Lives and works, Los Angeles
Education
University of NSW Art & Design, Australia
2018 Master’s Degree, Art
Central Institute of Technology, Australia
2004 Associate's Degree, Animation
ual: University of the Arts (formerly London College of Printing), UK
1991 Undergraduate Degree, Graphic Design
Exhibitions
2024 Launch LA, YOU ARE (solo show), Los Angeles, USA
2024 Aesthetica Art Prize 2024, Longlist Artist, York, UK
2023 Institut für Alles Mögliche – YOU ARE (solo show), Berlin, Germany
2022 Launch LA – Neon at La Cienega + West Third, Los Angeles, USA
2022 Vivid Light Festival – Neon collaboration with author, Chelsea Watego, Sydney, Australia
2022 Brea Gallery – 37th Made in California (group show), Finalist, Los Angeles, USA
2022 Shockboxx Gallery – Regulated Garbage (group show), Los Angeles, USA
2022 Artshare LA – There from Here (group show), Los Angeles, USA
2021 Brea Gallery – 36th Made in California (group show), Finalist, Los Angeles, USA
2021 Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre – The 66th Blake Prize, Finalist, Sydney, Australia
2020 Shockboxx Gallery – Minimalism (group show), Los Angeles, USA
2020 Launch LA Gallery – neon installations on outer building, Los Angeles, USA
2020 Shockboxx Gallery – Word (group show), Los Angeles, USA
2020 Gallery 825 – Penumbra (group show), Los Angeles, USA
2019 M16 Artspace – Drawing Prize, Finalist, Canberra, Australia
2019 Gallery 825 – Applied Science (group show), Los Angeles, USA
2019 Center for Contemporary Art – Finalist, Therefore I Am, Orange County, USA
2018 Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre – The 65th Blake Prize, Finalist, Sydney, Australia
2018 Center for Contemporary Art – Music for your Eyes, Finalist, Orange County, USA
2017 UNSW Art & Design – Annual 17 (group show), Sydney, Australia
2017 Los Angeles Center for Digital Art – Electron Salon (group show), Los Angeles, USA
2017 Gaffa Gallery – Off Site (group show), Sydney, Australia
Residencies
2023 3 month artist residency, Institut für Alles Mögliche, Berlin, Germany
Awards
2017 UNSW Art & Design, Sculpture & Installation Award
Gough’s contemporary art practice links elements from drawing, painting, sculpture, and light-based media into a practice that unearths and visualizes connections between people and their environment. Investigating ideas around our very existence and our ‘place in space,’ while exploring existential concepts of geometry as a universal language and Gestalt theories of our relationship with nature and the cosmos, and in particular – how we as individuals contribute to the energy that connects us.
Her art practice draws from years of experience as a designer. In the late 80’s, she moved to London (from Australia) to undertake design studies at The London College of Printing (now ual:). These were formative years, from which her love of typography, minimalist design and an introduction to Bauhaus aesthetics became the foundation of her 30 year design practice and, where threads can be seen in her current day art practice.
An opportunity for a traditional animation traineeship at the Disney Studios in Sydney in 2005 became a pivotal part of her conceptual thinking. With hand drawn animation, still drawings are presented linearly over time, to create the ‘illusion of life’ when viewed sequentially. It was here that she started to think deeply about time (ourselves) as it flows continuously from past to present and into the future.
Her more recent Master of Art studies at the University of NSW Art & Design in Sydney encouraged a fusion of traditional art school subjects such as drawing and painting – with current technologies such as 3D printing and spatial computing (AR). This was the perfect environment for her to bring the depth of her technology driven design practice into her art work.
She has exhibited in the United States, Germany and Australia – where her work has been included in the 65th & 66th Blake Prize and the Sydney VIVID Light Festival, along with achievements such as the UNSWA&D Sculpture & Installation Award. Recent exhibitions in Los Angeles include: Made in California group shows, outer building neon installations and sculptural neon installations in the Los Angeles Miracle Mile district. A three month Berlin residency in 2023 concluded with a solo exhibit and her recent solo show in Los Angeles was featured in Curate LA’s ‘This Week’s Must See Art’ member news.
︎︎︎ d.gough@unswalumni.com
︎︎︎ Instagram @donna_gough
︎︎︎ News
Photo credit: Abel Alejandre Studio, abelalejandre.com