Newhaven Series XV, 2018 by Ann Thomson

In May 2017, Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), in conjunction with Lea and Bill Ferris and Defiance Gallery, invited five leading Australian artists, including Ann Thomson, to travel to AWC’s Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary which lies 363 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs at the junction of three distinct bioregions: the Great Sandy Desert, MacDonnell Ranges and Burt Plain in the Northern Territory of Australia and protects 27 mammal species, over 170 bird species and over 80 reptile species.

The artists spent a week exploring the 262,000 hectares of protected wilderness working closely with AWC’s field ecologists and all created a series of works developed from their experiences.  Many of the works were then donated to The Defiance Gallery and an exhibition of the works raised significant funds for AWC.   The exhibition was a celebration of the Australian landscape and of our continued attempts to see our land from the perspectives of both the artists and the scientists.

This is one of the works Ann Thomson created whilst she was there.

Ann Thomson is a Brisbane born, Sydney based painter known for her vibrant, expressive compositions. Her studio based practice consists of painting, sculpture and more recently painting on ceramics.

Ann Thomson’s practice is about experiencing the touch and feel of the landscape and being able to bring that experience back into the studio. Her paintings rely on using memory and imagination to bring that experience into the work.

Described by Edmund Capon as ‘one of the most interesting and intuitive artists in Australia today’, Thomson is an inventive and imaginative artist. With a prolific body of work that spans decades, Thomson’s works are colourful, fluid and show an ever-evolving creative language.

Since graduating from the National Art School in 1962 she has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout Australia and overseas. Thomson has won a number of prizes, including the 1998 Art Gallery of New South Wales Wynne Prize, 2005 Kedumba Drawing Prize, the 2002 Geelong Contemporary Art Prize and the Tattersall’s Art Prize Brisbane 2016. Her work is included in many important collections such as Art Gallery of New South Wales, Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, Thyssen- Bornemisza Collection, Madrid and Villa Haiss Museum, Germany.

annthomson.com.au