Debbie Hill
Debbie Hill is a Contemporary Visual Artist from Ballarat, Victoria and chats about her art with Amanda Van Gils.
How long have you been making art?
My art practice began like many others at home, primary school etc…I have been doing it ‘seriously’ for nearly 10 years.
What are the main medium/s you work in…
As a drawer my work is mostly charcoal, but during the last 5 years I have been moving between charcoal, oil pastel and now mostly conte. The charcoal drawings were predominantly done on drafting film which I sometimes had printed first and then worked over the top. I love drafting film as I am able to achieve a ‘velvety’ texture to the charcoal…the one downside is that it is difficult to frame. My current body of work is conte drawings on stretched black cotton which is sometimes stretched over a ready made canvas.
Artist’s statement…
This body of work is a foray into the realms of what we don’t know or understand of events that play out whilst we sleep.
Informed by the ‘bumps in the night’ of childhood and more recent events associated with the greater political world, I have explored the notion of home as both haven and an environment of uncertainty and sometimes fear.
The use of night vision especially in the fields of military action allows others to ‘see’ through the darkness to locate a target, using this idea I have given substance to those childhood fears, while also acknowledging the fears that others face while we sleep.
How do you describe your work, realistic, stylised, abstract, narrative, symbolic, other?
My work covers a range of these descriptors; whilst realistic I also use narrative and symbolism within my work. I try to give my work a number of layers so that the viewer can return and look at my work and see something they haven’t seen before.
Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?
Of course, I don’t think there are many artists who don’t have at least a personal message in their work; it would be quite lifeless otherwise. I have described my work over the last 5-6 years as a juxtaposition of imagery to create a new commentary, with particular reference to current events both religious and political.
What are you currently working on?
I am working towards a two person show that I have coming up at the new SUB 12 Gallery in Newport Victoria. These works are quite different in content to my current show at Red Gallery, they are not as overtly political, but concentrate more on the insecurities of just being.
How important is art for you?
It’s the most important obsession in my life….after my husband and kids. It enables me to find out more about the world and me.
What did you do before or during becoming an artist?
When I left school, no one ever told me that I could be an artist, so I went into something that I thought would keep me involved in art to some degree. I attained an apprenticeship at G.A.F (Government Aircraft Factories) and became the first female to complete a spray painting apprenticeship in Victoria, I loved this job…I painted military aircraft including F111’s ,F18 Hornets, Mirage’s and my biggest claim to fame was painting racing driver Larry Perkins Cessna! I was in this job for 8 years until the recession of the late 80’s and they began to close down government facilities, in one day I along with 600 others lost their jobs.
After that I worked in childcare, moved to a small country town, worked in a dress shop, the deli at Safeway, moved to a bigger country town trained as an Integration Aide working in Primary and Secondary schools. The last 5 years I have been the art technician at a secondary school and doing sessional lecturing in 2D studies at a University.
Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far? (Seeing your work in a particular collection etc…)
It’s impossible to select just one, buzzes happen for different things on different occasions, but the ones that immediately come to mind are my first exhibition outside of art school and the first time I got selected for the Robert Jack’s drawing prize.
Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?
I remember that one of my lecturers said that if you were going to ‘make it’ then you had to be still making serious art in 10 years.
If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why?
A Joseph Beuys blackboard drawing, an Annette Messager artist book, a Kathe Kollwitz drawing, Andre Serrano’s Piss Christ, any Gerhard Richter, Christian Boltanski, Durer, Carravagio or Casper David Friedrich…sorry you said one! They all have something to say.
All artists seem to have struggles, tell us about any you have had.
Self Doubt! That I can achieve in my field especially when I have family who don’t doubt anything I do, I don’t want to let them down, so each day is a struggle to convince myself.
What sort of research and or reference material do you do for current works and has that changed over time?
I do a lot of research, I am forever buried in books, magazines or on the computer trying to find the material that triggers or solves a problem with my work. I do my research mostly at night, so that it doesn’t interfere with my studio time. I have folders with images, stories, poems and other text that I use for inspiration and that can inform my practice, I have always done this and can’t see myself stopping.
Do you hope the viewer will “get” what you are trying to communicate or do you feel compelled to spell it out to them?
I do what I do, if they get it that’s great, if not…well that’s the way it goes. I will if someone asks, give them an idea, but I try not to ‘spell it out’, finding out what they think is part of discovering for them, but also for me.
If you stopped doing art right now would you miss it?
I don’t think I could ever stop…they will put a stick of charcoal in my casket…but then again my casket may end up that stick of charcoal!
If you have been working as an artist for a while, how do you feel about earlier works that are in people’s collections / ownership?
I think most artists dread seeing some of their earlier works, the learning phase you go through from home, University, emerging and beyond will always throw up issues about ‘style’ what you were thinking at that time etc…There are times when I cringe when I see some of my ‘old’ works, but those that have them still enjoy them, so I shouldn’t complain.
I had a work purchased a couple of years ago by the Art Gallery of Ballarat, of the series it was taken from, it was the work I liked least, possibly because I really struggled with it. I was a bit embarrassed because I thought it was rubbish. Last month that work was hung in the Ballarat Artists Gallery, I went to see how it looked on the wall in a different environment than I had seen it…I was surprised it didn’t look as bad as I remembered and there were parts that I actually quite liked.
Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist?
Dante’s Divine Comedy – I’m still getting through it
Is your work process fast or slow?
Slow! Sometimes I wish it could be quicker.
Do you have a connectedness to other art forms?
I love ceramics and sculpture…I’m that person who ALWAYS touches, there is something about holding, touching, feeling the form that makes it special, it’s also why I have an interest in artist’s books.
What is more important to you in your work, content or technique, concept or product?
They are all important in one way or another. Content can be defined by the technique, the idea and the final ‘product’ while sometimes leaving one another, I think require each other to get there.
Have you won any awards?
I haven’t won any awards, but I have received an Honourable mention in the Robert Jack’s drawing prize and a Highly Commended for the Dominique Segan Drawing Prize. Being a finalist in any major prize is great.
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.
I think it’s probably becoming quite important to have a website. Now I must go and get one up and going! Seriously I think it is a great tool it enables the artist to have control over how you want to market yourself, it’s also a good tool for generating a larger audience to your work, including galleries and collectors.
Do you work from life, or from photographs or from imagination or some other method?
All of the above, my imagination is not developed enough to draw directly onto the paper (this is a skill I wish I had), yet it’s able to construct thoughts and images into compositions that I then photograph or set up before I start to draw.
Have you ever made an artistic pilgrimage? If so, where did you go and why?
I was fortunate to have won a travel award in 2004 which enabled me to travel to Europe and meet and live with artists for 5 weeks in West Germany. I was so excited because I was going to see the works of some of my favourite artists Beuys, Kollwitz and Richter in the flesh. I went to K20 Gallery at Dusseldorf to specifically see LOTS of Bueys works, only to be told it had all gone to London for a retrospective!
Fortunately they had a huge Richter retrospective on so I was able to immerse myself in those delicious black and white paintings. I also visited K21 where they have whole rooms set aside for artists such as Christian Boltanski, Nam June Paik and Raymond Pettibon…I think the women thought I was nuts when I wanted to sit in the middle of Boltanski’s room!
I went to Cologne to visit the Kathe Kollwitz Museum only to be told it was closed for refurbishments. Although I got to see the amazing Dom which helped to ease the pain.
I did get to see the Beuys, I travelled to London to the Tate Modern, and it was one of the most amazing exhibitions that I have seen. One of the most unexpected and delightful outcomes came from the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, I had become the artist (at that time) who only wanted to see contemporary art…old stuff was just so yesterday, but my passion for the past returned with a vengeance to see Vermeer and Van Eyck in one room and the mesmerizing Peter Paul Ruebens, Massacre of the innocents was fabulous. I also got to Amsterdam –Rijeksmuseum closed for refurbishments; I was doing well on this front! - and the Vatican museum to see the wonderful Carravagio’s. Seeing these works in the flesh has helped to mould where my practice is going.
Did you have an inspirational teacher, and how did that affect you?
I have had a couple of teachers I admired for their artwork, for their teaching style but mostly for their honesty. I believe that if you’re always told what a ‘wonderful artist’ you are, especially at school/uni you can become inward looking and not explore or challenge your abilities. I still rely on one of these teachers, whom I now call a friend, to critique my works or explorations, but this doesn’t mean I necessarily listen or take on board everything they say. They have helped me to be me.
I understand you are involved with the Art Gallery Ballarat, can you tell us how that came about?
As the majority of my time as a practicing artist has been in Ballarat, I decided I needed to be part of a larger art community. Being in your studio by yourself all the time can be daunting and there are artists who you may never meet if you stay locked away. I was already a member but knew little of the machinations of how a gallery was run and what goes on behind the scenes.
My first step was to join the Association Council and become involved with a sub committee (in my case the openings and lecture series committees), after a number of years I was elected to the executive committee where I now have the position of Vice President, in 2007 I was elected the Board representative for the Gallery council. I am also now involved with the magazine put out by the Gallery on a quarterly basis and take on the editorial role every third publication.
What benefits, if any, do you think there are for artists getting involved with their local regional gallery? (e.g. in terms of knowledge, exposure, their own artistic practice)
Being part of a larger community is a great way to expand your knowledge, understanding and your own art practice. Moving out of your comfort zone to meet and interact with other artists, collectors, and galleries can give you confidence to pursue your art vigorously.
I am sure had I not gotten involved with my Regional Gallery, my understanding of the complexities involved with the ‘art world’ would be much more limited and possibly I may not be as driven, although some may say too much knowledge is a bad thing, I think it’s slides and roundabouts. I found that getting involved with the openings sub committee allowed me to meet a lot more people; every one wants a chat if you’re giving them a drink! As a result I have met some fabulous artists I may never have met otherwise and whom I can rely on for advice and support.
Sourced and Edited by Amanda Van Gills for Steve Gray © 2009+
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9 Responses to “Debbie Hill”
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Fabulous interview Debbie. Was so great to see your show at red gallery. Such clever and innovative work.
Debbie, I feel like a thief. I went to the Kathe Kollwitz museum in Cologne and it was open, but it had been no burning ambition. My cousins live in Cologne so it was ‘just something to do’. Lots of museums in Cologne. My aunt and uncle complained there were too many museusms and not enough multi-storey carparks. Of course I said Hobart has the opposite problem.
Impressed and awed by your showing at Red Gallery,enjoyed the interview and looking forward to the next exhibit
Great interview Deb, such wonderful work at Red Gallery, really inspiring, made me want to go home and do some more work (didn’t though)! It’s amazing what you find on the web, just trawling through bits and pieces and here you are!!!! Good stuff!!!
Thanks everyone, I appreciate all your support.x
New show opening tonight August 21 at the Substation in Newport Vic. Showing with Michelle Zuccolo. New works too.
I really enjoyed reading your interview. It has given me a great insight in how you work. I’m going to get my students to read this. It’s honest and will inspire the students to persevere. That’s what it’s all about. Good on you Deb. You’re doing great.
Fantastic interview
Keep up the good work
Hi Debbie,
So glad to see you are gaining so much pleasure from your wonderful art work.
Your partner and children must be very proud of you.
Your F.I.L. is rapt. X X X.