Louis Pratt is a multidisciplinary contemporary artist best known for his sculpture, painting and video works. His work predominately focuses on big data and climate change; which he sees as the major challenges of our time. Pratt has already achieved significant recognition as a leading Australian contemporary artist pioneering the application of new technologies to the production of sculpture. He built the first open source 3D printer in Australia in 2009, which he donated to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.
Louis Pratt graduated from the Australian National University, School of Art in 2002 with first-class honours in sculpture. He was awarded an Australian Post-Graduate Research Scholarship from the College ofFine Art, University of NSW, which he completed in 2004. He is currently completing a PHD in Engineering and Information Technology (exploring its application in art) at the University of Technology in Sydney, with a post graduate scholarship. Alongside his work with technology, Pratt casts work in coal, to explore issues around climate change. His sculptures have won numerous prestigious awards and are held in private and public collections in Australia and internationally.
Education
2019
PHD Engineering and IT, UTS ongoing
2004
Master of Fine Arts, College of Fine Arts, UNSW
2000
BA of Visual Arts with 1st Class Honours, ANU School of Art Sculpture,Painting, Drawing, Photography
1996
BA of Graphic Design Sydney Graphics College Design & Illustration
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2020
Future Nostalgia:Post digital , Metro Gallery, Melbourne
2018
Doppelgänger, Nanda Hobbs Contemporary, Sydney
2015
Black Gold, Art Equity, Sydney
2014
XYZ August, Art Equity, Sydney
2010
Do you Dream?, Iain Dawson Gallery, Sydney
2008
The Last time I saw, YouIain Dawson Gallery, Sydney
2006
Supernatural, Australian Galleries Project, Sydney
2005
World Without End, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney
2004
Revenge of the Bookworm, Australian Galleries, Sydney
2002
Human Experiment, Australian Galleries, Sydney
2001
The Ritual, Shoebox gallery, Sydney
Return of the Bookworm, Australian Galleries, Sydney
1997
Return to Eden, Australian Galleries, Sydney
1996
Siddhartha the Horse, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020
Scenic World, Blue Mountains, NSW
Sculpture by the Sea, W.A
Western Sydney Sculpture Award, Campbelltown, NSW
Tom Bass Sculpture Award, Sydney, NSW
2019
Fishes Ghost Award, Campbelltown, NSW
Blacktown Art Prize, Sydney, NSW
Swell Sculpture Award, Currumbin beach, QLD
Eden Sculpture Award, Sydney, NSW
Salon de Refuse, Sydney, NSW
Deakin University Small Sculpture Award, Melbourne, VIC
Small Sculpture Award, Redleaf Council Cambers
Toorak Sculpture Award, Melbourne, VIC
Bayside Sculpture, Sydney, NSW
Scenic World, Blue mountains, NSW
2018
Stairwell Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Edge Projects, Sydney, NSW
Tom Bass Sculpture Award, Sydney, NSW
All we can’t see, Yellow House
2017
Nanda/Hobbs, Christmas Show, NSW
Small Sculpture Award, Redleaf Council Chambers
Sydney Contemporary, Carriage works, NSW
Hidden sculpture prize, Rookwood
Hadley’s Art prize, Hobart, TAS
Scenic World sculpture award, Blue mountains, NSW
Kingaroy Sculpture Prize, Kingaroy
Harbourside Sculpture
North Sydney art prize, Coal loader, NSW
2016
Out of Hand, MAS
Shape shifters, National Tour
Contour 566, Canberra
Small Sculpture Award, Redleaf Council Chambers
Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi
Vivid Sydney
Scenic World sculpture award, Blue mountains
Wollongong Sculpture Award, Botanical gardens, Wollongong
Sculpture on the Edge, Beramgui
Tom Bass figurative sculpture, Juniper hall, Sydney
2015
Fishes Ghost art Award, Campbelltown Gallery, NSW
Sculpture by the Sea, Sydney, Bondi
Sydney Contemporary, Carriageworks
Wynne prize, Sculpture Art Gallery NSW
Swell Sculpture Award,Currumbin Beach, Queensland
Motion, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW
Harbor Sculpture Award, Sydney
Deakin University Small sculpture Award, Deakin Uni Gallery, VIC
Moreton Bay Art Award, North Sydney Art Prize
2014
Coal Loader, North Sydney
McClelland Sculpture Survey & Award, McClelland, VIC
Melbourne Art Fair, VIC
Cliftens art award, Sydney, NSW
Vivid, The Rocks, NSW
Harbor Side sculpture, Sydney, NSW
Scenic World sculpture award, Blue mountains, NSW
Saw Millers Sculpture award, Milson point Sydney, NSW
Gold Coast Art prize, Gold Coast City Gallery, QLD
Fishes Ghost art Award, Campbelltown Gallery, NSW
Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Redleaf Council Chambers, NSW
Lambrigg Sculpture park, Canberra, ACT
Dissentience, Tin Sheds gallery, NSW
Making Tracks, ANU Art Gallery, NSW
Inside the Silos, Del Mar Gallery, NSW
Mt Buller Sculpture Prize, Mt Buller, VIC
Fishers Ghost Award, Campbelltown Gallery, NSW
Vivid Festival, The Rocks, NSW
Wynne Prize, Art Gallery, NSW
Blacktown City Art prize, Blacktown, NSW
Mungo’s Studio, Summer Hill, NSW
Fishes Ghost, Campbelltown Gallery, NSW
Christmas Show Iain Dawson Gallery
2013
Gold Coast Art prize, Gold Coast City Gallery, QLD
Fishes Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Gallery, NSW
Woollahra Small Sculpture prize, Redleaf council chambers,NSW
Lambrigg Sculpture park, Canberra, ACT
Dissentience, Tin Sheds gallery, NSW
Making Tracks, ANU Art Gallery, NSW
Inside the Silos, Del Mar Gallery, NSW
Mt Buller Sculpture Prize, Mt Buller, VIC
2012
Fishers Ghost Award, Campbelltown Gallery, NSW
Vivid Festival The Rocks, NSW
Wynne Prize, Art Gallery, NSW
Blacktown City Art prize, Blacktown, NSW
Mungo’s Studio, Summer Hill, NSW
2011
Fishes Ghost, Campbelltown Gallery, NSW
2010
Christmas Show, Iain Dawson Gallery
Fishes Ghost, Campbelltown Gallery, NSW
Woollahra Winners Travelling Small Sculpture, Nationally
Awards & Recognition
2019
Winner “People’s Choice Award” Swell Sculpture Award
Winner sculpture Scenic World: Staff award and Exhibiting Award
Australian Post-Graduate Award
2018
Highly commended at Northbridge Art Prize
2017
Winner NAVA Art Environmental Award Scenic World
URM Sustainability prize harbour side Sculpture
2016
Winner Toorak Sculpture Award
Winner Wollongong Sculpture Award
Winner Tom Bass Figurative Sculpture Award
Winner Environmental Award Sculpture on the Edge
2015
Winner Sustainability Award, Harbourside Sculpture
Alumni award Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi
2014
Winner of Cliften’s art Award Sydney
Winner Staff Award Scenic World
2013
Winner of the Mt Buller Sculpture Award
2011
Winner Blacktown Sculpture Prize
3D Scanning Sponsored by Qubic
2009
3D body scanning sponsored by the Institute of Sport, Canberra
2006
Winner of the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize
2005
Highly Commended Cromwell’s Art Prize
Highly Commended Willoughby 3D Open Art Prize
New Work Grant Australian Arts Council (emerging artist)
Winner of the Linden Postcard Show
2004
Winner of the COFA UNSW Emerging artist award
2003
3D laser scanning sponsored by New Dawn 3D
2002
Australian Post-Graduate Research scholarship
2000
ARTS ACT Equipment Grant
Publications
2016
Out of Hand: Materialising the Digital, MAAS Media
2015
Digital Handmade: Craftsmanship in the New Industrial Revolution, Thames &Hudson
McClelland Sculpture Survey Catalogue
Collections and Commissions
Bega Valley Regional Gallery
South Australian University
Arboretum
ArtBankSoldiers Point Marina, NSW
Woollarha Council chambers, NSW
Mt Buller Ski resort, VIC
Vivid Sydney 2013,14,16