Talking with Painters

Allen won one of Australia’s most watched landscape prizes last year; the Paddington Art prize. He has also won the Kedumba drawing award and has had 19 solo shows across Australia.

In this episode you’ll hear him talk about how Chinese brush painting fits in with his work, his interesting methods when it comes to brushes and he talks about another type of wilderness – the wilderness years before he started his Masters degree.

We recorded this episode in his studio in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, surrounded by his works which would be sent to Defiance Gallery in Sydney a few days later for his exhibition ‘Contour, weathered’.

To hear the podcast interview press ‘play’ beneath the feature photo, above.

A short video of Allen in his studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel can be seen below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ-8dWd1HAs

‘Swoon’ 2018, oil on linen, 122 x 122cm

‘Buoyant’, 2016 – 2018, oil on linen, 136 x 183cm

‘Detach’, 2018, oil on linen 136 x 167cm

‘Apsley Gorge’, 2017, mixed media on paper, 95 x 79cm

Working plein air at the Snowy river

They created work en plein air, in their hotel rooms and in their studios, documenting their impressions of what they saw and experienced.

This powerful exhibition has just started its tour around Australia at New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale, NSW.

In this episode you’ll hear from artists Wendy Sharpe,  Amanda Penrose Hart and Euan Macleod as well as historian historian Brad Manera, who had previously travelled with many of the artists to Gallipoli.

I also interviewed them on camera and made a short video about this exhibition which you can see here.

For details of where the exhibition is showing go to www.salientwesternfront.com.

The other nine artists in the exhibition:

To hear the podcast interview press ‘play’ below the feature photo above.

Feature photo (left to right): Euan Macleod, Amanda Penrose Hart, Wendy Sharpe and Brad Manera

Show notes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfSQ6roLcEs

‘Moving forward’, Euan Macleod

‘Mouquet farm’, Amanda Penrose Hart

‘Evelyn Chapman with Ruined Church’, Wendy Sharpe

‘Crossing smoking hole’, Euan Macleod

‘Messines Ridge’, Amanda Penrose Hart

‘Self portrait with Menin Gate’, Wendy Sharpe

In 2015 she was one of only 10 artists chosen to take part in a residency in Sydney with world famous performance artist Marina Abramovic and her solo exhibition of painting and sculpture ‘In the remembering’ opened recently at Heide Museum of Modern Art, one of Australia’s most important museums.  What’s most surprising is that this is all at only 32 years of age.

In this podcast episode, recorded in front of a live audience at Newcastle Art Gallery, we talk about her life and how she got where she is.  She also talks about the way she has brought her painting and performance art together particularly in her work ‘Ages and Ages’, currently hanging at Heide Museum of Modern Art, pictured above. It was fascinating to hear about the private performance she carried out within that space in order to complete the work.

To hear the interview press ‘play’ or ‘subscribe’ beneath the feature photo above.

You can see a short video of Consalvo including footage of her in her studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeawssZJxdU

‘in silence’ 2017, acrylic on board, 180 x 366cm

‘The sound of a heart falling’, 2016, acrylic on board, 180 x 122cm

‘a distant silence’, 2017, acrylic on board, 180 x 122cm

‘still 1’, 2017, 60 x 60cm, acrylic on board

‘Deep in Your Remembering’, 2017, 250 x 300cm, acrylic on polyester

‘A Constructed Remembering’ 2017, Video still, Single channel video 17:05 mins

It’s too early to love you: music torture piece – ALASKA PROJECTS< Sydney 2014

Then in 2016, encouraged by a friend, she reluctantly entered the prestigious Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and was shocked when it was announced she’d won. The winning portrait of her daughter Scarlett dressed as a colonial girl thrust her into the limelight and she has been creating works which have been catching the attention of art lovers ever since. In the last few weeks alone she has been shortlisted in both the Percival Tucker Portrait prize and the Wyndham Art Prize.

In this podcast episode, she talks about the struggles she faced in becoming an artist, recalls the overwhelming experience of winning the Doug Moran portrait prize and talks about the aftermath of that win, including the decisions she had to make regarding the direction her work was taking.

The interview was recorded in her studio in beautiful Gerringong, on NSW’s south coast.

A video of Seres talking with Maria Stoljar in her studio from the Talking with Painters YouTube channel can be seen below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khunw7NjiLE

‘Scarlett as colonial girl’, 2016, winner of the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 2016

‘The rest is silence (Brendan Cowell as Hamlet)’, 2009, oil on linen, 91.5 x 91.5cm

‘Veil “04’ 2018, oil an dmidxid media on board, wooden frame, 39 x 31.5cm

‘The Submissive Self is a Shadowed Self #02’ 2018, oil and mixed media on board, wooden frame, 40x 40cm

‘The danger of a single story’, 2017, Mosman Art Prize finalist

It wasn’t long after leaving high school that he filled in for a guitarist of his brother’s band who had gone on holidays and ended up never leaving. That band was Mental As Anything which rocketed to fame in Australia in the late 70s and 80s.

During those years he taught himself to paint and that life – immersed in music and art – continues to this day.

O’Doherty’s paintings are mostly landscapes, many of them focussing on the manmade environment: fibro houses, red brick apartment blocks, cityscapes, quintessentially Australian. But he has also painted domestic still lifes: retro armchairs, a closeup of the washing up in the kitchen sink.

His work has been recognised with awards including the Paddington art prize and he has exhibited in over 30 solo shows in Australia and New Zealand.

But what I found most fascinating about our conversation were the parallels he drew between painting and music which added an extra dimension to how I view his work.

To hear the conversation press play under the feature photo above.

A short video of O’Doherty talking with Maria Stoljar in his studio is now on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULlT4GyhqbY

‘North east corner Dee Why’, 2017, acrylic on canvas, 137 x 152cm

‘New apartments’ 2017, acrylic on canvas, 61 x 61cm  We talk about this painting at

‘Windows’,  2017, acrylic on board, 40 x 40cm  We talk about this painting at 28m45s

‘Gums’, 2017, acrylic on canvas, 46 x 40cm   We talk about this painting at 30m45s

‘Coke sign’, 2017, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 40cm

‘Kingsford red block’, 2017, acrylic on canvas, 182 x 213cm

‘Striped Lounge Chair’, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 122 x 122cm

‘In The Sink’, 2015, acrylic on canvas, 122 x 137cm

Her art has been exhibited in solo shows in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo (several which sold out) as well as in many group shows. And now there is a waiting list for her paintings. They are effectively sold before they are started even though she has only been painting full time for a year.

Free from the restrictions of narrative, she now paints characters whose images speak for themselves; a mummified bunny, a cute chihuahua, a bird with an elongated beak and bulging eyes, a raccoon smoking a cigarette. French’s imagination brings to life these creatures which stare out at the viewer with soulful eyes.

French has over 100,000 followers on Instagram, many who tune in to her live video feeds where she paints and answers questions about her process and technique – often with a TV series like Neighbours or Blue Heelers playing in the background.

You’ll often see her works labelled with the hashtags ‘pop surrealism’ and ‘low brow art’ on Instagram – art movements which have been influenced by surrealism and popular culture.

We spent hours talking and laughing and this interview starts at the relatively recent point when she decided to learn to paint.  We talk about  Instagram, why Australia made her want to be a painter, galleries in the age of the world wide web and lots more.

Press ‘play’ below the feature photo above to hear the interview.

See a short video of Renee French’s work from the Talking with Painters YouTube channel below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30I_4tf6vg8

‘The Peepers’, 2018, acrylic on panel, 5″ x 5″

‘Chihuahua No 112’, acrylic on pane, 6″ x 6″

‘Nessie’, 2018, acrylic on panel, 5″ x 5″

Work in progress, acrylic on panel, 6″ x 6″

He calls them ‘psychological landscapes’ which explore his environment and his response to it, using everyday imagery to evoke human experiences. Through his use of materials and colour he takes us into his mind’s eye. And it’s fascinating.

Like many artists before him he went through a period of learning and exploration in his twenties, working in jobs which exposed him to great art. He spent time working and studying in London but went on to work for two years in Australia’s remote communities facilitating the work of Aboriginal elders. It was this experience which ultimately led him to find his own voice as an artist – although not in the way you might expect. In this podcast episode he describes that experience. We also talk about how he became an artist and how he goes about a typical day’s work.

Mackinnon has exhibited in Australia regularly since he was 19, with over a dozen solo shows and many more group shows.  His works are held in various private and public collections.  His much anticipated solo show ‘Twin Palms’ opens at Jan Murphy Gallery on 27 February 2018.

To hear the podcast interview press ‘play’ below the feature photo.

Scroll down for two videos of Mackinnon on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel.

Feature photo – Mackinnon with his work ‘The World is as you are’, 2016, acrylic oil and enamel on linen, 212 x 317cm

Current and upcoming events

Links to things and people we talk about on the show

https://youtu.be/I_lbk1rB1OA?si=Yt0spRyEPKJCtBMy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZogU5D8K_4

‘Exit’, 2013, acrylic, oil and automotive enamel on linen, 200 x 360cm

‘The dance between making it happen and letting it happen’ 2017, acrylic, oil and enamel on linen, 160 x 130cm

‘Strange Country’, 2016, acrylic oil and enamel on linen, 150 x 200cm

‘Hopes and fears’, 2016, acrylic oil and enamel on linen, 150 x 200cm

‘Landscape as self-portrait/Cracks drains shadows and sparkles’, 2017, acrylic, oil and enamel on linen, 198 x 168cm

‘Show me the way’, 2017, acrylic, oil and enamel on linen, 61 x 91cm

But his wasn’t a smooth path to success. He grew up in a tough neighbourhood where you literally had to fight to get by and he learnt to survive by becoming someone that went against his true nature.

Unaware he had dyslexia, he struggled at school and was kicked out at 13 years of age.  He worked from job to job but never stopped drawing and ultimately realised that was what he did best. How he got into and finished university is a story in itself. He is now an adjunct professor of that university, RMIT.

In this episode he also tells the story behind many of his famous portraits: of actor Heath Ledger, film director Baz Luhrmann, acclaimed actress Asher Keddie (who is also his wife) and former prime minister Julia Gillard.

He also talks about his passion to take art to people who might have never set foot in a gallery.

Press ‘play’ above to hear the interview.  

‘Heath’, 2008, oil on canvas, 106 x 140cm (Collection of the Art Gallery of NSW, highly commended and winner of the Archibald Prize People’s Choice award 2008. Portrait of Heath Ledger)

‘Off Screen’, 2010, oil on canvas, (Winner Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 2010. Portrait of Baz Luhrmann)

‘Love face’, 2013, oil on linen, 174 x 304cm, (Winner Archibald Prize People’s Choice 2013 – portrait of Asher Keddie)

‘All that’s good in me (self-portrait as son Luca)’, 2014, oil on linen, 160 x 260cm, (Winner Archibald Prize People’s Choice 2014)

‘Matt Moran’, 2011, oil on canvas, 200 x 150cm, (Winner of the Archibald Packing Room Prize 2011)

Fantauzzo working on his portrait of Nic Cester, in Strachan Lane, Melbourne CBD, outside the restaurant he co-owns, Harley House. (Image from Fantauzzo’s instagram page)

He’s won numerous art prizes and has been shortlisted many times – 13 times in the Archibald Prize – and on two occasions he achieved the rare distinction of being a finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes in the Art Gallery of NSW in the one year.

His work is characterised by the liberal application of paint, mainly with a palette knife, producing stunning portraits, figures and landscapes.

Ryan lives and works in Thirroul, a coastal oasis south of Sydney, where his paintings share space with his surfboards. It’s this landscape, with the backdrop of a dramatic escarpment, that Paul paints time and time again, often through the lens of Australian colonial history which has been inspired by literature and music.

This subject has not been without controversy, however. In 2010 his show ‘No Country for Dreaming’ was briefly shut down after negative reactions within some parts of the Aboriginal community and he talks about that in this episode.

Ryan also talks movingly about his adoption as a child and how that’s impacted his life and art. He also gives many insights into his process and techniques.

A short video of Paul Ryan talking with Maria Stoljar in his studio can be seen on the Talking with Painters Youtube channel here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaUm5EsNWic

‘Thirteen Noahs’, 2015, oil on mixed found and bought objects (Finalist Archibald Prize 2015, Art Gallery of NSW)

‘Blue Mountains Noah’, 2015, 79 x 68cm, oil on found framed painting (Winner of the Herford Hardwood Portrait Prize 2015)

Painting hanging in Ryan’s studio which we discuss in the podcast at 18:45

‘Cullen – Been Feudin’, 2012, oil on linen, 244 x 198cm (Finalist 2012 Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW)

Artwork Ryan and Cullen created together during a sitting for Ryan’s Archibald painting of him discussed in the podcast at 21:40

‘Not a Sound Out of the Hills No More than Smoke’, 2010, oil on linen, 168 x 122cm  (Winner of Paddington Art Prize 2010)

‘The Hunt, Bulli’ 2017, oil on linen, 122 x 122cm

Album Art for Bill Callahan’s album Apocalypse discussed at 32mins of the podcast

She explores that moment in time in a unique way, through her use of light, colour, portrayal of space and magnificent use of distortion.

Flint has won many art awards including the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, the Portia Geach Memorial Award and the Len Fox Painting Award. Her work has also been shortlisted many times – thirteen times in the Portia Geach alone. If you have an interest in painting in Australia, it’s very likely you’re familiar with her work.

In this episode, Flint talks about her life and how she found her way to her subject matter and painting methods.  She also gives interesting insights into the workings of the inner critic – something most artists have encountered. Her approach to that is inspired and taps into the mysteries of the creative process.

See a short video of Flint’s studio and work in her latest show at Australian Galleries on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOTbvBR1fCM

‘Baby’, 2015,  oil on linen, 105 x 90.5cm (Finalist in Archibald Portrait Prize 2015)

‘Shower’, 2016, oil on linen, 117 x 97cm (Finalist in 2016 Archibald Portrait Prize)

‘A Fine Romance #9’, 2004, oil on linen, 117 x 82cm (Winner of Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 2004)

‘Large Tartan Blanket’ 2016, oil on linen, 109 x 142cm (Finalist in the 2016 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize)

‘Wash’ 2015, oil on linen, 108 x 90cm (Winner of the Len Fox Painting Award 2016)