A book about death - Matthew Rose
We interviewed Matthew Rose recently and here is his latest contribution.
A Book About Death Omaha’s live stream for the opening on July 31, 2010. Another chapter in this global exhibition:
Exhibition - Not Fair
A segment about NOTFAIR will be screened on Art Nation this Sunday 1st August: 5.30pm on ABC1 and 7pm on ABC2, the exhibition is open to the public from the 5th August to the 8th August .
Kathryn Ryan - Artist
Are you currently represented by a gallery?
Yes I am currently represented by Tim Olsen Gallery in Sydney, since 2006, and by Flinders Lane Gallery in Melbourne since 2000.
What are you currently working on?
I am about to have a solo exhibition at Tim Olsen Gallery, so I have just completed all the work for this show. In this exhibition I have worked on a new series of large oil paintings inspired by the Scottish Highlands, Glencoe region in the snow. It is the first time I have attempted to paint landscapes in snow and also the first time I have diverged from painting the Australian landscape. Painting snow landscapes was a bit daunting at first and required some trial & error and change in the painting techniques that I have been used to. So currently I am in the pre exhibition phase of having the paintings photographed/ organising the invitations/ mailing list/artist statement, advertising and publicity with the gallery.
Once the exhibition opens, I will be starting another body of work for my next solo show in Melbourne in 11 months time.
Did the place where you grew up have an influence?
Absolutely. I grew up on a dairy farm in Western Victoria, constantly surrounded by the landscape. Huge skies, vast space and distances, directly affected by the changing seasons and weather conditions. Farm life, repetition and ritual, isolation, the space and light of always being surrounded by nature has had an enduring effect on me as a person and how I approach my artwork and its subject matter.
What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years?
In more recent years, my approach to my studio practice has become fairly structured. I have always been methodical in my approach, however in earlier years, there was probably a lot more searching and investigation of processes and ideas and exploring concerns. Over time, my ideas and knowledge of my painting process has been refined and focused on more concise ways of working.
I am always looking, thinking and photographing. I tend to work in a yearly cycle for my solo exhibitions, which means I usually focus on work for one exhibition at a time. This body of work may contain 12 – 20 paintings, depending on size, and will take most of the year to complete. I like to spend time brewing the ideas for this work in the beginning, often sifting back through my library of relevant photos, to consolidate ideas.
I work out the feel/concerns/ objectives of the work first, then decide on the imagery for the paintings and work out sizes & scale of the work, usually to fit the particular gallery space. So a lot is worked out before hand, the overall feel of the exhibition…. then it is a matter of organising my time and planning the workload for the year in time for the exhibition.
Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?
It is a very big task, but no longer daunting. I work on one solo exhibition each year, so I am usually planning my workload in a 12 month cycle. I usually spend time in the beginning working out how I see the paintings for the upcoming show. Once I have arrived at a ‘theme’ or visual idea/feel for the paintings I want to do, then I set about planning out the size and amount of paintings in relation to the gallery size. I then usually plan out my workload spread out over the year or time frame I have to complete the work, ie I may work on 5 paintings in a 3 month period. So really there is a lot of planning in the beginning, then it is just get on with the work!
Tell us about your connection to your subject matter, way of working, concepts etc
For some time now, I have been referencing the landscapes of Western Victoria. I decided it was crucial for me to go back to my source/ my personal background, of growing up on a dairy farm, to paint about something I knew so well. How it felt to be living on the land, surrounded by all that space and changing light and weather conditions. It was something I had an intimate personal knowledge of and connection to. Even though I am now living it the city, I feel my farm upbringing is instilled strongly in my memory source and with my family still on our farm, I have regular visits back there.
I am always photographing, carrying my camera everywhere, recording ideas and what I see, building a library of reference photos to draw upon. In the past I used to do more studies and exploring of ideas and processes on paper before I worked on large canvases. However, in recent years I tend to work only on my big canvases, straight to finished works for exhibition. This is mostly due to time constraints, I don’t seem to have the time to just ‘play’ or experiment in the studio, but I am also not sure I always want to anyway. I find when I work solely on big pieces for exhibitions, you are forced to resolve issues, technical and ideas, so that the painting works out, there is not a lot of room for error. This can be a pressure, but also a good pressure to bring out the best results.
Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?
Yes I have always kept an art journal since my first day at art school, so that is going back 26 years now! I have kept them all, and often refer back to previous ones . Initially they were full of sketches and ideas and articles or pictures that had inspired me. Over the years they became more analytical, writing about the concerns in my work and investigating various themes. In recent years, they are more a practical diary of my studio days…listing what paintings I work on each day, their progress, sometimes which colours I mix, and planning my workload.
Is motivation to work an issue for you and how do you overcome it?
I do at times struggle with staying motivated. Often this is after working on a large body of work, and I am most likely very drained and tired. I am a big believer in taking breaks from the studio when possible. For many years, I worked without breaks, but now I try and schedule a break in after each exhibition to recharge before the next onslaught of yearly work on an exhibition. For the times that come up during the year when I feel less motivated, often it is a matter of needing a day off and do something different, or watch some art docos and browse through art books or art magazines, often to see how other artists work in their studios.
Tell us about your studio environment (too big, too small, enough storage or not, the light, the position, how you found it etc)?
I have had many studios over the years, from garages, spare rooms, stables, to open warehouses. My current studio is the best I have had. It is my own private space in an old building in the heart of the city. It is large with several windows of indirect light and a much needed sink. I have an area for painting, a desk/clean area and a large work table area. It could probably do with more storage area and natural light, but really it is a great space in the middle of the city. It is very quiet and private; I lock myself away there all day apart from my morning coffee in the bustling laneways below and sometimes out for lunch.
From your early beginnings at art school to now, how have things altered for you?
In the beginning there was a lot more struggle with the work, both with ideas and technically in exploring different ways of working. A lot of soul searching went into the concerns behind and in the work…. This has now given way to a more assured feeling of knowledge of both what I am trying to achieve in my work and also technically how I go about achieving it.
There was more isolation in the beginning, leaving art school, looking for studios, trying to find a gallery and entering art prizes. Not knowing a lot of artists in a new city, not being part of any ‘art scene’… It seemed a long way away to be an exhibiting artist, let alone painting full-time.
So a lot has changed, but it has been over a 24 year period of working in the studio… it took a long time for anything significant to happen. The first 14 years out of art school were very slow in terms of exhibiting or selling work. However, when it did start to fall in to place, it happened quickly and escalated at a good pace. Since then, I have had solo shows most years and have sold everything I do, which enabled me to paint fulltime.
What is your working routine? Do you listen to music while you work, or stay up late for instance?
I tend to work Mon-Fri business hours. Painting fulltime, I find it is crucial to have a structure and routine in place to help keep me motivated and also to monitor my energy levels. I find if I work back too late it only leaves me with less energy and exhausted the next day to paint. So I find it is better to leave the studio about 6pm or so… home to eat and rest for the next day!
After a morning coffee in a nearby cafe, I am upstairs to my own locked away studio. I tend to start painting almost immediately. After changing into my paint clothes, a quick check of emails, I make a quick decision on which painting to work on for the day… quick decisions on what needs to be done to the painting that day… then it is just painting time. Mostly I play music on my I-Pod speakers… depending on my mood what type of music, sometimes I just want it quiet. The odd cup of tea while I am working.. but I try and stay at the easel until I have achieved what I set out to do for the day.
Did you intend to become a professional artist?
Yes , from my late teen years I knew I was driven and inspired to be an artist. My intention was to strive to be an exhibiting artist. Although it was a long road to be represented by a commercial gallery, I always believed it would happen and that I just had to work hard and concentrate on making the best work I could and developing it to a higher standard.
Was there a point where you decided : Ok I can live off my art?
Yes. My 2003 solo exhibition had sold out and with the prices having gradually increased I took the plunge to live fulltime off my artwork. Prior to this I had already reduced my part time working hours, with the sales of my art work supplementing my income. My previous shows in the last few years had all sold out, so I felt more confident to take the risk. I hoped that by being able to give all my time to my studio practice I would also be able to produce more work and give it all my full attention and energy.
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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+
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Check out our other Art Site http://artstuff.net.au Loaded with creativity boosters, professional development strategies, investing/collecting art and activities for Artists and Students…
Affordable Art? Where…
If your walls could talk they’d say, ‘I don’t care if there is a recession, I’m sick of being bare’.
Cover your white space, dispose of tattered college posters (puppies are not art, people) and spruce up your home with affordable art from our favourite places.
Textile designer Anna Hill uses nature as inspiration for her digitally printed wallpapers, which feature brightly coloured birds, tigers, cherry blossoms and other plants and animals. Her designs are intended to fit an entire wall with no repetitive patterns, so each piece is made to order (£40-£120/meter square).
For a more personal touch, turn your favourite photos into art with a Catkin Collection family tree. Add images of your family or friends to the branches to make art imitate life (£42).
Born from the owners’ love of typography and screen-printing, the quirky limited-edition prints at Keep Calm Gallery have amusing messages (‘The first mistake of art is to assume it’s serious’) and emoticons like <3 spelled out (‘less than three’). The recently launched original artwork section features a series of whimsical collages by up-and-comer Matthew Rose (£170).
Can’t afford a Banksy? Little Art Book offers the next best thing: a limited-edition collection of work by the freshest new names from the streets. If you haven’t heard of Oh Death or The Krah, you will soon. Watch this space (£60-£450).
Search The Few Gallery for prints by graphic artists and illustrators from around the world. We love Brit artist Sean Freeman’s striking peacock and Spaniard Gary Fernandez’s surreal portrayal of an ordinary day in the park (£176).
The team at New Blood Art scour art school shows to find undiscovered talent. There are thousands of paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures and prints to choose from, all sorted into price categories so you can easily find something for less than £50 or more than £3,000.
Can’t decide which to buy? Check out our ten favourite pieces of affordable art.
© Matthew Rose 2010
Exhibition - Kathryn Ryan
Kathryn Ryan’s exhibition… Read her interview with me, here.
Kathryn Ryan, New Paintings July 28- August 15 2010
Tim Olsen Gallery
www.timolsengallery.com
Exhibition - Lethbridge Gallery
Lethbridge Gallery ia holding an exhibition of Ai Shah’s work.
Exhibition - Kerrie Warren
Kerrie has an exhibition of works on at Jinks Gallery in July.
Exhibition - Sharon & Klaire Anderson
A show from a Mother and Daughter Team, should be an interesting combination! Well done to both, hope it goes really well for them!
Cnr Main St & Mc Donald St Foster Victoria Australia
www.stockyardgallery.org.au
Exhibition - John Alcock
Exhibition - Anthony Lister
Anthony Lister has been busy! Here’s some of what he’s up to.
- In 1 week I have an exhibition of all new paintings opening at Show and Tell Gallery in Toronto CANADA -July 9th -August 8th - www.showandtellgallery.com
Matthew Rose - Artist
Matthew Rose is in Paris France and is represented by
Janet Miller (Soma Art Gallery), Cape May, NJ; - Keep Calm Gallery, London, UK; - Orange Dot Gallery, London, UK.
An active web person here are his web addresses
http://abookaboutdeath.blogspot.com/
http://matthewrosestudio.blogspot.com/
Matthew With Second Hand Clock Paris France.
Interests you have other than art you feel are important to mention?
I am an art and culture writer – The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, theartblog.org, entrée magazine, Art & Antiques magazine among many others; I’ve also written a black comic novel, PLAN B. And I occasionally write music. My song, I HAVE A CAR, is currently on YouTube (arranged and performed by Hens Breet, Monosopace).
HOW TO FALL IN LOVE FOREVER, 2009. Collage on canvas, 50 x 50 cm.
What are the main medium/s you work in…
Collage, text, unusual objects. I slap paint around too.
BREATHLESS, 2010. Collage on canvas, 50 x 50 cm.
Artist’s statement…
I mainly spell with scissors. My installations, massive 1000-piece wall-to-wall displays of individual collage works attempt to reinvent the process of reading. The all-over exhibitions such as Planting Cut Flowers, Spelling With Scissors, The Whole Truth and Confessions – bring together the immense visual and textural vocabulary I find about me in what several critics cited as a “dadaist exploration of sense and nonsense.” While another critic added, my “works are secrets wrapped in riddles that are visually exhaustive and often French-fried.” These installations and individual works are my theory of everything…a handbook for the 21st century.
I’ve launched a brand of surrealism and touches upon text works, needlepoints, altered objects, silkscreen and glicée prints and books. My next exhibition, Scared But Fresh, takes place at Orange Dot Gallery, London, from October 6 thru October 31. And the project I launched in early 2009, the ongoing global exhibition, A Book About Death, is in the collections of MoMA New York and LACMA. My prints, PAINTINGS, are on permanent exhibition at The Boca Raton Museum of Fine Art, Boca Raton, Florida
How do you describe your work?
My work is often described as surreal, dada, strange, funny, expensive.
Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?
My works concern the end of the world, which as one might imagine, includes all of the above. I’m mainly interested in consciousness and its aesthetic, ethical and moral dimensions, but also its innate abilities and weaknesses.
Je n’aime que toi, poster, 2009. Photo: Danielle Voirin
What are you currently working on?
For the last few weeks I’ve produced two series for Keep Calm Gallery’s ORIGINALS series. Small collage works (9 x 12 inches). One is called: A Strange Meeting and the other America. I’ve also completed some larger collage works like Breathless and How To Fall In Love Forever and Null-Null You Can’t See (50 x 50 cm square on canvas) concern the impossibility of remembering everything that’s ever happened.
Spelling With Scissors, 2006, Installation, Capsule Gallery, Denver, Colorado.
What did your prices start off at?
I sold my first piece for $50; the last piece was sold for $5000. I’m relatively inexpensive considering today’s market.
A Book About Death, 2009, Installation,
Emily Harvey Foundation Gallery, New York City, NY .
How many artworks do you work on at the same time?
About a dozen at once, but sometimes more.
A Perfect Friend, 2003. Giclée print (after collage, from the book, A Perfect Friend).
76 x 56 cm. Edition: 3.
Do you have difficulties getting into galleries?
More and more galleries approach me to exhibit with them, but I find myself saying no to galleries that do not have a strong vision or worse, don’t even attempt to engage me or my work on an intellectual level. Communication is key to any collaboration with a dealer and if I find they are dishonest, lie, and/or don’t make an effort to get to know me, I’ll say no. I’m always working – 24 hours a day – and I expect dealers to be at least aware of this. Better if they too are working like me.
What fascinates you?
The streets, walls, decay and printed paper blowing in the wind. People who drop things as they walk; radio programs from the 1940s.
One word or statement to describe your current works?
How everything and nothing often seem to be the same thing.
Why are you an artist?
I like the hours. Every since I studied semiotics at Brown University, I’ve taken advantage of my obsession with the visual in a larger more formal way as a way to organize and make sense out of my impossible life.
Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?
Several things, actually – books, publications, major purchases – but the launch of the global project, A Book About Death in New York at the Emily Harvey Foundation Gallery marked a distinct change in my orientation towards the world, art and art making. See: http://abookaboutdeath.blogspot.com/. In addition, the inclusion of my work in MASTERS: COLLAGE, a large book recently published by Sterling Publishing/Lark Books has generated enormous interest in my work.
I’ve won an extremely big award at the MUFI stamp art museum in Mexico for my stamp art sheet Rubens Rounding Third. Taking first prize and a large cash award enabled me to print up 1000 large format stamp sheets and, after signing and numbering the works, put them onto Keep Calm Gallery where we’ve been very successful in creating a buzz and finding an interesting market of stamp art folks, baseball fans and art collectors interested in this very sexually provocative work. Winning the prize was a complete shock to me (and my father) but … I was pleased the folks down in Mexico liked it enough to give it top honors in the global competition.
Was there a big turning point in your art journey that caused you to think that “it’s all worthwhile”, or “oh yeah I get it…”?
I’ve always worked in collage and paint, but meeting (and writing about) Ray Johnson had a distinct effect on my work. I “got” my own work. It made sense to me; I understood that making art was a highly focused way of thinking. A kind of aesthetic breathing.
What caused you to choose the medium you currently work in?
I realized that with collage I could steal bits of the universe and make them my own; each tear or cut of a piece of paper became my signature. The combinations, often surreal, became not just my way of seeing the world but seeing the world. Plus, I’m very good with scissors and glue. And I’m able to work my vision rapidly, and this speed enables me to work more coherently with the incoherence of my own consciousness. It’s truer, in a way.
You know you are successful in Visual Arts when…
People you’ve never met come over to your house and buy your art work for whatever price you say. Or they try to steal little pieces of paper I’ve scribbled on.
Creative streaks do they come in waves for you?
I often make work in series of a dozen, 50, or 100 works at a time. Once I sit down with a stack of paper or old magazines, I work like a machine (with heart) until all the paper is consumed. It’s more like a tornado than a tsunami (wave). Then I sweep up and start again.
How important is the clarity of concept to you, prior to starting an artwork?
I don’t worry about clarity. I trust myself. The whole point of making art is to see how I think; the process of making something is the process of thinking, reading, writing and understanding.
How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?
Craft is in the end, subjective. Poorly crafted work is now a craft in-itself. But you can tell what is conscious and what is not; editing is more important, in my opinion, than craft alone.
Does the sale of your work support you?
Now yes. I sell my prints at Keep Calm Gallery in London, and collage works with a number of galleries as well as directly to collectors (even over the internet). People e mail me all the time and come to visit my studio here in Paris to see and purchase my work.
Do you have much contact with other artists?
Through the global project, A Book About Death, and its subsequent restagings around the world, I’ve come in contact with artists in about 100 countries – about 2000 artists in the last year and a half.
Any upcoming or completely new projects you want to talk about?
As part of the recent book publication of MASTERS: COLLAGE (Sterling Publishing/Lark Books; 2010), Randel Plowman has organized a massive exhibition at Northern Kentucky University of the artists’ works. I’m very happy to participate in the show that opens August 23 and runs thru September, 2010.
My solo show, SCARED BUT FRESH, at London’s Orange Dot Gallery is scheduled to open on October 6, 2010. My first one person exhibition in London. I am preparing several prints for this show, including a hand pulled silkscreen print (edition: 100) of You-Me, with Michel Hosszù, and a large edition of my enormous collage work, Les Affaires; the latter will be a giclée print produced here in Paris through Burning Boy Press (http://burningboypress.blogspot.com/)
Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?
Well, I’ve hung several exhibitions with more than 1000 pieces, so yes, it is daunting and time consuming – roughly three to four days to hang the entire exhibition – but almost as much a part of the works as making them in the first place.
Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why?
Ray Johnson, Jasper Johns and all the surrealists. Not only did I gain a real understanding of materials and execution from both Johnson and Johns, but also a way to think about my work. Clearly a sense of reading and writing impregnates my work, and these artists, as well as the surrealists, guided me by freeing me from classical perspective.
What about the role of titles with your work, some hate them others revel in them, what about you?
Titles are very important to me, regardless if I end up changing them over time. There is a distinct literary quality to my work and titles tend to indicate a direction to take in unpacking the visual puzzles. I’ve often taken long walks in the streets of Paris to find the right title for a piece; and those titles sometimes come from an overheard conversation, like “Les Affaires” which I plucked from two people discussing either business or their attire. Many titles are in German or in a kind of clipped English, because, for me words are images in and of themselves. I just simply have to open myself up to this dimension of language to grasp the phrases that literally pour out of the sky. Then once home, the titles and visual texts, are fused and cut and glued and applied in some way to the works, another aspect of the collage medium.
What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work?
Early on my career, I showed a series of seven collage works combining Chinese-English flash cards at a friend’s apartment on Lafayette Street. It was a large group show of sorts, and my friend Russell Steinert who was then working at Leo Castelli managed to co-opt a narrow wooden shelf, I believe from a Richard Serra installation. The works, aligned on a wall, were simple word/image plays. A card of a chicken and an an eye yielded : UNTITLED COCK EYE. Well, that evening some intrepid art critic scribbled on the wall next to my works: C’est pas l’art! Ouch! It was curious that this was in French, and Russell said to me afterwards: Congratulations, Matthew, you had the best response to any of the works all night. From then on, I knew what I was doing was correct in each and every way.
Have you had much connection post sale with purchasers of your works?
Yes, collectors come back again and again and want to see new works, revisit older pieces I’ve sold them and discuss how I’m working. It’s extremely rewarding because a sale isn’t just a monetary connection but one that’s both intellectual and social. I’m grateful for those collectors who really have something to say and to teach me about what my work and methods mean to them. It’s a true gift.
Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist?
The art bio books like those about Pollock, de Kooning and Cornell (Utopia Parkway) are among those I’m always referencing. But also criticism of all sorts interests me. Some films like How To Draw A Bunny I’ve seen five - six times. That film brought Ray Johnson’s work to a greater audience. I think I learned how to remove surfaces from my work by thinking about these artists’ methods. Sandpaper, knives, water, steel wool allowed me to scrape; subtraction rather than addition, is often a key way of working.
If someone says to you “Oh your work is decorative and lacks any meaning…” your response would be…?
Well, honey, then I guess it should be more expensive.
Some say a measure of an artwork is the ability for it to hold a persons attention or cause the viewer to come back after an initial glance and become captivated by the work, is that so for your works or an intention of yours?
I rarely find that people are bored by my work, and I think this is because I live full on in an aesthetic frame of mind. I am intensely visual and creating things for me is a way to see what they look like. I believe that process is for others part of what they experience in my work. The eye reads the various passages – often again and again – and the mind consumes again and again if the pieces are successful. By looking at the piece, I’m trying to create a situation where the viewer “makes” the work and hears its strange song by singing it himself.
What is one thing you need to have in your studio before you work?
My mind. But a piece of paper and my No. 2 Big Ticonderoga pencil helps.
What or how do you respond to the term “Starving Artist”?
I actually get that a lot from people who don’t know me, hate my politics and hate my work without ever having experienced it. I don’t mind it. If I weren’t starving, I don’t think I’d have much reason to make art.
E: MATTHEW.ROSE.PARIS@GMAIL.COM
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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+
Follow me on twitter! http://twitter.com/stevegray58
Check out our other Art Site http://artstuff.net.au Loaded with creativity boosters, professional development strategies, investing/collecting art and activities for Artists and Students…
Art Buyers, who are they?
Ever thought about understanding buyers of art more, well now you can by checking out this article on them at Art Stuff.
Video - Del Kathryn Barton
The celebrated Australian Artist talks about her work.
Video - Diane Savona
Short sharp videos which give us a simple snapshot into the life of an artist… I like that. This time it’s a textile artist, Diane Savona.
Exhibition - Obscura Gallery
Obscura Gallery presents…
Exhibition - Kona Howlett
A Photographer Chasing the Dream, This one’s in Geelong Victoria.
Exhibition
The students from Gipps tafe would love you to join them in celebrating the work they have done in their Art studies.
Exhibition
Including the wonderful abstract work of Paul Lorenz we interviewed him here…
Annie Taylor - Artist
Annie Taylor is currently represented by Courcoux & Courcoux in Stockbridge, UK and has been making art full time for the last 5 years. Her web details are here…
http://www.annie-taylor.com - http://creativerollercoaster.blogspot.com
Annie in the studio © Annie Taylor 2010+
What are the main medium/s you work in…
I work in oil on canvas, mostly large format 1 metre +, although I am trying to control this urge! Smaller paintings definitely get more house room.
Artist’s statement…
I have been passionate about the natural world since I was very small. My work is about that passion: not just the silence, the peace, the nurture for the spirit that the countryside can provide, but also its opposite face which can be harsh, threatening and wild.
Patterns in different landscapes have also intrigued me and guided my work, from the gentle, rolling patchwork downs and fields of Dorset in England, to the rugged, harsh mountains of the countryside where I live in France, these patterns have helped me to find my painter’s ‘voice’.
Red Mountain, oil on canvas 60 x 76 © Annie Taylor 2010+
What are you currently working on?
I am working on a series of paintings looking at mountain summits. I have lived surrounded by mountains for the last three years and it is only now that I am beginning to find what I want to say about them.
How important is art for you?
Art has always been essential and central to my life and since becoming a full time professional artist I find that painting is actually vital to my daily existence.
Le Canigou, 100 x 100, oil on canvas © Annie Taylor 2010+
What did you do before or during becoming an artist?
I started painting when I lived in America for three years. Together with a friend, I opened a studio and art gallery on the North Shore of Long Island. The studio enabled me to study and work alongside established professional painters. When I returned to the UK with a daughter to raise, the financial pressure was on and so the brushes had to be put aside. I started a PR and event management company in London and specialised in film, theatre and television representing clients at the Cannes Film Festival for a number of years.
In 1990 I moved out of London, back to my roots in the West of England and started producing large outdoor festivals.
Finally, when daughter Beth went off to Art School, I was really envious! The temptation to get back to painting was overwhelming and in 2003 I took the decision to work at it full time. Initially I studied with Dorset artist Clare Shepherd, receiving a grant from Arts Matrix to work with her in a mentoring scheme. I have now been working full time as a painter since 2005 and have exhibited in one woman and group shows in London and the South West of England.
Giant’s Head, Oil on canvas 102 x 76 © Annie Taylor 2010+
Is there any one thing, which has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?
My first exhibition was a three woman show in a gallery near Bath and to my amazement I sold 9 canvasses, all for pretty good prices. Invitations from other galleries followed. Since that time I get a huge buzz from the letters and emails I get from people who buy my work and contact me to tell me how much they are enjoying it.
Did the place where you grew up have an influence?
I grew up in the countryside in the south west of England, a place surrounded by woods and fields where my childhood was spent building tree houses and splashing about in streams. Even now I find I am most at peace outside and trees in particular continue to hold a very special place in my heart, they feature in a lot of my work.
Blithe Spirit, Oil on Canvas, 90 x 60 © Annie Taylor 2010+
Was there a big turning point in your art journey that caused you to think that “it’s all worthwhile”, or “oh yeah I get it…”?
Actually, I think if you aspire to be a really good artist I wonder whether you ever really arrive at that point? I think it is a never-ending journey. I suppose there have been a number of paintings along the way that I call my ‘gateway’ pieces where I have found something that seemed to move me on, but I am always hoping the next painting will be the ‘really good one’ and I hope I will always feel that way!
Has your work changed much since your early efforts?
Yes my work has changed a great deal – that is inevitable if you are painting nearly every day. The work has a much more confident feel to it now and I am ready to hold my head up among my peers. I know I exhibited far too early in London when I was offered a solo show right at the start and I do hope people who saw it then will come back for a second look now I have moved on so much.
Morning on Breeze Hill, oil on canvas 102 x 76 © Annie Taylor 2010+
Does the “creative process” happen easily for you?
No, not always and I suspect there are very few artists for whom it does. But I discipline myself to get into the studio every day, no matter how I am feeling and if necessary I will spend days just drawing until something occurs.
How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?
I think it is very important. It saddens me every time I see young artists who feel that sensational art is all that is necessary. I can’t help feeling they are missing out on one of life’s huge pleasures – perfecting and honing a skill, training the eye, knowing that you are getting better and better as time goes by.
Meditation, 100 x 75 © Annie Taylor 2010+
Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?
No I love it. I really work well if I have a deadline or a goal in sight.
Some say the lifespan of many “artists”, post educationally, is about five years, any thoughts on that?
Rubbish! I could cite many examples among the artists hall of fame, but frankly if I thought that was the case, why would I be driven to work at getting better?
Edge of the Downs, 102 x 76 © Annie Taylor 2010+
Tell us about getting caught in a creative “slump” and how you got out of it?
I did have a really bad few months last year. I simply could not get inspired and everything I tried seemed to fail dismally. I just kept at it, drawing, re-working old canvasses, returning to familiar subjects to see if I could find a new approach, but above all I kept up with other artist friends and arranged to meet two of them on a monthly basis for a joint studio session. We looked at the work of different artists and at each other’s work, painted together and went out sketching. Then I tried a number of new approaches to how I was working and that gave me the impetus to get out of the slump.
Do you go into any contemporary art prizes, if so why?
I am just beginning to look at this area. I feel ready to put my work forward for competition now and I think that selection for a recognised show should be part of the marketing mix which will hopefully lead to opening more gallery doors.
Technology (websites and social networking sites to name a few) has become an important marketing tool for many industries and individuals, what are your thoughts from a “You Inc” perspective and your art sensibility.
The internet is obviously an essential marketing tool these days and huge numbers of artists now have websites, facebook pages, blogs, etc., I have had my website from the start 5 years ago and have largely used it as an instant ‘portfolio’ of my work and I have also managed to sell a few paintings via the site as well. However, there are issues around the easy infringement of copyright that are beginning to concern me more now.
Do you work from life, or from photographs or from imagination or some other method?
I work from life and imagination. I may start a landscape en plein aire, but prefer to take it back to the studio to allow my imagination to come into play as I am not particularly interested in photo realism. As I am exploring the use of glazing I often work on several canvasses at the same time in the studio.
How do you establish your art work prices?
I’ve written two blogs on this very subject and have had some interesting contributions from fellow artists: http://creativerollercoaster.blogspot.com
Tough and resilient, soft and fragile?
Nature has these opposite qualities, which, as I have said, is what attracts me to trying to capture that in my work. It is what has driven me to paint, but it is no good just stacking up finished canvasses in the studio, they have to be sold. The art marketplace is vastly over subscribed which means that trying to make any sort of impact requires dedication and persistence. I have had to be tough and resilient in my life, but this career as an artist is different in one important respect, it exposes the soft and fragile side of me: every time I show my work I am vulnerable. Exhibiting exposes your soul and puts the ego at risk - it is like dancing in public in the nude!
All Annies works are Copyright 2010+
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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+
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New work ideas - Steve Gray
Having moved house I am in the process of creating some new works, doing my bit to explore working in a new space and wanting to explore notions around landscape but with the intent of tackling surface and to some degree patina. I mixed a small batch of acrylic and forged on.
I have been acutely aware of the surrounding landscape and skies, with the view over our back fence on to a simple but very interesting area. (Those who check out my Facebook images will see what I mean.) I have purposefully worked in a near black print look as a starting point, to get away from my recent “White on White” Pastel look which hit me strongly about the time of the Black Saturday Bushfires in Victoria.
It seems odd somehow, I would want to create some imagery which is more akin to obvious fire remains than the white works. but these are more like sketches to explore some possibilities and options
Here’s a link to earlier works this month.
Now the newer offerings, again Acrylic on A3 Heavy watercolour Paper.
Tony Curran - Artist
Tony Curran is an Australian Contemporary Visual Artist who has a website, a blog www.tonycurran.com.au www.tonycurran.blogspot.com and a long list of credits to his name, from a Bachelor of Science to a Masters of Art (Drawing). Tony specializes in “neuro-aesthetics”, stereoscopy, visual design and psychoacoustic research.
Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?
My work has a philosophical message about the fine line separating the personal world and the “real” world
What are you currently working on…
I’m currently working on a project titled Aural Dynamics for an residency at Fraser Studios in Chippendale. It involves inviting the public to my studio and modelling their left ear for me while I draw it. I’m hoping to reach 300 ears by the end of my residency in August. These ears will hopefully be on exhibition after that.
I am offering a free ear portrait after the show to anyone who sits for AuralDynamics. People can contact me on my website to arrange a time.
Why are you an artist?
I was finishing up my Psychology degree at Macquarie University and studying Perception Psychology at the time. I began to draw certain concepts in perception theory and this started to take on a wider role of the intricate layers of image making and reading from the realistic to the abstract. Now I’m working quite cross-disciplinary and the spectrum from abstract to realistic is intuitively blurry.
How important is art for you?
Art is my profession and everyone needs a profession. Art also tells us people are trying to improve, whether it is to improve the world by making beautiful objects or even just improving their own ability or craftsmanship. Art gives me focus and self expression, but it can be addictive.
Your art education was…?
I completed my Masters of Art (Drawing) from the College of Fine Arts in Sydney. There I studied anatomy, life drawing, animation, sound design and really expanded my practice immensely. In my last semester I was awarded a travelling scholarship to participate in a residency in Edinburgh with Richard Goodwin’s Porosity Studio and the British Council. There were a bunch of other students from all kinds of disciplines including Fine Art, Architecture, Design, and Landscape Architecture, Photo-media, and New Media.
Was your education helpful, or a hindrance?
Definitely helpful. It pushed me in all kinds of directions and really showed me there is always a way to make the work, which is in your head.
Is there any one thing, which has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?
Finishing my degree and seeing my work as a Finalist in the Mosman Art Prize a few weeks later was a big rush.
You know you are successful in Visual Arts when…
When you have a visual art.
Do you get creative glimpses of urges happening and how do you work with these?
These happen all the time and unfortunately I can’t develop all the creative ideas. I try to write them down or blog about them as much as possible but sometimes I just have to let them go and think about what I’m working on now. They’re often powerful and make me want to can everything else.
Do you have a personal description of “Art”?
Art is something you develop over a long period of time. The art can be traced through the works you make but is not a painting per se. Art lives within the art object but is not the object.
Do you get to other artists exhibitions, openings etc?
I try but I find it difficult to maintain my own ideas and thoughts when I do. It’s best for my artistic development to stay away from other art exhibitions unless they are a friend of mine.
Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?
Yes and no. Working toward an exhibition tells you, you have a lot of work ahead of you but the end of the show tells you, you can slack off for a little while and recover. In some cases a long recovery is warranted
Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?
A rolling stone gathers no moss. I wonder if it’s the same in another profession. I finished my Psych degree in a cohort of hundreds but I wonder how many of those have fallen into a similar lifespan. I’ve always thought any career you choose is going to be a hard one – that’s life. After Uni you start at the lowest rung of the industry and try and make sense of whatever life you’ve chosen. With art it might even be easier because secretly everyone wants to be creative but not everyone has a secret wish they were more into finance. Maybe that’s just me.
Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?
I initially set up my blog to do this but I never find the time to use it in that way. Also I discovered my blog gets a small audience, so I decided to develop it with the audience in mind. I kind of have a visual diary but I usually have about 5 going at one time. They are all different sizes and I work on them based on where they are in my proximity and how easily I can carry them around at the time.
What happens to works, which “don’t work out”?
They hang around my house gathering dust.
Do you aim to break the rules of basic composition, layout etc or do you ignore the “rules” and just create?
I have a very intuitive process at the beginning and if I don’t like the work I determine whether its compositional or not and look through all the rules. At this stage it can always be edited or remade. Sometimes I love what I’m painting so much and it turns out it’s because I’ve broken a rule.
About significant moments in your life, the sort of things that changed things for you forever… perhaps altered your Art… Who how why what and where…?
The suicide of a relative was the kick up my ass to go out and make the most of my life and do what I wanted to do. The suicide of a different relative was a kick in the heart for me which killed me artistically for a bit but then ultimately defined my practice around levels of awareness as measured through sensation and sanity.
Is your Art, “Art for art sake…” or a matter of “Art for commercial viability?”
Both, I think Art can be pushed around in lots of directions from the commercial world most of those directions are probably destructive. It is the role of the artist to fine a good middle ground between artistic integrity and commercial viability because if you can develop it like that, then your art will be better than it ever was.
How has your mind-set changed from struggling to find your own style to solidifying what you are doing today?
Makes me less impressionable with other artists’ work but it also makes me able to appreciate good work when I see it. Once you have your own art practice you are happy with then you can become an audience of other art practices and not a student or critic so much.
Was there a point where you decided: OK I can live off of my art?
In 2006 I had a dream where I took off to Barcelona with no money and drew things and sold them like a busker to get food etc. When I woke up I went to work in a very crappy retail job and decided screw this: Somehow it will work.
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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+
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John McLaughlin - Artist
John McLaughlin Painter, you can check out his website at www.drawinghermit.com
John is currently listed with online galleries: Busacca Fine Art Gallery, San Francisco The Brigham Galleries, Nantucket Ma. and The Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham Mi.
What fascinates you? I always have been fascinated by the way sunlight strikes objects. Both indoors and out. How quickly it moves and changes. The different colours of light from the early morning until late evening right before sunset. I am enthralled by the different emotional response it evokes. I can watch the sunlight like most people watch TV. I guess I’m easily entertained.
Your art education was…? None. I am a completely self taught artist. I’m not proud of this, it’s just I never had any desire to take art classes. I don’t know how art can be taught. All one could do is give support and supply materials, otherwise it would just be to encourage someone to be themselves.
What or who inspires your art? I get my inspiration most from nature. I love hiking and observing all the flowers and trees. What we do best here in Michigan is grow things so we have an abundance of trees and plant life. I also am inspired by other artists work that I see in museums, books, magazines and on-line art sites. I learn from and study many artists but some of my favourites are Matisse, Twombly, Doig, Klee, DeKooning.
Creative streaks do they come in waves for you? Creative streaks do come in waves for me. Although I make my small drawing/collages everyday, my larger work can take longer time periods between applications. Suddenly I get this creative flow and energy, then go at three or four canvases at a time for hours. Four or five hours seems to go by like twenty minutes. When I am done I feel completely exhausted, like I’ve just run a marathon or something. It sometimes takes a day to recover. Working like this from my subconscious, I often don’t remember making parts of my paintings.
How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation? I think craftsmanship is needed only to the extent of what the artist has to “say”. If stick figures suffice for the meaning you want to convey, then that’s all it takes. If your portrait needs to look like a Rembrandt then you must do a little more practice drawing.
Do you have much contact with other artists? I have almost no contact with other artists. I have a severe hearing loss so I spend much time alone. Hence the web name drawing hermit.
Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that? I don’t know who came up with that but it’s totally wrong. Artists can make good art for 1 year or 100 years. Some masterpieces where made when an artist was 20 and some at 90. We’re all different.
If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why? I would take “The Window” by Henri Matisse. And this so happens to be at the Detroit Institute of Arts so every few months I go to visit it and regain inspiration. The incredible thing about this piece is that it is technically “wrong” in every way—color, perspective, composition, the furniture is even missing some pieces. But this masterpiece works perfectly.
All artists seem to have struggles, tell us about any you have had. I struggled the most with finally getting my work “out there” for people to see. Being a self taught artist I lacked the confidence until a friend of mine finally convinced me to quit throwing work away and start submitting it to shows. I’m better now.
What happens to works that “don’t work out”? Many of the works that don’t work out go to the trash bin. But I believe I do learn something from each piece I do. I’m by far my own toughest critic.
Do you aim to break the rules of basic composition, layout etc or do you ignore the “rules” and just create? I often try to break the traditional rules of composition. I don’t know if it can be done successfully. I believe I ignore most of the rules—I don’t think I even know most of them.
Musical influences, Okay this is about Visual Arts but most artists have favourite music they enjoy while working or just in general what about you? I love free form jazz. It makes my mind think differently. I often listen to this while I’m working although after, I never remember hearing any of it.
What can you say about your work that might not be evident to the viewer? I would say (or hope) my work needs to be studied over a period of time, long looking. Because the drawings and marks are small my work doesn’t photograph very well. They are better appreciated in person, up close.
Do you have a challenge knowing when a work is finished? I have a constant challenge knowing when work is finished. Sometimes even before I send out a sold painting I am adding marks. I often see sold work years later that I wish I could change. It’s just the nature of the way I work.
What about the role of titles with your work, some hate them others revel in them, what about you? I don’t like titles but I use them for identification, it gets too confusing otherwise. Some of my titles refer to the art work while others have nothing to do with it. The name just pops into my head. It’s funny that some people will have a whole different idea about a work of mine than what I do but that’s ok, I would never tell them differently.
What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work? The best compliment I ever got about my work was overhearing a woman at an exhibit say about one of my pieces, “I really like this painting but I don’t know why”. I thought that was perfect.
Have you had much connection post sale with purchasers of your works? I sell a lot of work each week to gain more recognition and the response from my collectors is incredible. To correspond with people all over the world like this makes it all worthwhile.
Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist? “Art and Fear” by Ted Orland and David Bayles is required reading for any beginning artist.
Some say a measure of an artwork is the ability for it to hold a persons attention or cause the viewer to come back after an initial glance and become captivated by the work, is that so for your works or an intention of yours? This is absolutely so with my work. If not then I have failed. The longer you live with my work the more you will like it.
Is the making of art all it was “cracked up to be”? I think art and artist are the most misunderstood subject of our time. I really wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. Almost everything is going against you right from the beginning. From rejection to no income to criticism to being overly sensitive, when do the good times come? Artists have to do what we do, it’s who we are. I have a theory as to why many artists succumb to drugs, alcohol, etc. It’s because the sensitive antenna is always on—it’s great for creative making but there is no way to turn it off. This harmfully helps to turn it off awhile. To the general public the last thing we need is misunderstood art and strange acting artists.
Sociable and out there, or withdrawn or intense? Sociably withdrawn, shy and definetly out there would describe me quite well. I can’t help it.
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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+
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Exhibition - Art is Studio
 12 June to 25 July 2010Geelong Regional Gallery - Lt Malop St Geelong Nature and beyond - art is…Glenys Bryant, Patsy Bush, Andrea Clifford, Debra Jackson, Jan Synot and Ann Webbart IS…Studio and Gallery is a group of artists who share a studio in the Geelong city centre. The six artists draw on their diverse backgrounds in visual arts, science and education to create a diverse variety of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture. The exhibition, Nature and beyond, includes works in which the artists interpret and transform our urban landscape and natural environment. The works explore the colour and form of flowers; the humorous interaction between animals and man; the relationship of man to his built environment; and the nature of space within the picture plane and the wider universe. Debra Jackson |
Contemporary Visual Artist Interviews
How many Contemporary Visual Artist Interviews have there been to date… Heaps! With more to come thanks.. but for now here are some to check out.
Teachers and students, remember there are worksheets you can use with each of these and other interviews on the site check out some here. If you make some of your own please, send me a copy so I can share them here.
A fresh set of works - Steve Gray
In this series of works I have worked with subtle acrylic colours and kept the palette to a minimum. It’s very hard doing white on white photo’s, so please forgive the colour cast/s
Size is A3 on heavy water colour paper.
Exhibition - Paul Lorenz
Paul featured in one of our interviews recently, now you can see his work in a show.
June 2010 - Steve Gray - New works
I found myself tackling some new works the other day, I was torn as to which way to go… Follow an older line of work, create anew and head towards a more patina’d effect, both or.. no stuff it, it’s in a new work space so I thought. time to give some things a try. Older image but almost a reverse, more black than white, so here they are…
Works on paper, Acrylic wash and paint.
Are they figures dancing, trees burning, lost souls aching, me being me, darkness becoming light, knowledge being free, none of the above…
The interview Steve Gray
Resale Royalty Scheme - Australia
The Australian Government’s Resale Royalty scheme is about to take effect on the 9th of June 2010.
The royalty will apply to works by living artists and lasts for 70 years after death - so currently to all artists who died after 1941.
Basically, all such works of art purchased after the 8th of June 2010 will be subject to a resale royalty of 5% when next sold.
Importantly, all works purchased before that date will be exempt on the next sale - but not subsequent sales.
For example
If you buy a work on the 1st of June 2010 and sell in 2013, the royalty will not apply. If you buy it on 15th of June 2010 and sell in 2013 it will apply. If the work is a Streeton, (who died in 1943) you pay; if you defer the sale to 2014 you won’t.
Royalties will apply to sales of $1,000 including GST and over.
Resale Royalty is triggered by a change of ownership - and this includes inheritance and gift. So, a painting bought in 2005 and then inherited or gifted in 2015 and then sold in 2020 will attract the 5%.
Demonstration of exemption for future sales will rely on providing evidence. The collection agency (CAL) is advising collectors to make an inventory of their current holdings as at 8th June 2010, and lodge it with their accountant.
I have asked, but received no answer, about the status of ‘internal’ sales eg between say John Smith’s personal collection, Smith Investments Pty Ltd, Smith Superannuation Fund, etc. I suggest that if you are contemplating any such move, that you take professional advice and act before the 8th of June 2010 if applicable.
The same will apply to any works of art you are currently contemplating buying. Any sale finalized before the starting date will at least be exempt on the next sale.
Disclaimer
The above is essentially a matter of law, not art. I’m not a lawyer, and don’t fully understand the ramifications and complexity of the situation. This email is offered as a friendly suggestion and not as professional advice. It is made without liability.
Charles Nodrum
Director, Charles Nodrum Gallery
Exhibition - Di Mauro & Hawley
Street\Studio book launch
We’ve managed to keep this pretty quiet - now it’s finally ready.
STREET/STUDIO By Alison Young, Ghostpatrol, Miso & Timba Smits
Featuring work by Niels Oeltjen / Tom Civil / Tai Snaith / Ghostpatrol /
Ash Keating / Al Stark / Miso / Twoone / Mic Porter and the Everfresh Crew
“Through a series of intimate conversations, Street/Studio offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how street art has entered the mainstream and become one of the most collectable new art forms. It offers an unparalleled insight into the work of ten of Australiaís most influential, dynamic and creative artists living in Melbourne.”
Join us for the official launch of Street/Studio
4th of June at 7pm, No Vacancy Project Space, Federation Square Atrium, Melbourne
This will be the first chance to get your hands on this book and have it signed by the artists and authors. A handful of original Ghostpatrol watercolours have been randomly inserted into 10 of the books available on the opening night.
If you can’t make the opening night keep an eye out for:
6 June ::: Sunday 2pm :::
Screening of Exit through the Gift Shop
the new Bansky film at ACMI and panel with Miso and Alison Young, followed by book signing at 5pm
12 June ::: Saturday 1pm :::
Book signing with Miso, Ghostpatrol and Alison Young
Outre Gallery, 249 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
+ surprises
15 June ::: Tuesday 6.30pm :::
Book signing with Alison Young, Miso, Ghostpatrol, Niels and Meggs
Readings Carlton
For those outside Melbourne there will be additional signings around Austrlia annoucned soon on the offical website,
you can also preorder a copy here
OTHER NEWS
- Miso and Ghostpatrol at the National Portrait Gallery
- Ghostpatrol Junior Talk online
- Keep up to with the ghostpatrol ‘deathtron mountain‘ blog
- New ghostpatrol pasteups
- Visit the new Nice Produce website
thanks for reading
-david ghostpatrol
