Carolyn Young is an Australian artist, specialising in photography, with a professional background in natural resource management.
Her photographs engage in ideas around land stewardship, the relationship of human beings to the environment, and often involves collaboration with ecologists. Carolyn holds a PhD in Visual Arts from The Australian National University (2017), and honours degree in Natural Resources. Carolyn has exhibited extensively, been the recipient of several grants including the Friends of the National Library Creative Arts Fellowship 2018 and photography prizes including the 2016 CCP Salon Pat Corrigan AM Acquisitive Award. Her photographs are held in public and private collections.
Academic Qualifications
2017: Doctor of Philosophy (Visual Arts), School of Art and Design, The Australian National University (ANU). Thesis title, “Exploring the art and environment phenomenon through photography and tertiary-level place-based education”
2004: Graduate Diploma of Art (Visual Arts), ANU
1993: Bachelor of Natural Resources (Honours), University of New England
Solo Exhibitions
2018:
"Inhabiting the Woodlands", Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, NSW
2017:
“Grassy Woodlands”, Tamworth Regional Gallery, NSW
“Grassy Woodlands”, Crawford Gallery, Sydney
2016
“Grassy Woodlands”, Moree Plains Gallery, Moree, NSW
PhD in Visual Arts examination exhibition, ANU School of Art Gallery, Canberra
“Grassy Woodlands”, Weswal Gallery, Tamworth, NSW
2014-15
“Grassy Woodland in Spring 2014” and “Fertilised Pasture in Spring 2014” for ‘OUT THERE’ Billboard Art Program, CCP/City of Yarra Billboard, Melbourne
2013
“Box-gum Grassy Woodlands”, Light Journeys, www.lightjourneys.net.au
2002
‘Researching the River’, Discovery, CSIRO, Canberra
Select Group Exhibitions
2021: "In Counterpoint", Belconnen Arts Centre, ACT
2018: "The Fellows", School of Art and Design, ACT
2017: “The Botany of Desire”, Benalla Art Gallery, Victoria; "Artisans in the Gardens”, The Royal Botanical Garden Sydney; “Out of the Blue”, Photospace, School of Art and Design Gallery, ANU, Canberra; “Naturally Yours”, School of Art and Design Gallery, ANU, Canberra; “Witching Hour”, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne; “Earthkey”, Fyregallery, NSW; “How Does Your Garden Grow?” Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, NSW; “Making Design Research”, School of Art and Design Gallery, ANU, Canberra
2016: “A Regional Mix: Tamworth”, Janet Clayton Gallery, Paddington, NSW; “Land Dialogues”, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, Wagga Wagga, NSW; "Vice Chancellor's College Visiting Artists Fellow Scheme", School of Art, ANU, Canberra
2015: Bowness Photography Prize, Monash Gallery of Art, Victoria
2014: “Pingyao International Photography Festival”, China; “Unmade Edges: A Centenary Legacy Exhibition”, Belconnen Arts Centre, ACT
2013: “Exhibition and Storytelling Event”, Gold Creek Station, Hall ACT for the Centenary of Canberra project ‘Portrait of a Nation: Unmade Edges – Distinctive Places, Hall’.
2010: “Engaging Visions: Your Place in Fine Art”, School of Art Gallery, ANU, Canberra; “The Contested Landscapes of Western Sydney. Exhibition of Fine Art”, See Street Gallery, Sydney; “Weereewa Photography Prize”, X Gallery, Bungendore, NSW
2009: “Capture”, ANU Climate Change Photographic Competition, ANU, Canberra; “Engaging Visions: A Benalla Field Study”, Benalla Art Gallery, Victoria; "Riverland”, The McCormick Centre for the Environment and Jeenaz (Murray Avenue), Renmark, South Australia
2008: “Tumut: An Exhibition of Visual Art”, Ex-State Bank Building, Tumut, NSW
2007: “Balonne”, Webster’s Building, St George, Queensland; “Landlines: Approaches to Land and Landscape”, Woodworks Gallery Bungendore, NSW
2006: 'Shep. The Earth: An Address About Water”, Shepparton Art Gallery, Shepparton, Victoria
2005: “Present Tense”, School of Art Gallery, ANU, Canberra
2004: “Here With Us: Mental Inset”, Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Canberra
2003: “Land$cape: Gold and Water”, Orange Regional Gallery, Orange, NSW; "Graduate Show: Certificate in Creative Photography”, PhotoAccess, Manuka, ACT
Grants and Awards
2017: Friends of the National Library Creative Arts Fellowship 2018; Finalist, Fremantle Print Award; Capital Region Landkeepers Trust Grant
2016: Winner, Pat Corrigan AM Acquisitive Award, Centre for Contemporary Photography Salon, Melbourne; NSW Artist’s Grant, Administered by National Association for the Visual Arts
2015: Finalist, Bowness Photography Prize; ANU Vice Chancellor's College Visiting Artists Fellow Scheme
2014: Veolia Creative Arts Scholarship
2010: Winner, Weereewa Photography Prize; Shortlisted, Head On Portrait Prize
2009: Winner, ANU Climate Change ‘Capture’ Photographic Competition
2008: School of Art Materials Award, ANU, Canberra
2007: Murray-Darling Basin Authority PhD Scholarship
Art Collections
Parliament House Art Collection (Canberra),Tamworth Regional Gallery (Tamworth), Pat Corrigan AM Collection, Goulburn-Broken Catchment Management Authority (Shepparton), Murray-Darling Basin Authority (Canberra), The Australian National University (Canberra), Canberra Hospital, Corrs Chambers Westgarth (Melbourne), and private collections.
Art Related Publications
Carolyn Young and Sue McIntyre (2018). "Grassland in Transition". Carolyn Young, Wamboin.
Carolyn Young and Sue McIntyre (2018). Carolyn Young: Grassy Woodlands. “Western Humanities Review”, 72.1:130-140.
Baracco, M. and Wright, L. (Eds.) (2018). “Repair: Architecture Actively Engaging with the Repair of the Places it is Part of”. Australian Pavilion, Biennale Architettura 2018. Australian Institute of Architects, Melbourne and Actar Publishes, New York.
Guy Abrahams, Bronwyn Johnson and Kelly Gellatly (eds) (2016).“Art+Climate=Change”. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne.
Carolyn Young (2016). "Exploring the art and environment phenomenon through photography and tertiary-level place-based education”. Ph.D., The Australian National University.
Carolyn Young, John C. Reid and Bart Meehan (2015). Taking action: researching an innovative pedagogy for an aesthetic environmental approach to environmental issues. “Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability”, 16: 64-72.
Barbie Robinson and David Chalker (eds) (2013). “100 Views of Canberra”. PhotoAccess, Canberra.
Carolyn Young (2013). In Response to Local Narratives. “Portrait of a Nation: Unmade edges– Distinctive Places Hall”. Exhibition Catalogue, Centenary of Canberra.
Reid, J., Lamberts, R., Young, C. and Tambiah, C. (2010). “Engaging Visions: Engaging Artists with the Community about the Environment”. The Australian NationalUniversity, Canberra.
Young, C. and Reid, J. (2009). Engaging Visions a Benalla Field Study. “Benalla”. Exhibition Catalogue. The Australian National University, Canberra.