Bruce is the Discipline Lead of Art in the School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry at Curtin University. He has a Bachelor of Arts with first class Honours and Masters from Curtin University and a PhD in Art from RMIT.
Bruce has a sculptural practice but in recent years has developed a collaborative painting practice with his partner Nicole Slatter (Hatched 1998). Recent collaborative exhibitions include Refracted Reality curated by Anna Louise Richardson, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts and Painting the Screen curated by Shannon McCulloch and Tanya Jaceglav at Nyisztor Studio.
Bruce is a previous winner of the Bankwest Art Prize (Sculpture), Sculpture by the Sea (Cottesloe) and the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize. He has work in several public collections, including the Artbank, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Bankwest Art Collection, City of Perth, Woollahra City Council, RMIT University and Curtin University.
What does Hatched mean to you?’
Thirty years on, Hatched is still incredibly important because it celebrates what it means to become an artist. Hatched demonstrates the exciting future of the artworld by showcasing the vibrancy of artworks made by graduating art students from across the country.
I exhibited in Hatched 2001 after returning to study to complete my Honours. The Hatched experience was very memorable, and it was great to represent Curtin. Working at Curtin University twenty years later, I see the significance of Hatched both as an artist and art educator. Students are very proud to be nominated for Hatched and deserve the acknowledgement from their lecturing staff for their achievements at art school. Announcing Curtin’s nominees at the annual Art Degree Show opening always send a ripple of excitement through the crowd. For the lucky students who are selected for Hatched, it means receiving professional recognition at a national level. This is a very significant accomplishment for a graduate and is often a steppingstone to future opportunities and success.
Hatched is the often the first serious early career exhibition for graduating students. Being curated, offered help with installation and showcased in a major institution along with one’s peers is such an important milestone. Being respected and treated as an artist by an institution like PICA helps art graduates realize that their practice is worthwhile and taken seriously.