Rox De Luca Explained

Rox De Luca (born 1963) is an Australian visual artist whose work examines environmental issues and sustainability through sculpture and public art, predominantly made from found plastics.^{[1] [2]} Her work is held by multiple national and regional collections including Artbank, Deakin University Art Collection (Victoria), New England Regional Art Museum (New South Wales), and Edith Cowan University (Western Australia), and at Royal Perth Hospital (Western Australia) and University of Sydney Union (New South Wales).

Art work and career

De Luca's early practice was influenced by her Italian migrant background.^[3] She investigated histories of migration and the cross-cultural impact of everyday objects like kitchen implements and personal items such as a collection of Italian needlework patterns her mother gave to her,^[4] and painted portraits.^[5]

Since the early 2010s De Luca's work has focused on the concepts of abundance, excess and waste,^[6] and the ethics of living sustainably.^[7] Her studio practice involves collecting kilos of plastic waste debris from the shores of local beaches such as Bondi Beach or Rose Bay in Sydney,^[8] guided primarily by colour.^[9] At her studio the plastics are sorted and threaded using strings of wire into sculpture works that speak to consumption, abundance, plastic pollution and waste.^[10]

In 2022 De Luca contributed work to the artist's collective Project Vortex, an international collective of artists and creatives who work to address the problems of plastic pollution.^[11]

De Luca has exhibited in museums and galleries in Australia and Europe including Museum of Sydney,^[12] Australian National Maritime Museum,^[13] Fremantle Arts Centre, Arts Project Australia, Canberra School of Art, Bondi Pavilion, China Cultural Centre Sydney, Campbelltown Arts Centre, and Espacio Menosuno, Madrid.

Her work is represented in the archive of the Women's Art Register.

Awards, Prizes and Residencies

De Luca has been a finalist in a number of art prizes including the Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award in 2018,^[14] the Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize (2017),^[15] and the Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre (2021), and won the GreenWay Art Prize,^[16] Environmental Art and Design Prize (2021).

She was on the judging panel of the City of Ryde Sustainable Waste to Art Prize in 2020.^[17]

De Luca has received multiple artist-in-residence opportunities including the City of Waverley (NSW) Artist Studios, and the inaugural artist in residence at Orlebar Brown^[18] (2024), the Gunyah Residency Program,^[19] the Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, NSW^[20] (2022) and the Fremantle Arts Centre (2019).

Selected solo exhibitions^[21]

• 2021 - Chutespace, Canberra^[22]
• 2019 - Gleaning for plastic, on the beach, Art+Climate= Change, Loop, Melbourne^[23]
• 2013 - Sculpture by the sea, Sydney^[24]
• 2012 - Saved, James Dorahy Project Space, Sydney

Selected group exhibitions^[21]

• 2024 - Colour is enough, Arts Project Australia,^[25] Melbourne
• 2024 - Beauty Runs the Gauntlet, Bondi Pavilion Gallery, Sydney^[26]
• 2023 - Plastic: Unwrapping the World, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery^[27]
• 2022 - Plastic-free Biennale Kandos, collaboration with Plastic Free Biennale, (Lucas Ihlein, Kim Williams, First Nations Sister GlitterNullius), Wayout, Kandos, NSW^[28]
• 2022 - Material Girl, China Cultural Centre, Sydney, Curated by Nicholas Tsoutsas
• 2022 - Omnivores, Duckrabbit, Redfern, NSW
• 2021 - Hundreds and Thousands, Fremantle Arts Centre, Western Australia^[29]
• 2021 - On REvolution, Gallery Central, North Metro TAFE, Perth^[30]
• 2020 - Contour 556, Curated by Neil Hobbs, Canberra
• 2019 - The Art for the Wilderness, Queen Street Galleries, Woollahra, Sydney^[31]
• 2018 - Sentient Visibility, Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney^[32]
• 2010 - Más Razones, with Jo Darbyshire, Espacio Menosuno, Madrid^[33]
• 2003 - Italiani di Sydney, Museum of Sydney, Sydney
• 2001 - Stitches - Fare Il Punto,^[34] Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney
• 1999 - Family Ties, 24HR Art, Darwin
• 1997 - 25 Reasons^[35]

Collections

• Artbank, Australia^[21]
• Deakin University Art Gallery Collection, Victoria^[36]
• Edith Cowan University, Western Australia
• New England Regional Art Museum, NSW
• Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia
• University of Sydney Union, NSW
• Private collections Australia, Europe and USA.^[21]

Publications

Luca, Rox De (2016-02-13). "Abundance, Excess, Waste". PORTAL Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies. 13 (1). doi:10.5130/portal.v13i1.4793. ISSN 1449-2490. ^[37]

References

1. Web site: Allatson . Paul . 2020 . Rox De Luca: Gleaning for plastics, defying wastefulness . 2024-04-13 . Rox De Luca.
2. Web site: Rox De Luca – Canberra Art Biennial . 2024-04-25 . en-AU.
3. Brennan . Anne . 1 December 1997 . Beyond reason: Jo Darbyshire and Rox De Luca . Eyeline . 35 . 22–24.
4. Accarigi . Vanni . 2016 . The Transcultural Edge . PORTAL . 13 . 1.
5. Allatson . Paul . 1996 . Men and Mettle . Artlink . 16 . 1 . 24–26.
6. Luca . Rox De . 2016-02-13 . Abundance, Excess, Waste . PORTAL Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies . en . 13 . 1 . 10.5130/portal.v13i1.4793 . 1449-2490. free .
7. Book: Millner . Jacqueline . Contemporary art and feminism . Moore . Catriona . Routledge . 2022 . New York . 193.
8. Web site: 2020-02-25 . Sea Of Plastic: An Artists Quest To Address Ocean Pollution . 2024-04-13 . Culture Trip . en.
9. Book: Millner, Jacqueline . SAVED . James Dohary Project Space . 2012 . Sydney.
10. Web site: Lei . Celina . 9 November 2021 . Artists giving materials a new life . 13 April 2024 . Arts Hub.
11. Web site: Project Vortex . 2024-04-13 . Project Vortex . en-US.
12. Web site: Italiani di Sydney MHNSW . 2024-04-25 . Museums of History NSW . en.
13. News: Rogers . Jo . 15 August 2001 . Sewing the seas . The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) . 47.
14. Web site: 2018-09-18 . Review: Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award 2018 . 2024-04-15 . www.artshub.com.au . en-AU.
15. Web site: The Inaugural Ravenswood Australian Women's Art Prize – Finalists Announced . 2024-04-15 . UNSW Sites . en.
16. Web site: ABOUT . 2024-04-25 . GreenWay Art Prize . en.
17. Web site: 2020-09-24 . Turning waste into art is a community affair . 2024-04-15 . www.artshub.com.au . en-AU.
18. News: Elegantly Wasted . 13 April 2024 . GQ . 9/10.
19. Web site: Gunyah artist-in-residence program . 2024-04-13 . gunyah.blogspot.com . en.
20. Web site: Rox de Luca . 2024-04-13 . www.woollahragallery.com.au . en-AU.
21. Web site: CV . 2024-04-13 . www.roxdeluca.com.
22. Web site: Chutespace — M16 Artspace .
23. Web site: ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE 2019 green magazine . 24 February 2019 .
24. News: McDonald . Shae . 29 October 2013 . Plastic turns fantastic art . Southern Courier . 13.
25. Web site: Colour is Enough - Arts Project Australia .
26. Web site: Beauty Runs the Gauntlet, Bondi pavilion Eastern Suburbs Mums . 3 March 2024 .
27. Web site: Plastic: Unwrapping the World Wagga Wagga Art Gallery . 13 February 2023 .
28. Web site: Announcing Plastic-free Kandos! – Plastic-free Biennale . 27 May 2022 .
29. Web site: Hundreds & Thousands - Fremantle Arts Centre .
30. Web site: Gallery Central Exhibitions .
31. Web site: Art for the Wilderness .
32. Web site: Levitch . Anne . Sentient Visability . 22 April 2024 . Grace Cossington Smith Gallery.
33. Web site: Lencinas . Queralt . Más Razones . 22 April 2024 . Menos Uno.
34. Web site: Stitches = fare il punto : 18 August - 30 September 2001, Australian National Maritime Museum, Darling... - Catalogue National Library of Australia . 2024-04-20 . catalogue.nla.gov.au . en.
35. Brennan . Anne . December 1997 . Beyond reason: Jo Darbyshire and Rox De Luca . Eyeline . 35 . Summer 1997 - 1998 . 22–24.
36. Web site: Deakin University Art Collection . Deakin University Art Collection . 13 April 2024 . Deakin University.
37. Luca . Rox De . 2016-02-13 . Abundance, Excess, Waste . PORTAL Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies . en . 13 . 1 . 10.5130/portal.v13i1.4793 . 1449-2490. free .