(Head of Workshop)   Wendy Teakel

At times Wendy’s work has been critiqued as holding strong parallels with Aboriginal art. As Professor Sasha Grishin has observed, “The parallel I feel is one of related fields of endeavour, rather than that of direct influence.” (Craft Arts, No.60, 2004, p.20) Further, Grishin notes that although Wendy’s work “emerges out of a definable tradition”, that is, “within the broad parameters of Arte Provera and environmental art”…Wendy’s artistic language is “distinctively her own and not only carries the stamp of a specific individual identity, but also conveys a very strong evocation of a sense of place.” (ibid p.18)

Wendy Teakel was born in Wagga Wagga and has lived in the Canberra region since 1985. She lectures in sculpture at the Australian National University School of Art and her tertiary qualifications include a Diploma of Art, Riverina College of Advanced Education (1980), a Postgraduate Diploma in Sculpture, Canberra School of Art (1985) and Master of Arts Fine Art by Research, RMIT University (2004). Since the late 1980’s, Wendy has held twenty-eight solo exhibitions in Australia and Thailand.  Additionally, Wendy has participated in and/or been invited to participate in numerous important curated exhibitions, totaling in excess of 80 exhibitions.

Career highlights include: the inaugural CAPO Fellowship (1993), the 26th Alice Prize (1995), the artsACT Creative Arts Fellowship (1996), the Asialink residency to Thailand (1996), and the Australian representative at the KHOJ International Artists’ workshop, New Delhi, India (1997). In 2002, Wendy was selected with three other Australian artists to participate in the Asialink project, Saisampan, a residency and exhibition program in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Wendy received a Canberra Critics Circle Award for visual arts (2002) in recognition of her 2002 exhibition at Beaver Galleries, (ACT) “Crossing Place” and the survey exhibition “Cultural Spaces”, curated by Peter Haynes at Canberra Museum and Gallery. More recently Wendy’s work was the subject of a feature article in Craft Arts International: “Wendy Teakel and the rural vision in Australian Sculpture” (2004) by Professor Sasha Grishin and she received an artsACT project grant (2001), to publish the catalogue “Wendy Teakel: recent works”, with text by Kim Mahood. Wendy was also a finalist in the “Country Energy Art Prize” (2005 and 2007), the “McGirven Art Prize” (2006), Fleurieu Water Prize (2008) and winner of the Calleen Prize (2008) .

Fleeced 2007	Towards Summer 2009	Just Walking 2007-8

Burnt Out Pastures 2009	Something About Farming 2006	Farrowed Paddocks 2009

Paul Hay
Paul's practice covers a number of trajectories including temporal works, performance, installation, and public sculpture. Paul Hay's research interests include the development of large works based on gestalt perception, the installation potentials of sculpture and the reworking of his performance work of the 1970's. Since 1975 Paul has received awards including grants from the South Australian and Western Australian governments, the Australia Council and Creative New Zealand. His work has been shown at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Experimental Art Foundation and Perth Institute of Contemporary Art and he has participated in national and international exhibitions including Australian Perspecta and ARX (Artists Regional Exchange).

In 2002 and 2003, Paul participated in Sculpture by the Sea and in 2005 at The Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award. He is currently showing work at The McClelland Contemporary Sculpture Survey.

Nick Stranks

Nick Stranks is a part-time lecturer in the Sculpture Workshop. Nick's art practice deals with cast and fabricated form. He has recently concentrated on casting obsolete technologies, such as early mobile phones, cameras and office equipment. These sculptures, although cast from the original objects; retain the evidence of the casting process. The still recognisable obsolescent objects are transformed taking on a new permanence and inherent value. Nick's work is exhibited throughout Australia and he regularly works collaboratively on public commissions, and installation of these projects.

In his role as part-time Technical Officer in the Sculpture Workshop Nick is responsible for general maintenance and the implementation and monitoring of OHS responsibilities. Nick also manages a very active Sculpture Foundry that casts a wide variety of student work, whilst also casting commission pieces for artists. Nick has conservation experience and is regularly involved in public art projects. He works as a foundry consultant for some of Australia's prominent sculptors working in cast metals including Ante Dabro and Dadang Christanto.