ABOUT JOY ALLISON
I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. After moving to Australia, I graduated from the School of Art at the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Printmaking.
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I have found Tasmania both an inspirational location to work and to express myself with various media, including drawing, collagraphs, lithography, etching, collage, silkscreen, monoprints, polymer clay, textiles, ceramics, papier-mâché, paint, jewellery and wire. Layers, texture, tone and form have always been of paramount interest to me whether I am working in 2D or 3D formats.
Wire and glue have been essential and versatile "ingredients" in many of my creations. Hence, Wire by Joy evolved to cover the diversity of my artworks. For me, wire can be viewed as "a three-dimensional line". Like a variety of materials, you can bend it and shape it to interact in space to create a desired result.
My interest in nature and the environment is evident in most pieces that I create such as my relief fish sculptures, frog and lizard jewellery, drawings, prints, books and textile pieces. An appreciation of domestic animals, wildlife and environments was nurtured in my childhood with a conglomeration of pets in the home, as well as numerous visits to various game reserves. These holidays were looked forward to and thoroughly enjoyed by all family members.
Recently, I have been interested in creating unique mixed-media artist's books based on Queenstown, a mining town situated on the west coast of Tasmania. It was here that I embarked on a Visual Arts teaching career and where the "manmade" environment had a profound impact on me ... and it still does today! Here, for me, a connection between one mining city and a small mining town was intrinsically formed. It could be said that there is something about the exposed and rugged Queenstown surrounds that have captivated many and no doubt, will continue to inspire others.
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Pop-up and interactive books have always fascinated me as they can amuse and intrigue one with the unexpected. When we open the seemingly dormant and flattened pages of a pop-up book (or card), in a moment of touch, structures, shapes and images appear to move, be transformed and occupy space. Magic appears to happen. Imaginative and interactive elements immerse us in a tactile, kinetic and memorable experience which leaves us questioning "Wow, HOW did they do that?"​
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In sharing my knowledge with students in Tasmanian High Schools, it was always important to me to endeavour to be a role model to my students and to practice what I taught.
Over the years, I have won awards in a range of media/disciplines and have been invited to conduct a variety of workshops. I have held successful solo, joint and group exhibitions and have received commissions from national and overseas clients.
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