Saturday, 15 December 2012
Sunday, 2 December 2012
A LOOK INSIDE : YOSI MESSIAH - last show of the year
YOSI MESSIAH ||
Q&A || DECEMBER 2012
Can you give us some background to how you became a visual
artist?
My first memories are from age 7 where I was
fascinated with cartoons. I would sit in front of the black and white TV and
draw the characters. My mind would be racing with ideas on what colours to use
while drawing. Still at an early age, in all forms of creativity, I would
use my hands and imagination to express myself.
When first arriving in Australia I was in awe of
the beauty of the landscape and light whilst traveling. I settled in Sydney where
I started a jewelry business allowing me to use stones to translate this beauty
and express these colours into wearable art.
When did you start, why did you start?
While still working with Jewellery I found the need to expand my artistic process and the need to express
myself on a larger scale.
It was in 1996 I started my official fine art
studies at Julian Ashton School of Art and then with Sydney based artist
Charlie Shead.
Where do you get your inspiration for each work from?
I find inspiration in all forms of life - be it the
city and its fascinating shapes, in nature with its beauty and freedom, or looking back at the rich tapestry of history. Still I'm amazed how
colour, texture and form are such a big part of my life.
Other artists that inspire you? - Do they change overtime/ year to year?
I have found inspiration in artist such as Aida
Tomescu, Michael Johnson, Michal Cusack, Adam Cullen and Fred Williams, along
with the old masters.
Like Nature these inspirations change and every
year I discover new artists from all form that inspire me.
Where do you paint and what is your ideal routine/ daytime…
or night owl
I paint in my studio and am defiantly a day person;
I find that this is when I can work with the most energy.
What is your painting process, colours, layers and movement
seem to be key processes, can you tell us about this?
My painting process is very energetic and labor
intensive. In this body of work ‘Colour Spill’ there are four main elements
Be it the starkness of white or the vibrancy of
a colour, establishing the background is the first process. The second is what
I call the ‘action’ process, layering colours, mixing mediums of oils and
varnishes on the surface creating shape and form. What’s considered as the core
or heart of the work.
Process three is where the movement and
expressive line work comes in. Fluid paint is put above the colourful shapes
below; creating a sense of vibration.
The finale stage is where all my early training
comes through. Using a small brush I create marks that allows the symphony to
start and bring all the stages together.
How did you arrive at the title of this current show?
'Colour Spill' is reflective of the paint that
flows and moves on the canvas.
View exhibition
Yosi Messiah‘s ‘Colour
Spill’ is on display from 1-12 December at Richard Martin Art,
98 Holdsworth
Street, Woollahra. Enquiries 9327 6525.
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Saturday, 17 November 2012
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
A LOOK INSIDE : MIA OATLEY
Mia Oatley ||
Q&A || October 2012
Image: Billy Plummer - Life in the Bubble
Can you give us some background to how you became a visual artist?
One of my first memories is of paintings with my Dad at 2 when my
Mum was in hospital giving birth to my sister. My Dad taught me how to draw, and paint, and took me to all of the
shows, and museums worth seeing. Our house was filled with artist friends,
great books, and my Dad's garage where he welded giant sculptures. Art was all
around me; I loved it from the beginning.
As a child art was something that I could loose myself in, something
that I was good at, it also represented family.
Other artists that inspire you? - Do they change overtime/ year to
year?
I'm inspired by many different artists, from Matisse, Monet, Rodin, Rembrandt,
Ines, to Warhol, Basquiat, and Bacon and living artists such as Dumas, Doig,
Hockney, and photographers Bill Henson, and Nan Goldin. Basically
I'm attracted to figurative work. People are what most interest me.
Where do you get your inspiration for each work?
I get my inspiration from Life! Books, magazines, people, design,
furniture, The urban landscape, nature, conversations, films, put it into
a big mixing pot, and let something happen on the canvas!
Where do you paint and what is your ideal routine/ daytime… or night
owl
Daytime
How did you arrive at the title of this current show?
I called the show Venus and Me, because, my exhibition is about my
relationship to Venus and everything that she represents, love, beauty, nature,
sexuality, and sensuality.
What is your painting process; paint application and colour seem to
be a key process, can you tell us about this?
Colour is really important to me. I pick up ideas everywhere. I use
a lot of different materials to make the paint surfaces to bounce off each
other, like enamel, against a matt, or built up oil paint. There isn't a real
process as to how I go about it. What works stays, what doesn't is brutally
painted over, hence the layered look, which people have commented on, which is
more about me changing gears, and making different decisions in my work.
Christina
mixed media on canvas
91 x 76 cm
91 x 76 cm
Saturday, 13 October 2012
ON NOW . . .
click on the links below to view mia's show and to read
blogs, editorial and interviews on mia oatley
BELL | October/November Issue | Mia Oatley
Mia Oatley
Venus & Me
13 - 24 October
Venus & Me
13 - 24 October
Artist statement:
"Focusing on the desire, sensuality and beauty of
the female nude I've created a series of mixed media paintings and drawings.
I'm interested in my female subjects as a whole. Their dreams, aspirations, and
desires, this enables me to rip beneath their surface image, and express on
canvas how I see them, as well as providing a medium through which to express
my own sexuality. The women emerge from a lush terrain. Languid visions from a
sensual Utopia. Inspired by the goddess Venus and the powerful metaphors of
love, beauty, and nature ‘Venus & Me’ explores the collective thread of
women's secret desires". Mia Oatley, 2012
View Exhibition @ Richard Martin Art
Saturday, 22 September 2012
NOW SHOWING
Andrew Baines ||
Q&A || September 2012
Can you give us some background to how you became a visual
artist?
I have always wanted be a
visual artist from a very young age and tried to chase my dream after leaving
school by I attending the SA school of art part-time and doing commercial art
during the day but I became sidelined by commercial art and the need to
survive. My commercial work was very
successful and took a lot of soul searching to let go of... I knew eventually I
would have to, if I wanted to chase my initial dream. In my early 30s I took
the plunge and have never looked back!
When did you start, why did you start?
In my early 30s, I gave up my
commercial art cold turkey and through everything into my visual art! It took several
years of struggle before I got to a point where I could survive comfortably.
Other artists that inspire you? - Do they change overtime/ year to year?
The obvious inspirations are
Magritte, Jeffery Smart and artists like Warhol & Dali due to their
incredible self promotion abilities! Every year I discover new artists that
inspire me...not only visual but street artists, musical & commercial
Where do you get your inspiration for each work from?
Nearly 50 years of sweat and
tears
Where do you paint and what is your ideal routine/ daytime…
or night owl
I wake up every morning at
6am and head straight out into my backyard studio, where I paint until 3pm. I
then go on the computer for an hour or so and market myself, contact people,
organise future installations, research. After this I read philosophy and auto
biographies for a short time before heading in front of the box, where I
channel surf the TV, trying to absorb the global culture for inspiration! And
every second morning I either walk or run along my beach.
How did you arrive at the title of this current show?
“Museum of my Mind” is a
broad title for just about any concept I’m working on!
What is your painting process, shadows / lighting and
perspective seem to be a key process, can you tell us about this?
I love the contrast between
light and dark, and the visual and emotional impact shadows have in helping to
convey a mood or concept. I begin with my darkest colours then continue to
highlight until I’m happy with the mood.
View Exhibition:
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Thursday, 23 August 2012
Beachgoers drop pants in the name of art
NEW GALLERY ARTIST || ANDREW BAINES
South Australian artist Andrew Baines photographed people reading newspapers on the toilet for his latest surreal human installation at Adelaide's Henley Beach.
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Up Next . . .
Scott McDougall ||
Q&A || FADING ELEGANCE - Visions of Cuba
Can you give us some background to how you became a visual
artist?
It’s in the blood! Always the artist, from as far back as I
can remember.
I was the kid in primary school that the teacher always
called to draw something on the blackboard.
When did you start, why did you start?
My dad was a terrific hobby painter and always encouraged me
to paint and draw. He always had something constructive to say to help me
improve my work.
I had a natural ability and simply love to paint and draw.
It was the subject I could really excel in.
Other artists that inspire you? - Do they change overtime/ year to year?
Vermeer and Caravaggio always, and Chuck Close and Estes in
my art college years.
Where do you get your inspiration for each work from?
Inspiration is never hard, I’m surrounded by colour and
textures. The real problem is finding enough time to paint everything I want
too. I love urban scenery and architecture and travel the world every year
seeking imagery I can use to create small narratives on my canvasses. It is an
exciting challenge, composing an image from drawings, photos and ideas from
some half remembered vignette.
Where do you paint and what is your ideal routine/ daytime…
or night owl
Home studio and I’m definitely a morning painter. Without
interruption I can get on a roll and suddenly find it dark outside my studio
window…with no memory of the passing of time. My wife says I go to Scottie
land!
How did you arrive at the title of this current show?
I have had a couple of trips to Cuba and I am fascinated
with this small island country, cut off from the rest of the world since the
Cuban missile crises of the 1960’s. It has been locked in another time, and it’s
not often anyone gets a chance to see something so unique. The architecture is
beautiful, but crumbling before your eyes. The people of Cuba are beautiful and
so spirited, it is hard to believe they can maintain their strength through so
many years of hardship and economic depression. I stay with families when I
travel and hear, first hand, their stories of revolution, poverty and passion.
I wanted to capture some of this on canvas - my works are a record of a time
that is about to change, and I fear, change too fast. I hope it will be a change
for the better, a change that will improve the lives of all Cuban people
What is your painting process, atmosphere and colour seems
to be a key process, can you tell us about this?
I trawl through my images looking for the right ingredients,
scenes with great colours and textures and some kind of narrative I can lose
myself in. I shift images around, delete some parts, add others, boost colours,
mute others, until I have created a composition I’m happy with. I find I can
only concentrate on one painting at a time. I need to give each painting my
complete focus till that last brush stroke is applied.
View Exhibition:
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
ARTISTS HEAD SOUTH FOR WINTER
Richard Martin Art, in collaboration with the Milk Factory Gallery,
Bowral presents
A selection of award winning gallery artists from Richard
Martin Art in Sydney will have their work on show from 9 - 27 June 2012. The theme is Winter when the southern highlands comes into its own. Artists
include Melissa Egan, Peter Hickey, Richard Allen, Diana Watson, Gordon
Richards, Belynda Henry, Mitchell Kelly, Craig Handley Yvonne Studdert and
sculpture by Julie Haseler Reilly and Stephen Glassborow.
Artists will be present when Richard Martin opens the
exhibition at
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
DIANA WATSON || Q&A || ELYSIUM 2012
We caught up with Diana for a chat and to find out what inspires and what
makes her tick.
Can you give us some background to how you became a visual artist?
As far back as I can remember.
When did you start, why did you start?
Someone very wisely told me, a woman needs another passion in her life apart from family. I am lucky, mine is art.
Other artists that inspire you? - Do they change overtime/ year to year?
I remain influenced by the old masters.
Where do you get your inspiration for each work from?
It is an evolving process.
Where do you paint and what is your ideal routine/ daytime… or night owl
Always from a studio at home. When the light is good I work.
How did you arrive at the title of this current show?
Usually it will be something I am reading, but this time it was a very large, glamorous boat that kept sailing past my window. It is called Elysium [or Paradise] which is exactly where I wanted to be with this body of work.
What is your painting process, symbolism and lighting seems to be key processes, can you tell us about this?
Symbolism is very important in my kind of work. It is not just about the beauty of nature but also weaves a narrative. This along with careful lighting creates drama and I hope helps the viewer transport to the paradise called Elysium.
Diana Watson
Elysium
5 May - 23 May
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Julie Haseler Reilly || Q&A || FAT and the SHOW GIRL
Julie Haseler Reilly's new exhibition "FAT and the SHOW GIRL"
is now showing at Richard Martin Art until May 2.
We caught up with Julie for a chat and to find out what inspires and what
makes her tick.
Can
you give us some background to how you became a visual artist?I have always
been able to make things. My dolls had elaborate cardboard sets. As a child, I
made Barbie gowns from sample upholstery and curtain material, begged off local
stores and by the age of 12, I could cut patterns for my clothes and large soft
toys. As an adult I have made costumes
and hats and props for the theatre.
My father was a
dental technician and would give me lumps of wax to play with while waiting for
a lift home after school. I became aware of the lost wax process in his
laboratory and probably subconsciously avoided anything to do with such a
tedious and laborious occupation. Teeth were the only by-products.
When
did you start, why did you start?I had satisfied
my desire to be a creative person, with acting, singing, writing and dancing. Sculpture
just hadn’t occurred to me till late in life. I made portrait busts of my two
daughters in 2000 and bronzed them in 2001. I loved them so much I wanted to
immortalise them as the 8 and 9 year old girls they were at the time. The
process surprised me and made me curious about what else I could do to express
myself in the medium. I loved working in clay and wax.
Where
do you get your inspiration for each work?Watching the news
and reading the paper, which I try to avoid as much as possible, is the
inspiration for creating my ‘optimistic ‘bodies of work’. Like the Venus of
Willendorff, they are a totem of hope for my tribe in our time.
‘Beulah’ - I was trying to create a pear
shaped female form and the character of ‘Beulah’
emerged as the improbable athlete and became my signature form.
‘The Pedicure’ began as an extension of
Beulah but morphed into her own self. She evolved as I played with the clay.
This seems to be my process unless I am doing a life study.
‘Flying Muses’-I am playing with smaller
versions of ‘Beulah’ my signature piece.
‘Trapeze’ - Another expression of
‘Beulah.’
‘Euro’- another pear shaped form who
emerged as an innocent protecting the last Euro.
‘Fat Tango’ and ‘Big Fat Tango’- I was interested in capturing the passion of the
tango and the impact and movement and balance of two large people slamming
together. I have been a dancer and am fascinated by small gestures and moments
of drama captured in the dance.
‘Beatrice Bush’ - Marquette for street
sculpture of famous paper seller in Balmain area.
‘Abundance’ and ‘Prosperity’ - are totems dedicated to engendering the qualities
their titles imply. They are Idols of Hope in a world of fear and loathing.
‘Proserpine Says Yes’ - is my answer to
the Heroic Rape sculptures and in particular, Bernini’s the ‘Rape of Proserpina’.
I have immortalised her having a freely consenting good time as opposed to
being portrayed as the victim. (See attached).
‘Mum’s Watching’ emerged from a nude
life study as a figure of protection and watchfulness. I have memories of my
mother sitting in the sun like a Max Dupane photograph, ever watchful of her
brood in the water. She looks after us all.
‘Fandango’ and ‘Delores’ are both defiant expressions of joy, and fearlessness in
the face of reality. They are about confidence and hope.
‘Pole Dancers’ - I wanted to do
something clever by suspending bronze figures rather than the usual granite
base and thought pole dancers would be a good subject. They are a Marquette for
a large-scale work. My dream location
would be the fore court of St Marys Cathedral.
‘Ballet Girls’-Degas
‘Joy’ - I wanted to make a small figure
with a lot of movement and energy.
‘Ample’-Defying the notion of modern
beauty.
‘Dewi Kewpie’ - I have always admired
the Hindu/Animist religious practices of the Balinese people. Giving offerings
of flowers, food and incense and simple daily prayers. I am not religious but
felt a bit envious of the spiritual practice in my village and a little
fraudulent when I did participate at our temple. I decided to create my own
stone idol, a spiritual portal for the irreligious.
‘Serene’- Carving in stone is
challenging and I wanted to do a figure that was restricted by the size and
shape of the block.
‘Peel Me A Grape’- Wanted to make a
large reclining female figure in stone. I made a small clay Marquette first and chose
a block of stone that would suit the dimensions of the figure. I wanted an
improbably big bottom that would be exaggerated by the smallness of her torso.
Other
artists that inspire you? - Do they
change overtime/ year to year?
Bernini, Degas, Rodin,
Rubens, Henry Moore, Picasso Bret Whitely will always be inspirational. I try
not to look too much at other contemporary sculpture for fear of influence and
imitation but I like Henry Moore, Botero and Allan Somerville.
I find inspiration
from life, painting, photography and my imagination.
Rubens- Union of
Earth and Water (see images below).
Where
do you sculpt and what is your ideal routine/ daytime… or night owl
I usually work in
bursts where I go non-stop from about 10am till I collapse with dehydration and
exhaustion at dinnertime. I will do this for several days in a row till I have
finished with the clay then I will cover it and look at it again in a few days
when my head is clear and my eye refreshed so I can see the faults that I was
blind to in the honeymoon period of creativity. Then I ‘improve’ where
necessary until I am happy to make a mold.
How did you arrive at the title of
this current show - ‘Fat’ and ‘The
Showgirl’?
There have been a few pieces that people have suggested
express something of the ‘showgirl’ from my past career and FAT (Fabulous .
Abundant .Triumphant)was the title of my previous exhibition and some of that
work was represented in the current show, hence, ‘Fat and the Showgirl’.
What
is your sculpting process, movement and balance seems to be a key process, can
you tell us about this?
I have trained as
a dancer and my teacher, Keith Bane, focused our attention on the importance of
gesture. He developed my eye for balance and form and composition. Stillness is
just a brief moment between movements. There is always internal motion and
energy even when still. In my sculpture I try to give all my work an internal
energy. I also like trying to make heavy look light and creating the illusion
of moving weighty flesh in bronze.
The beginning of
my process is working with clay or wax.
I usually start with a rough idea but then let the work evolve and find
the character as I move the clay or wax about.
I may cast at this stage or make an armature for a larger version.
Life studies are
more prescriptive but can be adapted to a narrative later.
Rubens
Picasso
Brett Whitely
‘The Rape of Proserpina’
by Bernini
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