Janet Laurence (born 4 March 1947) is an Australian artist, based in Sydney, who works in photography, sculpture, video and installation art. Her work is an expression of her concern about environment and ethics, her "ecological quest" as she produces art that allows the viewer to immerse themselves to strive for a deeper connection with the natural world. Her work has been included in major survey exhibitions, nationally and internationally and is regularly exhibited in Australia, Japan, Germany, Hong Kong and the UK. She has exhibited in galleries and outside in site-specific projects, often involving collaborations with architects, landscape architects and environmental scientists. Her work is held in all major Australian galleries as well as private collections in Australia and overseas. Biography Laurence was born in 1947 in Sydney, Australia, where she continues to live and work. 1977 – 1979 Laurence studied in Sydney and Italy. 1979-1981 Laurence lived in New York City to pursue graduate studies. She was influenced by a Joseph Beuys exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, and discovered the Earth or Land artists. She was particularly struck by Alan Sonfist's permanent installation Time Landscape (1965–) a garden presented as a work of art. 1981 Laurence had a three-month residency at Bennington College in the woods of Vermont. While there she was influenced by the movement to consider and view art outside the traditional gallery walls. 1982 She returned to Sydney and continued studying at the City Art Institute, part of the University of New South Wales. 1983 She completed a Graduate Diploma in Professional Art Studies at the University of New South Wales. 1994 Laurence completed a Master of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales. Laurence has been a recipient of an Australia Council Fellowship (1996 – 98) and Churchill Fellowship (2006). 1995-2005 She was a trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales 2007 Laurence was the subject of John Beard's winning entry for the Archibald Prize sponsored by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The portrait features Laurence in a moment of reflection, captured in black and white, but textured with light and shade. The pair are close friends and the collaboration lends itself to a sense of double portraiture with the artist-as-subject. 2007-2009 She served on the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council Since 2008 Laurence has been a visiting fellow at the College of Fine Arts, University