biography of Midge Johansen

Midge Johansen

Biography | Artwork

Midge Johansen is a sculptor, potter, poet, teacher and author (‘The Dinkum Dictionary’

- Viking O’Neil/Penguin Books Australia Ltd. 1988, and ‘The Penguin Book Of Australian

Slang’ – Penguin Books Australia Ltd. 1966) with an absolute passion for her craft,

applying her energies to clay, resins, cast able stones and mixed-media to produce a

wide variety of original sculpture and art works.

Winner of many awards and prizes, Midge’s ceramic work is represented in the

permanent collection of the Queensland Art Gallery – described as an example of

‘West-coast Funk’, she gave permission for this work to be used as part of an installation

in the Asia-Pacific Triennial Of Contemporary Art. Her work is also represented in public

and private collections such as the Gold Coast City Council, Somerset College, G.C.

Potters’ Association, Beachcomber International Resort, Gold Coast Botanic Gardens.

The inspiration for Midge’s work is borne not only from an admiration of the human form

– especially the beauty, myth, spirit and flowing symmetry of the female – but also from

a desire to comment on what is going on in her life from a female perspective. She often

sets out to challenge society’s mores and customs, adding mischief, humour, kitsch and

the bizarre to make light of many heavy subjects. Midge embraces the strengths,

weaknesses, endurance and sexuality of women whilst commenting on the restrictions

imposed by traditional values of chastity and modesty. Whilst contemplating the

humorous side of the serious, mundane and forbidden issues of society, sex and gender

issues her pieces often reflect humour, innuendo, fantasy and social comment.

Not only adept with the human form, Midge is also an accomplished potter, and

employs hand-built and slip-cast techniques to create large pieces for sculptural

adornment and glaze decoration, including 22 Carat gold and platinum lustres. She also

enjoys the incendiary delights of Raku-firing and post-firing reduction and holds many

workshops in this technique.

A long-standing and active member of the Sculptors’ Society Gold Coast Inc. and

Gold Coast Potters Assoc. Inc., Midge has also applied her vast energies and

knowledge to serve on the committees of the Gold Coast International Ceramic Art

Award and Gold Coast Global Sculpture Prize Inc. She has also been invited to judge

several art exhibitions.

Midge has a long history of teaching, including ten years with the Victorian Education

Department, five years of teaching the Sculpture Course at Gold Coast T.A.F.E. College

and many years of teaching clay hand-building techniques for the Sculptors’ Society,

which she continues to do today.

Midge’s ability to hold ceramic workshops for large groups is often sought by

organizations and schools throughout the region, and she continues to pass on

her skills in intensive workshops to many such groups, including Beaudesert Potters

Assoc., Tweed Unlimited Arts, Gold Coast Potters’ Assoc. Inc., MAGIC, Coomera Anglican

College.

Commissions include the employment of a vast body of knowledge in ceramic, resin

casting and other sculptural techniques for private, business and corporate bodies such

as Beachcomber International Hotel, Avica Weddings & Resort, Clout Design, Gold Coast

Botanic Gardens.

Midge currently holds regular classes for beginners and advanced students at the

premises of the Sculptors’ Society Gold Coast Inc. situated at Mudgeeraba, and also has

a kiln-firing service for ceramic artists.

Midge Johansen –Awards & Commissions

1979 - First Prize Hand-built - Nerang Festival Of Arts

1981 - First Prize Hand-built - Nerang Festival Of Arts

1983 - First Prize Hand-built - Nerang Festival Of Arts

1986 - First Prize Hand-built - Nerang Festival Of Arts

1988 - First Prize Hand-built - Nerang Festival Of Arts

1988 - First Prize Hand-built - Currumbin Festival Of Arts

1988 - First Prize - John Cooper

Memorial Award Sculpture - Society Of Sculptors Gold Coast

1994 - RSM Hamilton

Award – Acquisitive Sculpture - 9th National Gold Coast

Sculpture Award

1994 - Highly Commended Sculpture - 9th National Gold Coast

Sculpture Award

1995 - First Prize - John Cooper

Memorial Award Sculpture - Society Of Sculptors Gold Coast

1996 - Cronulla Award

Acquisitive Hand-built - Gold Coast Potters’ Assoc Inc

1996 - Highly Commended Sculpture - 11th Nat Gold Coast Sculpt Award

1998 - First Prize Sculpture - Australian Red Cross Gold Coast &

Hinterland Art Festival

1999 - First Prize Sculpture - Australian Red Cross Gold Coast &

Hinterland Art Festival

1999 - Highly Commended Lustre Pottery - Gold Coast Potters’ Assoc Inc.

1999 - People’s Choice Award Sculpture - Australian Tactile Art Prize

- Acquired for Royal Blind Customs House - Sydney

Society - Sydney

2001 - First Prize Wild Life Sculpture - Marymount Art Festival

2004 - First Prize Ceramics Section - Springfest Currumbin Art Festival

2004 - Commission to construct ceramic sculptural wall murals and water feature

at Avica Weddings & Resort Facility, Merrimac, Gold Coast Qld

2004 - Gordon Foulds Award Sculpture - Exotic Erotic Exhibition –

Sculptors’ Society Gold Coast Inc.

2004 - First Prize Raku Ceramics - Qld Pottery Supplies Award

Gold Coast Potters’ Assoc Inc.

2004 - Highly Commended Sculpture - D’Arcy Doyle Inaugural Art prize

2005 - First Prize Pottery - Paradise Kids Art Exhibition

2005 - First Prize Ceramics - Paradise Kids Art Exhibition

2005 - Second Prize Sculpture - Paradise Kids Art Exhibition

2005 - Highly Commended Sculpture - Sculptors’ Society Annual

2005 - Highly Commended Ceramics - Springfest Art Festival

2005 - Highly Commended Sculpture - Exotic Erotic Exhibition –

Sculptors’ Society Gold Coast Inc.

2005 - Commission To construct sculptural resin ceiling-mounted light fittings

For the Beachcomber International Resort foyer, Coolangatta.

2006 - Highly Commended Sculpture, Nude - Sculptors’ Soc Ann Members’ Exh.

2007 - First Prize Sculpture, Nude - ‘Just Nudes’ Exhibition, Ipswich

Cold Cast Bronze Art Society

2007 - First Prize Handbuilt (bananas) - Gold Coast Potters’ Assoc Inc.

Annual Members’ Exhibition

Edith Battrick Memorial Award

2007 - First Prize Sculpture –

‘Lady Fingers’ - Exotic Erotic Exhibition –

Sculptors’ Society Gold Coast Inc.

2007 - Second Prize Sculpture, Nude

Cold Cast Bronze - Nundah Art Festival

2007 - Commission Public Art Work – Gold Coast Botanic Gardens – leading artist for hand-made

ceramic-tile wall mosaic

2008 - Third Prize Sculpture, Nude

Cold Cast Marble - ‘Just Nudes’ Ipswich Art Society

2008 - First Prize – John Cooper

Memorial Award Sculpture (Fruit Bowl) - Sculptors’ Society Gold Coast

Inc. Annual Members’ Exhibition

2009 - Highly Commended Sculpture - Passion & Desire Exh Sculptors’ Soc