Australian artist Steph Bolt splits her time between studios on the Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne & Skopelos Island in Greece.
For Steph, travel & art are totally intertwined, feeding off each other. Her work traverses many mediums including photography, sculpture & printmaking. Predominantly, her work is about people in their local environment. Her subject matter is deliberately non heroic.
She observes, records & documents daily life with her camera. Steph started exploring the minimalist constructed object whilst completing her Master of Fine Art at RMIT in Melbourne. Always working in series, she often has several different projects unfolding simultaneously. Steph de-contextualises complex photographic images & lets a figure stand alone in blank space.
She has received 2 Australia Council for the Arts Grants, exhibits internationally, and has completed residencies in Australia, Europe & Asia. Her work is held in public and private collections throughout the world.
In 2021, her work ‘Greek Meander’ was selected as a finalist for the Burnie Print Prize, and purchased for the Burnie Regional Gallery collection. ‘Greek Meander 2’ was selected as a finalist for the Geelong Art Prize. ‘Greek Meander 4’ is currently installed at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery.
Photography, travel & colour are her obsessions.
EDUCATION
2010 Master of Fine Art with Distinction RMIT University - Melbourne - Australia
1998 Diploma of Arts - Illustration/Visual Arts - incomplete
Chisholm Institute - Frankston - Victoria - Australia
1996 Diploma of Applied Arts - Graphic Design
Canberra Institute of Technology - ACT - Australia
1993 Associate Diploma of Applied Arts - Fine Art - Stage 1
West Wollongong Tafe - NSW - Australia
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019 CHROMATOPIA - Clifton School of Arts - NSW – Australia
2015 kalokairi - Mercurius Gallery - Skopelos Island – Greece
2015 CUT - fortyfive downstairs gallery - Melbourne – Australia
2014 around here - Mercurius Gallery - Skopelos Island – Greece
2014 meat market - Applestick Contemporary - Balnarring – Australia
2013 here and there - Mercurius Gallery - Skopelos Island – Greece
2013 work + play - Applestick Contemporary - Balnarring – Australia
2012 here there elsewhere - The Art Vault - Mildura – Australia
2012 here - Mercurius Gallery - Skopelos Island – Greece
RECENT GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 A new normal - Public Record Office - Victorian Archives Centre
2021 ILFORD CCP Salon - Centre for Contemporary Photography - Melbourne
2020 TooT Artspace - Melbourne – Australia
2019 SMALL - fortyfive downstairs - Melbourne – Australia
2017 45 at fortyfive – fortyfive downstairs - Melbourne – Australia
2013 The Art Vault 5th Anniversary Exhibition - Mildura – Australia
2013 No Vacancy Gallery - Federation Square - Melbourne – Australia
2013 Applestick Contemporary - Balnarring – Australia
2012 Red Gallery - Melbourne – Australia
2012 Matter and Space - Ne Na Contemporary Art Space - Chaing Mai
2011 SKOPART - Skopelos Island – Greece
2011 Untitled - Sardam Gallery - Siemani – Kurdistan
2011 Kodak Salon - Centre for Contemporary Photography - Melbourne
2011 Port Jackson Press Australia Graduate Printmaking Award
2010 Master of Fine Art Post Graduate Show - RMIT University – Australia
2010 Exchange: RMIT University International Exchange Portfolios
2010 Institute of Contemporary Arts - Singapore - curated by
Charles Merewether – Singapore
2010 Point of Difference - RMIT Student Union Exhibition – Australia
2009 Siemens - RMIT Fine Art Travel Scholarship Exhibition,
RMIT Gallery - Melbourne – Australia
2009 Figure Out - New White Gallery - Melbourne - Australia