Design and Art Australia Online

Letter cutter and painter. Ian Marr graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours in History) in 1981 and received a Graduate Diploma in Education in 1984, both from the University of Sydney.

Marr is known for his work with Mintaro slate from the Clare Valley, north of Adelaide. Marr practices the little-known art in Australia of letter-cutting. He carves prose into the slate – prose from current affairs, history, literature, Marr’s own imagination and commissioned text. He creates tablets, tables, and memorials from slate, carving text as well as images into the surface; he also paints onto the surface of the slate. He paints landscape scenes which he sees on his extensive travels.

Marr frequently visits Europe and China to both paint and study. In 2006 he undertook a residency at Guangzhou Polytechnic, Beijing, China. He has also completed residencies at Bundanon, NSW (2005), Thirning Villa, NSW (2005), and Hill End, NSW (2004). He has taken master classes with Sidney Ball, Fred Cress, Robin Norling, Jocelyn Maughan and Graham Nickson.

In 2007 Marr had a solo exhibition at Bathurst Regional Gallery titled Beautiful Chaos . Having shown in over seventy-five group exhibitions and countless solo exhibitions he is extensively represented in public collections, including Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Bourke Shire Council, Kedumba Collection, Wentworth Falls, Mildura Arts Centre, Orange Regional Gallery, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Wingecarribee Shire Council and private collections in Australia, England and Ireland, including Lady Juliet de Chair, Bloodwood Winery and Prince Henry of Hesse.

Writers:

Stella Downer Note:

Date written:

2007

Last updated:

2009