Jane Venis

Jane Venis is a New Zealand multimedia artist, musician and writer. She focuses on the "absurdities and concerns of contemporary popular culture," which she chooses to show through objects, video, sound and performance works.[1]

Biography

Venis gained a Master of Fine Arts from the Dunedin School of Art, and then a PhD in Fine Arts from Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, Australia.[1]

Venis taught 'Music Making' night classes in the 1980s[2] and has made musical instruments since 2001.[3] She is currently Professor of Creative Studies[4] in the School of Design at Otago Polytechnic, and she teaches in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.[1]

Venis describes her work as "crafted assemblage" and creates musical instruments from reworked scrap and rubbish materials. Her work references the Japanese art of Chindogu - objects freed from the chains of usefulness.[3]

Notable exhibitions

  • Dual, 2020 at the CICA Museum. A joint show with Hannah Joynt featuring video, drawing and audio works recorded in real time.[5]
  • Drawn to Sound, 2019 at Ashburton Art Gallery. This joint show with Hannah Joynt as part of the Summer Season series featured multimedia and performance-based works. Earlier in 2019 Venis and Joynt undertook a residency in Portugal at the Buinho Creative Hub.[6][7][8]
  • The Lost Object Ensemble, 2016 at Forrester Gallery in Dunedin. This exhibition featured a collection of musical instruments made from found materials.[9]
  • Gymnaseum, 2011 at Dunedin Public Art Gallery.[10]
  • Chindogu exhibition as part of the Dunedin Fringe Festival, 2009.[11]
  • The Blathering, Gossiping about Gossip, 2003 at Blue Oyster Art Project Space, Dunedin.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Researcher profile for Jane Venis". Otago Polytechnic. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Jane Venis - Award for Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching". Ako Aotearoa. 2012. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b Venis, Jane. "Behind the scenes with Dr Clawhammer" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Professoriate". Otago Polytechnic. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Jane Venis and Hannah Joynt Solo Exhibition – CICA". Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Hannah Joynt & Jane Venis | Drawn to Sound". The Big Idea. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Drawn to Sound".
  8. ^ "Hannah Joynt and Jane Venis artwork". Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  9. ^ "The lost object ensemble - Jane Venis".
  10. ^ Smith, Charmian (21 October 2011). "Chindogu of human desire". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  11. ^ Constantine, Ellie (19 March 2009). "Un-necessity mother of inventions". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Jane Venis - Blue Oyster Art Project Space". www.blueoyster.org.nz. Retrieved 2 December 2020.