MARIAN FOUNTAIN<\/strong> grew up in New Zealand with a strong visual contact with Maori art, and also an acute sensibility towards the mixing of two cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, where she discovered her oracle and means of expression, Marian learned the techniques of bronze casting. Arriving in Europe in 1984, Marian\u2019s encounter with the multitude of cultures, styles and eras was consolidated with training at the Rome Mint to give her a foundation and a tool to seek a certain essence or universality of imagery. A period of almost archaeological research followed, culminating in an exhibition in the Etruscan room at the Museo Archeologico di Milano, in which she proposed a series of objects from a \u2018yet undiscovered\u2019 or \u2018possible\u2019 culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contact with contemporary artists from Eastern Europe at a series of symposia during the early 90\u2019s, Marian\u2019s work underwent a transformation, and the \u2018metamorphic\u2019 sculptures evolved in direct response to shifting politics and the changed situation for Eastern artists. With her \u2018beings\u2019 in transition she was analysing the actual structure of change. Since then, her work has been oriented towards the microscopic universe of the biological structure of life itself, where she is beginning to find a richness of inspiration and answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her work has been exhibited at the British Museum, The National Gallery of Scotland, the Museo Archeologico of Milan, York Museum, Auckland Museum, and the French Mint. Since 1998 she has presented her sculptures in many private locations and two public situations: at the Mairie of the 10th Arrondissement, Paris, and in Le Quesnoy in the North of France, for the First World War commemorations: \u201cThe Land Remembers\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bas relief 3.5m wide, destined for a garage door for a private home in Montmartre, Paris, was comissioned in 2001. She designed and made the medals for the America\u2019s Cup in 2003, for the \u201cEntente Cordiale\u201d in 2004, and for the Friends of Birmingham Museums in 2007. In 2008 she worked on a series of 35 bas reliefs, for the corridors of the Royal Infirmary Hospital of Edinburgh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marian is a Member of the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Internationale de la M\u00e9daille (FIDEM) and the British Art Medal Society (BAMS). Her work is held in the collections of the British Museum, Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC, Auckland Museum, York Museum, Goldsmiths, London and in private collections around the world. Now living in Paris, Marian returns to New Zealand biennially to exhibit her work..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An overall view of Marian\u2019s work can be seen on her website<\/a> and further information is available on her blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GALLERY<\/strong>
Artis Gallery, Auckland<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LINKS<\/strong>
Artist website<\/a>
Fountain<\/a> on Saatchi Online website
Commission<\/a> for the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, 2009
\u2018Remote Control\u2019 exhibition<\/a> February 2010, on The Big Idea website
British Arts Medal Society<\/a> website features three of Fountain\u2019s medals<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BIBLIOGRAPHY<\/strong>
Contemporary New Zealand Art 5, by Elizabeth Caughey (David Bateman, 2008)
\u2018The Medal\u2019 (No.55), \u2018Marian Fountain, Where are You?\u2019 by Mark Stocker, 2009. Published by the British Art Medal Trust in Association with FIDEM (F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Internationale de la M\u00e9daille d\u2019Art)
Mark Stocker, \u2018Marian Fountain: An Aotearoa Parisian Artist\u2019, Art New Zealand 131 Winter 2009<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MARIAN FOUNTAIN grew up in New Zealand with a strong visual contact with Maori art, and also an acute sensibility towards the mixing of two cultures. At the Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, where she discovered her oracle and means of expression, Marian learned the techniques of bronze casting. Arriving in Europe in … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists"],"yoast_head":"\n