Why do you make art?
It’s something I’ve always been compelled to do from a young age. I like to create my own world to be absorbed in.
Who do you make it for?
I’ve always made art for myself in the sense that I want to reach my expectations not someone else’s. By exhibiting and having works acquired the work becomes a contribution to something bigger so in that sense it’s not made entirely for me but for whoever sees it in the future.
Do you have heroes? If so, who, if not why not?
Heroes is a funny word! I would say that there are many artists who I admire and look up to, both contemporary and historical. To list a few from the past; Munch, Schiele, Dix, Balthus, Kahlo, Giacometti, Bonnard, Vuillard, Goya and Redon.
Do you plan out a piece or do you wing it?
My work is always planned to a certain degree especially in terms of the subject and composition but the rest of the process is less predictable.
How do you know when you are finished?
Either I think I will ruin it if I go further or the picture seems complete somehow.
What was the first exhibition/artwork you saw that blew your mind?
I remember seeing an Odilon Redon exhibition at the NGV when I was in high school and that has stayed with me ever since. I feel like the first artists to really blow my mind were Munch, Schiele and Klimt. I went on a pilgrimage to Vienna to see the works of Klimt and Schiele when I was 23 and it was extraordinary to stand in front of those paintings.
Name a recent exhibition that impressed you?
I recently saw ‘Wilderness’ at the Art Gallery of NSW. I thought it was very well curated and had some really strong painters in it. The catalogue essay was intelligent and considered and the subject had plenty of breadth.
If you could have any artwork in the world what would it be?
That has to be the hardest question for an artist, it would be impossible to choose but I would be happy to own ‘The Arnolfini Marriage’ by Jan Van Eyck.
