About
David Hamilton was born and educated in Hobart, Tasmania. For 30 years until 2002 he was Head of Sculpture, University of Tasmania at Launceston. In 2011 he completed a PhD titled Fragments: Beyond the Object and continues to work full time as a practising sculptor.
David has exhibited in over 20 curated and juried exhibitions in recent years, both in Australia and overseas. His work is represented in various university, public, corporate and private collections within Australia and overseas. During this time he has also undertaken a number of major public sculpture commissions in his home state of Tasmania.
At Pilot Art Foundry in Launceston, Tasmania, he cast Ju Ming's bronze Overcoming Adversities for the entrance to the SAFTI Military Institute in Singapore. Made in 1994, it was completed in 1995.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Tasmania
Studied Tasmanian School of Art, Hobart — Teachers Diploma of Art (major Sculpture), Diploma of Fine Arts (major Sculpture), Tasmanian Teachers Certificate, Tasmanian School of Art, Hobart
Solo and two-person exhibitions
Tensile – Explorations in metal and form, a joint exhibition with Gene McLaren, Blenheim Gallery, Longford, Tasmania
Fragments and Artefacts QVMAG Launceston Tasmania
A Place in Time, Blenheim Gallery, Longford, Tasmania
Boat as Metaphor, Maritime Museum of Tasmania, Hobart
Recent Sculpture, Artifacts from Another Time, Gallery Pejean, Launceston
Fragments: Beyond the Object, Academy of the Arts Gallery, UTAS Launceston
Beyond Object, Foyer Gallery, ANU, ACT
Converging Threads, (Hamilton/Hickman), Schaefer International Gallery Maui Arts & Cultural Centre, Hawaii, USA and Academy of the Arts Gallery, Launceston
Recent Bronze Castings, Cockatoo Gallery, Launceston
Jeremy Kirwan-Ward (drawing) & David Hamilton (bronzes), Eric Car Gallery Perth, WA
David Hamilton - Castings, QVMAG, Launceston
Group exhibitions
Shapes in Spaces, Blenheim Gallery, Longford
Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, Sydney, NSW
Bay of Fires Art Prize, St Helens, Tasmania
Tidal, Paranaple Arts Centre, Devonport, Tasmania
Bay of Fires Art Prize, St Helens, Tasmania
Drawing without words, Launceston College, Launceston
Drawing without words, Academy Gallery UTAS, Launceston
Bay of Fires Art Prize, St Helens, Tasmania
Woollahra Sculpture Prize, Sydney, NSW
Pin 7, ANCA Gallery, Canberra, ACT
Highly Commended, Bay of Fires Art Prize, St Helens, Tasmania
Imagining food: art, aesthetics and design, Festival, Academy Gallery, Launceston, Burnie Regional Gallery
Sculpture on Clyde, Batemans Bay, NSW
Directors Choice, Gallery Pejean, Launceston, Tasmania
Festivale Sculpture Exhibition, Design Centre of Tasmania
Reorder, 10 Days on the Island, Spring Bay, Tasmania
Winner, Artentwine Sculpture Prize, West Tamar, Tasmania
Sculpture 2014, Gallery Pejean, Launceston, Tasmania
Showcase, Gallery Pejean, Launceston, Tasmania
Think Tank, Artists Visual Diaries, Academy Gallery, UTAS, Launceston
Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award, Melbourne
Carbon Trading, Academy Gallery, UTAS, Launceston
Island-to-Island Travelling Exhibition, Academy Gallery Launceston; University of Hawaii Gallery, Hawaii; Universiti Sains, Penang, Malaysia
Fifty Trees of Launceston, Academy Gallery, UTAS, Launceston
9th International Shoe Box Sculpture Exhibition, University of Hawaii at Manoa Gallery, USA
Woollahra Sculpture Prize, Woollahra, Sydney, NSW
Peppermint Bay Sculpture Prize, Woodbridge, Tasmania
Rhapsody 21C Tasmanian Contemporary Art, Academy Gallery, UTAS, Launceston
White Line Fever, Academy Gallery, UTAS, Launceston
Travelling the Roundabout, Academy Gallery, UTAS, Launceston & Centre for the Arts, Hobart
Hats off to Rain Lover, Academy Gallery, UTAS, Launceston
Boxed: gifts, treasures, memories and possessions, Institut Teknologi Mara, Malaysia
6th International Shoe Box Sculpture Exhibition, University of Hawaii at Manoa Gallery, USA
Pins and Needles: Identity and Meaning, Silpakorn University, Bangkok & Chiang Mai University, Thailand
Made in Norway Sculpture Exhibition, University of Northern Territory, Darwin
Fourth Contemporary Art Fair, Contemporary Australian Sculpture, Melbourne
Six Contemporary Artists, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
5th International Shoe Box Sculpture Exhibition, University of Hawaii at Manoa Gallery, USA. Also travelled in USA and Pacific Rim countries.
The October Show, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston
Hard Hat Show, Centenary Exhibition, Queenstown, Tasmania
Faculty Exhibition, University of Hawaii at Manoa Gallery, USA
Art Bacchanalia, Environmental Sculpture Exhibition, Hollybank Forest, Underwood, Tasmania
Contemporary Sculpture, ACAF.2, Exhibition Building, Melbourne
The Sculpture Show, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston
Australian Crafts 88, Meat Market Craft Centre, Melbourne, Victoria
10th Mildura Sculpture Triennial, Victoria
Punt Event Sculpture, Cataract Gorge, Launceston
Six Contemporary Artists, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
Second Australian Sculpture Triennial, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Lilian Pederson Memorial Sculpture Exhibition, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Queensland
Hooks and Holders, Design Centre of Tasmania, Launceston
Anything but Flat, Burnie Art Gallery, Devonport Art Gallery, Salamanca Place Gallery, Hobart
Tasmanian Blue Gum Festival, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
7th Mildura Sculpture Triennial, Arts Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria
Craft Australia '75, Canberra, ACT
Launceston Art Purchase, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery Launceston
Staff Exhibition, Tasmanian School of Art
Flotta Lauro Sculpture Prize
Public commissions
Welcome Gesture, (Hamilton/Farquhar-Still), Burnie City Council, TasmaniaView work →
Twist, Newnham Campus, University of Tasmania
Earth Drill, Queen Victoria Museum and Art GalleryView work →
Bolt, Academy of the Arts Campus, UTASView work →
Somersault, Punchbowl Primary School, Launceston
Wrap, Tasmanian Fire Service, Youngtown, LauncestonView work →
Y2, Newnham Campus, UTAS, LauncestonView work →
Rack, Degrees Restaurant, Newnham Campus, UTAS, Launceston
Rack, University Bistro, Newnham campus, UTAS, Launceston
Strainer, Spreyton Primary School, TasmaniaView work →
Pulse, Hellyer College Burnie, TasmaniaView work →
Railing, Launceston General Hospital, TasmaniaView work →
Rack, Tasman Regional Library, Rosny, HobartView work →
Cross, St. Georges Church of England, Launceston
Work in public collections
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston
Visual Arts Board Collection, Australia Council
Burnie Art Gallery
City of Mildura Arts Centre
University of Tasmania, Newnham campus
University of Tasmania, Inveresk campus
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
Wesley College, University of Melbourne
University of Northern Territory
Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
West Tamar Council Sculpture Collection, Launceston
Professional experience
Vice Chair, Sculpture Tasmania
Committee Member, Artentwine Sculpture Prize, West Tamar, Tasmania
Post Graduate Examiner, School of Art and Design, ANU, ACT
Judge, Bakhap Prize, North East Tasmania
McCulloch Studio Residency, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris
Interim Chair / Vice Chair, Sawtooth Artist Run Initiative, Launceston
Conducted bronze casting workshops, Badu Island, Torres Strait
Post Graduate Examiner, Tasmanian College of the Arts, UT
Artist in Residence, School of Art and Design, ANU, ACT
Honorary Research Associate, UTAS
Volunteer Coordinator, Australian Pavilion, 11th International Architecture Exhibition, Biennale di Venezia, Italy
Post Graduate Supervisor, Hons, MFA and PhD program, School of Visual and Performing Arts, UTAS
Part Time Lecturer Design & Technology, School of Education, UTAS
Sub Dean and Head Fine Arts, SVPA, UTAS
Deputy Academic Dean, SVPA, UTAS
Chair, Working Panel, Art in Public Buildings, Tasmanian Arts Advisory Board
Member, Visual Arts and Crafts Panel, TAAB
Senior Lecturer, Sculpture, UTAS
Lecturer in Sculpture, Tasmanian College of Advanced Education, Launceston
Member, Regional Advisory Committee, Australian Broadcasting Commission
Vice President, Crafts Council of Tasmania
Lecturer in Sculpture, Launceston Technical College
Art teacher, New Norfolk High School, Tasmania
Research, grants and awards
Secured two travelling scholarships under Federal Govt UMAP scheme for UTAS SVPA students to study in Thailand
Secured Teaching and development grant with Dr Deborah Malor to investigate UTAS off campus/internet teaching of Fine Art theory and studio subjects
Secured Federal Govt UMAP grant to travel to Thailand to investigate the establishment of the In Country elective Thai Art and Culture for UTAS
Secured commission, Pilot Art Foundry, to cast an aluminium sculpture panel for artist Gertrud Parker, California, USA
Secured major commission, Pilot Art Foundry, to cast three panels Windows of Fire by Ron Kowalke for the Hawaii Convention Centre, Honolulu, USA
Academic exchange, six months, University of Hawaii, USA
Artist in Residence, Silpakorn University, Bangkok
Secured major commission, Pilot Art Foundry, to cast Ju Ming's bronze Overcoming Adversities for the SAFTI Military Institute, Singapore; made in 1994, completed in 1995
Secured major commission, Pilot Art Foundry, to cast five large entrance gates Nets of Makali'i by Pat Hickman for the Maui Arts & Cultural Centre, Hawaii, USA
Academic exchange, six months, University of Hawaii, USA
Academic exchange, six months, Darwin Institute of Technology
Awarded six months study leave to research a book on fine art metal casting
Awarded Arts Tasmania grant to investigate the establishment of a commercial art foundry in Tasmania
Development leave, six months, to study ceramic shell casting technique, Berkeley, California, USA
Awarded Australia Council, Visual Arts Board grant to establish bronze casting workshop
Australian delegate (Tasmania) to the Second World Crafts Council Conference, Tarabya, Turkey
Consultancy and workshops
Bronze casting mentorship, Craig Ashton, funded by Arts Tasmania
Bronze casting mentorship, Will Stackhouse, funded by Arts Tasmania
Establish bronze casting foundry and run workshops, three annual trips Badu Island Art Centre (Badhulgaw Kuthinaw Mudh), Torres Strait, Queensland
Maui Arts and Cultural Centre, Hawaii Conservation of cast aluminium gates
Maui Arts and Cultural Centre, Hawaii Conservation/surface treatment of cast aluminium gates
SAFTI Military Base, Singapore Patination and instruction of conservation team
Maui Arts and Cultural Centre, Hawaii Conservation advice on gates and steel sculptural screens
University of Northern Territory Bronze casting workshop
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Assess and recommendation report on foundry
Newcastle College of Advanced Education Advice and report on establishment of ceramic shell casting facility
Western Australian Maritime Museum Advice on RTV rubber moulding of artefacts
Foundry and metal casting workshop, Fremantle Arts Centre
Western Australian Maritime Museum RTV mould making of maritime artefacts for reproduction
Claremont School of Art, WA — Student foundry construction workshop
Bronze casting, Les Kossatz, Coming and Going, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne
Wembley Technical College, WA — Ceramic shell casting workshop
Prahran College of Advanced Education — Ceramic shell lecture and foundry advice
Bibliography
Denholm, M 2016 In the Vineyard of Art. The Story of Art and Tasmania, a History Carlton Street Press, North Hobart
Malor, Deborah 2005 Claiming Ground, 25 years of Tasmania's Art in Public Building Scheme pp 14, 38
Morse, Marcia, September 2005 Pat Hickman and David Hamilton at Maui Arts & Cultural Center Art in America pp163, 164
Taylor, Peter April 2005 The problem with Creative Sculpture and why we care, Open Gates Converging Threads pp 2 University of Tasmania, Academy Gallery
Thomas, Daniel May 2005 Ten Days on the Island 2005 The exhibition round-up Art Monthly pp 33
Berg, Pamille September 2004 Converging Threads Maui Arts & Cultural Center pp 5
Brown, Paul James September 12 2004 MACC's Cool Threads The Maui News C1
Freedman, Steve September 2004 Hamilton & Hickman 'Converging Threads' Maui Arts & Cultural Center Exhibition Catalogue pp 1,2,3
Goldman, Rita August/Sept 2004 'Unlikely Connections' Centerpiece, Maui Arts and Cultural Magazine pp 14,15,16,17
Milford, Madeleine Oct 2001 University of Tasmania David Hamilton Alumni magazine Issue no 20, pp 12 and 13
University of Tasmania May 1996 Warriors in bronze, Research News, Number 11
Newport, Mark Summer 1995 Pat Hickman Fiberarts, pp 11.
Hansen, D 1994 City of Hobart Art Prize Australian Art Monthly March No 67 pp12, April No 68, pp 38
Backhouse, S 1988 Tasmanian Artists of the Twentieth Century Pandani Press, Hobart, pp 92-93
Hutchison, N. 1985 Australian Sculpture Now Art Network No. 17, pp 35
Kolenberg, H. 1985 Six Contemporary Artists Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery pp 6, 8 and 9
Sturgeon, G 1984 Australian Sculpture Now, Second Australian Sculpture Triennial. National Gallery of Victoria pp 36, 100, 101
Ridgers, J 1983/1 Pilot Art Foundry Craft Australia, Autumn, pp 64-65
Sturgeon, G 1982 Sculpture at Mildura, Mildura City Council, n.d. pp. 86, 105
Keefer, Jeannie 1982 Pilot Art Foundry Craft Tasmania, Vol 12 no 6 November 1982
Scarlett, K 1980 Australian Sculptors 1830-1977, pp 237 Thomas Nelson Australia, Melbourne
Germaine, M 1979 Artists and Galleries in Australia Boolarong Publications, Brisbane, p 219
Davies, J 1978 Earth and Steel, Mildura's Seventh Sculpture Triennial Art and Australia Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 45-46
Press
Tasmanian Art: How public art divides opinion and earns nicknames
ABC interview with our sculptors David Hamilton and Gene McLaren
Tasmanian artist David Hamilton takes centre stage in new exhibition
Cracking new work - David Hamilton
David Hamilton at QVMAG
David Hamilton: Fragments and Artefacts
Burnie's controversial new $1.25 million 'welcome gesture' sculpture nearly finished
Burnie City Council proceeding with proposed $1.25m 'French fry' sculpture despite public outcry
How boats in Paris inspired Tasmanian Sculptor David Hamilton's exhibition
$1.25 million 'Welcome Gesture' sculpture to be built at entrance to Burnie
Burnie Council Approves Gateway Sculpture
Finalists for National Art Award tidal.20 announced
tidal.20: City of Devonport National Art Award finalists
Finalists for the Bay of Fires Art Prize announced ahead of winter festival
Ancient 'Lost Wax' bronze pouring art doesn't wane in Launceston
Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize announces 2017 finalists
2017 Woollahra Small Sculpture Finalists
Launceston exhibition showcases 125 years of Tasmania's art history at Queen Victoria Art Gallery
Chris Calverley
the academy: Art & Design Magazine, 2008
Northern Region Artwork Launch
Earth and Steel, Art and Australia, volume 16 number 1