Mark Norval
Artist Background |
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For more than twenty years Mark has lived and worked in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. His enthusiasm and love for the north shines through all of his paintings. Born in country Western Australia in 1958, his family moved to Canberra when he was two years old. His father, also a painter whose work has been described by Mark as “weird, wonderful masterpieces of the Australian interior
” died when Mark was sixteen. From then he was raised by his mother alone, along with three sisters. Mark completed his schooling in Canberra excelling in sport. Aussie rules and cricket in particular overtook his early interest in art.
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While
growing up in suburbia Mark admits to a subconscious calling to the
bush. During his teens he would return to Western Australia to visit
relatives near Perth. He eventually returned to Perth to gain a teaching
degree, majoring in art and minoring in physical education. It was then
he met Leon Pericles, as an emerging West Australian artist. He was
part time lecturer at the Nedlands College of Advanced Education
teaching drawing, painting and printmaking. During Marks final two years
at teacher's college, he worked as an apprentice printmaker in Leon's studio at Mt Lawley in Perth.
In 1980 Mark held his first exhibition at the newly opened Quer and married in 1983. Now having a family of three daughters Alicia, Sarah & Jemma. For 16 years Mark taught art at Derby District High School before moving to the Mowanjum Arts Centre in 1997 as a TAFE art lentin Gallery in Claremont. He met his wife Mary that year. They moved to Derby together. His exhibitions and awards have been numerous and his work is represented in collections of Australia Artbank, Lord Alistair McAlpine, Art Gallery of Western Australia library, Collection of the Governor-General, Stanford University (USA), Education Department of WA, Shire of Derby West Kimberley, Shire of Broome, Maxima Pearls, Western Metals and numerous private collections around the world. Mark Norval is a talented scoundrel who has migrated to the most surreal and beautiful place on earth. His output is stunning because he possesses the one thing that all great artists need – a burning desire to communicate his peculiar and unique vision of the world around him.” – Don Burke, Burkes back Yard.
EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS
1978 Australian Tertiary Art Students Exhibition, Adelaide SA 1979 Nedlands College – Final Year Exhibition, Perth WA 1980 Quentin Gallery, Perth WA 1982 Derby Art Gallery, Derby WA 1983 Derby Art Gallery, Derby WA 1984 Broome Art Gallery, Broome WA 1985 Derby Art Gallery, Derby WA 1986 Goodridge Gallery, Perth WA 1987 Goodridge Gallery, Perth WA 1989 Derby Art Gallery, Derby WA 1989 Broome Art Gallery, Broome WA 1989 Goodridge Gallery, Perth WA 1990 International Gallery, Perth WA 1990 Colours of Australia, San Francisco, CA, USA 1990 Magic of Australia, Portsmouth, NH, USA 1990 Derby Art Gallery, Derby WA 1992 The Golden Exhibition Burswood, Perth WA 1992 Derby Art Gallery, Derby WA 1993 Kimberley Fine Diamonds, Kununurra WA 1994 Derby Art Gallery, Derby WA 1994 Kimberley Fine Diamonds, Kununurra WA 1996 Rejoice Australia – Australia Day, Perth WA 1996 Sydney or the Bush, Sydney NSW 1997 Shinju Matsuri Exhibition, Broome WA 1997 Colours of the Kimberley, Melbourne VIC 1997 Kimberley Artist, Sydney NSW 1998 Kimberley Encounters, Melbourne VIC 1998 Kimberley Encounters, Sydney NSW 2005 Kimberley Printmakers Exhibition, Broome 6 Gallery WA 2006 Outlaw, Broome 6 Gallery WA 2007 1967, Broome 6 Gallery, WA 2008 Regional Influences ( with Pilbara artist David Hooper ) , Broome 6 Gallery, WA Mark's major awards are; Kimberley Art Prize - Outright Winner 1984, 1994, 1995, 1998 and 2000. Kimberley Art Prize - Painting - 1993, 1995, 1998 Kimberley Art Prize 1984,1985,1986,1990, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, Kimberley Art Prize Watercolour, 1982, 1984, 1996, 1998, 1999 Kimberley Art Prize Mixed Media 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 2005 Shinju Matsuri - Outright winner 1996 Shinju Matsuri Painting 1985, 1987, 1989 Shinju Matsuri Drawing 1987 Shinju Matsuri Printmaking 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1999 Australia Day Artist (W.A.) 1996 TAFE Lecturer of the Year WA 1999 Centenary Medal Recipient - for contribution to the arts in 2002 |
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