Profile: Belinda Mason |
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This is the public profile of Belinda Mason, Additional information and high-resolution images are available for accredited press members, to access additional information about Belinda Mason please login as a press member.About Belinda Mason : I collaborate with people who are impacted by multiple discrimination in order to create a platform on which they can use art as a medium through which public create awareness of particular issues. Often these people are voiceless within their own communities, let lone the world outside their own social environment. For each person who comes forward their are thousands who remain silent. Those who do come forward, through telling their story, provide solace to those who remain silent, through the realisation that they are not alone. Th goal of the work is to reveal that we are all multifaceted and that until we can look at each other and seek what is the same about each other first, we will never be able to understand the difference between us. Such understanding is a holistic approach to communicating with our fellow human beings, which empowers us all. Design thinking is critical in our approach to social, economic and environmental sustainability in which hinges on a fragile balance.
STATEMENT OF ART:“Art creates a unique platform of freedom of speech through the visual translation of our own thoughts and feelings about the world around us. We cannot argue when someone says," i feel", - it is not our right. It is part of our own journey to learn empathy rather than compassion. Our own reaction, exposes us to ourselves, and our ability to listen when someone lays their naked soul in our path. Without stories, there is silence. Without our stories told, we are voiceless. Without our stories heard, we are invisible. It is even harder, when the stories are hard to hear and impossible to imagine." - Belinda Mason
ORGANIZATION:
Blur Projects
NON-DESIGN OCCUPATION:
Artist, painter Media, graphic, printing, culture, design
EDUCATION:
TAFE Elizabeth, South Australia
EXPERIENCE:
Belinda began her career at 19 as a still life photographer for Ogilvy and Mather Advertising in 1982 after completing a Certificate lV in Photography. In 1984, Belinda was contracted to the South Australian Department of Tourism. From 1985 – 1989 she became the only female photographer on the Official Australian Media Team for the Australian Grand Prix till 1989. In 1985, Belinda was offered a position as the first female press photographer for News Limited in South Australia. Between 1985 – 1989 Belinda photographed Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Hutchins, Mick Jagger, Kiri Te Kanawa, Yehudi Menuhin, John Howard, Bob Hawke and Princess Diana. Belinda also covered drug busts, violent crimes and murder scenes and covered the Aboriginal protests at bicentenary in Sydney. In 1992 and established a commercial business in Sydney. She was an editorial fashion photographer for ACP Magazines which included a shoot at the Palace of Versailles in France. Belinda was the official press photographer in Sydney for Royal tours with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Edward and Princess Ann and Prince William. Belinda photographed the construction of the Anzac Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel and Eastern Distributor tunnel for Leightons and Baulderstone. Her corporate clients included IBM, Optus, Zurich, AMP, BT and Westpac. Retail clients included Big W and Fantastic Furniture and Chanel. In 1995, her business grew and by 2004 the business included a processing lab and studios and she employed three full time photographers, office manager, contract graphic, web designers and specialist photographers.
In 1999 Belinda became the first female digital commercial photographer in Australia. At the time, there were only two other digital photographers in Australia and News Limited had only just begun to use a lower grade digital technology. Belinda remained at the forefront during the transition from analogue photography to digital photography providing feedback to developers, industry and clients.
PRIVATE EXHIBITIONS:
Belinda’s has conceptualised, produced and presented high quality socio-cultural engaged art exhibitions, for national and international audiences that have been featured at the United Nations in both Geneva and New York. She currently has three solo exhibitions on tour in Australia (Silent Tears, Unfinished Business and Outing Disability)and is a part one two nationally touring group exhibitions.(For Country, for Nation and Black Mist Burnt Country) Her first exhibition "Intimate Encounters ' travelled the nationally and internationally for 7 years and was shown in over 35 galleries globally. This is a very long list as Belinda can have up to four solo exhibition on display at one given moment somewhere in the world.
MIXED EXHIBITIONS:
Since 2012, Belinda has collaborated with emerging artists with disability or disadvantage to create collaborative and inclusive multi media exhibitions. Th most current work is about the rehabilitation process of women in the criminal justice system.
EVENTS:
In 2017, Belinda is speaking at the National Disability Summit in Melbourne and the 2017 Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality in Sydney. Belinda has also been invited to speak at professional conferences and events such as the United Nations Commission of the Status of Women in New York 2016 at the United Nations Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disability in Geneva 2016 and World Conference on Indigenous Persons in New York in 2014, United Nations Human Council in Geneva 2013. Other events include, 2016 Sydney Ideas at Sydney University, 2016 Australian Medical Students Global Health Conference, 2016, 2014, 2011 National Arts Activated Conference, 2016 International Arts and Health Conference at the Art Gallery of NSW, Australia and the 2016 Jejer Wadon Conference Solo, Indonesia. 2004, International Festival of Photography in Sydney, 2010 Australian Institute of Professional Photography Blowfish Conference, 2006 Australian Centre of Photography, and the Melbourne Festival of Arts 2002.
AWARDS:
While Belinda’s exhibitions are her core focus, she also submits her work to significant art prizes. In 2008 Belinda’s peers award her the riches photography prize in Australia, ‘The Moran Prize’ of $50,000 with her photograph titled Four Generations (2008). Her digital photograph Beyond the Burn series (2004) was awarded the 2008 Kodak Salon Centre for Contemporary Photography and the Perth Centre for Photography 2008 Iris Award. Her Images from the Maningrida series won her the 2008 Human Rights Award for Photography. She came third in the prestigious International Spider Awards for Photojournalism in 2008. Other national photographic awards including being a finalist in MAMA Art Foundation National Photography Prize (2016) DUO (2015) Head On (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008,), Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award (2002, 2006, 2012), the Olive Cotton Awards (2007, 2008), the Iris Award (2004, 2007, 2009 and 2010), The Moran Prize (2012) and VIVID (2014), The Blake Prize (2009,) and the winner of BHP Images of the Outback Award in 2003, 2004, and 2012.
PRESS APPEARANCES:
Extensively, in particular the Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald and the United Nations Media New York. see link
http://blurprojects.com/media-response/
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS:
Belinda Mason is currently on the International Editorial Board of the Disability and the Global South Journal.
BOOKS:
Distributor of the Unfinished Business book Dennis Jones & Associates Pty Ltd
ISBN 978-0-9923206-7-6
I am the author
ACCOLADES:
2016 United Nations Association Peace Media Prize twice nominated two for photography and project
LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Only English
COMPUTER LITERACY:
Photoshop - excellent
COURSES, SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS::
Belinda has hosted workshops in remote and urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to create long term engagement with new technologies to create empowerment within communities. This is ongoing since 2008.
SYMPOSIUMS AND ACADEMIC CONFERENCES::
In 2017, Belinda is speaking at the National Disability Summit in Melbourne and the 2017 Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality in Sydney. Belinda has also been invited to speak at professional conferences and events such as the United Nations Commission of the Status of Women in New York 2016 at the United Nations Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disability in Geneva 2016 and World Conference on Indigenous Persons in New York in 2014, United Nations Human Council in Geneva 2013. Other events include, 2016 Sydney Ideas at Sydney University, 2016 Australian Medical Students Global Health Conference, 2016, 2014, 2011 National Arts Activated Conference, 2016 International Arts and Health Conference at the Art Gallery of NSW, Australia and the 2016 Jejer Wadon Conference Solo, Indonesia. 2004, International Festival of Photography in Sydney, 2010 Australian Institute of Professional Photography Blowfish Conference, 2006 Australian Centre of Photography, and the Melbourne Festival of Arts 2002.
MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS:
Australian Insitute for Australian Photographers
Head On Photo Festival Australia
UN Women Australia
Womens Justice Network Australia
COLLECTIONS:
Her photographs are held in national and international museums and galleries including Shape Arts Gallery UK, Museum of Sex New York, the Australian Commercial and Media Photographers Collection and the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra and the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney.
JURY MEMBERSHIPS:
Head On Photo Festival, Sydney Australia
HOBBIES:
Spending time with my husband and two sons
CLIENTELE:
Global and national corporate such as IBM, Zurich and Australian Government on local, state and national levels.
WEB SITE:
Blurprojects.com
PORTFOLIO URL:
Unfinished business.net.au
REGISTRATION DATE:
2017-03-14 01:36:10
COUNTRY/REGION:
Australia
ACCOUNT TYPE:
Professional
Awards received by Belinda Mason
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Unfinished Business Awareness-Aboriginal Disability Rights Silver A' Design Award Winner for Photography and Photo Manipulation Design Category in 2016 Belinda Mason for Blur Projects |
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