John Dahlsen
Encyclopedia
John Dahlsen is an award-winning Australia
n contemporary
environmental
artist. He uses found object
s, primarily plastic bags, from Australian beaches in his work.
and in 1989 at the Melbourne College of Advanced Education
. In addition to his art, he also lectures at Australian universities and at environmental symposiums
around the world. He has exhibited work in many solo and group exhibitions since 1979. Dahlsen currently lives in Byron Bay
, New South Wales
, Australia.
painter but, in the 1990s, shifted to environmental art. He attributes this shift to stumbling upon a large amount of plastic debris
from the ocean while collecting driftwood
with which he was going to make furniture. Since then, he has used these debris to create tall sculpture
s (often referred to by him as totems
) or to sandwich between sheets of Plexiglas as a commentary on pollution
, global warming
, and other environmental issue
s. One of his most well-known artworks is Thong Totem, a group of five totems made from found thong sandals and stainless steel
. He won the 2000 Wynne Prize
for this sculpture. He has also created totems from plastic bottle
s, buoys, foam
, and driftwood.
In 2000, he was appointed "official artist of the new millenium" by environmental organizations Clean Up Australia
and Clean Up the World
. In 2004, he represented Australia at the Athens Olympics of Visual Arts. In 2004, he was the first Australian artist commissioned by Absolut Vodka
. He created Absolut Dahlsen, a 4.2 meter (14 feet) tall sculpture made from found thong sandals in the shape of an Absolut Vodka bottle. He toured nationally with this artwork, which now is on semi-permanent loan to the Gold Coast City Art Gallery
. In 2003, he began using recycled plastic bags as his primary medium.
for his piece Thong Totem. He was also a finalist in both 2003 and 2004. In 2006 he was a finalist for the Sir John Sulman Medal
from the Art Gallery of New South Wales
and the second prize winner of the Signature of Sydney Art Prize. He has also won many other awards, such as the 2003 award for mixed media/new media at the Florence Biennial of Contemporary Art, Environmental Art Awards at the Swell Sculpture Exhibition in 2009 and 2010, and the Peoples Choice Award in the ArtsCape Biennial Sculpture Exhibition in 2010.
He has also been awarded several grants
from the Australian government as well as private groups.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n contemporary
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
environmental
Environmental art
The term environmental art is used in two different contexts: it can be used generally to refer to art dealing with ecological issues and/or the natural, such as the formal, the political, the historical, or the social context....
artist. He uses found object
Found object
A found object, in an artistic sense, indicates the use of an object which has not been designed for an artistic purpose, but which exists for another purpose already. Found objects may exist either as utilitarian, manufactured items, or things which occur in nature...
s, primarily plastic bags, from Australian beaches in his work.
Biography
Dahlsen studied art from 1977 to 1979 at the Victorian College of the ArtsVictorian College of the Arts
The Faculty of the VCA and Music is a faculty of the University of Melbourne, in Victoria . VCAM is located near the Melbourne central business district, on two campuses, one - the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - on the Parkville campus of the University of Melbourne, and the other - the...
and in 1989 at the Melbourne College of Advanced Education
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
. In addition to his art, he also lectures at Australian universities and at environmental symposiums
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
around the world. He has exhibited work in many solo and group exhibitions since 1979. Dahlsen currently lives in Byron Bay
Byron Bay, New South Wales
Byron Bay is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. At the 2006 Census, the town had a...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia.
Artwork
Dahlsen began his career as an abstractAbstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
painter but, in the 1990s, shifted to environmental art. He attributes this shift to stumbling upon a large amount of plastic debris
Marine debris
Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is human created waste that has deliberately or accidentally become afloat in a lake, sea, ocean or waterway. Oceanic debris tends to accumulate at the centre of gyres and on coastlines, frequently washing aground, when it is known as beach litter or...
from the ocean while collecting driftwood
Driftwood
Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea or river by the action of winds, tides, waves or man. It is a form of marine debris or tidewrack....
with which he was going to make furniture. Since then, he has used these debris to create tall sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s (often referred to by him as totems
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
) or to sandwich between sheets of Plexiglas as a commentary on pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
, global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, and other environmental issue
Environmental issue
Environmental issues are negative aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Environmentalism, a social and environmental movement that started in the 1960s, addresses environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism.-Types:...
s. One of his most well-known artworks is Thong Totem, a group of five totems made from found thong sandals and stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
. He won the 2000 Wynne Prize
Wynne Prize
The Wynne Prize is an Australian landscape painting or figure sculpture art prize. One of Australia's longest running art prizes, it was established in 1897 from the bequest of Richard Wynne...
for this sculpture. He has also created totems from plastic bottle
Plastic bottle
A plastic bottle is a bottle constructed of plastic, with a neck that is narrower than its real body and an opening at the top. The mouth of the bottle is normally sealed with a plastic bottle cap. Plastic bottles are typically used to store liquids such as water, soft drinks, motor oil, cooking...
s, buoys, foam
Polystyrene
Polystyrene ) also known as Thermocole, abbreviated following ISO Standard PS, is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry...
, and driftwood.
In 2000, he was appointed "official artist of the new millenium" by environmental organizations Clean Up Australia
Clean Up Australia
Clean Up Australia is a not-for-profit Australian environmental conservation organisation founded by Australian Ian Kiernan, and co-founder Kim McKay, in 1989. It works to foster relationships between the community, business and government to address the environmental issues of waste, water and...
and Clean Up the World
Clean Up the World
Clean Up the World is a community-based, environmental campaign that inspires and empowers communities around the globe to clean up, fix up and conserve their environment....
. In 2004, he represented Australia at the Athens Olympics of Visual Arts. In 2004, he was the first Australian artist commissioned by Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Skåne, in southern Sweden. Since July 2008 the company has been owned by the French firm Pernod Ricard who bought V&S Group from the Swedish government....
. He created Absolut Dahlsen, a 4.2 meter (14 feet) tall sculpture made from found thong sandals in the shape of an Absolut Vodka bottle. He toured nationally with this artwork, which now is on semi-permanent loan to the Gold Coast City Art Gallery
Gold Coast City Art Gallery
The Gold Coast City Art Gallery is a regional Art museum located at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Opened in 1986, the Gallery is funded by the Gold Coast City Council as part of the Gold Coast Art Centre Pty Ltd.- Collection :...
. In 2003, he began using recycled plastic bags as his primary medium.
Awards
In 2000, Dahlsen won the Wynne Prize from the Art Gallery of New South WalesArt Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
for his piece Thong Totem. He was also a finalist in both 2003 and 2004. In 2006 he was a finalist for the Sir John Sulman Medal
Sir John Sulman Medal
The Sir John Sulman Medal is a New South Wales architectural prize presented by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and was first awarded in 1932....
from the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
and the second prize winner of the Signature of Sydney Art Prize. He has also won many other awards, such as the 2003 award for mixed media/new media at the Florence Biennial of Contemporary Art, Environmental Art Awards at the Swell Sculpture Exhibition in 2009 and 2010, and the Peoples Choice Award in the ArtsCape Biennial Sculpture Exhibition in 2010.
He has also been awarded several grants
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
from the Australian government as well as private groups.