bio

Sharon Aldrick

Photographer

Sharon Aldrick has been a professional photographer for 18 years and exhibited throughout Australia with personal exhibitions and commissions. Sharon Aldrick is passionate about documenting the human condition and peoples' cultural environments.

In Sensitive black and white images Sharon portrays the social contrast and story behind everyday life in Australia. Sharon Aldrick's art also extends to large colour photographic canvases of Dreamscapes. Her exhibition "OUR COMMUNITY" was launched at the National Museum of Australia in November 2005 and is now travelling through regional NSW by the NMA.

Sharon spent a year photographing in many small outback communities throughout western NSW including Walgett, Brewarrina, Bourke, Goodooga, Coonamble and Lightning Ridge. Sharon gained the respect and trust of the local community and photographed sensitive images portraying the community spirit of these people living in such an extreme environment.

Sharon has also worked as a community artist on many commissions;

"I concentrate on the human condition and peoples Cultural environment. Through photography and community art I portray the social contrast and story behind every day life in many communities through out Australia. I work together in collaboration with a community or sub culture of a community to help develop an understanding of their identity, values, and connection to their environment, unique attributes and diversity. I do this through photography by working together, to share ideas and values, to foster cohesion and to build a sense of place and gain a skill."

 

Biographical details

Exhibitions, Commissions and Community art projects

 

Qualifications
2004-2008	BA in Fine Arts – Newcastle University
1996-1997	Film and Television, North Sydney Institute of Technology
1991-1993	Photography, Sydney Institute of Technology
1989-1991	Fine Arts, Hornsby College of Arts
Professional work
2008	Photography Teacher, Regional Youth Support Services
1998-2005	Head Photographer, Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service Corporate communications Department
1989-1998	Photographer, 'Central Coast Health'
1994	Features Photographer, 'The Australian Newspaper'
1990-1994	Photo Journalist, 'The Sun Newspaper'
Awards
2009	Finalist – Gosford Art Prize, Gosford Regional Gallery
2009	Winner – Newcastle University Art Gallery
2008	Finalist – Olive Cotton portraiture awards, Tweed River art gallery
2006	Winner Gosford regional Gallery, Art prize
2005	Winner Gosford regional Art Gallery – Indigenous collaboration work
2005	Finalist Headon portrait prize, Michael Nagy Fine Art, Woolloomooloo
2004	Finalist Citigroup private National Portrait Prize, Art gallery of NSW 'Proud Grandfather'
2004	Finalist Josephine Urlick, National portrait prize, Tweed River Art Gallery 'Carlotta's Allegory to Love'
Exhibitions & Commissions
2009	'Faces of Gosford' Gosford Regional Gallery
2009	'Faces of Gosford' Artist in Residence, Gosford CBD
2009	'Animal within' exhibition, Watt Space Newcastle
2008	'Tide People' The People of Mooney Mooney, A social documentary book
2008	'Photo Voices' Commission, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Exhibition and community art project. Documenting the Gay and Lesbian community of the Hunter Valley and Newcastle
2008	Families – A major exhibition, Gosford regional art gallery
2007	'My Turn' – Commission benevolent society, document men's stories
2007	'Postcards from a Young Parent' – Commission community art project RYSS
2006	'Our Community' – Travelling Exhibition through Australia's regional gallery's, by the National Museum of Australia, (Commission and Permanent collection NMA) Social Documentary photographs of Australia's remote outback communities.
2005	'Our Community' National Museum of Australia, Canberra
2005	'Walgett Community' – Solo Exhibition Cowra Regional Art Gallery
2004	'Walgett' – Solo Exhibition, Erina Art Gallery
2004	'Through their Lens' – Gosford regional Art Gallery
2003	'Culture Works' – Migrants on the Land, A Premiers department initiative, Travelling exhibition and documentary on immigrants and refugees in Young rural NSW place Permanent exhibition, Lambing Flats Museum Young (Commission, Department Immigration and Migration)
2003	'Migrants in the workplace' – Permanent exhibition, Liverpool Hospital
2002	'Flesh' – Curator and exhibitor, Group Exhibition
2001	'Winter Magic 2' – Solo Exhibition on Festival
2000	'Winter Magic' – Solo Exhibition on Festival
1999	Calendar for the 'International Year of Older Persons' (Commission, Department Veterans Affairs) 'Open to all ages' postcards, posters and exhibition (Commission, Department of Ageing and Disabilities) A NSW State government initiative
1999	'Timeless' – Travelling Solo Exhibition for 'International year of Older Persons'
1995	'Women of the landscape' – Solo Exhibition
1994	'Feme' – Solo Exhibition
Community Art Projects
2007	Balgo – Community art project in Balgo Aboriginal community Remote Northern territory
2003	Lived in Walgett Far out West NSW Photographically documented the life of a small out back community including the farming and indigenous communities of Ligtning Ridge, Brewarrina, Walgett, Coonamble, Bourke. Community art work with indigenous community, Brewarrina, Goodooga.