In this episode, I visit Ed Bats at his home and studio.

Ed’s art qualifications are a little different from most artists that appear on the podcast, having been largely educated within the graffiti art community in Cape Town and New Zealand, a self confessed “confusing degree” and the world of furniture making and design.

At this point in an introduction I usually reel off a list of public collections that an artist is in. The inclusion of Ed in an episode is instead a little different - and this requires more editoralising than usually happens here. In Ed’s case I believe the proof points of what a strong practice his is, are his high degree of technical skill in making, combined with a strong awareness, appreciation and application of art history into his works. In part this is taking the baton of sorts from Don Driver, a figure from Aotearoa Art History I’m really excited to see paid homage to. All of that comes together, with his own ideas of course, to produce really compelling contemporary art practice. Likely some of the reasons he has been added to so many private collections in the last few years. The opinion you didn’t ask for ends there, promise.

Ed is represented by Peg Gallery in Te Whanganui-a-Tara

There are images of the works that we talk about on The Good Oil Ed Bats Instagram Post for your reference.

You’ll hear Ed talk about how his graffiti and joinery practices influence and presents itself in his studio practice, how important music is as a studio assistant, the motifs in his work that he can’t seem to escape from and his colour choices in painting, which are often secondary to the creation of substrate he builds.