However, a few months into her degree, Gill dropped out of her courses, both as a result of her pressing responsibilities to help raise two young children and her increasing dissatisfaction with the lack of novelty in her studies.
She acknowledged the irony this brought to her 2013 feature in the Australian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, saying "mine is not a representative voice—in fact, it's entirely the opposite of that possibility … Representation is a very strange notion.
"[6] Her work has been said to occupy a space of transition and compromise, taking small mementos and fleeting moments of everyday life to construct a sense of belonging.
In addition to this, Gill often allows these subjects of her art to be openly exposed to the degrading forces of the environment, demonstrating the inherently ephemeral nature of man-made objects.
On inspection, the reader discovers each bead is made from tightly wound strips of paper, cut from canonical texts like Mao's 'Four Essays On Philosophy' and more mundane books, such as a tome on highland dress.
[12] In particular, the empty spaces she deliberately places within many of her photographs and drawings manage to capture the dual fascination and apprehension that humanity holds towards the unknown.
Her exhibit replaced that of famous architect Philip Cox’s Australian Pavilion, which had represented Australia at the Venice Biennale since 1988, with the structure scheduled to be removed the following December.
De Zegher described the inspiration for the exhibition as "a space of negotiation between the small and the global, between nature and industry, as it reveals an understanding of the interconnectedness of all in a world in flux".
[15] Challenging her audience to see her work as impermanent and transitory, Gill removed sections of the roof of the Australian pavilion, "allowing each moment of the six month exhibition to be a unique snapshot.
"[16] This exposure of the work changed it over time, both the beach house and the art stored within it slowly being altered by the surrounding environment, emphasizing nature's ability to reclaim structures and objects constructed by humans.