MICHELLE CULPITT
www.michelleculpitt.com
michelleculpitt@gmail.com
phone 0439 616 013
BIOGRAPHY
Michelle Culpitt is an Australian arts worker, artist and writer based in Darwin – Northern Territory and Castlemaine – Victoria. Born in 1974, Culpitt attended Castlemaine Technical College as a teenager studying fine art and majoring in photography based on black and white darkroom practices. Culpitt went on to study at Prahran College of TAFE with sculptor Aleks Danko, painter Tony Clarke and photographer Graeme Hare who taught her the gum bichromate process, which she has worked with for more than 20 years. Studies continued at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Media Arts -­‐ film, photography and sound (graduating with high distinction) and an honors year in photography at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney. In 2013 she completed a Masters of Social Sciences at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in International Development. Since 2013 Culpitt has managed her own creative production management business – Tent 29. ART PRACTICE
Culpitt’s art practice is process driven. She uses historic photographic techniques studied under international experts such as Christina Z Anderson – USA, Jerry Spagnoli – USA, Ellie Young – Australia and Di Longely – Australia in daguerreotype, photogravure and cyanotype methods. Culpitt takes these techniques and layers them with contemporary photographic digital tools, extensive historic research and matter and materials from the sites where she works. Research interests include the Northern Territory Police man Paul Foelsche, Mariner Captain Samuel Sweet, tour guide and pioneer Guide Alice Manfield and Adolphus Verey, all figures from the earliest days of photography who used the medium in extreme places. Culpitt layers in the environment by using tannin waters to stain paper, solar exposures using the sun and a technique that involves activating the photosensitive property of plants to make photographic emulsion– anthotypes. She takes materials at hand, from the archive and from history to layer and make a story about (her) place today. 1
EMPLOYMENT
2013 Onwards Tent 29 creative project management Clients include Regional Arts Australia, Desart Inc, The National Institute for Experimental Arts at the University of NSW Art & Design, Tjungu Palya Art Centre, Tjala Arts and the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historic Museum. 2008 – 2013 Desart Inc, Alice Springs Northern Territory Senior program manager (including a year as acting EO in 2011) 2005 – 2008 The Association of Northern Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists Industry Development Officer 2000 – 2005 Maningrida Arts and Culture Arnhem Land, Northern Territory Assistant Director / Arts Administrator 1998 – 2000 Biennale of Sydney Arts Administrator SELECTED AWARDS AND EXHIBITIONS
2015 The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Ireland -­‐ Artist / writer in residence -­‐ The Reykjavík International Literary Festival, Iceland – research Australia Council for the Arts development grant recipient Finalist, ‘Ulrich and Schubert Photographic Award’, Gold Coast Art Gallery, Queensland 2014 ‘Sun Studio’, exhibition of anthotypes, Castlemaine State Festival, Victoria ‘Burrow’, exhibition with sculptor Annee MIron and author Jaspreet Singh, Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin, Northern Territory Arts NT presentation and promotion grant recipient ‘Experimentum Prt I: a survey of native plants and their suitability in making anthotype photograms’, solo exhibition Tactile Arts, Darwin, Northern Territory Artist in residence, Tactile Arts, Darwin, Northern Territory NT Literary Awards finalist 2013 Literary Arts Residency, The Banff Centre, Canada Regional Arts Fund grant recipient Arts NT grant recipient Copy Agency Ltd grant recipient 2