Contemporary Mosaic Artists Exhibiting NOW: Rachel Bremner's "Sunflowers"

The momentum for contemporary mosaics is more than evident these days with a number of quality exhibitions in the works and on the walls. We're going to call this Exhibition Week at MAN as we cover just a few of the artists and events happening around the world.

The last Exhibit will be especially valuable for mosaic artists. Award-winning mosaicist Marian Shapiro is going to share her Top 5 Tips for a Successful Solo Exhibit. So, as they say on Saturday Night Live "Stick around!"

EXHIBIT 1

Rachel Bremner's Sunflowers Wins First Prize in MAANZ Victoria's Exhibit, "Art from the Heart"

The Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand (MAANZ) covers a lot of territory, so chapters like the one in Victoria often mount their own exhibitions. The "Vic's" latest show is "Art from the Heart" and the First Place Winner is Rachel Bremner for her stunning Sunflowers (above).

We were quite taken with this work and strongly suggest that you be sure to click on it for a closer look. Bremner's connection with nature and reverence for the patterns to be found both above and below ground are very, very intriguing.

Researching the artist, we learned that she has a love of nature and a"a habit of looking at just about everything in terms of design and trying to work out why I like things." We asked Bremner to talk a little more about herself and several other examples of her work.

The Eye I Couldn't See 30 x 30 cm, Mexican Smalti

Microscopic image of a crayfish eye

The Eye I Couldn’t See won first prize in the MAANZ Touring 30:30 Vision exhibition "Crusty Oceana”. A panel of international judges chose the work from a field of 65 entries. The work, one of 16 chosen, will tour Australia in 2010 and was exhibited at the Australian Embassy in Berlin at the end of 2009.

From Lichen Unglazed ceramic and smalti

Diagram of a cross section of lichen

I have been working as a professional violinist for 25 years. I continue to play although I have given up full time work to make time for my other passion which is mosaics. I started mosaics 12 years ago inspired by a magazine article. I am self taught with the help of books and lots of looking at pictures of mosaics.

Beyond Three 90 x 90 cm Smalti and and millefiori.

I do 2 and 3D work with a variety of materials and have just completed my first public art work for a local primary school. I have exhibited extensively around Hobart and also on mainland Australia and overseas.

Mindfulness 75 x 75 cm Unglazed ceramic and colored thin set

I live on a five acre block near the sea in Oyster Cove (just outside Hobart) Tasmania with my husband and 10 year old daughter.

Rachel Bremner looks at the world with careful eyes and a curious mind. She translates what she sees into mosaics that invite one in to take a closer look at the beauty and magic of the natural world. Love that.

Bremner is working on a website, but you can learn more about her right now from two good sources: The Contemporary Mosaic Artists Ning site here (you must be a member) and a radio interview here.

The exhibit again is: "Art from the Heart" by MAANZ Victoria

Howard Town Hall Gallery Melbourne, Australia

Open Wednesday - Saturday, 12:00 - 5:00 pm

There are workshops planned, so check it out.

All photography by John Redeker

Enjoy -- Nancie