Falling: behind

This very large work is part of my Falling Women series. These paintings were completed during my Artist Residence at Chateau d'Orquevaux in France. The series explores the way women fall: both in terms of societal expectation of women but also more simply, reflecting our use of the word "Falling" or "fallen."

By way of example we commonly use phrases such as "fallen pregnant, falling out, falling foul, falling down" and so on.

Falling: Behind is a figurative work which draws on the classic female nude form, modernised by abstraction and the use of bright colours. This (and others in this series) was inspired by many museum and gallery visits throughout Europe and by my reading of poetry and other literature.

The use of vibrant colour in this work is a departure from my usual practice and reflects a period of personal growth and change. Colour reflects both my own interior world but is also a powerful way to speak to the viewer.

The prominent shapely female form, with it's posterior (or behind) to the viewer, is a playful take on the word behind. Of course in common usage, the term "falling behind" infers that one is not keeping up, one is perhaps failing. Even in this port-modernist world, statistics tell us (and many women feel acutely) that we are behind. But are we really falling, or are we kept behind?

The woman has her hand to her forehead in a gesture of angst or concern. The markings on the canvas reflect the wall papered texture of my studio wall in Orquevaux. I LOVE this!

This work is gallery wrapped and ready to hangIt will be exhibited at my Falling Women exhibition at Mulbury Gallery in Highett from 8-20 Feb 2019 and will be available again for sale after that time.

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SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 Songs from the Attic, 26Advantage, Highett, VIC
2024 Off-kilter, Kelli Lundberg Art, The Studio & Co. Mornington Peninsula, VIC
2023 Of Dingoes & Witch-Hunts, fortyfive downstairs, Melbourne, VIC
2020 Shelter in Place, G3 Artspace, Parkdale, VIC
2019 Falling Women, Mulbury Gallery, Highett, VIC
2017 Nausea in My Arm, G3 Artspace, Parkdale, VIC


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026 The Grammar Art show, Toowoomba Grammar, QLD
2026 Bearing witness: A love letter to Sumud, Castlemaine Contemporary Art Space
2026 Threads of Belonging, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Gallery, Woodleigh School, Vic
2025 Postcard Project: Finding Hope, That Creative Space, Mornington
2025 The Sum of Us, 26 Advantage Highett, Vic
2025 Postcard Project: Finding Hope
2025 For Art’s Sake, Cube 37, Frankston Arts Centre
2024 Hidden Faces, Victorian Salon des Refusés, VIC
2023 Unframed Art Charity Auction, Mornington, VIC
2023 Hidden Faces, Victorian Salon des Refusés, VIC
2023 Affordable Art Fair, Melbourne, Vic
2022 Somers Art Fair, Somers Primary School, Somers, VIC
2022 Peninsula Studio Group Exhibition, The Studio, Mornington, VIC
2022 Summer Series, 26 Advantage, Highett, VIC
2021 Celebration of Life, e + Hive, Collingwood, VIC
2021 Les Femmes, THE SPACE Gallery, Rosebery, NSW
2021 Winter’s Light, 26 Advantage, Highett, VIC
2021 The October Show, Peninsula Studio Trail Online, VIC
2020 International Women’s Day Group Exhibition, WHO Gallery, Malvern, VIC
2020 Grand Opening Exhibition, The Portsea Gallery, Portsea, VIC
2020 Heads High Portrait Show, Space2b Gallery, St Kilda, VIC
2020 Linden Postcard Show, Linden New Art Gallery, St Kilda, VIC
2020 Balancing Act, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2019 Bayside Studio of Art Group Exhibition, Mulbury Gallery, Highett, VIC
2019 Bodies: Paint, Poetry and Form, Mulbury Gallery, Highett, VIC
2019 Women, Working and Wandering, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2018 Women, Science and Faith, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2018 Diversity, Hall and Wilcox, Melbourne, VIC
2018 Sandy Beach Community Art Exhibition, Sandringham, VIC
2018 Group Exhibition, Le Studio Artspace, Mordialloc, VIC
2017 Group Exhibition, Le Studio Artspace, Mordialloc, VIC
2017 Life Abstracted, Cambridge Studio Gallery, Collingwood, VIC
2017 Group Exhibition, AK Bellinger Gallery, Inverell, NSW
2017 At Home, Birds Gallery, Kew, VIC
2017 Landscapes Reflected and Represented, Brunswick St Gallery, Brunswick, VIC
2017 Meanderings in Visual Language, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2017 A4 Art, Contemporary Art Society, Herring Island Gallery, Richmond, VIC
2017 Easel Art Exhibition, MESAC, Beaumaris, VIC
2016 Who is Looking at You Portrait Exhibition, Cambridge Studio Gallery, Collingwood, VIC
2016 Linden Postcard Show, Linden New Art Gallery, St Kilda, VIC
2016 Member’s Exhibition, Beaumaris Art Group, Beaumaris, VIC
2016 The Belle Arti Prize Exhibition, Chapman & Bailey Gallery, Abbotsford, VIC
2016 Group Exhibition, Le Studio Artspace, Mordialloc, VIC

COLLECTIONS
Work is held in private collections in Australia, United Kingdom, France, Singapore, Canada and United States. Three paintings are held in the permanent collection of Gallery Diderot, Chateau d’Orquevaux, France.
Artworks have appeared on the cover of several poetry publications including Undercoat by Mark O’Flynne, Leaf by Anne Elvey, The thing I came for by Susan Bradley-Jones and Poetry anthologies: Poetry of Flight, Poetry of Encounter, Poetry of Home, Poetry of Change and Poetry on Fire

AWARDS, RESIDENCIES & GRANTS
2026 Natimuk Exile Residency (August 2026)
2024 Finalist Biblio Art Prize, Port Fairy, VIC
2020 Artist in residence, Liquid Amber Press (2020 to present)
2022 Finalist, Southern Buoy Studio Portrait Prize, VIC
2021 Finalist, Bluethumb Art Prize, VIC
2021 Finalist, Southern Buoy Studio Portrait Prize, VIC
2020 Finalist, Space2b Heads High Portrait Prize, VIC
2020 Finalist, Southern Buoy Studio Landscape Prize
2019 Finalist, Southern Buoy Studio Landscape Prize, VIC
2019 Selected to interview with Artbank Roadshow, Canberra, ACT
2018 Semi-finalist, Cambridge Studio Gallery Who Is Looking At You Portrait Prize, VIC
2018 Semi-finalist, Cambridge Studio Gallery Life Abstracted Abstract Art Prize, VIC
2018 Denis Diderot Artist in Residence Grant, Chateau d’Orquevaux, Champagne-Ardenne, FRANCE
2018 Featured Artist, Cambridge Studio Gallery, VIC
2017 Semi-finalist, Cambridge Studio Gallery Who Is Looking At You Portrait Prize, VIC
2017 Semi-finalist, Cambridge Studio Gallery Life Abstracted Abstract Art Prize, VIC
2017 Semi-Finalist, Georges River Art Prize, NSW
2017 Finalist and Special Merit Award, Light, Space and Time Online Women Only Exhibition
2016 Runner-Up, James and Nicky Humphrey Engagement Award, Beaumaris Art Group, VIC
2016 Finalist, The Belle Arti Art Prize, VIC

PUBLICATIONS
2023 Melbourne Affordable Art Fair Bluethumb Catalogue
2023 Interview, Bob Chaundy’s Considering Art Podcast
2022 Sharon Monagle in the Spotlight, Liquid Amber Press
2021 2020 Shelter in Place: a year in poetry and paint, Liquid Amber Press
2020 Who do I think I am: Conversations about women’s lives in poetry and paint, Liquid Amber
Press
2019 Bestseller Sharon Monagle Back from Competitive French Artist Residency, Bluethumb News
2018 Archibald Eve: 10 Incredible Portrait Artists, Bluethumb News