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Roger McFarlane

Roger has made sculpture in a wide range of materials and styles. Roger has worked in Marble, Granite, Timber, Stainless Steel, Acrylic and Video.

His sculptures and drawings are in Public and Private Collections in Australia and many countries around the world.

His overarching principal is dedication to a high quality and professional artwork that will stand the test of time.

CV

Roger was born in 1948 at Newcastle New South Wales Australia. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The University of Newcastle. Roger has had a fascination for stone sculpture all of his life. He works on a variety of sizes from 30cm to 300cm. His studio is equipped to work in stone and welded steel. He has been fortunate to be invited to create public sculptures in Australia, South Korea, China, Brazil, and Switzerland. Roger says enjoys the process and the challenge of creating an artwork from strong materials. Roger has also restored damaged marble sculptures. Roger has also created graphic projects for theatre productions, and video as part of his sculpture installations.

Roger has acted as a judge for various sculpture exhibitions in Newcastle the Central Coast and Sydney. Roger has also been invited as a guest speaker at various international conferences on sculpture. Roger has exhibited his work in over seventy shows both in Australia and overseas.

Concepts of Work

I like to work in both abstract and figurative styles. Capturing the essence of the concept without being excessively literal is my ambition. The works must speak to the observer and not be deliberately obscure. If an artist has not communicated with his audience, and involved the spectator’s imagination, then he has failed.

My sculptures must have a well finished appearance. The work of an artist should show that its creator had commitment, dedication and the skills to bring his ideas to fruition.

I work mostly in stone, such as marble and Granite, I also have cast many sculptures in Bronze. Some of my sculptures have been in Wood and Steel. It is important for a sculptor to be versatile and relate to a range of materials.

When commissioned to create a sculpture I try to make an artwork that the target audience will appreciate, without compromising my artistic integrity.

Training

Roger was initially trained by Derek Morgan, a gifted sculptor who inspired Roger to continually try harder. Roger learnt to carve marble in Italy. He travelled to Italy in 1994, 1997, and 1999 where he was trained at the Palla Atelier. Claudio Palla is a fourth-generation sculptor and is highly respected as a sculptor is proficient at the art of intarsia and sculpture restoration. Roger also completed a Bachelor of Fine Art degree at the University of Newcastle NSW.

Prizes Awarded

  • 2014 May The Gardens Sculpture Prize, Hunter Botanical Gardens ‘Highly Commended’
  • 2014 February Newcastle Show Sculpture exhibition 1st Prize
  • 2013 February Maitland Art Prize 1st Prize Abstract Sculpture
  • 2011 February Maitland Art Prize 1st Prize Abstract Sculpture
  • 2010 September Matara Sculpture exhibition 2nd Prize Indoor Category
  • 2010 September David Latham Memorial Award for Stonework Sculpture
  • 2010 February Maitland Art Prize (Highly Commended)
  • 2009 June Sculptors Network Exhibition (Awarded Highly Commended)
  • 2009 March 34th Central Coast Festival of Arts (Awarded Highly Commended)
  • 2008 September Darling Park Exhibition Crawford’s Casting Prize
  • 2008 March 33rd Central Coast Festival of Arts (First Prize)
  • 2007 March, Mosman Village Festival of Sculpture (First Prize)
  • 2006 March, Mosman Village Festival of Sculpture (Awarded Second Prize)
  • 2005 September, Darling Park Exhibition (Awarded Highly Commended)
  • 2003 October, Matara Sculpture exhibition (Awarded First Prize Non Figurative)
  • 2003 April, University of Newcastle
  • 2003 Hunter Region Sculpture Society Prize
  • 2003 Rachael Samuels Memorial Award for 2002
  • 2002 September, Darling Park Exhibition, Sydney, (Awarded First Prize)
  • 2000 April, RAS Exhibition, Sydney (Awarded 2nd Prize Abstract Sculpture)
  • 1998 April, RAS Exhibition Sydney (Awarded Highly Commended)

Public Sculptures

  • 2017 August “Rain Dragon” Vattis Switzerland
  • 2015 August ‘Resilience’ Foreshore Park Newcastle NSW
  • 2015 June Centenary of Anzac Penshurst RSL Sub-Branch Sydney
  • 2014 December The Newcastle Club “Cathedral of Mining”
  • 2011 November Penshurst RSL Sub-Branch War memorial
  • 2009 August, ‘Flight Form’ Marble, Vättis Switzerland
  • 2005 July, ‘Lady in White’ Marble, Quyang, Heibei China
  • 2004 November, ‘Precious Pear’ Marble, Brusque SC Brazil
  • 2003 May, ‘Sitting Pretty’ Granite, Sangcheong Sculpture Park, South Korea
  • 2002 August, ‘Diana of Bennelong’ Black Granite, Huian, Fujian China
  • 2000 March, ‘Memorial’ Granite, 50th Anniversary of the Korean War
    UN Memorial Park, Busan South Korea
  • 2000 February, ‘Weather Form’ Mixed Media, Thredbo Village NSW Australia
  • 1999 March, ‘ Cause and Effect’ Hardwood and Stainless Steel, Thredbo Village NSW
    Australia
  • 1999 January, ‘Theatre Masks’ Marble, Young Peoples Theatre
  • 1999 Hamilton Newcastle NSW
  • 1997 July, ‘Flood Sculpture’ Mixed Media, Maitland City Council
  • 1997 Hunter Valley NSW Australia

Solo Exhibitions

  • 2016 February ‘Looking Over My Shoulder’ Cstudios Gallery
  • 2013 September ‘Random Thoughts’ Cooks Hill Galleries
  • 2008 October ‘A Little Night Music’ Cooks Hill Galleries
  • 2005 July, ‘The Feminine Form’, Cooks Hill Galleries
  • 1997, November, ‘Australian in Paris’, Gallerie Miromesnil Fine Art Paris

International Exhibitions

  • 2018 October ‘Forever Unforgettable’ Extended Exhibition. Hogerlucht Belgium.
  • 2016 October ‘Enternellemement Inoubliable’ Extended, Valenton France
  • 2015 October ‘Unforgettable’ Extended exhibition, Frasnes-les-Anvaing Belgium
  • 2011 November ‘Unforgettable’ extended exhibition Voor Altijd Onverget ElijkGavere Belgium
  • 2011 May ‘Unforgettable’ Saint Christiana Park, Dikkevene Belgium
  • 2009 June National Sculpture Almanac Exhibition, Hangzhou China
  • 2003 October Salon d’Automne, Paris
  • 2001 December International Sculptors Exhibition, Seoul South Korea
  • 1999, October Salon d’Automne, Paris
  • 1998, November Salon d’Automne, Paris
  • 1997, November, Australian in Paris, Gallerie Miromesnil Fine Art

Symposiums

  • 2011 September, 3rd China Changchun International Sculpture Conference
    Guest Speaker
  • 2009 August, Steinbildhauer Symposium, Vättis Switzerland
  • 2009 June Hangzhou Zhejiang province China
    Conference on Public art policy for Hangzhou
  • 2008 September 2nd China Changchun International Sculpture Conference
    Guest Speaker
  • 2005 September, 3rd China Quyang International Sculpture Festival
    Heibei Province China
  • 2004 November, IV International Sculpture Symposium of Brazil
    Brusque SC Brazil
  • 2003 May, 2nd Sancheong International Contemporary Sculpture Symposium
    Sancheong South Korea
  • 2002 August, 2nd China Sculpture Art Festival
    Huian, Fujian Province
  • 2000 September, International Sculpture Symposium for UN Memorial Park
    Pusan South Korea
  • 2000 February, The 2000 Sculpture Symposium
    Thredbo Village NSW Australia
  • 1999 February, Inaugural Thredbo Village Symposium
    Thredbo Village NSW Australia
  • 1997 July, Flood Sculptures, Maitland City Council
    Hunter Valley NSW Australia

Literary References And Articles

  • 2013 Urban Sculpture China comment piece ‘The Sculpture Judge’
  • 2012 Urban Sculpture China ‘Sculpture and Regionality’
  • 2009 China Sculpture Magazine edition 6
    Son of [the] Sea in Newcastle
    Roger McFarlane’s Sculpture Art (4 page Spread)
  • 2009 The Herald Supplement
    The Hunter Home Grown (People-Artists & Galleries P-21)
  • 2007 December Hunter Lifestyle’ Magazine Edition 29 December/January
    ‘The Beauty of Steel on Show’ by Marilyn Collins
  • 2005 July 2nd – Weekender Magazine- Newcastle Morning Herald
    Feature article
    ‘Carving a niche’ by Ben Quinn
  • 2003 ‘Hunter Lifestyle’ Magazine Edition 3 July/August
    ‘The Stone Master’ by Marilyn Collins
  • 2001 ‘House & Garden’ Magazine, January 2001
  • 1998 Featured in ‘Teach Yourself Sculpture’ by Jane Hill
    Hill Jane M, ‘Teach Yourself Sculpture’ McGraw Hill.1998

Memberships

  • Australian Sculpture Hunter Region Inc. (Now Hunter Sculptors Inc.)
  • The Sculptors Society, Australia
  • Sculpture Professional Committee China (Chinese Professional Sculptors Association)

Offices Held

  • President Hunter Sculptors Inc.- 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016,2017,2018,2019
  • Vice President Hunter Sculptors Inc.- Inc. -2009-2010-
  • Assistant Secretary 2014
  • ‘The Sculptors Society’ established 1951 NSW Australia
  • President: – 2005, 2006
  • Vice President: – 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003
  • Secretary: – 2001
  • Committee: – 2007 Newcastle Branch Spokesman
  • Co Convener: – The Sculptors Network Newcastle 2002-2009

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