From 1997 to 2026 Hazel Dooney was a fine artist, writer and strategist skilled in concept development, stakeholder communications, project management, literary essays, online communication simultaneously speaking to multiple audiences, digital strategy, the development and management of strategic networks, and management of intellectual property.
From 1997 to 2001 Dooney produced major artworks for six solo exhibitions. In 2001 she was the youngest and only female artist invited to an expedition to central Australia with well-known senior artists. In 2002, this resulted in the coffee table book William Creek & Beyond and documentary The View from Here, aired on ABC TV.[1][2]
In 2003 Dooney commissioned the website hazeldooney.com.[3] In 2004 she produced major artworks for a final solo exhibition as a represented artist. In 2005 she restructured her business to establish a direct-to-consumer model for fine art by connecting directly with the audience for her work via the internet, initially via email and a private newsletter disseminated via word of mouth.
In July 2006 Dooney was featured on the front page of the Business section of The Age newspaper in an article titled ‘State-of-the-art selling rivals play to the galleries’.[4] She began her blog, ‘Self Vs Self’, the same month. In August her first essay, ‘Life Study’, was published by Griffith Review, with an extract published in The Australian Financial Review in September.[5] Later the same month, a feature on Dooney was published in The Courier Mail’s magazine, QWeekend.[6] The tagline on the cover read, “Why painter Hazel Dooney is her own best agent.”
The primary business model was to create new series of artworks, and produce new works for each series via private commission, which continued throughout her career. Dooney used online and email publishing as her marketing, alongside engagement with media until 2014. As the internet evolved to better host images, she expanded her marketing to include documentary-style photography.
In 2007 Dooney was included in Vogue Australia’s ‘Australia’s Most Wanted’, featuring cultural figures developing international success.[7] Two major artworks were sold by Christie’s London in 2007 for 10,000 GBP each (23,000 AUD approx.) and a third was sold in 2008 for 14,375 GBP (32,200 AUD approx.).[8][9][10]
In 2011 Dooney was included as a case study in the ‘Strategic Networks’ chapter of university textbook Strategy: Theory and Practice.[11]
Her essay ‘Broken’ was published in 2013 by Griffith Review and included in The Best Australian Essays 2013, edited by Robert Manne.[12] The same year, after reading her blog, Lord Mayor Robert Doyle invited Dooney to create a public artwork for The City of Melbourne. The 15 metre text based mural was located on Royal Lane, off Bourke Street in Melbourne’s CBD, and remained beyond the initial agreement to 2019.[13]
From 2014 Dooney restructured to reduce her public profile, moving away from marketing via interviews and expanding her own writing and direct-to-audience communications to increase asset scarcity and further tailor private stakeholder communications.
From 2018 to 2021 Dooney worked on an international private portrait commission and until late 2022 developed new work under the patronage of entrepreneur, investor and corporate advisor Mark Carnegie.
From 2022 to 2024 she wrote a column for Coagula Art Journal.[14]
In 2023 Dooney’s essay ‘The future of art fraud’ was published by Griffith Review.[15] She also attended University of Sydney, earning a High Distinction (85) for FRNC1601: French 1 and a Distinction (82) for FRNC1602: French 2.
In 2024 Dooney developed the concept and digital strategy for everythingthe.com, a direct-subscription publication for Australia’s leading art critic, John McDonald.[16]
At the end of the 2026 financial year, Hazel Dooney formally concluded her career as an artist and essayist, deleted all social media accounts and finalised all business operations in alignment with Australian Taxation Office requirements.
Footnotes:
[1] McGregor, Ken; Ho, Hari; Crawford, Ashley. William Creek & Beyond: Australian artists explore the outback. Jason Benjamin, Hazel Dooney, Robert Jacks, David Larwill, Jeff Makin, John Olsen, Rodney Pople, Mark Schaller, Andrew Sibley, Tim Storrier. Craftsman House Imprint, 28 November 2002. ISBN-13: 978-1877004261
[2] Jones, Liz; Day, Jenny. The View From Here: Australian artists explore the desert. Jason Benjamin, Hazel Dooney, Robert Jacks, David Larwill, Jeff Makin, John Olsen, Rodney Pople, Mark Schaller, Andrew Sibley, Tim Storrier. Sydney: ABC TV / Screen Australia, 2002.
[3] Designed by Kate Linton, software engineering by Petras Surna of Yart PTY LTD.
[4] Ahmed, Nabila. ‘State-of-the-art selling rivals play to the galleries’, The Age, Business (Ed. Michael Short), 5 July 2006 (pp. 1-2).
[5] 2006 Dooney, Hazel. ‘Life Study’, The Next Big Thing, Griffith REVIEW Edition 13, 13 August 2006 (pp. 275-283). ISBN: 9780733319389. Extract retitled ‘In front is a precipice, behind are wolves: Hazel Dooney walks the razor’s edge between respect and celebrity in today’s art world’, published in The Australian Financial Review, 15 September (pp. 6-7).
[6] Condon, Matthew. ‘Self portrait’, QWeekend, The Courier Mail, 23 - 24 September 2006 (pp. 24-27)
[7] Press, Clare. ‘Australia’s Most Wanted’, Vogue Australia, December 2007 (p. 238, p. 252).
[8] Christie’s London Live Auction 7482, Modern and Contemporary Australian Art Including Works by New Zealand and South African Artists, closed 12 December 2007. Sports Babe (Tennis), signed and dated ‘DOONEY 2000’ (lower left), enamel on board, unframed, 39½ x 59in. (100.3 x 149.8cm.), price realised 10,000 GBP (23,000 AUD approx.): https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5007638
[9] Christie’s London Live Auction 7482, Modern and Contemporary Australian Art Including Works by New Zealand and South African Artists, closed 12 December 2007. Sports Babe (Cricket), signed and dated ‘DOONEY 2005’ (lower left), acrylic with high gloss enamel and reflective vinyl on board, unframed, 39½ x 59in. (100.3 x 149.8cm.), price realised 10,000 GBP (23,000 AUD approx): https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5007639
[10] Christie’s London Live Auction 7653, Modern and Contemporary Australian and South African Art, closed 16 December 2008. Dangerous Career Babe: The Aviatrix, signed ‘DOONEY 2008’ (lower left), high gloss enamel on custom-made board, 63 x 82 5/8in. (160 x 209.5cm.), price realised 14,375 GBP (32,200 AUD approx.): https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5167286
[11] Clegg, Stewart; Carter, Chris; Kornberger, Martin; Schweitzer, Jochen. ‘In Practice: Hazel Dooney – Not a hard sell’, case study in the ‘Strategic Networks’ section of Strategy: Theory and Practice. SAGE Publications Ltd, 2011 (pp. 269-270). ISBN-13: 978-1849201520.
[12] Dooney, Hazel. ‘Broken’, The Best Australian Essays 2013, edited by Robert Manne. Published by Black Inc., November 2013: (pp. 21-31). ISBN: 9781863956253. First published in ‘Broken’, Women & Power, Griffith REVIEW Edition 40, edited by Julianne Schultz. April 2013 (pp. 252-262). ISBN: 9781922079978. Extract published as ‘Bad Education’ in Good Weekend, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald newspapers, 13 April 2013.
[13] Johnston, Chris. ‘Women should take note - the writing’s on the wall’, The Sunday Age, 1 December 2013 (p. 3).
[14] Dooney, Hazel. ‘Chaptered Narrative Column’, Coagula Art Journal, founded and edited by Mat Gleason. 6 April 2022 to 8 July 2024.
[15] Dooney, Hazel. ‘The future of art fraud’, Counterfeit Culture, Griffith Review Edition 79, edited by Carody Culver. 7 February 2023 (pp. 111-117). ISBN: 978-1-922212-80-1.
[16] McDonald, John. Everything the artworld doesn’t want you to know (everythingthe.com). Concept and digital strategy by Hazel Dooney, 2024.