Debra Phillips (born 1958) is an Australian artist. Her main practice is photography but she also works across other forms such as

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

and moving image. She has been an exhibiting artist since the 1980s, is a part of many collections, and has won multiple awards for her work. Phillips resides in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

and is a senior lecturer at The College of Fine Arts,

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...

Biography

Debra Phillips was born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia, in 1958. In 1977, Phillips relocated to

, Australia, to start a Dip. Art at Sydney College of the Art,

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

NSW New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a state on the east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east. T ...

. Starting in the 1980s, her works have been a part of many solo and group exhibitions across Australia, totalling in 54 exhibitions. Still residing in Sydney today, Phillips is a senior lecturer at The College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales.

Work and publications

Debra Phillips was one of the women artists of the 1980s and early 1990s. Her work encapsulates her personal interests in questioning different forms of representation histories and identity. Recurring themes in her art include disappearance and obsolescence, contemporary life, and the use of photography as a structure of representation—challenging the notion that photography presents a true perception of the real world. Her work represents a collapse of time into the present. It is self-consciously aesthetic, this allows the viewer to think if the images resist becoming just surface appearances and if they invite fear of depth/deeper meanings. Phillips is represented in private, national, and international collections. Her work has been published in numerous places including: ''Twelve Australian Photo Artists'' (Blair French and Daniel Palmer, Sydney: Piper Press, 2009) and in ''Look: Contemporary Australian Photography Since 1980'' (Anne Marsh, Melbourne: MacMillan Art Publishing, 2010).

Notable works

Balance of obsolescence (1987)

This series of Type C photographs (100.0 × 100.0 cm) was a part of a solo exhibition at the First Draft gallery,

, and also group exhibition "Constructed Images" at The Australian National Gallery,

Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

in 1987. In 1989 it was a part of exhibition "Tableaux Mourant: Photography and Death", Fine Arts Gallery,

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College (University of Tasmania), Christ College, one of the unive ...

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

. Now it is a part of the

Art Gallery of NSW The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872 and known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales between 1883 and 1958, is located in The Domain, Sydney, Australia. It is the most import ...

collection.

Series "The Colonisation of time" X (1990)

This

cibachrome Ilfochrome (also commonly known as Cibachrome) is a dye destruction positive-to-positive photographic process used for the reproduction of film transparencies on photographic paper. The prints are made on a dimensionally stable polyester base as o ...

series (119 × 149 × 5 cm) by Debra Phillips focuses on photography's links to science and technology as well as placing a large emphasis on westernisation. The title suggests issues between European colonisation within Australia and the massive technology progress throughout the globalised world. Each photograph in the series features a large X that crosses the image. This help supports the interrelated themes of colonisation, photography, time, representation, technology and the land.

Untitled 2 "From the street" (1997)

This image is a part of the series "From the Street" which includes 18 black and white images printed onto metallic silver paper, aluminium (100 × 150 cm). The series was created in the earlier days of Phillips's practice when she had an interest in traces of everyday life, surrounding street and graffiti. When viewed individually this image becomes an abstract element that alludes to the mutable and ephemeral qualities of codes.

Exhibitions

Total of 54 group or solo exhibitions both national and international. Exhibitions include galleries such as: * 2008: ''Contemporary Australia: Optimism'',

Queensland Art Gallery The Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) is an art museum located in South Bank, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The gallery is part of QAGOMA. It complements the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) building, situated only away. The Queensland Art Galle ...

/Gallery of Modern Art,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

. * 2006: ''The Captain's Ghost: Three contemporary artists on Cook'', Adam Art Gallery,

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington (), also known by its shorter names "VUW" or "Vic", is a public university, public research university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and w ...

, New Zealand. * 2004: ''COFA Fundraising Exhibition'',

Ivan Dougherty Major General Sir Ivan Noel Dougherty, (6 April 1907 – 4 March 1998) was an Australian Army officer during the Second World War and early Cold War period. Education and early life Ivan Noel Dougherty was born on 6 April 1907 in Leadville, ...

Gallery, Sydney, NSW. * 2000: ''Death and Decoration'', Plimsoll Gallery,

, TAS. * 1998: ''Site'',

Parliament House, Canberra Parliament House is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia, the Legislature, legislative body of Politics of Australia, Australia's federal system of government. The building also houses the core of the Executive (government), execut ...

, ACT. * 1996: ''Photography is Dead! Long Live Photography!'', Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW. * 1995: ''Debra Phillips: Work 1992-1995'', Art Gallery New South Wales, Sydney, NSW. * 1981: with Rick Bolzan,

Bondi Pavilion The Bondi Surf Pavilion in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is an outstanding beach cultural icon of Australia, together with the beach, park and surf lifesaving club. The structure is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register 01786 as ...

, NSW.

Collections

Art Gallery of New South Wales The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872 and known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales between 1883 and 1958, is located in The Domain, Sydney, Australia. It is the most import ...

, NSW, Australia *

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England, UK * Library of the Museum of Modern Art,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, United States * The National Gallery of Australia,

, ACT *

, ACT * Maison Européenne de la Photographie,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France *

Artbank Artbank is an Australian art rental program established in 1980 by the Australian Government. The program supports contemporary Australian Visual artists, artists by purchasing their Art, artworks and renting them to public and private sector cli ...

Books

* Debra Phillips, Index, Sydney, 1995 * Debra Phillips, Source, Sydney, 1999

Awards

* 2007, Recipient – COFA Travel Grant (Academic Staff) * 2005, National Photographic Purchase Award, Albury Regional Art Gallery * 2002, Australia Council New Work Grant * 1996, Australia Council Visual Arts/Craft Fund Fellowship * 1982, Recipient – Australia Council Visual Arts Board Travel Grant

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Debra Australian women artists 1958 births Living people