Nora Sumberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nora Sumberg
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| Born | 1956 Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia
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| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Caulfield Institute of Technology, New York Studio School, Monash University |
| Known for | Artist, painter |
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Notable work
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Oil on canvas/linen/panel |
Nora Sumberg (born in 1956) is an Australian artist. She is famous for her landscape paintings. Her art has changed over time, becoming more abstract and dreamy. She uses bright, floating colors. Her paintings show glowing, unclear landscapes. You can see her art in important places. These include The National Gallery of Victoria and the Queensland Art Gallery.
Nora's grandfather was Voldemar Sumberg. He was a minister in the Estonian government. Estonian culture is special to Nora. She even had a special art residency in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2011.
Contents
Nora Sumberg's Early Life
Nora Sumberg was born in Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia. She studied fine arts at the Caulfield Institute of Technology. This was in 1976.
Later, she did more studies in New York. She went to the New York Studio School in 1978. In 1979, she got a diploma in education. She also earned a Master of Arts degree. This was from Monash University in 1996.
Her Art Career
Early Art Style
Nora Sumberg's first paintings showed real objects and people. They were influenced by pop art. She used bold, flat colors. She also drew thick outlines around her subjects. She painted these works with enamel on a material called Masonite.
An Australian art critic, Robert Rooney, wrote about her early work. He said her best paintings were "boldly painted." He also noted they were "ambitiously constructed." Sometimes, she used a "fish-eye lens distortion." Her surfaces were smooth.
Developing Her Style
Nora Sumberg started painting landscapes. She added buildings and other features. These often looked like complex mazes. Or they were like Italian garden features. She painted things like topiaries (shaped bushes), gazebos, statues, and columns.
Nora's way of showing space in her art is unique. She uses many hidden horizons. She also crops and overlaps different views. This makes it feel like you are wandering through a winding garden.
These paintings came after she stayed at a studio in Italy. There, she studied 19th-century Italian villa gardens. These artworks were usually large. They were made of several painted panels joined together.
An Australian poet and art critic, Gary Catalano, liked her work. He said her paintings made his "eye to change gear." This meant they made him look at art in a new way.
Jenny Zimmer reviewed an exhibition in 1990. She wrote that Nora Sumberg "transforms sun and cloud." She turned them into "bursts of sensation." Zimmer said Nora's art was modern.
Awards and Special Stays
Nora Sumberg has received many awards. She has also been an artist in residence. This means she was invited to live and work in a special place.
- 1978 Visual Arts Board, Australia Council, Peter Brown Memorial Scholarship, New York Studio School, United States
- 1982 Visual Arts Board, Australia Council, Besozzo Studio, Italy
- 1988 Visual Arts Board, Australia Council, Project Grant
- 1989 St Kilda City Council Acquisition Drawing Prize, Melbourne
- 2000 Artist in Residence, Bundanon, The Arthur & Yvonne Boyd Program for the Arts, Shoalhaven, New South Wales
- 2003 Artist in Residence, The Tower Studio, Victorian Trades Hall Council, Melbourne
- 2004 Artist in Residence, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
- 2005 Artist in Residence, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, Brisbane
- 2007 Artist in Residence, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, China
Art Collections
Nora Sumberg's art is part of many important collections. These are places where art is kept and shown.
- Artbank, Sydney
- The Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Centre for the Arts
- Baillieu Myer Collection
- Heide Museum of Modern Art
- Monash University
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
- Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
- Smorgan Collection
