tanja stark

Essentially, I’m curious.  About everything.
I make art, I write, I read, I wonder.

I am intrigued by the way we think and feel, how we live and find meaning. Why we fall apart, and how we hurt and how we heal.

Born in Mackay, Queensland, I’ve always created art as part of this pondering and processing in oils and acrylics, mixed media and found materials, ink and clay.

Beginning in 1999, I started working  with paper, fire, earth, ash and clay on the Burn series of work.  It was at this time I developed an iconography and symbolism that continues to today; elemental spirals, seered paperbark, stove elements, ash, feathers, paper and bones.  This continued through the Containment series, Subcutanea and in recent years Suburban Gothic and the Sublime Divine.

Along the way I’ve worked in illustration and design, therapeutic counselling and research.  I once created a series of pop art images, including pop art mannequins of David Bowie that were acquired by his Archive in 2011 .  Another of my images were included in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s international exhibition ‘David Bowie Is…”.  My pondering on the psychological and spiritual themes explored by this culturally defining artist across his own creative life lead to writing and publishing book chapters with Bloomsbury Press and Routledge Academic Press, respectively,  around psychology and creativity, depth psychology, Jungian archetypes and catharis in 2015.

“The arts are not a way of making a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”  Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

I am currently working on the Sublime Vessels, a series of raw, hand built clay forms to be exhibited late in 2016.

Forthcoming exhibitions, talks and workshops, open studio days are here.  For creative art, writing or research collaborations, residencies or commissions  contact me  tanjastark at yahoo.com.au.

I live in Brisbane, Australia.

Phone (Australia) : 0414 658 235

“The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” Carl Jung

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

Suburban Gothic and the Sublime Divine, Brisbane City Council City Square Library, 2012

Pop : Art : Rock , Brisbane City Council City Square Library , 2011 and 2012

Subcutanea, Tarragindi 2008

Corpus Christi, Zonagraphica, Sherwood Festival 2004

Undercurrent, Artworkers Gallery, Brisbane 2003

Intensification, Soapbox Gallery, Brisbane August 2003

One Perfect Day Soapbox, Brisbane May 2002

Containment, Artworkers Gallery, Brisbane 2002

Burn , SOApBOx Gallery, Brisbane March 2002

Postcard 9 x 5 Show, Cairns Regional Gallery 2000

Artist in Residence:  Brisbane City Council Library City Square November 11- Feb 12

Writer in residence: Corinda State School, 2007

LAWeekly 

Dangerous Minds – Bowie Matryoshkas

Cherrybombed

Gadgether – Cool Russian Dolls

MerchDoneRight : How music merch should be done

SELECTED AWARDS

Yamaha Organ Music Festival Mackay.  Under 8 Age Champion. (only entrant in category).