NATALIE RYAN

  • Natalie Ryan's practice explores themes that surround the aesthetic representation of the cadaver and natural sciences throughout Western history and their inclusion in contemporary art. Drawing from existing methodologies used for displaying these elements, she is interested in the process of imaging the natural world and the exchange between science and art that has allowed this. Ryan has worked with anatomical collections held in the Veterinary Department at the University of Melbourne and lectured in Anatomical Drawing working with human cadavers at Monash University. Ryan holds a PhD at Monash University Imaging the Dead: The Cadaver in Western Culture and Contemporary Art.

    Recent exhibitions include Second Nature presented with Blackartprojects at Second Space Projects, Disquiet (Off You) curated by Stephanie Han for Dark Mofo, Shifting Skin at China Heights Sydney, Mortem in Imagine curated by Michael Brennan at LUMA and the VAC Bendigo, MAF Platform Pop Up: Cutler and Co curated by Barry Keldoulis at Melbourne Art Fair, Imaging the Dead at MADA Gallery, Lorne Sculpture Biennale 2016, Unnatural Selection, curated by Simon Gregg at Gippsland Art Gallery, Melbourne Art Fair, and Pretty in Pink at Linden New Art. Recent residencies and grants include, ArtStart Australia Council for the Arts, Arts Victoria VICARTS GRANTS, Recipent of major outdoor commission for Eden Gardens Sydney, Artist in Residence at The University of Melbourne Veterinary Department, Linden Studio Residency Program, Medical and Art Residency at Monash University Gippsland, APA - PhD at Monash University Caulfield and The Pratt Family Scholarship Award. Media and publications include Artist Profile Style No Chaser Magazine NYC, My Learned Object: Collections and Curiosities Ian Potter Museum of Art, Art Nation ABC National Australian Television, New Romantics: Darkness and Light in Australian Art by Simon Gregg and Trunk Books Volume 1:Hair by Suzanne Boccalatte and Meredith Jones.

    Natalie Ryan is an Australian Artist based in Melbourne.

  • NATALIE RYAN
    Night Creatures

    Night Creatures looks at the effect of artificial light at night on wildlife through a science fiction lens. Drawing from scientific studies in which both behavioural and physical mutations have occurred in nocturnal animals induced by the pervasive presence of artificial light in their environments. The show combines these findings with pop culture, folklore, mythology, and symbolism surrounding nocturnal animals. This fusion of the factual and the fantastical hopes to create a thought-provoking narrative that challenges our perceptions of the natural world.

    Through her work, Ryan employs the repetition of form, seen in editions and multiples, subtly depicting variations in color, pose, and finish. This approach is a homage to her experiences working with animal specimens in Anatomical and Natural History collections, where the subtle nuances in each specimen reveal the intricate diversity of nature itself.

    This body of work encourages contemplation of the profound impacts of our actions on the animal kingdom, reminding us of the delicate balance between nature and the ever-expanding human footprint.

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