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biography
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John Vella was born in Sydney in 1969 and since 1996 has lived in Hobart with his wife Sonia and daughter Sophia Lucia. Since dropping out of architecture in 1988, he has travelled the world, served as a waiter, labourer and telemarketer, loaded trucks, worked in a phone book factory, completed a DipFA with Distinction at the National Art School Sydney, a BFA (Hons) first class and an MFA, at the Tasmanian School of Art, Hobart.
John has developed independent and collaborative artistic projects, that have been exhibited (and reviewed) locally and nationally over the last 15 years. He has been a guest lecturer at a number of tertiary institutions and has served on the Contemporary Art Services Tasmania Board. In addition to having been awarded 3 major competitive commissions through the Art for Public Building Scheme (APBS) he has been the recipient of significant, competitive grants from Arts Tasmania and the Australia Council. His work is held in a number of public and private collections.
Vella lectured in Painting and Drawing at the Tasmanian School of Art, University of Tasmania, from 1998-2000 and was recently appointed to the University as the Acting Head of Sculpture.
John Vella is represented by Criterion Gallery, Hobart.
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selected solo exhibitions
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| 2006 |
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Fume, Devonport Regional Gallery Solo Commission Project, Devonport |
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Bath (yet to be acquired), Criterion Gallery, Hobart |
| 2005 |
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Inklein, Criterion Gallery, Hobart |
| 2004 |
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Apartment, curated by David O'Halloran, Melbourne |
| 2002 |
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Product Lines, Academy Gallery, Launceston |
| 2001 |
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On Loan from a Private Collection, Bett Gallery, Hobart |
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Going Off, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra |
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selected recent mixed exhibitions
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| 2006 |
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Subpoena, with Louise Hubbard, Conical Inc., curated by Adrien Allen Melbourne |
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Partnership or Perish, curated by Margaret Baguley, Academy Gallery, Launceston |
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Object, curated by Ellie Ray, Devonport Regional Gallery, Devonport |
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Come with Me, Royal Botanical Gardens, curated by James Newitt, Hobart. |
| 2005 |
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Rhapsody 21C: Tasmanian Contemporary Art, curated by Malcom Bywaters, Academy Gallery, Launceston. |
| 2004 |
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Free Time, curated by Philip Watkins, CAST Gallery, Hobart |
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Riverine Sculpture Exhibition, Werribee Park, Melbourne |
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Interpreting 2004, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart |
| 2003 |
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Melbourne International Arts Festival, Melbourne curated by Robyn Archer in consultation with Juliana Edenberg |
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Finalist: The Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, Werribee Park, Melbourne |
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Haven, curated by Kevin Murray, Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart /Craft Victoria Melbourne / Burnie Regional Art Gallery, Burnie (2004) |
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Bodybag - Somewhere over the rainbow. curated by Malcom Bywaters, Academy Gallery |
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selected articles and reviews
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| 2006 |
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Silicone Wonder, Urbis (New Zealand), issue 33, pp.54-55, MELINDA WILLIAMS |
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Control-Shift, State of the Arts, p.81, ADAM HADDOW |
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Art Attacks, Good Weekend: Sydney Morning Herald / The Age, pp. 221-223, JOHN MACDONALD |
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Too Cool for School, Silicone Valley, Black + White, Special Issue 83 March 06, p.123, NICK DENT |
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Silicone Valley, Artichoke 14, pp.111-113, JUDITH ABELL |
| 2005 |
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Silicone Valley, Architectural Review (ar) 095 …andscape, pp.26-28, PHILIP WATKINS |
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Apartment, BroadSheet, vol 33 no 4, Feb, pp.44-45, ANDREW GAYNOR |
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inklein, Photofile 75: Spring 05, pp.71-72, CELIA LENDIS |
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Free time, Photofile 73: Summer 05, p.77, STEPHEN RAINBIRD |
| 2004 |
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… Visual Arts in Regional Australia, Craft Arts International 61, pp 68-74 JONATHAN HOLMES |
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Product Lines / Inklein artist page, Artlink, vol 24 #2, pp38-39 |
| 2003 |
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Placemats: a series of fundamental floors, Photofile 69: August 03, p.77, PHILIP WATKINS |
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Ten Days on the Island with Tasmanian Art, Art Monthly #159, May, pp32-34, DANIEL THOMAS |
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Border Crossings, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Spectrum) June 14-15, pp. 12-13, PETER HILL |
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Mixing Perception with Space: Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, The Age: The Culture Review, March 26, p. 6, ROBERT NELSON |
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The Divine Essentials, Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, The Weekend Australian Review, March 29-30, p.17, SUSAN MCCULLOCH |
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Out of the Gothic and into the Blue, Artlink vol 23 #1, p.60, KEVIN MURRAY |
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What Queue?, Artlink vol 23 #1, pp.66-67, MERRYN GATES |
| 2002 |
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Product Lines, BroadSheet, vol 31 no 4, Dec, p.26, SEAN KELLY |
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Cut Outs and Cardboard, Artichoke, 01/02, pp. 112-113, HELEN NORRIE |
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Product Lines, Monument 53, Dec/Jan 02/03, p.93, GERARD REINMUTH |
| 2001 |
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Touching From a Distance, exh. cat., essay by JULIE-ANN HALL |
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Art’s more fun with sea and sun, The Sydney Morning Herald, November 7, p.25, ANNE LOXLEY |
| 1999 |
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Undiscovered, unmasked: Artists for a new millennium, Australian Art and Collector Magazine, April-June pp33-40, EDWARD COLLESS |
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grants and awards
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| 2003 |
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New Work Grant (established), Australia Council / Artsbridge Grant, Arts Tasmania |
| 2002 |
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Arts/ Events Grant, Arts Industry Grant, Arts Tasmania |
| 2001 |
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Pat Corrigan Artists’ Grant |
| 2000 |
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New Work Grant (emerging), Australia Council |
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public art commissions
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| 2005 |
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Silicone Valley, Rose Bay High School, Tasmania. |
| 2004 |
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Coles Old World, Coles Sandy Bay, Tasmania. |
| 2002 |
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Munch Boxes, Clarence Dental Clinic, Tasmania. |
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represented in
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Artbank |
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University of NSW |
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Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery |
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Private and corporate collections |
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