About Ainslie McMahon
Ainslie McMahon is an artist based in Rockhampton on Darumbal Country whose work responds to the natural environment and the effect of nature on the human psyche. McMahon describes her work as being defined by a strong connection to Central Queensland, reflecting a sensitivity to the rhythms of the local landscape, including universal themes of fragility and strength, growth and destruction.
McMahon studied visual art at Central Queensland University and graduated in 2003 with a Diploma of Visual Art, majoring in painting. Since that time McMahon has exhibited widely in regional Queensland and facilitated numerous community art workshops in Queensland and Northern Territory. She has undertaken artistic residencies at various primary schools in Rockhampton. McMahon also created and presented a weekly preschool art program at Rockhampton Art Gallery called Messy Mondays, as well as community workshops and STEAM programs at Rockhampton Art Gallery.
McMahon's practice involves a balance between intuitive mark-making and careful deliberation. She says, "I try to discover possibilities, rather than force the painting to a preconceived conclusion. Colour choice and expressive mark making are important to me. Building up layers, and scratching back to reveal what is below creates an opportunity for the unexpected to reveal itself, and allows me to find my own visual language."
Public Programs
In Conversation | Ainslie McMahon, Artist in Residence: Wednesday, 08 May 2024 | 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
AIR Open Studios | Ainslie McMahon
Image: A Sensory Landscape 2021. Courtesy of the artist.