Helga Groves Second Nature

Artist Biography

Deep geological time, ineffable natural phenomena and geophysical processes are enmeshed in the meticulous practice of Helga Groves. Working across painting, sculpture, drawing and animation, Groves rigorously investigates the defining physical properties of ancient matter and fleeting environmental episodes. Her dextrous and deliberate approach to mark making registers the minutiae of place into a realm of abstraction. Through a careful, mediated balance of topographical patterns and tonal layers, Groves’ compositions transpose the rhythmic flow and luminosity of her ever-evolving subject matter. 

Groves’ practice is fuelled by an unyielding commitment to extensive and site-responsive research. First-hand observation of natural environments spanning multiple biomes remains intrinsic to the evolution of her practice. Divergent formal arrangements are attuned to the extremes of natural phenomena and climatic conditions. Often employing a grid-like framework, Groves’ latticing modes of display facilitate the interlacing of personal and cultural references. Her abstractions convey a uniquely layered sense of place, while each body of work mirrors the encompassing and often heterogenous spirit of field research: detailed pencil sketches articulate ancient rocks, Perspex forms simulate the fluorescence of natural light travelling through water, pigmented canvases incrementally reveal layers of geological processes, woven fishing line mimics undulations of water and crystallisations of ice. Fluidity characterises Groves’ surfaces, whereby all-encompassing patterns outstretch and respire through the rhythm of gradated colour and meshing of brushstrokes. Permeating both sensorially and conceptually, Groves conjures vivid memories and forecasts speculations of the physical experience of place.

A first-generation Australian of Finnish and English heritage, Groves was born in Ayr, Queensland in 1961. Now living and working in Naarm/Melbourne, Groves has exhibited frequently throughout Australia and overseas for over thirty-five years. Groves completed a Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Diploma and a Master of Visual Arts at Sydney College of the Arts (between 1987 and 2000, respectively), and in 1997, she was awarded the prestigious Moët & Chandon Australian Art Fellowship, resulting in a year-long residency in France. With field research constituting an integral aspect of Groves’ practice, the artist has completed additional residencies at institutions in Hanoi, VN; Paris, FR; Helsinki, FI; New York, USA; Bundaberg, AU; Nowra, AU; and the Pilbara, AU.

In 1999, Groves was included in the acclaimed Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT3) at the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. Her work has been shown in important curated exhibitions at institutions including the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Artspace, Sydney; Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane; Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra; UQ Art Museum, Brisbane; Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne and Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne, among others. 

Examples of Groves’ work can be found in significant public and institutional collections throughout Australia, including the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth; Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Brisbane; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; UQ Art Museum, Brisbane; Monash University Art Collection, Melbourne; University of Western Sydney, Sydney and Macquarie University, Sydney, among other public and private collections.