qld 2011 ‘Slithers 5’, Downlands Arts Exhibition, Downlands College Toowoomba, Qld 2008 ‘Slithers 4’, Downlands Arts Exhibition, Downlands College Toowoomba, Qld 2007 ‘Slithers 3’, Downlands Arts Exhibition, Downlands College Toowoomba, Qld 2002 ‘Slithers 2’, Creative Arts Expo, The Neil St Centre, Toowoomba, Qld 2001 ‘Slithers 1’, Creative Arts Expo, The Neil St Centre, Toowoomba, Qld 1999 ‘Staff Show’, USQ Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld 1999 ‘McGregor Prize for Photography Exhibition’, USQ Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld 1998 ‘Interface’, USQ Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld 1997 ‘Hears Looking At You Kid’, USQ Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld 1997 ‘McGregor Prize for Photography Exhibition’, USQ Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld 1997 ‘Heritage Photographic Awards exhibition’, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Qld 1996 ‘Heritage Photographic Awards exhibition’, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Qld 1996 ‘Media Ocher’, USQ Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld 1995 ‘McGregor Prize for Photography Exhibition’, USQ Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld 1995 ‘Heritage Photographic Awards exhibition’, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Qld 1994 ‘McGregor Prize for Photography Exhibition’, USQ Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld 1994 ‘Heritage Photographic Awards exhibition’, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Qld 1994 ‘Toowoomba Dawn to Dusk’, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld Works in collections Goethe Institute, Melbourne, Australia Toowoomba City Council, Toowoomba, Australia Toowoomba Hospice, Toowoomba, Australia Heritage Building Society, Toowoomba, Australia Toowoomba City Church, Toowoomba, Australia St.Ursula’s College, Toowoomba, Australia Many Private Collections
