Art2Muse

Exhibition at Art2Muse Gallery 7 - 20 May 2013

• Launch 6pm -8pm Thursday 9th May 2013

Artworks available to view in Sydney

Born in Sydney, Karen Barbouttis has an artistic practice that has developed out of a principally self-taught tradition.

While completing a degree in Psychology, Karen sought employment at the Hanna Barbera Studios in Sydney where she was trained in animation, as an animator. This was a field in which she continued to work over the next twenty–five years, working in various studios in both Sydney and Melbourne, such as The Disney Studios, Yoram Gross Studios, Burbank, Unlimited Energee, Energee Entertainment, and Mickey Duck Studios. Karen also worked in concept art, creating and designing both finished art and merchandise for companies in the United States, such as Harveytoons, Warner Brothers, and Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Working in book illustration, one of her collaborations with Dr Sandra Cabot resulted in a series of books that made the best-selling lists across Australia.

Always working in the artistic field, but never engaging in any artistic practice of her own, Karen enrolled in the National Art School in Sydney in 2008. She graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting Major, with Distinction, but it is the discipline of drawing to which she has returned to explore. Deferring an acceptance of enrolment in Honors Drawing at the National Art School, the year of experimentation and exploration developed into a valuable learning experience.

In 2011, the selection of Karen’s work as Winner of The Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing was a career highlight.

Karen’s work investigating the themes of life in death in her body of work, The Museum of Life, has developed and grown to encompass the themes of Life and Death in Life and Death.

Although her work with pencil on paper will still be explored, Karen is working to develop these themes in the medium of painting.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

2010 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Painting (Distinction),
National Art School. Sydney.

1985 Bachelor of Arts, Major in Psychology,
University of New South Wales.

Professional Experience

2000-09 Illustration, Signum Graphics, Sydney.

1999-2000 Character design, finished art, and website animation, Energee
Entertainment, Sydney.

1995-98 Illustration and book illustration, Signum Graphics, Sydney.
Book illustration, Murray David Publishing, Sydney.
Concept art and finished illustrations, VB Concepts, Sydney.

1993-94 Cartoon animation, Disney Studios, Sydney.

1991 Cartoon animation, Unlimited Energee Studios, Sydney.

1990 Storyboards, character design, and animation, Yoram Gross Studio, Sydney.

1980-90 Illustration and cartoon animation, Burbank Studios, Sydney.
Illustration and cartoon animation, Yoram Gross Studios, Sydney.
Tee-shirt design, Everything Australian stores, Sydney.

1989 Cartoon animation, Mickey Duck Studios, Melbourne.

1979-88 Cartoon animation, Hanna Barbera Studios, Sydney.

Selected Exhibitions

2013 Hellenic Lyceum Sydney exhibition, “Nurturing Hellenic Heritage the Australian Way”.
Parliament House, Sydney.

2013 Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, Exhibition of Finalists.
Adelaide Perry Gallery, Croydon, Sydney.

2012 The Mortimore Art Prize, Exhibition of Finalists

2012 arc Yinnar Biennial Drawing Prize, Exhibition of Finalists

2012 Hunters Hill Art Exhibition of Finalists.
Hunters Hill Town Hall, Sydney.

2012 ANIMALS Exhibition,
Syndicate Gallery, Danks Street, Sydney.

2012 Drawings from The Animal Walk,
Xavier Art Space, St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

2012 BSG WOP Prize, Printmaking and Drawing Exhibition of Finalists.
Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne.

2012 Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, Exhibition of Finalists.
Adelaide Perry Gallery, Croydon, Sydney.

2011 Drawings from The Museum of Life,
Xavier Art Space, St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

2011 Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, Exhibition of Finalists.
Adelaide Perry Gallery, Croydon, Sydney.

2010 Selected Student Graduate Drawing Exhibition.
National Art School, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

2009 Exhibition of Selected Student Sketchbooks.
Stairwell Gallery, National Art School, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

2009 A Week On Cockatoo. Selected student work from the National Art School.
Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

Selected Collections

National Art School Student Collection, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

Pymble Ladies College Private Art Collection, Croydon, Sydney.

St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

Private collections.

Awards

2012 Commended, Hunters Hill Art Prize and Exhibition

2012 Highly Commended, arc Yinnar Biennial Drawing Prize

2011 Winner, Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing.

Bibliography

2011 Art Monthly, #238, April.

2011 Australian Art Collector, February.

2011 Imprint Magazine, Winter, Vol 46, Number 2.

My drawing practice is an ‘honest’ one …… I draw what I see. The relationship of line, space and place creates the dialogue that I choose to communicate with the viewer of my works. The simplicity and immediacy of the pencil on paper is how I choose to express this dialogue.

The technique can be a simple one, or can develop into a lengthy process where I create an almost painterly quality of line. I walk every day, everywhere. I see things that I want to express as a drawing on paper. Pencil and paper are always on hand to record what I see. That is the beauty of the materials. Their immediacy and availability allow for the spontaneous and the more detailed work.
Pencil on paper IS my drawing practice and the starting point to all my artistic practice. - Karen Barbouttis