Talking with Painters

To give you an idea of Lucy Culliton’s popularity, in 2014 Sydney’s Mosman Art Gallery held a major survey of her work which contained over 100 works. That exhibition attracted more than 20,000 visitors.

This year she was named as a finalist in all three Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes at the Art Gallery of NSW and she has been a finalist in those competitions many times before. She has received many art awards including the Portia Geach Memorial award, the Mosman Art prize and the Kedumba drawing prize.  She has exhibited in over ten solo exhibitions and her work is held in many public and private collections including the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW.

I met Lucy Culliton at her home in Bibbenluke, a small town in south eastern NSW.  She showed me around her property and introduced me to her many animals. She also opened up her studio to my iphone!  You can see a short video taken on the afternoon below.

In our conversation Lucy talks about her childhood years when she would draw horses over and over again.  She talks about how her dyslexia affected her first job in graphic design and what caused her to leave that career to pursue a career as a full time painter. We also discuss how she met dealer Ray Hughes who would represent her for many years until his gallery closed its doors last year and how her animals have played a large role in her life and continue to inspire her work.

Upcoming shows

Links

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-CJnh9yn3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QAAeeGE-2Q

‘Monaro/Ando’ oil on canvas 170.5 x 170.5cm (Wynne Prize finalist 2016)

Lucy Culliton in her studio with Mayday

‘Ray in Paris’ oil on board 200 x 80cm  (Archibald prize finalist 2011)

‘Spark Plugs’ (2008) oil on board, 80cm x 80cm

‘Pigeons’ oil on canvas 148.5cm x 148.5cm (Sulman prize finalist 2016)

‘Lucy and fans’ (2016) oil on canvas, 170.5 x 170cm  (Archibald prize finalist 2016)

‘Cactus’ (2004) oil on canvas, 116cm x 102cm

‘Hartley Landscape, view from the studio’ (2002) oil on canvas 200 x 120cm – this is the painting hanging in the Good Room which we talk about in our conversation

Equally prolific in drawing and painting, Bokor’s art depicts everyday life and his environment with an emotion and vibrancy which makes the viewer take notice. He has won several art prizes including the NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize and Eutick Memorial Still Life Award and he has been finalist in many others.

In our interview, Bokor talks about his education in Sydney and travels overseas where he was inspired by Bonnard’s bath paintings, we ponder over whether you can ever say what makes a piece of art ‘good’, he reveals much about his process and he explains his motivational ‘anti pep-talk’ which he gives his art students.

John Bokor’s solo show at King Street Gallery opens on 8 November and continues until 3 December 2016.

You can see a short video of Bokor’s sketchbooks below.

Feature photo of John Bokor by Julianna Kolenberg                                        

Photos of paintings (except Quiet Street Bulli) by Michael Bradfield

Show Notes  (things and people we talk about in the show)

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kStPpQ96V_s

Still life with Pen Jar Oil on canvas

‘Quiet Street Bulli’        Oil on Board

‘Hot Chocolate’        Oil on linen

‘Milk’        Oil on canvas

‘Kitchen Sink’         Charcoal, wash and collage on paper

‘Morning Interior’         Charcoal, wash and gesso on paper

Last year his painting of writer Robert Hoge was shortlisted in the renowned BP Portrait Award in London which attracted over 400,000 visitors.  The portrait was also reproduced on the cover of the Times.

His art career spans many fields including illustration, book cover design, computer game design, animation, screenwriting, film making and sculpture and this is all on top of an arts/law degree. He has won several awards for his illustration work but has found a real passion in hyper realist painting of portraits and still lifes.

In this interview Nick talks about how children’s television of the 60s provided him with the inspiration to draw toys, cars and machines as a child, he explains why he can never eat another Freddo frog and reveals how he came to name his 2009 show ‘Toy Porn’. He generously discusses his art techniques in detail from the first sketches and meeting with the sitter to the final portrait. He also gives moving accounts of how he came to paint Deng Adut and Robert Hoge and the emotional impact those experiences had on him.

Nick has works included in a forthcoming group show ’40/40 Project’ at Wagner Gallery,  Paddington, Sydney opening on 19 November 2016.

Video below was taken two years after the podcast interview where I caught up with Nick in his kitchen in Sydney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7DKlMw85pY

‘Robot Power!’ (2011) Acrylic and oil glaze on canvas, 90 x 60 cm

‘Ugly – Portrait of Robert Hoge’ (2014) Acrylic and oil on linen

Deng (2016), acrylic and oil on linen 137.5cm x 137cm

Stathopoulos’ thumbnail sketches in preparation for his  portrait of Deng Adut

‘And our friends are all aboard’ Acrylic and oil glaze on canvas 61cm x 61cm (from Toy Porn 2)

‘Can I be of Service’ (2011) Acrylic and oil glaze on canvas 61cm x 61cm (from Toy Porn 2)

‘(GM) Square Meals’ (2008) acrylic and oil glaze on canvas 60cm x 60cm

Nick Stathopoulos at home with his painting ‘Don’t touch that dial!’

Although Joanna’s work includes paintings with figures and still life, it’s safe to say her predominant subject is that of animals. From birds, reptiles and fish to bears horses, elephants, sloths and particularly dogs, Joanna has expertly captured creatures in paint.

But she hasn’t just represented them as we find them in the world as you can see from these images and you will hear all about her approach in this interview.

We talk about the lengths to which she went to study the anatomy of animals in her early art career including a trip to an abbatoir. She also talks about what she’s aiming to convey in her work and how humour plays an important role. She also recalls her meeting with Australian author Colleen McCullough whose portrait she painted (and which was shortlisted) for the 2014 Archibald Prize.

All the paintings we mention in the show are reproduced in this post so you can see what we’re talking about!

Scroll down for a video of Joanna’s show ‘Hullabaloo’ at Martin Browne Contemporary in September 2020  (after the podcast episode was recorded).

Current Shows

Show notes (links to things and people we talk about in the show)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3AEgBMFvP4&t=1s

Joanna Braithwaite’s show Hullabaloo’ at Martin Browne Contermporary, September 2020 (after the podcast episode was recorded)

‘Frozen Assets’ 2016 110.5×110.5cm

Social Climbers, 2016, 196cm x 196cm

‘Working Class’ 2016 190.5×190.5cm

‘Thought Bubble’ 107x91cm

‘Bright Spark’ 2014, 198cm x 198cm

Abdul’s art delivers a strong message. Issues of identity and the current political environment concerning  the Muslim community in Australia are front and foremost in his work.

We talk about how he sees 9/11 impacted the Muslim community and how after that event ‘it became apparent that in the popular imagination Muslims in Australia had become the ‘bad guys”.  We also talk about the 2005 Cronulla riots and how he came about painting retired police officer Craig Campbell for the Archibald. He also gives insights into his painting process and photographic art.

Abdul’s work is currently included in four shows in Victoria and NSW with another three coming up over the next few weeks, including a solo show in Melbourne in November.

Current and upcoming exhibitions:

Show notes  (links to things and people we talk about in the show):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef16UOVL2F4

‘The Cost’ oil and resin on board 180cm x 180cm

‘Everything is fine’ oil and resin on linen 100cm x 100cm