Aadje Bruce  Exhibitions | Artists | News | Contact | Email

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Aadje Bruce, Annalise Rees, Toni Warburton, Irmina van Niele

10 - 28 September, 2008

Aadje Bruce statement

I grew up during the second world war. I was 12 when it was finished. In the 
last two winters we had no gas, electricity, water. Those winters were harsh, 
lengthy, freezing, snowy.

We scrounged for wood, twigs, little coals from the railway track. We had a 
tiny stove in which we burned all that.  We collected and kept EVERYTHING 
useful.

We unravelled old clothes and jumpers to remodel or reknit them.I have for 
years and years kept any piece of string, rope, shoelace, ribbon, twine, 
thread. I think a wartime need and therefore a habit always stayed with me. 

My grandmother was the one who knitted. She knitted strange, inventive 
garments that we loved to wear. When they wore out she would take them 
apart and remake. For her I have knotted together all the knittable material I 
ever found and had.I have knitted them together in three pieces. With all 
the knots and threads on one side, looks startling.In 2006 I made a piece 
of knitting for the Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial. I knitted that in memory of 
my grandmother who used to make the most wonderfully inventive articles 
of warm cover for us, her grandchildren, as the last 2 winters of the Second 
World War froze around us.  In that piece I used all the knittable material I 
had ever collected.

I loved the resulting juxtaposition of textures and shapes and colours. With 
the leftovers of that knitted piece and with some later found ribbons and yarns
I made this second knitted piece which is really an extension of the first one.

 

 

 

Never, never, never give up 2, 2005
Discarded wool, plastic tape pulled from around wet cement, packing and garden twine, audio tape, Christmas 
wrapping, sequins, ribbon, busted balloon string, electrical cable, cord and wire.
93 x 30 cm
Photo: Michal Kluvanek

 

 

 

Never, never, never give up  2, 2008
used bootlaces, audiotapes, brickline, plastic fencing, giftwrapping,
gardentwine, recycled wool, sequined tape, etc.
112 x 487 x 90 mm

 


Aadje Bruce
 
1934 Born Holland

Tertiary Education
1995
1990
1982
1957
M.A. Visual Arts, Curtin University
BA (Sculpture) Curtin University
Diploma of Art Studies, Perth Technical College
BA Fine Art (Fibre Textiles) Kunstnijverheidsschool/Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam


Solo Exhibitions
1997
1996
Repetition, Artplace, Perth
Domestic Bliss, Artplace, Perth


Group Exhibitions
2007-08
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2006-07 
2006  
2006-08
2007
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2006-2007
2006 


2004
2003
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2002
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2001
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2000
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1999
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1998
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1997
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1996
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v
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1995
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1994
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1993
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1992
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1992
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1991
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1990
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1989
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1988
1985-6
1982
1969
1958
1956-8
1957-8	
17th Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial touring nationally with funds from Visions of
Australia and the Australia Council.
Mine Own Executioner, Mundaring ArtsCentre, Touring Exhibition
SENSations, Central Tafe ArtGallery, 
"In the World: head, hand, heart" 17th Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial, touring
"Deckchair" Deckchair Theatre Fremantle
BankWest Contemporary Art Prize PICA
Mundaring Arts Centre, Mine Own Executioner Touring Exhibition
"Floating" Fremantle Arts Centre Fremantle
"Deckchair" Deckchair Theatre Fremantle
"SENS-ations" Central Tafe Art Gallery Perth
Artplace Group Show 2004, Artplace, Perth
Artplace Group Show 2003, Artplace, Perth
BankWest Contemporary Art Prize, PICA
Artplace Group Show 2002
Joondalup Invitation Art Award
Love Your Work 30 Years of Fremantle Arts Centre
Immigration, Perth International Arts Festival, "Curtin University and WA Museum
Charlies Art, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Invitation Art Exhibition
Home is where the heart is, Adelaide Centenary of Federation Project, Art Museum, 
University of South Australiaand touring Pt Pirie, Pt Augusta, Bundoora, Vic 
Do it, Perth International Arts festival, Lawrence Wilson Gallery, UWA
Artplace Christmas exhibition
Rebirth, (Selected Works), Mandurah Art Gallery, Mandurah 
Rebirth; WA women celebrating a century of change, Moores Building, Fremantle
Transitions, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Annual Invitation Exhibition
Mine own executioner, Mundaring Arts Centre, October
Quotes, Perth College, June
A vote of her own, The Constitutional Centre, Perth, March (touring)
Doll, Adelaide Youth Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre, March - May (touring)
 Toured to Object Gallery, Circular Quay, Sydney.
Artplace Christmas Show, Artplace, Perth
Christmas exhibition, Adelaide Festival Centre
Landscape, Rubbish and Poetry, International Art Space, Kellerberrin, WA, August			
Artplace at 101, Gallery 101, Melbourne
Knit, Noosa Regional Gallery, Qld, Manning Regional Gallery, NSW, and Hervey Bay, 
City Council Art Gallery
Small is Beautiful,, Sydney University of Technology and Regional Galleries in NSW
New Work by Artplace Artists, Artplace, Perth
Bunbury Biennale,  Bunbury Art Gallery 
Censorship, Artplace, Perth
Five Years Artplace, Artplace, Perth
Plastic Fantastic, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney	
Outside the frame, Invitation Exhibition, Sir Charles Gardner Hospital
Fifth Australian Contemporary Art Fair, ACAF+5, Melbourne
Figuration, Art Gallery of WA
Dispositions, Art Gallery of WA
Art, Medicine and the Body, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth,
Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, Art Gallery of SA, Adelaide		
Out of Australia, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
M.A., Honours and Post Graduate show, Curtin University
Homage to Dr Harold Schenberg, Artplace, Perth
Woman Subject/ Object, First Prize, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital 
Performance with Erin Hefferon, for Absence of Evidence, Perth
"Tugmaan" Exchange Exhibition, Manila and Perth (PICA) 
ôHeavier Than Airö , Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts  (PICA)
Erotic Works Artplace, Perth
Holmes a Court New Acquisitions Exhibition, PICA
Bunbury Biennale, Bunbury Art Gallery
Darlington Arts Festival
Art fare, Artrage Festival, PICA
The Advantage of Isolation, Blaxland Gallery, Sydney, Artplace, Perth
Don a Smock Arts Week, Forrest Place, Perth
Feminisms curated by Nikki Miller, PICA 
Orientations, curated by Ted Snell, Fremantle Arts Centre 
Do Something to a Blundstone, Chameleon Contemporary Art Space, Hobart				
Baby Cries For You,  Artists Regional Exchange, (ARX) , PICA  
3D Illusion, Festival of Perth, Gallerie Dnsseldorf
Workshop and performance with Stuart Sherman, PICA
Please Be Seated Artrage
Woodworks exhibition, Curtin University
A Backwards Glance, with Steven Holland, PICA
Flourbags, Bridge Gallery, Perth
Visual Arts Degree Show, Curtin University of Technology
Waterworks exhibition, Curtin University, August
Gotham Goes Shopping, PICA, Perth
10 Years St Brigids Print Exhibition, Perth Concert Hall, Perth
Art Gallery Wahed, Medinat Qaboos, Oman, drawing and painting
Perth Technical College, fund raising, prints, Playhouse Theatre, Perth
Gemeentehuis, Delft, Holland, drawing and collage
Art Gallery Hamdorff, Laren Holland, watercolours and gouache
Art Gallery, Hotel Jan Tabak, Bussum, Holland, watercolours
Designing carpets for Utrecht Trade Fair Stands with architect Clim Myer, Amsterdam


Residencies
1993
1992
1991
Christ Church Grammar School, 14 -18 June with Stuart Green
John Curtin Senior High School, September, for "Orientations", Fremantle Art Centre
Artist in Residence Week, Perth City Council


Funded projects and Grants
1994
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1991
1986
1985-6
Set design for "The Geography of Haunted Places", funded by WA Dept for the Arts			
"Facing Texts/Striking Resemblances", Project for Art Reading Material, special supplement 
edited by George Alexander
Curator and participant, ôDrawing Attentionö, Public Arts Project funded by WA Dept for the Arts
Mural for Princess DianaÆs visit, Qurm, Oman Comm.by Arabic WomenÆs Centre
Established and ran a craft centre for Arabic Women, Qurm, Oman
Curator and participant, "Drawing Attention", Public Arts Project funded by WA Dept for the Arts


Collections
Art Gallery of WA, University of WA, Edith Cowan University, Royal Perth Hospital, 
Holmes a Court collection,  Industrial Relations Commission, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, 
Bunbury Art Gallery, Industrial relations Court Australia, Sir James and Lady Cruthers, 
Central Metropolitan College of TAFE, Gomboc Gallery, and numerous private collections in Holland, 
USA, Indonesia and Australia


Publications and Interviews
2002
1999
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1998
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1997
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1996
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1994
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1993
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1992
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1991
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Simone Considine, "Designer debris" Western Suburbs Weekly, 19 Nov.
David Bromfield, "On show", The West Australian, 26 June
Lisa Harms, "Doll" (exhibition review), Artlink, 19:2
Doll, exhibition catalogue, Adelaide Festival Centre
Rosalie Higson, "Aadje Bruce", The Australian Magazine, 9-10 January
Patrick Cornish, "Work safe", The West Australian, 21 November
David Bromfield, "collected works", State of the Arts, April-July
Benjamin Genocchio, "Things of stone and wool", Sydney Morning Herald, 20 March 
Victoria Hynes, "Artplace Gallery", The Australian Art Collector, #3, 1998, p 23
Dorothy Erickson, "Shooting stars - Brigitte BraunÆs Artplace", Artlink, 17:3
"UWA to establish art curator degree", (image only), The West Australian, 12 October
David Bromfield, On Show, The West Australian, 23 August
Eve Arnold, "Deep dig into the detritus of life", Business Weekly Review, 11 August
"Geography of Haunted Places", sauce, Fremantle Arts Centre, #3, p. 3
David Bromfield, "CullinaneÆs travels", The West Australian, 28 June
Wendy Young, "Artistic Merit",  Network, Curtin University, December 
Ron Banks, "Cast of Creation", The West Australian, December 16
Margaret Way,  "Memories - Macabre & Magic", Artlink, Vol16, No4, Summer 1996
Stuart Koop, 1996 Adelaide Biennale of Australian Art,Art + Text,  No 54
David Bromfield, "Revelations from art and everyday life",The West Australian, May 25
Ron Banks,  "Wizard of Waste",The West Australian, May 20
Monument, Adelaide Festival Special
Visual Arts, March 
John Emery, Advertiser, March
State of the Art, March 
John Stringer, Adelaide Biennial Catalogue, 
Art Monthly,  No 88 April, ChapmanÆs Casper, Bruce James
Review, ABC TV, interview with Stephen Feneley, March 4 1995
John Stringer, Artist in Residence, Sandpiper Press, Perth
D.Bromfield, "Madness missing in show that is just too sensible", West Aust,16 Dec			
Lynne Aliakis, "Profile of Aadje Bruce", Craftswest Magazine, Winter 1995
"Art offers treasure chest", Post, October 24
 "Artist Aadje Bruce...", Chronicle, October 25
"Celebrating Essential Female Forms", The West Australian, October 25
David Bromfield,  "Insights of sorts to the concept of community", BigWeekend, 
The West Australian, October 27
Art Beat 6RTR fm, University of Western Australia, 5 May 
Curtin University Radio, 6 May
Fremantle Gazette, 29 April
Sarah Palmer,  "TrioÆs Voyage of Discovery", The West Australian
David Bromfield,  "Modest Perfection"- Bunbury Biennale, Artlink, Autumn
Barbara Booth, "Bunbury Biennial", Arts Unlimited, November
David Bromfield, "On Show", The West Australian, 9 October
Peter Holland, ABC Radio, review by David Bromfield, 10 October
"Facing Texts, Striking Resemblances" invited participant in special issue, 
Art Review Monthly, August					
photograph in Art and Australia, Spring Issue
Nikki Miller and Estelle Barrett, Art Review Monthly, Issue 9, 1993
Annie Burns, The West Australian, 5 August
"Migrants View", Alive, News Chronicle, 7 July
Margaret Moore, "Advantage of Isolation", review, Artlink, June-August
Feminisms Educational Package, PICA, Youth Programme
"Art Beat" radio programme interview, February
Artsline, vol. 12 #3, Tasmania
The Bulletin, August 11
Art Monthly
Francesca Hodge, Fremantle Gazette, September
Grok, Curtin University Magazine, 7 October 
David Bromfield, The West Australian, 13 October
Fremantle Gazette, 13 October
David Bromfield, The West Australian, 17 October
Fremantle Herald, October
David Bromfield, The West Australian, 19 October
Marco Marcon, Art Monthly, 16 October
Sarah Palmer, The West Australian, 16 October
L. Gibbs, Art Review Monthly, November
"Sightings", radio interview, Artslink


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