Raquel Ormella, (born: Sydney, 1969) works across various media investigating the means by which critical reflexivity in contemporary art encourages processes of self-examination regarding political consciousness and social action. She has built a practice covering a diverse range of activities such as video, paintings, installations, drawings, and zines.
One of her most recent works “Wild Rivers: Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney” (2008) is a third in a series of separate and distinct works which examine the Wilderness Society, one of Australian oldest environmental activist organization. “Wild Rivers” was included in “Revolutions, forms that turn”, the 2008 Sydney Biennale and “The Ecologies Project” at Monash Univeristy Museum of Art, Melbourne and is now part of their collection. “Poster Reduction” (2005- remade 2008) a single electronic whiteboard was the second work in this series. It was first shown at The Performance Space Sydney and has since become part of the Museum of Contemporary Art Collection and was included in the exhibition: “New Acquisitions, 2008”.
The first work in this series of three works, 130 Davey Street, a series of drawings on 24 static whiteboards, investigated the Wilderness Society's use of wilderness photography and called into question the romanticised notion of the direct action activist and political artist embedded in the forest. 130 Davey Street, was shown at Artist's Space, New York, in the exhibition “International Geographic”; “Cycle paths will abound in utopia”, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art; Melbourne (2004) and at Mori Gallery Sydney. It won the New Social Commentaries prize at Warrnambool Regional Art Gallery in 2005. Part of 130 Davey St is included in the exhibition “Erase”, curated by Natasha Bullock, and is touring several Asian countries in 2009.
Her work has been included in the 2008 Sydney Biennale, 2003 Biennale of Istanbul and the 2002 Sao Paulo Biennale, “Bittersweet” at the Art Gallery of NSW (2002), as well as in the exhibition “Australian” at Casula Powerhouse (2008). She has held recent solo exhibitions at Mori Gallery, Sydney; Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne; and Casula Powerhouse, Sydney.
In 2009 Raquel will have work in “Making it new: Focus on Contemporary
Australian Art” curated by Glenn Barkley at the MCA, and two solo
exhibitions: one with Milani Gallery, Brisbane and “She went that
way”, curated by Reuben Keehan at Artspace, Sydney.
Raquel is currently a PhD student at the School of Art, ANU. She is represented
by Milani Gallery, Brisbane, and Uplands Gallery, Melbourne.
