Jennifer McCamley facts for kids
Jennifer McCamley (born 1957) is an Australian artist. She lives and works in Melbourne, Victoria. Jennifer was born in Brisbane in 1957. She is known for creating art in many different ways. She has also worked closely with another artist, Janet Burchill, since the mid-1980s. In 2013, her work was shown in a big art exhibition called Melbourne Now at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Working with Janet Burchill
Jennifer McCamley started working with artist Janet Burchill in the mid-1980s. They have had many art shows together, both in Australia and other countries. Their art often explores big ideas about how we see the world. They use things like movies, language, and popular culture to share their messages.
Jennifer studied film, how signs and symbols work, and philosophy. This helped Janet, who was good at sculpture and film. They get ideas from art history, design, movies, books, and ideas about women's rights. Their art is very much about important topics happening today. They have worked together for over 40 years, showing many different ways to create art today.
Their artworks have been part of major exhibitions. These include Australian Perspecta in Sydney (1989) and Virtual Reality at the National Gallery of Australia (1994). A big show of their combined works, Tip of the Iceberg: Selected works 1985–2001, was held in 2001. It was shown at the University Art Museum, University of Queensland, and the Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne.
From 2009 to 2010, they worked on a special project with MAAP. They researched new solar (sun-powered) technologies. This helped them create a temporary public artwork called Light From Light. This artwork was shown at the State Library Queensland and the Shanghai Library. It was also displayed at the National Art Museum of China and the Hangzhou Public Library in China from 2010 to 2011.
Their interest in solar technology led them to other art residencies. They worked at The International Art Space Kellerberrin Australia (IASKA) and the University of Wollongong. There, they continued to develop art and research about solar power.
Looking Back at Their Art
In 2019, the Heide Museum of Modern Art held an exhibition. It was called Temptation to Co-Exist. This show looked back at the 35 years Jennifer and Janet worked together. The exhibition was named after an earlier artwork from 1986. It celebrated the long careers and many artworks of Burchill and McCamley.
Awards and Recognition
In 1991, Burchill and McCamley received an award from the Australia Council. It was the Kunstlerhaus Bethanien Residency and Scholarship. They lived and worked in Berlin until 1997. During this time, they also won the Berlin Senate Art Scholarship together.
