curriculum vitae
0414 256 538
(03) 9417 0063
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChcBQkghjC1/
Residencies and appointments
2019 Artist in Residence and Art Project Manager - The Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne.
2019 Art Patron - Mount Burnett Observatory, Victoria, Australia.
2018 - Peer reviewer, Leonardo: Journal of the International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology, MIT Press.
2014 Artist in Residence, - EATT Magazine, www.eattmag.com (accessible to ipad and iphone users).
2012 Artist in Residence – St Vincent’s Hospital.
2011 Artist in Residence – ArtGalleryOpenings.com.
2006 Artist in Residence - St Joseph’s Girls School, Altona.
exhibitions
2025 Astral Botanical, St Heliers St Gallery, Abbotsford Convent, Abbotsford. solo show
Implementing my SAFE principle – Sensory Art Form Engagement for blind and low vision audiences.
2023 Abstraction, Five Walls, Footscray, Melbourne. group show
2020 Blue, Blackstone Gallery, Newcastle, Finalist and First Highly Commended. group show
2020 Thresholds of Knowing, East Brunswick Cultural Hub, East Brunswick. solo show
2019 Weather the Weather, New York Hall of Science, New York. group show
2019 THE APOLLO 11 - Eleven artists responding creatively via video art to the 1969 Moon landing event.
The Project Space, Geelong - Victoria, Parkes Observatory - NSW, NASA Deep Space Communications Complex - ACT, Scienceworks Melbourne, Coolart Nature Reserve - Victoria, and The Franklin Institute Science Museum - Philadelphia
2019 Mission Control, Coolart Nature Reserve - Victoria. group show
2019 Space Time, The Memo Gallery, Healesville, Victoria. trio show
2018 AstroLight Festival, Scienceworks, Spottswood, Melbourne. group show
2018 Deeper Darker Brighter, Town Hall Gallery, Hawthorne, Melbuorne - duo show
2018 Submerge, Orchard Gallery, Manhattan, New York - group show
2017 Lakes of Colour, Launchpad, Cremorne, Melbourne - trio show
2016 The M Collection Art Award - finalist - Gallerysmith, North Melbourne - group show
2016 40 x 40 Art Show, Brunswick St. Gallery. Fitzroy - group show.
2015 In Space, Banyule Art Award for Works on Paper - finalit
Hatch Contemporary Art Space, Ivanhoe - group show
2015 Pixel, Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Abbotsford, Melbourne - group show
2015 A Place For Space, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy - solo show
2014 Wide Open Digital 2, Online exhibition, California – group show
2014 Small Works Exhibition, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy – group show
2014 A4 Art Australia, Herring Island, Melbourne – group show
2013 Paint Purpose, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy – group show
2013 Mapology St Vincent’s Hospital, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy – solo show
2013 Art in Science, Science in Art, St Vincent’s Gallery, Fitzroy – group show
2012 Advance Australia Fair, Toyota Gallery, Port Melbourne – group show
2012 Small Works Exhibition, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy - group show
2012 Urban Creatures, Toyota Community Spirit Exhibition, Port Melbourne – group show
2011 Mapology Melbourne – Forty Five Downstairs – solo show
2011 Linden Postcard Show – Linden Gallery – group show
2010 Secrets of Your City – 69 Smith Street Gallery – group show
2010 Small Works Exhibition – Brunswick Street Gallery – group show
2010 Pinhole Photography Exhibition – 69 Smith Street Gallery – group show
2009 Your Space - 69 Smith Street Gallery – group show
moving image
2019 'Apollo Dreaming', video collaboration with animator James Josephides and sound designers Sonic Performance Workshop.
Apollo Dreaming - moving image tribute to the 1969 Moon landing by Pamela Bain and James Josephides
2018 ‘Catching Light’, video collaboration with animator James Josephides and sound designer Dr Roger Alsop. CATCHING LIGHT - cosmic phenomena creations by Pamela Bain, animated by James Josephides
2018 'DEEPER WIDER FASTER', Co-director and Lead Visualiser. (animator – James Josephides)
art related work history
2025 Art Co-ordinator, and Workshop Facilitator, A Kindsugi Future.
2019 Project Manager, THE APOLLO 11, video exhibition.
2019 Project Manager/Curator, Mission Control.
2018 Art Co-ordinator - Workshop Facilitator, Swinburne University.
1998 Front of House Manager, Fringe Festival, Hobart.
1997 Project Manager/programmer, Hitchcock Festival, Cineama Afterdark, Hobart.
1996 - 1998 Manager/administrator, programmer, Afterdark Art House Cinem Society, Salamanca Art Centre, Hobart..
1992 - 1995 Gallery Assistant, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Hobart.
educational qualifications
2023 Master of Art Curatorship, Melbourne University
2010 Master of Civil Celebrations, (cultural studies), Monash University
2007 Graduate Diploma, Civil Celebrations, Monash University
2003 Honours, Cinema Studies, University of Melbourne (withdrawn)
2003 Graduate Diploma, Cinema Studies, University of Melbourne
1995 Honours, Art Theory, University of Tasmania (withdrawn)
1994 Bachelor of Fine Art, University of Tasmania
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selected media/press
2025 Radio interview - 3RRR, Melbourne.
2019 Radio interview - 3RRR, Melbourne
2018 'Astronomy Inspires Artists" - online, Swinburne News
2018 'Deeper Darker Brighter Lights Up the Town Hall Gallery", online, Zilla and Brock
2018 'Stellar Exhibition in Creative Space', print, Progress Leader
2018 Radio interview - Joy Radio, Melbourne
2018 Radio interview - 3WBC, Melbourne
2017 'Painting the Universe', print, Art Edit, Magazine
2016 'EATT Magazine Podcast with Pamela Bain', featuring segments from her interview with astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield, EATT Magazine Chris Hadfield.doc - Google Docs
authorships
2014 Articles - ‘Observations of an Astronaut’, Parts one and two, EATT Magazine www.eattmag.com
2014 Article, ‘Breaking Bad in White Underpants’, EATT Magazine
2013 Book, ‘A Structural Chronology of St. Vincent Hospital’, historical support material for the exhibition Mapology St Vincent's Hospital. Libraries Australia ID No. 67359440
awards and other
2018 Director’s Excellence in Outreach Award, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University of Technology
2018 Featured Artist - SciArt Initiative - where art, science, and technology converge, New York, 2018. Pamela Bain - SciArt Initiative
2016 Finalist - The M Collection Art Award, Gallerysmith, North Melbourne
2015 Finalist - In Space, Banyule Art Award for Works on Paper, Hatch Contemporary Art Space, Ivanhoe, Melbourne
2008 The Damien West Award – demonstrating the best performance overall in the studies for the Graduate Diploma of Civil
Ceremonies and Cultural Studies. Monash University
1994 AGDA Award, for most outstanding student port folio in Tasmania, School of Art, University of Tasmania
biography
My creative practice explores relationships with environments both near and cosmically far. Multi-media explorations employ painting, photography, sculpture, and illumination: merging cosmic iterations with Earth’s natural properties. Propelled by a fascination with deep space phenomena an interdisciplinary approach evolved during my art residency at Swinburne University's Centre for Astrophysics (Melbourne) where I explored light source technologies, developed a unique photographic language, and worked with their animator who transformed my art into moving spectacles. Characteristics of the cosmos are articulated with concepts of life, death, and the process of renewal – all inherent to us, Earth, and the astronomical features that surrounds us.
As well as attaining finalist position in multiple art awards I have also fulfilled Artist in Residence positions on several occasions . Recipient of the Director’s Outreach Excellence Award at Swinburne University was a career highlight that recognised my contributions in public speaking, exhibition of astronomy themed art, and my collaborative efforts with staff and students through weekly self-directed workshops. As a member of New York's SciArt Initiative - an online and physical convergence of like minded artists - I was delighted to be chosen as featured artist in in 2018.
I hold degrees in Fine Art, Cinema Studies and Art History, Cultural Studies/Civil Ceremonies, Master of Civil Ceremonies, and a Master of Art Curatorship. The latter has influenced development of sensory art access strategies for Blind and low vision audiences. My SAFE principle (Sensory Art Form Engagement) demonstrated in my art exhibitions aims to involve this demographic with in-gallery sensory experiences such as tactile touch objects, sound, audio descriptions, large print art labels, and Braille. Investigations into gallery inclusivity was predicated upon my own sight impairment challenges in art institutions.
Creatively articulating new ways of visualising cosmic phenomena - discoveries as well as the fleeting events and imperceptible structures that tauntingly evade ultimate revelation - my bio-morphic imagery and figurative abstractions bring a sense of nature and biology - thus human connection with outer space - to my body of work.
I am brought closer to my muse via my Saxon eight inch Dobsonian telescope. This, together with excursions to NASA, Houston, the Kennedy Space Centre and ongoing space-related research, has informed a series of light spectacles, hypothetical planets, speculative space-scapes, and cosmic possibilities.
My interview with former astronaut and Commander of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield, also merged art with science offering much creative nourishment when delving into the role of artist as aesthetic interpreter of the cosmos.