Fiona Davies

Fiona Davies Lives in Lawson N.S.W. Australia her web site is www.fionadavies.com.au

Fiona, are you currently represented by a gallery?
No. I’ve tended not to follow this up as my work has been primarily ephemeral and site specific - however my work is increasingly object based so I’ve started to think more about it.

How long have you been making art?
In formal terms since I started art school in 1982

What are the main medium/s you work in…
Both site specific installation and object based work

How do you describe your work, realistic, stylised, abstract, narrative, symbolic, other?
I don’t find these categories usually useful in looking either at my work or someone else’s as I tend to then think I know what the work is. However narrative is an important tool in my work.

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?
Yes my work is primarily about either individual or group narratives that are normally excluded from the dominant interpretation of history in my culture or when my culture interacts with another culture. I tend to work in non art spaces.

What are you currently working on?
I am currently working in several areas. A really important one being death. I am working a series of installations and objects relating to my father’s death. These are a series of site specific works located in places which where important to how he defined himself. The first in the series is on the website and is titled Memorial/Double Pump Laplace I, It was installed in an Anglican church in the country town in NSW where both my parents grew up. I am currently working on the third in the series which will be installed in a University college in the UK  and I will then return to Sydney to install the second in the series.

As part of this investigation of death I’ve curated one show called Looking at Others Stage 1 of the Death Project at P.A.S., Parrramatta, Sydney. This process enables me to really look at how other artists are addressing some of the issues I’m interested in. I curated my own work into the show – this can be problematic but I think I got away with it this time. The second stage of this project which is looking at death in popular culture is planned for the middle of 2009. More details of these two shows are on my website under upcoming projects.

I also have a major show planned for Maitland Regional Gallery in N.S.W. later 2009 where I’ll be working with the archives, oral histories etc of the former use of the art gallery building as a TAFE and as a TAFE museum. The amount of research required for this project is significant and I have been in the archives of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, State records, Mitchell Library and TAFE Library for a large part of last year. A large oral history project run in conjunction with the council library will start in a month or so and feed individual’s stories into the work.

Now give us a more descriptive outline on your current works.
A description of the work I’m doing the for the third in the  series about my father is -  The narratives from that last ten and half months of my father’s life that are addressed in this work are focused on the way information is transferred in an intensive care ward. In this situation I could not remember all that was told to me by the staff and at some times I overlaid accidentally overheard information about other patients onto the information we had been given about Dad. The work will consist of both a sound component and an installation. The former law library area will be broken down into a series of smaller rooms accessed through hospital curtained corridors in a similar manner to an asymmetrical maze. The sound component will be multiples of fragments of those overheard conversations. Some will be broadcast from behind the curtains in the corridors, slightly too soft to be able to discern all the words. Others in the internal rooms will be fragments of formal discussions outlining detailed medical information. The sound elements will disrupt the idea of a hospital curtain offering privacy and will play with the rituals around their closing and opening.

How did you get into art?
I used to be very engaged with art when young then when choosing what further study to do after school I convinced myself that I didn’t what to do anything that mostly girls did so I did an Applied Science degree and only got back into art seriously when I was 29.

Your art education was…?
At school I didn’t do Art in years 9 and 10 and got back into it for 11 and 12. When I was 29 I did an undergraduate degree at UWS (this art school is now basically closed as of last year) and postgraduate at Monash.

Was your education helpful, or a hindrance?
My art education was great. I got back into art through glass and then discovered I was most interested in 3D and went from there. I had a very limited exposure to 3D at school.

What did you do before or during becoming an artist?
I’ve worked in science based jobs to earn money since leaving University. I decided I didn’t want to be an art teacher although it is a great way to stay connected with the art world. Sales of my work have been very small as it’s largely been ephemeral and site specific.

Did the place where you grew up have an influence?
Both the narratives of the place and the narratives of my family in those places have had a major influence on my work.

You know you are successful in Visual Arts when…
You are making art.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?
This is an interesting area to think about. I tend to think it’s more an obsession with neatness rather than good or bad craftwork that interferes with my reading of a work.

Do you get to other artists exhibitions, openings etc?
Yes it’s a great way to make sure you see the work and support other artists.

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?
I’ve realised over the years one of the major benefits of the way I work is the rate of rejection is so much lower than for artists who work by the more traditional way of approaching galleries or entering prizes etc. I think I would find the rate of rejection many young artists experience difficult to handle as it appears a lot is delivered thoughtlessly.

Fundamentally I don’t believe in any objective value system to say one artist’s work is always better than another’s so the use of ranking systems like say the Australia Council where the grants applicants are ranked in ‘order” or galleries which rank proposals, This probably says more about the host institution than about the art they are looking at.

I had the experience once of travelling a fair way to show my work to a curator. Unluckily they had just discovered a small part of the funding of their overseas work trip was not going to be forthcoming. They wanted to keep going with the meeting but interspersed it with phone calls frothing about the money. If this had happened to me early on I would have thought it was about me instead I enjoyed it as a performance piece but abandoned any hopes of working with that curator.

What happens to works that “don’t work out”?
Often they are the most interesting in the longer term. I know that sounds really glib but thinking through how it doesn’t work in depth gives you more knowledge about how you think the world works. When you see other art that you think doesn’t work you don’t tend to spend as much time thinking about what to learn from that than with your own work.

What sort of research and or reference material do you do for current works and has that changed over time?
My work as it is often about the constructs of history, relies on the use of archives, oral histories and other historical material. I think it’s an important process as I don’t want to rely on the dominant stories of history or use stereotypes when I’m thinking about what happened.

Over time I’ve realised the importance of getting out of the way in allowing viewer’s to read a work by having what you can, consistent with an historical record.

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 like a level of ambiguity when I’m looking at works so I like to do that in my work. As I work so much in non art spaces I’ve focused on really clear and short artist statements. I tend to locate them not next to the work but say in a central traffic path where the viewer can read them if required.

I had the experience recently of being with the installation in the church in Aberdeen NSW on the opening day. Luckily it was the same day as the opening of the Pumpkin Festival in the town ( by accident not my foresight) so people could come to the installation in the church without it being a big deal, just as part of their day’s activities. So a large number came through.  I spent most of the day talking with people, swapping stories of being with people in intensive care or in hospital. There are so many car accidents in rural NSW that it was a common experience. These viewers really ‘got’ the work and ‘got’ it in terms of their own experiences. This experience has made me think about how I can do this in future.

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?
There’s a study somewhere that says that the average amount of time each work of art is looked at in a gallery is 4 seconds. I’ve always been interested in using spaces that are stopping places in viewer’s  traffic paths e.g waiting areas or congregating areas such as just outside toilets in museums where groups of people meet up again. These spaces are really good opportunities as people are looking to engage with something as they have to be there anyway.

I always like to reward people who look closely or are a bit naughty by say lifting something up to reveal something else underneath.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray Contemporary Artist

Time to say a few words

Dear Visual Arts people… (That means you!) In doing research on the Arts, websites, Artists and various other resources. I have come to the conclusion things are not as easy or simple as they seem.

Lets look at it this way, I have tried (and very carefully thought about) how I would set up my sites so the user could get the info they wanted in what I hope is reasonably effective ways. However in flipping about websites and searching, I find others seem to not have the same thought in mind with their sites.

Now I ask, what’s going on here, wouldn’t you want people to find your site or information on you (Artists especially) easily, and then be able to navigate it readily… Ok some are clearly not “offay” with the idea of being found, in fact many seem to want to bury themselves so deep no one can find them or their works.

Some sites have minimal contact details, some have an email login system that does not work “Type in the security code…” When that does not work, what then? (Simple I give up and go elsewhere…)

Many of the artists I have contacted regarding an interview are ones with websites, (I want to be able to send people somewhere and not just a gallery that represents the artist.) and what do I find, many don’t have one, but the USA artists (many with multiple gallery representation) have them, so guess what, they get contacted. and hey most are very accepting of my approach. On the other hand some of the Aussie artists seem somehow “Non-plussed” by the idea and don’t jump on the idea.

Commercial websites for various art organisations I have looked at, some of them have been woeful in being able to navigate and figure out their forums, send them info on linking to us etc…

In short in these times of “let’s be user friendly” I am left to wonder about the state of play…

Artists, get a web site, and make it simple, sharp and to the point, I want to see your work and find out what’s up.

Galleries, thanks to those that make it easy to get in contact with their artists, you are a blessing.

Art resource sites, please, if you offer contact details for an artist via a link, don’t give me an error page saying I need to be a member… I just take the artists name and google them directly so thanks for the barrier… (What were they thinking?) And while I’m at it, organisations handling taxpayer funded $$, cut the fat and the crap and give the money to artists in easily accessible ways, your admin costs are funds that could make a world of difference, instead the barriers and hassles in making application for funds are simply to hard to bother with (go check out some art forums to validate that!).

It comes down to good old customer service folks, sometimes you don’t know what the customer wants, how they want it and what they will do next… end of story.

Interesting resources

I came across a couple of resources which may be of value, can anyone tell me if they are? esp if you are a member…

http://www.artistcareer.com.au

http://nava.com.au

I found things a little difficult to navigate but the potential seems to be there.

Ok when I sign up to something I expect it to be useable, hell I am reasonably web savvy… So when I get lost in a site trying to figure things out surely others might too, is that good? short answer… no.

Carol Es

Carol Es from Los Angeles, California and is represented by; George Billis Gallery in Los Angeles; Kolesch Gallery in Houston, Texas; Gallerie Urbane in Marfa, Texas.  Her web site is http://esart.com and her blog is http://esart.com/blog

Carol says she has been making art all her life and lists other interests as; Music, Anthropology, genetics, biology, books.

What are the main medium/s you work in… I use manila pattern paper from the garment manufacturing industry with oil paint, pencil, thread and sewing pins.

Your work seems very personal in it’s approach… My work is very personal and dives into childhood trauma. I use lots of Hebrew texts, narratives, personal disclosure, and my background from working in the apparel industry with my family.

What are you currently working on? I am finishing up a handmade Artists’ book entitled “Horsebucket.” It is an edition of 50 books with gouache drawings, hand typed pages and letterpress covers.

Why are you an artist? I really can’t be anything else. Trust me, I’ve tried.

How did you get into art? This remains a mystery to me to this day.

What is your earliest memory of art? The artwork in the waiting rooms of psychiatrist’s offices.

Was art a “thing” that was encouraged in your family? Not at all. I do not come from a family of artists of any sort, which is why I cannot really understand what drove me to forcefully towards art. My family had not seen my work or attended my exhibits until this last year. And it was surreal. They have never really made any comments about my work and I really don’t know if they know what to make of it. I think they think it’s a 30 year “phase” and one day I’ll come to my senses.

What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years? There came a point around 2002 where I changed my process completely after a psychological art experiment. I started to glean my pattern making background into my work and it just began to make sense: “Paint what you know.” My practice then became a methodical ritual, where I could master a process, while still allowing room for the spontaneous. I think it was because I was becoming self-aware and began to understand what my own art was about after so many years of naive painting. I got to a place where I could not move forward and be genuine and honest unless I made a drastic change.

Does the “creative process” happen easily for you? It does, but I’m always worried it won’t.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation? Very. I have a very anal work ethic and don’t half-ass anything and truly appreciate craftsmanship in everything, not just art.

Do you get to other artists exhibitions, openings etc? I do, but it is really difficult to see as many as I would like to or should. I prefer to stay home and/or work. I detest crowds and rather catch the shows on quiet weekdays instead of receptions.

Do you have much contact with other artists? Thank God for email.

Any upcoming or completely new projects you want to talk about? I am hoping 2009 will bring me some time to work on more soft sculpture projects.

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task? It is a lot of work and it takes everything out of me and about a year of planning and working, if not longer, to do it right. In my mind it seems simple, but it winds up being very daunting. Everything has to work together. The space needs to be considered. The scheme, the craftsmanship and details, documentation, lead time for images and press packs, advertising, curator feedback. The time it takes to do so many pieces. Ideas on how to make your show stick out above the dozens of others going on that month. Getting people to come. It winds up being a lot more work than one would think, and at the end of your 4 weeks – that’s it. It doesn’t happen again for a long time and a lot of non-art people may not understand that.

Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why? Paul Klee: for his connection to childlike dreams; Amy Sillman: for her freedom to just paint; Van Gogh: for his visionary outlook on nature.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind? I keep a small notebook on my nightstand to jot down my weird half-asleep thoughts. I also have been working on an on-going journal project where I draw and write on a manila patterns. It could be a sleeve, a collar, a pocket, or a paint leg. They are not planned, they are just my thoughts and feelings that day which come out in words and/or drawings.

What happens to works that “don’t work out”? It rarely happens because I try to salvage everything I start. I can count on one hand how many pieces I have destroyed in the last 800. I probably have 5-10 unfinished things that are still hanging around that I’ll get back to one day.

Do you aim to break the rules of basic composition, layout etc or do you ignore the “rules” and just create? There are never any rules in art.

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 believe that once I am finished making a work of art, it is now out of my hands and not up to me anymore. I do not control how it is interpreted because I have had a totally different relationship with it than the viewer does. It means something to me, but I send it off to sea and let others have it in their own way.

How important is it to you that your work communicates something to the viewer? It is important to me that the work touches someone in someway that is meaningful to them.

What can you say about your work that might not be evident to the viewer? I did not paint this. I do not know who or what did. Yet, I made this. And maybe we have never met, but I love you.

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…? So much that I can’t know how or where to start, but I have been very unfortunate and I have been lucky beyond belief.

If you stopped doing art right now would you miss it? It would be the death of me.

What discourages you from doing art? Deep, dark, dripping, scary, scratchy, freezing, echoing depression.

Have you had much connection post sale with purchasers of your works? Yes, I have a lot of repeat collectors and I would call them friends because it is a relationship we build on.

Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist? “Oh the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Suess.

Is your work process fast or slow? Very slow. Not a great thing in time crunches.

Some artists are more “at home” isolated in their creative process, while others revel in being part of a group to bounce “ideas off” how about you? I much prefer to be alone in a quiet space. I’m isolated for the most part, although I will meet up with friends when I can, but it takes a lot out of me.

What moves you most in life, either to inspire or upset you that might be connect to your art? What inspires me most is seeing lots and lots and lots of art.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out? Listen to your heart, not your parents or your boyfriend, or your teachers, or some poser. You really want to do this? Then take all the risks you need to even if it’s not the easy road (because it’s not going to be.) Be original – don’t copy people, and if you must steal, make it your own somehow, don’t flat out hijack it. Commit yourself to the work, get used to being alone, love yourself – or, at least believe in the part that wants to make art and allow it to. If it’s fame and fortune you seek, look into acting or high-stakes poker.

Interview compiled and edited by Steve Gray ©2008+

Alison…

An amazing “chronicle” of Alisons life thus far… by Jack Radcliffe, for me this is a photographic delight, great moments captured in real life and handed to us to see… perplexing…

If you are into photographing people, check this out, if not, take a look from the development of life side of things… So much said without words.

Auction result in a down market

This just in from one of our early interviewees Hazel Dooney. A great result!

Dooney Painting Exceeds High Estimate At Deutscher-Menzies Contemporary Art Auction

Hazel Dooney’s ten-year-old enamel painting, Drowned Ophelia, was sold last night in Sydney, at Deutscher-Menzies’ high profile auction of contemporary art, for over $A13,000. It was an astonishing result during a deep economic downturn that has impacted heavily on the global art market. With buyers premium and taxes added, this far exceeds Deutscher-Menzies’ ambitious pre-sale estimate of $A10,000 to $A14,000 and represents a strong argument for the enduring investment value of Dooney’s work as one of Australia’s top young female artists. The painting was first sold for around $A1,200.

Of the 300 works by local and international artists that went under the hammer at Deutscher-Menzies, last night, 70 per cent found buyers. The Dooney work was offered for sale by a prominent Sydney collector.

“I have to admit, I was really nervous before the sale,” Dooney said. “There’s been very little good news coming out of auctions overseas, with work by modern masters being passed in or sold at prices well below what they might have been a year ago. I figured my work would also be revalued sharply downwards but as it turned out, this value has demonstrated remarkable robustness.”

The result is even more remarkable when it is considered that Dooney abandoned the traditional gallery system two years ago, quitting major galleries representing her work in Sydney and Melbourne, Instead, she took on the challenge of marketing and selling her work worldwide herself, as well as promoting her own art events, mainly using the web. She is widely acknowledged as the first Australian artist to manage her own career in this way and she has established a wide collector base in Australia, Asia, the USA and the UK.

The next test of Dooney’s success will be at Christie’s auction rooms in London, in less than a week, when her large (2.10m x 1.6m) enamel on board painting, Dangerous Career Babe: The Aviatrix, (below), is included in the sale of Modern And Contemporary Australian Art And South African Art on 16th December, 2008. The renowned auction house’s pre-sale estimate for what is the first of Dooney’s most recent paintings to be offered in the open market is between $A32,000 and $A37,500!

STOP PRES!!!

This just in… 17/12/08

“The Aviatrix Sets New Record At Auction For Hazel Dooney’s Work

Hazel Dooney’s large enamel on board painting, Dangerous Career Babe: The Aviatrix, commissioned earlier this year by a major Australian collector, was sold last night for $A32,701 at Christie’s sale of Modern And Contemporary Australian And South African Art in London. This exceeded the low-end of Christie’s pre-sale estimate and represents a new record for Dooney’s work at auction – an extraordinary achievement during a global economic downturn, especially for a 30-year-old artist who has yet to exhibit in Europe.

Last December, at another Christie’s sale in London, two of Dooney’s early enamel Sports Career Babes, set a new high for her work of over $A23,000.

This is Dooney’s second remarkable auction result in less than a week, this time in one of the world’s most important art market. However, it is an increasingly volatile market, in which the biggest names in Australian and international art are suffering significant revaluations downwards and many works are not selling at all.”

Great result!

Stewart Macfarlane

Since he was 16 years old Stewart Macfarlane has been making Art, he is a mature contemporary artist with many career credits to his name, numerous solo shows, residencies overseas, some teaching and a lot of painting. Currently in Hobart Tasmania, Stewart is represented by Charles Nodrum, Michael Reid, Philip Bacon, United Galleries (Perth).

You can find out more about Stewart from his website here.

Interests you have other than art? Music (check out the website for Stew Lane and you will see JUST how important!)

What are the main medium/s you work in… Painting, Drawing, Lino prints

How do you describe your work? Narrative realism

What are you currently working on? I have 2 exhibitions coming up in the next few months, Brisbane and Sydney.

What fascinates you? People, their vulnerabilities, their beauty and their ugliness.

One word or statement to describe your current works? Urban.

Now give us a more descriptive outline on your current works? My Sydney show will be night paintings. This is one of the few times I have themed an exhibition.

Why are you an artist? I was encouraged as a young teen by my art teacher, (a real artist) who I still see. I imagined that after a struggle, fame and fortune would await.

How did you get into art? I went straight to art school at 16. I then went to NYC to persue my art.

How important is art for you? It is all I seem to be capable of doing with any success.

Your art education was…? Four years in Adelaide at the S.A. School of Art. 2 years in NYC at the School of Visual Arts and 1 year in Melbourne at the Victorian College of the Arts, post graduate.

Have you always been interested in art? Ever since I was about 12 years old.

What did you do before or during becoming an artist? I was a child.

Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far? My residencies at the Roswell Artist in Residence Program (New Mexico, 1987-1991-2007) would be the most significant buzzes of my career.

What is your earliest memory of art? Seeing the Van Gogh paintings in a book my Mother had.

Do you remember your first painting or art work? I remember the first one that got good reaction from my art teacher. It was a baby with a ball. I was 12, perhaps 13.

Was art encouraged in your family? Not really.

Did the place where you grew up have an influence? Yes, because of the galleries I went to.

What or who inspires your art? Capturing heightened images from the everyday.

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 am not sure if it is all worthwhile.

What caused you to work in oils? My teacher got me using them when I was 12/13. Later, I tried acrylics. They seemed plastic and cold.

Has your work changed much since your early efforts? I hope all the years and experience has changed the work for the better. I began by working from photos. From the early 1980’s, I worked from life.

Have your artistic influences altered over time (e.g. artists)? I have moved away from influences. I had several influences when I was young: Nolan, Van Gogh, Drysdale, Hockney, Alex Katz, Edward Hopper

You know you are successful in Visual Arts when… You have enough sales on a regular basis to take an annual holiday overseas, for several weeks and have no worries about the bills.

What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years? It has remained fairly constant. I see something that jumps out at me. I go back and do a drawing or painting of it. I take this to the studio and develop a large work.

Does creativity flow for you? It is not usually easy.

Do you have a personal description of “Art”? Art has been so debased in the past 40 years. Art for me needs to excite me visually, be beautiful and show skills.

Have you had any commissions? Yes, not a lot but several.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation? Very important to me, not important to the art world.

Does the sale of your work support you? Yes, I live on my sales.

Creative streaks do they come in waves for you? I work, whether I am inspired or not.

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task? It piles on the pressure, but that is what it takes to keep afloat.

Some say the lifespan of an “artist” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that? That seems about right. It is very tough.

Tell us about your connection to your subject matter, way of working, concepts etc? I look a lot at life at people’s relationships and their images.

What has been a turning point in your career thus far and why? I do not know about turning points. It seems to be a straight ahead slug.

If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why? An Edward Hopper, ,”Western Motel”, 1957. It describes the contemporary life so well. It achieves so much of what I strive for in a painting., simplicity, story, description, light.

Have you had any “big breaks” in your career? I have several breaks in my career: having a book published on my work: having a survey exhibition at the Brisbane City Gallery: being collected by State Galleries: having great residencies.

All artists seem to have struggles, tell us about any you have had? Being an artist is a long struggle. The art world is not a loyal one. It is ruled by fashion and favouritism. There is no real security. The struggles are on going with occasional periods of reward.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind? Yes.

What happens to works that “don’t work out”? I used to cut them up. These days, I work them into submission.

One thing you wish you had listened to from an art teacher or lecturer? “Don’t be an artist” from David Dridan, my first art teacher.

Do you have a personal philosophy that underpins your work? Do the best I can and keep it singing.

Do you aim to break the rules of basic composition, layout etc or do you ignore the “rules” and just create? I hope I have been instilled with a strong set of rules that come out in my work without effort.

Musical influences? Music is very important to me. I listen to crooners, to rock, to country, to R&B, to jazz, to classical.

What sort of depth or meaning is there behind the work you do? I hope depth and meaning come through in my work. I am not the one to say. I do not purposely put symbols into my work.

How important is it to you that your work communicates something to the viewer? I just want the viewer to connect to the work. The meaning is something that can be individual.

What can you say about your work that might not be evident to the viewer? It is from live subjects and actual places I have lived in or been to.

Has being involved in the arts proven to be a millstone or a point of elation? A millstone in many ways and a point of elation occasionally.

Art is about entertainment, experiment, inventiveness or shock for you? Inventiveness and skill.

If you stopped doing art right now would you miss it? Yes.

What discourages you from doing art? Lack of discretion in the art world.

Is motivation to work an issue for you and how do you overcome it? Yes, I should really be working now, instead of answering this, really! I just cut off a lot of stuff. I don’t have a mobile.

Do you have a challenge knowing when a work is finished? Not really. It seems obvious.

You know you have “made it as an artist” when… You have a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

The value of Visual Arts to you is… I am not sure.

Your first “decent” gallery representation, how did it come about? I was asked.

Your first show at a “gallery” you thought was of value, how was the whole thing for you? Disappointing. My first show was in NYC in 1979. Sales were nil and press nil too.

The business or marketing side of Art can be a challenge to some, what are your thoughts? It needs to be done but it is a time drain.

What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work? A brick through the gallery window as protest.

Have you had much connection post sale with purchasers of your works? Yes, not a great deal though.

Tell us about getting caught in a creative “slump” and how you got out of it? Just go to the studio as if it were your job and do something.

Is your art, “art for art sake…” or a matter of “art for commercial viability?” It has to be a mix of both.

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 always enjoy seeing them after a few years.

Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist? The Short Stories of John Cheever and the Bible.

If someone says to you “Oh your work is decorative and lacks any meaning…” your response would be…? That’s fine. It is hard to be decorative.

Tell us about your studio environment? It has grown too small and plans are now to double it. It is at home.

Otto Dix the German artist said (in part)… “All art is exorcism…” Is that the case for you? If so how… No, it is sometimes celebration and sometimes many other things.

Do the seasons affect your work or work habits? Yes, I like perfect weather to paint. Mild, sunny and no wind.

People around you (family friends etc.) what would they say about the way you work, the moods you have, your life as an artist etc? I get moody before a show and when I am not working.

Some artists are more “at home” isolated in their creative process, while others revel in being part of a group to bounce “ideas off” how about you? Isolated, mostly.

When you get the urge to create art because something has “pushed your button/s” how compelling is it for you? Very.

What is one thing you need to have in your studio before you work? Materials.

Do you prefer a perfect smooth technique or a more energetic expressive technique and why? More energetic, I like to see the surface as a part of the enjoyment of a painting.

How important is society, culture and or history to your work? Culture and society are important. I want some reflection of these in my work.

From your early beginnings at art school to now, how have things altered for you? I have grown up.

Is the making of art all it was “cracked up to be”? No.

How do you think art can change people or their perceptions? I don’t think it can.

Have you won any awards? Yes, a few.

Do you go into any contemporary art prizes, if so why? Not often but sometimes. It is not easy to stop other projects and focus on a subject for a prize. The chances of winning are slim and the time and cost are great.

Are you the sort of artist that seeks out promotional opportunities or one that shuns the limelight? To survive, one needs to seek out a certain amount of limelight, whether one likes it or not.

Technology (websites and social networking sites to name a few) seems to be an important marketing too,l is that the same for you? They seem to be necessary now, but they consume a lot of creative time, so they are a bit of a curse.

Do you aim to make “masterpieces”? No, I just slog on.

What is your working routine? I do not work late at night. I work from 10 am till 6.00 pm.

What do you love/hate about being an artist? I hate the art world and the people in it generally.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out? Choose another career, or if you are callous enough, go right ahead.

Have you ever made an artistic pilgrimage? Yes, to Washington to see the Edward Hopper retrospective in 2007.

What do you think sets you apart from other artists in your approach to work etc… My sense of light and my consistency.

An Archibald Journey

The following article is By Victorian Artist Peter Biram chronicling some of his “Archibald Journey” thanks Pete for your fascinating look at the Archibald Portrait Prize (An Australian Artistic Institution), this is a fantastic chance to see behind the scenes from an artists perspective… Take it away Pete…

Steve Gray

There is something special about the magic and frustration of the big prize known as the ‘Archibald Prize - My journey concerning entering the Prize over the past couple of years, has been a ‘double edged sword’. A story of joy and reward, and of disappointment. I feel with this statement I have just summed up the art world. But first let me take you back to the beginning, why enter the Archibald? Some say it’s “Nothing more than a chook raffle”, while other say “It’s the dunny of Australian art… attracting entries like odor attracts flies”.

I don’t share this view point, however a can see some strength in their argument. At the end of the day I feel the true strength of the argument lies in the fact we are opening up a wider avenue of dialogue, this in turn has to be good for Art.

Before I share my story with you it may be valuable to underpin this essay with a little background on the history of the Archibald…

The Archibald Prize originated with a charitable bequest endowed by Jules Francois Archibald in 1916. His will stipulates a portrait painted by any artist resident in Australasia, preferably of some one distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics.

Jules François Archibald (1856 - 1919),

The Archibald Prize has a litigious history with many of its defining moments in the Courtroom. The most significant of these was the 1943 Dobell case in which artists challenged the winner on the grounds the work by Dobell was a caricature rather than a portrait. Less famous but possibly more importantly, the Bloomfield case, in which the Art Gallery Trustees took an artist to court when they found he had not painted the portrait from life.

Their position appeared to be in the interests of fairness and their legal obligations under the terms of the bequest the matter required Court action. No award in history has caused so much controversy as the Dobell case in 1943 over the Joshua Smith portrait, since then a lot of brave attempts have been made to be controversial, the Brett Whiteley Portrait, Self – Portrait in Studio, I felt hits the mark.

Each year the entry form is headed by an invitation by the Art Gallery of New South Wales trust to artists to ’submit paintings in competition for the Archibald Prize’. They then quote the words of Archibald in which he mentions ‘painted’ and then they quote from the Bloomfield case judgement and state that ‘For the purposes of this Prize, the Trustees apply the definition of a portrait as determined in the judgement of 1983: “a picture of a person painted from life”.’ So each year the hunt is on sitters of note wanted to be painted and artists searching for the sitter “of note” hoping that the choice of sitter will give the artist an edge and will catch the judges eye.

Many Archibald contenders go to a great deal of trouble to seek out their sitters; some subjects being closely guarded secrets. There is no doubt a famous and well-liked public figure may increase an artist’s chances of being hung. As a challenge to myself some years I selected a worthy yet generally unknown subject, In  2007 I painted a good friend I have known more than 20 years. We moved into our house about 20 years ago and that’s when I met Robyn who lived next door.

Portrait of Dr Robyn Arianrhod 2007 Oil on Canvas

The background of the portrait was born out of our long-term friendship and the professional respect I have for Robyn - this is my fourth year of entering the Archibald portrait competition, and being both a writer and a scientist, Robyn is a perfect subject under the Archibald rules.

Both Robyn and I have a love and concern for the environment and I’ve tried to convey this in the painting. Robyn is sitting in a ‘personal space’ (being in a private garden). The garden represents a ‘micro’ response to ‘land use’ and this is contrasted with the ‘macro’ response in the right hand panel.

The composition is broken into two halves, in order to symbolize “mathematical balance”. There is also contrast between strength and femininity and an interesting juxtaposition of sensuality and the stereotypically male-dominated environment of mathematics.

The right side of the portrait contains a landscape, on one level it is juxtaposed against the portrait offering an extension as a narrative to the portrait; on the other hand it operates as a ‘stand alone’ landscape in its own right, the landscape reads as on the following layers -

1. Mark making - On this level the viewer processes the work on a surface level, that is to say the paint texture and colour of the work. The work at this level can be read in decorative terms.
2. Subject - At this level the viewer reads the work as a landscape, within this framework the observer can interpret the geometric forms as pure decoration.
3. Conceptual Narrative - The current  body of work exploring the theme of ‘land ownership’ and ‘usage’ within an environmental framework. This relationship includes traditional and non-traditional interaction with the land. For example, within this theme of land ownership I am exploring the pressure placed on the land in an environmental sense both in a western/ European standpoint (the ‘Triangle’) and the koorie perspective, (the dots).

Within this theme I am exploring the fine balance that exists in the natural environment. This is to say “Order & Chaos” found within nature and the balance of power shifting between the two states.
The composition is deliberately broken into two sections symbolizing the two states of  chaos & order, the fine balance of nature is placed under pressure re land “caretakership”.

Within this framework I have explored both contemporary ownership symbolized by the triangle in the bottom half of the composition.(from a European standpoint)

The ‘hard edged’ nature of the triangle also represents past civilizations (the pyramids of Egypt) this presents a symbol of ‘land ownership’ in the sense of ‘branding’ the land.
I choose the triangle/pyramid shape because of its direct contrast to the soft organic nature of the bush motif. This also symbolizes human kind’s influence on the natural landscape.

The two triangles “together” also read as a symbol for a ‘black hole’ within the context of a universe the top triangle is a symbol for Steve Hawking’s theory on the ‘Dual Universe’. I use this as a metaphor for “Order & Chaos” and how one juxtaposes one against another, that is to say, as human beings our nature is to explore, from a ‘micro’ level, our backyard, to a ‘macro’ level our universe.

Myself & Robyn in front of the Portrait in the studio Above: the 2007 Archibald entry

Part of entering the Archibald, I believe, is the opportunity to raise ones profile, this seems to be a sticking point for many artists, and the question of how many hours in the week do I devote to the quest of building ones profile. Some say 50/50, others put aside one day a week others two, at this point I am not going to explore this question as this topic would produce another essay to do it justice. However I have found on the question of raising ones profile, the Archibald gives quite an advantage, to date I have not been successful as being selected as a finalist for the Archibald, but I have been selected as a finalist (five times) for the Salon Des Refuses. (Melbourne)

The Artists who submit for the Archibald and are not hung, are invited to submit the rejected work for the Salon des Refuses, which is in the tradition of the French impressionists of the 1860’s who held a breakaway exhibition from the French Academy.

In 2007 I was very fortunate, as not only was my portrait of Robyn selected for the Salon Des Refuses but also a portrait of myself painted by one of my students and now dear friend and artist Ursula Theinert

Myself & Ursula at the opening of “The Hidden Faces of the Archibald” Exhibition 2007

This was indeed special as I was able to share good fortune with my friends and family returning to the question of increasing ones profile, such is the power of the Archibald as one can tap into publicity even by absence of success in being a finalist in the big prize. I suppose at the end of the day the Archibald enables the emerging Artist to “make it” within certain circles of the art world.

Opening night of ‘The hidden Faces of the Archibald’

In 2009 I wanted to draw an analogy between sport and art, so I picked a sports star who had reached the top of his profession but I also wanted to pick someone who experiences the same frustration as I do.

Nathan’s broken records but hardly anyone knows about him. Despite holding the world record for the 50km walk, Nathan has been starved of the lucrative sponsorship and advertising opportunities that so many Australian sports people are afforded. If he was a swimmer of a footballer he’d have no problem. But he’s gone into debt and had to sell his car to keep himself going. I just think it’s tragic.

Nathan has seemingly been blocked out of the Australian sporting mainstream, emerging artists face a similar battle to have their work taken seriously among a host of perennial Archibald finalists.

I think a lot of people have been locked out of the Archibald, because by the time you get all the leading portrait painters together, there might only be room for one or two wildcards (in the final exhibition).

2008 Archibald entry “Nathan Deakes, Race Walker”

Myself standing in front of my painting of Nathan at the Salon Des Refuses, (the hidden of the Archibald)
and in the studio.

In 2006 the entry contained a little political bite, I painted  Channel Ten newsreader Mal Walden, kicking back after a bit of gardening, still resplendent in gumboots and shorts, holding a shovel with his fluffy little dog Gypsy to the side. Down next to the dog, is a seemingly innocuous rabbit, painted by Jessica, my daughter. Well, that rabbit has extra political bite, it was a comment on - level playing field, it’s not.

I entered the Archibald Prize before, but my portrait of media personality Roland Rocchiccioli was rejected.
The rabbit was my comment on the Archibald Prize entry process, where seemingly artists outside a certain circle of regular entrants are often “locked out”. A few years ago an artist entered a painting of a rabbit into the Archibald Prize, which is for portraits of a man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics.

The Archibald is for paintings of distinguished people so how could a rabbit be in the Archibald? If the rabbit was used as a direct metaphor connected to the sitter I could understand, however at the time I thought the conceptual content regarding the choice of motif was a little ambiguous.

I think it’s the same every year, the same old names; Kerrie Lester, Jenny Sage, Robert Hannaford, Gary Shead. Their work is good but it’s the same artist’s every year.  What is this saying? That there’s no new talent in portrait painting in this country?  However I don’t want to be seen as having sour grapes about being rejected last year. It is simply saying “Try to open up a critical discourse and dialogue”. I like to describe the criticism as a “double edged sword”.

The Archibald is about controversy and I love the Archibald because we can criticise it. That’s what I love about being Australian, we like having a go at the establishment and while I worship the Archibald - and would worship it even more if I won it - it should be able to stand up to criticism. An artist’s job is to act as a commentator on what’s happening.

I think most artists probably feel the same way as I do (about the Archibald Prize) but if they feel they’re being gagged then they’re not doing their job. However my entry is not simply a criticism of the Archibald Prize, It’s multi-layered, it’s basically about Mal’s passion which is gardening.  Secondly, it’s about personal space and changing. The painting is about how nothing stays the same on a personal level, in a changing garden.

Then on a macro-level things are changing. In Australia there’s environmental change, pressure on land created by how we use it, as well as issues such as salinity and clear felling. And as for that little rabbit, the innocent little bunny that represents criticism of the Archibald Prize, there is another story behind it. When I knocked on Mal’s door, this cute little dog came bounding down the hallway. I straight away thought I wanted to paint the dog. The dog had a toy rabbit in its mouth.

An article from the Melbourne Age 2006 with the portrait of Mal Walden

At the end of the day I believe it’s about giving it a go, its like theatre, the stage, performing to an audience, putting all on the line and waiting for feedback, if any.

As you can see in the above article, Peter encourages his students to be involved in the Archibald prize, to see more evidence of this take a look at this link. Scroll down on that page to see the articles and learn more about artists and students at work. Particularly of interest is this from a Gippsland Victoria Regional TV station.

Sculptural intent

The guys over at Post Industrial Design have launched their website. It’s great to have a sculptural focus in amongst all our 2D works. If you like quirky steel and other constructions that really are Post Industrial you will find great value in checking out Jos Van Hulsen’s works.

Leonie Ryan

Leonie Ryan is an emerging Australian contemporary artist, from Nilma Victoria who works in 3D installations. Leonie has been making art for 9 years and  more details can be found on her website.

Lateral Rhythms, Time Follies, past, present and future, 2005.

Leonie, do you have an Artist’s statement?
Through Installation art I explore distort, amplify fantasize and create a visual language for an audience eager to ignite imagination. My future direction is to extend my knowledge in the arts, ongoing practice, perfecting, discovering, inquiring and exhibiting, searching not for truth but for an array of options of what if, how, why, where, when and who.

Interests you have other than art you feel are important to mention?
I am interested in people their perspectives and points of view. I love to travel anywhere and everywhere. Travel stimulates my conscious, subconscious and my soul. I’m also interested in science geography and alternative processes.

How do you describe your work?
Stylised abstract and symbolic. I work on a metaphysical level.

What are you currently working on?
My latest exhibition is titled ‘Aeracura’ which means blossoming. The body of work is 2 & 3D.

I am also completing a body of work tilled ‘Planetary Expedition 43’, a digital photographic journey into fanciful and abstract space.

Aeracura,08       Astral face blue,08      Space enigma,08    Vortex black & white,08

What fascinates you? Living on Earth, the magic and mysteries, which surround us.

Why are you an artist?
We are all artists; it’s just that some of us choose not to practice.

How important is art for you?
Art is an incredible energy force that is embedded in my fibres, my mind and my soul. Art is a essential part of my life.

Your art education was…?
I have a diploma in visual arts and media and working towards Masters in visual art and design.

What did you do before or during becoming an artist?
As a child and in my teen years I always played around with art. In my twenties I managed my own cafe, got married had three lovely baby boys. In my early thirties I studied and practised performing art, also photography. I commenced my practice as a visual artist nearly 10 years ago.

Dynamism, 05                                       Mamma Natura, 06               Lateral Rhythms, Old man time, 06

What is your earliest memory of art?
My very first day at kindergarten; I arrived kicking and screaming, I really didn’t want to be there. The teacher showed me an easel with paper and red paint and suggested I give it a try; I settled into the kindergarten scene straight away.

Was art a “thing” that was encouraged in your family? Definitely, my mother is an artist; when I was very young I remember her painting with pallet knife and using oil paints. I enjoyed the smell of oil paint and linseed oil. My mother always designed an assortment of works of art, utilizing various mediums throughout our home. Mum now writes.

What or who inspires your art?
Life, Earth, science, lots of weird stuff, people, many artists in many genres and me.

What caused you to choose the medium you currently work in?
I’m an installation artist I work with anything and everything.

You know you are successful in Visual Arts when…
I think you can define success when you have a go at achieving your goals, when you reflect on your achievements, acknowledge your current existence, dream and set goals for your future. When you tell yourself you are successful and you believe wholeheartedly and unconditionally you are, then you are a success. I believe the only way to measure success is on an individual level.

Creative streaks do they come in waves for you?
I am an idea’s girl. My creativity runs at a constant level. My strength is innovation and creative concepts.

Flower of the West, (small), 06        Earth science & linguist fusion, Dynamism disc, 07

Do you get to other artists exhibitions, openings etc?
As often as I can, especially the artists who I admire for various reasons. I also take pleasure in attending and supporting all my artist friends’ exhibitions along with visiting State, National and International galleries.

What can you tell us about your connection to your subject matter, way of working, concepts etc?
It’s diverse, because I am interested in so many things and choose to explore various ideas. There are many levels to my relationship with my subject matter, it’s much like the various levels in relationships I have with people. My concepts grow and develop over time, from an idea into a sketch into a design, then physically in the studio. I enjoy the process of the concept merging and developing, it gives me the same sensation of watching sea monkeys grow, or the illusion of magic, or even as simple as a cake rising as it bakes in the oven. I think it’s the unknown and mystery of what will happen, the unfolding of events and end result.

All artists seem to have struggles, tell us about any you have had.
I struggle with humility in various ways; I would like very much to develop this admirable and beautiful quality.  My struggles all relate to my own development as a person. I cannot disconnect myself from my art; therefore any struggles I experience in life are connected to my art. I challenge myself to utilize past, present, and future problems as learning references and resources, which can be a struggle sometimes too.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind? Absolutely, my visual journal is an invaluable resource and reference. I enjoy revisiting old concepts and reflect on my development.

Any musical influences?
No surprises here, I enjoy a wide genre of music. In my studio I have a record player  I enjoy listening to old records, harp music, Sonny & Cher, classic, jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, alternative music, sounds from space, whale songs, Brian Ferry there really is a vast mix amongst my collection.

What sort of depth or meaning is there behind the work you do?
My art has many layers. I am happy for any viewer to reach their own perspective and view point, in fact its cool hearing other alternatives. I utilize symbols a lot, I believe we live in a fast world; symbols are a fast way to communicate complex messages.

How important is it to you that your work communicates something to the viewer?
I love it when a viewer gets what I’m aiming to communicate, however if the viewer doesn’t get the concept and instead they are stimulated one way or another, I’m pleased. I enjoy explaining my concepts especially through artist presentations, responses are often quite surprising.

Art is about entertainment, experiment, inventiveness or shock for you?
Art is about any one or all of the above for me both as the viewer and as the artist.

Self Portrait, 08             the flamboyant Mr. Peter Biram, 08

You have been working as an artist for a while, how do you feel about earlier works that are in people’s collections / ownership?
Earlier works are a representation of where I was in a period of time. Naturally we believe we advance in skill, knowledge, concepts and technique over time, in alignment with progression. We can never truly deny our past; our past is what gets us to where we are today. Earlier work and collections are a crucial element whether I feel good or bad about the work; it must be accounted for, and measured as importantly as current works. If I do my absolute best in a work of art no matter when in time, I know I will be happy in years to come.

Do the seasons affect your work or work habits?
I work all year round and have a good size studio, although I do find Autumn and Spring ideal. I don’t have to think about heating or cooling and epoxy resins set best during the more moderate climate.

Do you have a connectedness to other art forms?
I connect to nearly all art. I appreciate someone who put’s energy into something creative with purpose or meaning, whether it be a stick figure on a black board or a magnificent marble statue.

What is more important to you in your work, content or technique, concept or product?
I think all of these elements are very important. I strive to apply all and to deliver conceptually interesting and quality works of art.

How important is society, culture and or history to your work?
Society, culture and history are all relevant in my installations, though they are more a subconscious element to me rather than intentional or planed.

How do you think art can change people or their perceptions?
Art opens up realms’ of ideas that other people may not have considered. Art can bridge mighty gaps and connect anyone from commonplace to Royalty.

Centipede, 07

When you create your work is it somehow an emotional relief as you do it or at the end?
The emotional connection begins at the beginning and never ends.

What is your working routine? Do you listen to music while you work, or stay up late for instance?
I always make lists, time lines, schedules for the production of my art. I find I achieve far more when I create lists, I am very ambitious and dedicated. I prefer to begin working in my studio in the morning and rarely stay up late; my head gets very fuzzy towards the later hours of day.  I usually work form 9.am until 5.pm because I have teenage boys and I like to be around when they get home from school. I also work between 2-5 hours a day on weekends. I often play music in the studio, I feel music resinates into the art pieces giving it rhythm.

What do you think sets you apart from other artists in your approach to work etc…
This is a wonderful question it delves deep into uncomfortable regions of the psyche. If the question is intended to my approach and end result, I think from what I’ve experience, many people aren’t sure what to make of my art, there is little reference or comparisons with my art with other art. This suggests my work is not average or predictable; I’m yet to discover what it does mean. Internally my resource is foreign even to myself, though I completely trust my internal source, it comes from somewhere beyond. I believe each and every artist has a unique approach to their own work meaning we are all distinctively set apart.

Earth science and linguistic fusion, 07.  Latrobe regional gallery.

One word or statement to describe your current works?
Metaphysical.

What can you say about your work that might not be evident to the viewer?
Keep metaphysical in mind.

The business or marketing side of Art can be a challenge to some, what are your thoughts?
I strongly recommend a book titled, How To survive & prosper as an Artist, selling yourself without selling your soul, by Caroll Michels. This book is an invaluable tool with fantastic information for anyone who is practicing as a professional artist.

Ursula Theinert Emerging Artist

In a follow up to a previous post on Ursula Theinert as she took us step by step through her first solo art exhibition, we now have her interview. For art enthusiasts everywhere wanting to know more about the process of starting out through to emerging as a contemporary artist, here is “part 2″ of the process from Ursula’s viewpoint. Steve Gray.

Ursula lives in peaceful Callignee which is South of Traralgon on the way to the beautiful Tarra Bulga National Park, she is an emerging contemporary artist…
www.ursulatheinert.com.au

Ursula, can you give us an “Artists Statement”?
I like to call myself an Environmental Expressionist, because my work explores the relationship between human kind and the environment.
My focus is on the profound spiritual connection we have with nature and the duality of our behavior to our world.  I draw my inspiration from the Australian bush around my home, amid remote farms, plantations and quarries.

My work looks at the disfigurement done to the land, and in order to heighten passion and empathy I express the landscape in human terms, as a living entity.  My current series relates to the dichotomy between managing our forest and the environmental harm that results. My work attempts to highlight some “hidden” realities in our forest management practices that I became aware of during the walks and drives around my home. It fascinated me that on the “surface”, plantations of often alien species may give the impression of environmentally positive outcomes, however on closer scrutiny they lead to “deserts” under the canopy for native flora and fauna.
I feel that the challenging environmental issues facing us, requires us to look closely at our land use practices with fresh eyes and lateral thinking.

This heightened appreciation of the countryside has been influenced by living overseas for eleven years. I traveled to Bahrain in 1992 with my husband and son and taught in a small International school.  We enjoyed the full and rich experiences of living as an expatriate, which included visiting many European and Middle Eastern destinations.  On returning home to Australia, due to the second Gulf War, I began a Diploma of Visual Arts and a Certificate IV in Ceramics at GippsTAFE, in the Latrobe Valley.  This homecoming has definitely intensified my love and respect for our unique country, and a growing awareness of the beauty and fragility of the global environment.

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?
It does have social and political messages because I am genuinely concerned about the challenging environmental issues that confront and threaten our global future.  I believe that many problems can be helped simply through seeing what is often hidden and rethinking certain mindsets and finding improvements in the way something has always been done in the past.  Humans are adaptable and innovative and I have faith that problems can be overcome when there is an awareness of certain realities and the will for change.

There is a quote from Henry James which I feel relates and encapsulates my feelings about the need I have for my work.
” Despite the rejection of bold claim, art remains subversive —not because it demands revolution but because it illuminates life’s resonant meaning which is normally hidden, and which exposes the limitations of, rather than contradicts, society’s straight forward assumptions. “
I certainly don’t have the answers but I think it is important to begin the discussion.

What are you currently working on?
I am very excited about my next project which is to be involved in a group show called 4 the Love of Green with two fellow artists and friends, Kerrie Warren and Leonie Ryan.  We all share a love of the environment and love of art.  It is still in the early stages but we want and feel a need to create an intrinsic and powerful exhibition that expresses our own perspectives and values within our own styles and mediums. Hopefully, this exhibition will connect with the viewer’s perspective and will create an emotional experience and an awareness of alternative thoughts.
The plan is for the exhibition to travel to Regional galleries to promote discussion within the communities and to highlight the importance of the interconnectedness of our environmental choices to ourselves, families, communities, country and the world.
I am also in the process of organizing another exhibition of my ‘Forest Management’, exhibition at the Libby Edward’s Gallery at Jink’s Creek Winery, which is a great thrill.  The address is Tonimbuk Road, Tonimbuk (55 minutes East of Melbourne), and will be exhibited from about the middle of December.  I will post the firm date soon.
There is a video you can view of some of Ursula’s photographic works http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=UZCrjOMhKm4

What fascinates you?
This is a difficult question but I am attracted to the “hidden” and the “surface” aspects of issues.  I am also amazed at the profound spiritual connection we have to nature.

One word to describe your current works?
Otherworldliness.

Now give us a more descriptive outline on your current works.
My current works are a further exploration into forest management and they are based on my photographs on pine plantations.

My paintings are acrylic on canvas, which can be read as a triptych or separately.  The paintings represent the “natural forest”, the “alien plantation” and the “devastation of the harvest”.  Each painting contains elements of spirituality, otherworldliness and Mother Earth.  As I said before these paintings are based on my photographs which were in black and white, negative prints and solarizations that conceptually linked the consequences of our actions.  The photographs are connected and mirror-imaged to suggest reflection and to highlight the panoramic vista and drama of what we have created.

The spirituality became obvious in the mystical interconnections of the photographs and I felt compelled to extend these images through Environmental Expressionism.  I wanted to tap into the subconscious spiritual bond that connects me to nature through the use of texture, colour and intrinsic emotion.

Why are you an artist?
I am not sure; it just seemed to become part of my life’s journey.  It wasn’t something that I deliberately planned; it all began when I wanted to learn ceramics.  The TAFE College experience was a stimulating one, and gave me opportunities to discover ceramics, photography, drawing, sculpture and painting.  I became hooked on the creativity and the freedom of expression that opened up for me, and now feel almost driven to create and question.

Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?
I have been extremely lucky in my art career because I have had several wonderful experiences.  I entered the Archibald Prize three times, with the encouragement of my art teacher Peter Biram.  I first painted my accomplished ceramicist teacher, a Master Potter, Chris Myers.

Then in 2007 I painted Peter Biram, and thirdly, my friend, and abstract artist, Kerrie Warren.  Even though I was unsuccessful in becoming a finalist of The Archibald, the portraits were accepted into the Salon des Refuses, which was thrilling.  And to top it off, last year I had the honour of being asked to sit for an Archibald Portrait, by Janette Arnold-Collins, which also got into the Salon des Refuses.
This year I shared my first photographic exhibition with my husband, Werner, which was very special and touching, because we could share the experience together.

And lastly, just last week I had my first solo exhibition at the Latrobe Regional Gallery, in Morwell, which was always one of my goals and turned out to be a dream come true.

Was art a thing that was encouraged in your family?
Yes, I was very fortunate to feel that art was an extremely important part of life and learned a great deal of art appreciation from my father.  He is a wonderful drawer, and talked about his dream,  long ago, to become an artist, but because he had to provide for his family, a choice many other people find themselves in, he put that wish aside.  He always encouraged me to draw, and look closely at nature and we spent many hours enjoying art books together and going to exhibitions.

What or who inspires you?
I think nature inspires me and a need to express our connection to the world around us.  I am also inspired by many artists like, Edvard Munch, Arthur Boyd, Mark Rothko, Jan Senberg, Susan Norrie, Peter Booth, Rick Amor and Mandy Martin, the list could go on.
But I also feel that inspiration for me is coupled with being able to work within a supportive environment.  I have felt this type of encouragement by the many wonderful fellow students, teachers, like Peter Biram and Chris Myers and friends, like Kerrie Warren and Leonie Ryan and my husband who all have stimulated ideas with their discussions and talented work.

How important is it to you that your work communicates something to the viewer?
I feel that this need to communicate with the viewer is extremely important to me.  Not in the terms of total understanding of what I am trying to say, but rather that the viewer connects with the work on an emotional level.

Are there special aspects to the making of your work that you want to share?
What I find almost magical about making my work is that while I am in a particularly focused process of mark making I feel as though I go into a type of meditative state.  When I become aware of my work again I marvel at the results because they have somehow come from within my subconscious. When this altered state occurs I feel particularly close and true to my work.

Do you have a connectedness to other art forms?
Yes, I definitely do.  I have felt connected to all the art I have undertaken.  My ceramics and sculpture work were such a tactile experience that you can lose yourself in the work and I enjoyed all the 3 dimensional problems that had to be overcome.  The ceramic work also required a great deal of skill attainment, like throwing on a wheel and learning about glazes that also took you to a new level of understanding of the creation of an aesthetic object.

Photography has opened up a whole new medium which helps push my exploration into human kind and nature and my personal journey which I can then extend further in my paintings by the use of texture and colour and through my emotional energy, hopefully, create my own individual instinctual expression.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Well I feel that there are several factors that have worked for me. To begin with I think it is necessary to see yourself as an artist even as a student, with the experiences and education at school as a vital part of your artistic life journey.  With that attitude in mind I decided to immerse myself in all the different mediums on offer.  As a mature aged student I was able to not feel the same amount of time constraint as other students and had the luxury of being able to extend my course.  That meant that I took my time and focused on one or two art forms at a time and tried to learn as much as I could about them.  Then I moved onto other forms and did the same again.  To me each medium gave me invaluable creative experiences which helped open different perspectives and approaches to solving problems. In this preparation, the insights studied in art history were invaluable and of course remain a lifelong quest for more knowledge.  I found that by going through this multi-layered learning process it enable me to find my true direction.
It is also important to learn about the art industry and to consider yourself as a professional artist in your art practices and to be passionate about what you do.  Buy the best canvases and paint you can afford.  Have business cards, trifolds and a website as soon as you can, and remember to consider the point of view of the gallery, or media representative.
It is hard work to be an artist and it helps a great deal if you surround yourself with stimulating, like-minded people who are supportive and sharing.  I believe that creativity grows when you feel safe and accepted and most importantly, you must reciprocate those kindnesses.

Have you ever made an artistic pilgrimage? If so, where did you go and why?
While I lived overseas my family and I had many holidays in Europe and were fortunate to go to the many extraordinary galleries in Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and Athens, and many other wonderful destinations.  They were awe inspiring and moving. We also went to nearly every cathedral in each of these countries.  My husband and I were captivated but it was a little harder to convince our young son of the educational merit of the excursions! Now our son is in his twenties, he fondly looks back at his holiday experiences and realizes what a fabulous journey of discovery they were for us all.

Want to chat to the artist? Go to the comments link just below this and ask away!

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray

Amanda van Gils

Amanda van Gils is an established Melbourne Victoria painter working in oils. She is represented by, Schubert Contemporary in Qld, and is about to have her first exhibition with Jenny Port Gallery in Melbourne and is also about to join a new gallery in Sydney, you can see more about her, on her website

Amanda has entered numerous art prizes and been the finalist in most, she has a Graduate Diploma of Visual Arts and a number of exhibitions to her credit.

NEWS FLASH! During December Amanda has an exhibition titled ‘Views from a Speeding Train’ which will be at the Jenny Port Gallery in Richmond (Albert St). The exhibition will open on Wednesday 3rd December and continue to December 21st

Artist’s statement…
My work aims to engage with the longstanding tradition of Australian landscape painting yet offer a contemporary take on the genre. Through my work I aim to explore our dynamic psychological relationship to the world around us.
In the past I have explored the idea of people’s place in the environment through various permutations, primarily: the absence of people, people disconnected from the landscape, and moments observing others (most often children) at imaginative play creating their own space. In doing this, I have experimented with juxtaposing elements in unexpected settings to invert traditional notions of perspective and perception.
The landscapes in my works are not grand landscapes, they are small and familiar; these places are part of our everyday lives and they inform our understanding of the world. My paintings share their quietness, yet I draw on the unpredictable and the anomalous to explore how we respond to them.

My current body of work View from a Speeding Train, moves the figure off stage; the viewers are given the view of the landscape yet are drawn to the narrative of the viewer within the painting (the unseen person looking out the window). This interplay between movement and stillness, outside and inside, encourages the observer to make choices in their reading of the paintings that ultimately link to their own specific relationship to place.

What are you currently working on?
Finishing off a few paintings for my next solo exhibition, which is opening very soon on 3rd December at Jenny Port Gallery. They are essentially landscapes viewed through time with multiple layers of meaning.

Do you have one word or statement to describe your current works?
Movement.

Now give us a more descriptive outline on your current works.
I guess it is a meditation on painting, and using high speed travel as a metaphor to create images of the rapid glimpses captured as we hurtle through the world. A strange and subtle melancholia - as in a sense that none of us can be sure of where  ‘times’ are leading - metaphorically, spiritually, politically, economically - just this fast train we are all on in the early 21st century.

How did you get into art?
Quite by accident. When I was 15 I went with a friend to an art school open day just for something to do, we went our separate ways and I wandered into the painting studio. The smells were somehow just magical to me and that was it, I started drawing the next day and applied to the local TAFE to study art.

Your art education was…?
Fascinating, informative, sometimes lacking, sometimes melodramatic but always worth every minute.

What did you do before becoming an artist?
There was no before as I started straight from school. But there has been - in between and alongside - quite a few jobs; I spent a number of years working part time in Human Resources in management and consulting roles while also painting and exhibiting.

Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?
Just recently getting selected for four pretty good prizes in a row with my new work.

What is your earliest memory of art?
A Russel Drysdale print that hung in my parents bedroom

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?
It’s important when it is important to get the idea across. Craftsmanship purely for the sake of craftsmanship can lead to some hollow work so I see it as only part of the equation.

Have you had any “big breaks” in your career?
So far it’s been more baby steps than any “big breaks”. I have had to work hard for every small break that has come my way, a big break would be nice…..

Do you get to other artists exhibitions, openings etc?
Yes definitely. I try to get along to friends openings to show support but most openings conflict with baby bedtime routines so I don’t get to as many as I would like. Generally I go to exhibitions outside of openings so I can see the work.

Musical influences?
Music has always been important to me – music and literature nourish the parts that visual can’t always. I always have music on and have a fairly wide collection of music depending on my mood, but I must admit I have been painting to The Go Betweens ever since I started painting. I would love to be able to make work that produces feelings in the viewers that I get from listening to the Go Betweens, I think that’s pretty ambitious but if I get to the end and look back and can find that I had done that somewhere along the line I would be extremely happy.

What sort of research and or reference material do you do for current works and has that changed over time?
For years I have been heading off on solitary drives and taking photos that I can use later as reference material, the current works . I have a suitcase full of . My process is more immediate now than it used to be. I take photos to use as reference but don’t paint the photos as such. I have a bit of fun trying to work out my camera to get the sort of photos I want and I disregard quite a lot that is in the photo. I am less reliant these days on notebooks for pre planning preferring to get the idea down quickly on canvas.

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 hope that I am successful enough in conveying my intention that I don’t need to spell anything out. Having said that I am always interested in the viewers perceptions – sometimes they might pick up something that passed me by and a chance comment can spark off a whole new body of work.

How important is it to you that your work communicates something to the viewer?
I think the work needs to touch the viewer in some way: intellectually, emotionally, sensory for it to be of value to that viewer. And hopefully what is communicated is at least partly what the work is about for me, but I’m not too dogmatic about that.

What sort of depth or meaning is there behind the work you do?
It’s difficult to articulate the depth of meaning in words. Suffice to say that there is a lot in the work, not symbols as such, but when I hear someone have a ‘me too’ moment of recognition in response to the work that is really satisfying.

Has being involved in the arts proven to be a millstone or a point of elation?
Point of elation definitely. As with anything there are the bright spots and the dull times that seem to go forever but overall I just think it is exciting and interesting, stimulating and frankly a whole lot of fun.

If you stopped doing art right now would you miss it?
Absolutely, I ‘gave up’ art for a few years and it was without doubt the worst time of my life. I aim to never repeat that particular error.

Do you have a challenge knowing when a work is finished?
No. In fact I think I am pretty good at knowing whether 15 more minutes or an hour is needed. Getting a painting finished is about getting it to a certain ‘feeling of rightness’ and it’s not finished until it’s there. And once you are there you aren’t tempted to lay down any more paint.

You know you have “made it as an artist” when…
You write ‘artist’ as your occupation on government forms without giving it a second thought

The business or marketing side of Art can be a challenge to some, what are your thoughts?
I think unless you are very lucky to hook up with great dealers early on there is so much work to do to effectively market yourself – and not just to buyers but curators, gallerists, media and so on - that it can eat into studio ti