Inspiration: the art of Gerhard Richter

Deer, Gerhard Richter, Oil on Canvas, 1963.

Woman with Dog, Gerhard Richter, Oil on Canvas, 1967.

"Picturing things, taking a view, is what makes us human; art is making sense and giving shape to that sense. It is like the religious search for God."

Notes, 1962. 
Gerhard Richter: Text. Writings, Interviews and Letters 1961 - 2007. Thames and Hudson, London, 2009, pg. 14.

Images via: http://www.gerhard-richter.com

Love is what you want

While in London I saw the Tracey Emin exhibition Love is What You Want at the Hayward Gallery. I wrote about Emin in my Honours paper so I have read extensively about her and it’s something I’ve been wishing for ages, to see Tracey Emin’s work in person, as opposed to reproduced in a book or online. So when I found out there was a survey exhibition of her work during my stay in London I was pretty excited.

At last I got to see her films in their entirety, which to be honest I was reluctant to do, since I’m generally bored by films in contemporary art and was hoping it wouldn’t put me off one of my favourite artists. It didn’t, Emin did not disappoint me. The most memorable for me was the film, Why I never became a dancer.

This film features super-8 footage of her home town Margate, against which she describes her adolescent dreams of getting out of Margate and nearly winning a dance completion, only to be taunted till she ran away from the dance floor in tears by some older x-boyfriends. In the end we see her in a dance studio, where she names these men one by one, then exclaims, “This one is for you” and begins dancing with a huge smile on her face to Sylvester’s, You make me feel mighty real. It actually made me cry but not because it was sad but with a wonderful feeling of triumph, this film really says a lot about overcoming those moments in our past that have completely knocked our self-confidence to the ground.

Love is what you want features the wide range of mediums Emin has worked with over the course of her career, including painting, drawing, photography, textiles, video and sculpture. Her work is incredibly diverse, which can be quite distracting, yet the themes are so tight that this is not the case with Emin.

Although the subject matter is deeply personal and sometimes quite confrontational, these stories are about life – being human, being female. What I enjoy about Emin’s work is that I can relate to her trauma and her joy, there is no right or wrong way to cope with what life throws at us. Emotion is real and not to be denied.

I was so blown away by the size of her blankets, and some of the stitched drawings; I just had no idea of the scale of these works. I came away from Love is what you want with even more respect for this artist both technically and philosophically than I had before (and I already loved her greatly).

If you are in London and haven’t seen this exhibition you really must.

Tracey Emin: Love is what you want
Hayward Gallery 18 May - 29 August 2011

Note: The above images were sourced from the Hayward Gallery website.

Waste Landscape

Something fasinating I stumbled across on the net today... amazing!

elise morin + clémence eliard: wastelandscape
At 'halle d'aubervilliers', Le Centquatre in Paris.
On exhibition until 10 September 2011

In the artist's words:
'made of petroleum, this reflecting slick of CDs forms a still sea of metallic dunes;
the artwork's monumental scale reveals the precious aspect of a small daily object.'

more at Design Boom

Speaking with Melanie Diss

Paint Petals (Purple), Melanie Diss, 2011.

Hi Melanie, Could you tell us a little bit about your background? Did you grow up in Perth and did you study here?

Hi Claire, yes, I grew up and still live near the Swan Valley, pretty standard upbringing. My whole family is quite creative in different ways so I've always had some sort of artistic activity going on around me. In high school I took TEE Art, as well as Art & Design and I also chose to spend my free study period in the art room so almost half my weekly school schedule was spent making art!

I think that was a really productive time and it reinforced what I had always known, that whatever I'm doing, making art needs to be a big part of my life. Saying that though, I had no idea what career art would lead me to other than "graphic designer". I had gotten into university but I wasn't too keen on jumping straight back into full-time study so I thought I'd go to TAFE part-time instead and see where that leads.

I studied Fine Art at Central TAFE in Northbridge, which was an amazing place to study, the lecturers, the resources, the whole atmosphere was really creative and inspiring. I went on to get my Advanced Diploma, then ended up continuing on to university after all, where I got my Bachelor of Arts at Curtin.

Age, Melanie Diss, 2008.

You have a studio in Midland, where we are neighbours : ) Did you get your studio quite soon after leaving uni or did you wait a while? and do you feel that having a studio (as opposed to working in your home space) enhances your creative drive?

Through Artsource I heard about a venue in Midland becoming available for studio spaces in early 2009, which was the year after I graduated. I hesitated to put my application in at first because I assumed I didn't have enough experience. But a friendly person at Artsource encouraged me to apply anyway and let me know that Artsource are all about helping emerging artists so I went ahead and applied and got a space.

I definitely think it would have been harder for me to continue making art if I didn't have my studio space. It's invaluable having a space outside of your home that is dedicated to making art. It keeps you disciplined in that it can be like going to work, but it also gives you freedom, in that it's a room that's solely used for art and doesn't need to be tidied up and used for some other purpose! It feels like a continuation of my space at uni really.

I agree wholeheartedly with what you say about having your own dedicated space, it really does make a difference not having to consider the other uses, or people that use a space!

Who are some artists you find most interesting and why?

While studying and developing my current body of work I discovered artists who were doing really interesting things with paint textures. I wanted to work with paint without a canvas, Linda Besemer, a US artist was doing amazing things with this idea. I also looked at the work of Lynda Benglis, who used paint and other materials, like latex, to create the effect of really visceral paint sculptures. I also love the work of WA artists Cynthia Ellis and Alex Spremberg, while very different, the effects and textures they both create are really incredible.

Paint Patch (Green), Melanie Diss, 2011.

Coming from a textile background, I got so excited when I first saw your work and realised you were painting on fabrics other than canvas! and I think it is kind of funny that people seem to forget that canvas is a textile too. Is that something that you were consciously thinking about when you started painting on organza?

To be honest it's not something I was conscious of! At first I wanted to work with paint only, and create paintings with no support, but I couldn't get the desired effect. So I experimented with a few different materials including plastic sheeting and different fabrics like tulle and voile, before discovering that organza was exactly what I needed.

I wanted a material that would 'disappear', with the support being almost invisible. Organza definitely gave this appearance but when I started using it I also found it had other really interesting qualities that I could work with and manipulate, and with it's transparency there are lots of things you can do that you can't do with canvas.

Installation view - Narratives of Debris @
The Oats Factory, 2011.

Are there constant themes that you are attracted to throughout your work?

With my current work I am really interested in texture, and I find that I'm drawn to that in other artists' work. I also find myself noticing interesting textures everywhere now! I'm also interested in the themes of decay and renewal, and finding something attractive/appealing in discarded or neglected objects.

Are there any mediums/materials you would like to try that you haven't done yet?

There are so many different skills I've yet to learn, I think that's what makes art so exciting, there's an infinite supply of techniques and materials to try out. For me though, I'd like to learn screen-printing and finally learn to sew properly! I do find I always end up coming back to working with paint though, there are so many things I've yet to try and there's so much it can do. I'm also only just starting to use different painting mediums and glazes more, so I think I'll be sticking with paint for the next few years at least.

I often hear music playing from behind your door when I walk past at the studios. I think it is interesting how some artists need silence to work and others really draw from that energy music gives, or they drown away outside distractions with it. What part does music play for you in your art making?

I find I generally need the TV on or music playing if I'm working for long periods of time. I find it occupies the part of my brain that thinks too much! If I have music playing while making art I tend to make more intuitive decisions, I don't over-think what I'm doing. And yes, it definitely blocks out other outside distractions too, so I definitely prefer having music playing.

Installation view - Narratives of Debris @ The Oats Factory, 2011.

If you could go anywhere tomorrow where would it be?

I was gonna be cliched and say the Louvre, travelling around Europe, seeing as many galleries/churches/museums as I can but the truth is, tomorrow I'd love to be able to go to my studio and work full-time as an artist, and quit my boring day job.

Any current/future shows coming up?

I have a show with Shelley Brookland and Connla Kerr, at Melody Smith's gallery The Oats Factory. The show is called Narratives of Debris and the last day to see it is next Sunday, 14 August.

Where can people find out more about your work?

I've just recently set up a blog which can be viewed at melaniediss.blogspot.com, please check it out!

Something beautiful

I've just discovered the work of Shinichi Maruyama through the Juxtapoz blog. The video is just beautiful and I recommend exploring his website http://shinichimaruyama.com some amazing images.

Speaking with Kristi Chua

This month I had privilege of interviewing a very talented painter, Kristi Chua.
I'm also lucky enough to be able to say she is a studio neighbour of mine. So I get to regularly admire her work on the walls of our shared hallway and sometimes get a sneek peek at what she is working on in her studio.


Tell us a little about your background and the kind of work you make.

I've spent a good deal of time working in and around the Aboriginal community of Perth, and I think my work reflects this, often inspired by landscapes I've experienced, people I've met and things I've learned along the way. I'm homeschooling my son and I often find my smaller works reflecting ideas and thoughts around the natural learning process (using observation and exploration as the creative process is also a learning process). My early works were with found objects and acrylics primarily, I have since moved to oils and a combination of graphite and oils after two years playing with watercolors.

Are you self-taught, formally trained? Acquired skills from family/friends?

Although I attended Kalamunda Senior Highschool which had a very comprehensive art program, I am primarily self taught. I am interested in pushing the boundaries when its comes to combinations and techniques for expression. I apply what I have learned from one medium to another, for example my current work with oil and graphite employs techniques and observations I discovered while working with water color. I am also learning much from other artists through conversation and observation, I feel very lucky to be working with Bibbulmen elder and artist Toogarr Morrison at the moment on a tile mural. I find artists to be very generous with their knowledge and I hope to work with other people more in the near future.

Did you always want to be an artist, or did it come later in life?

I have always wanted to be an artist, although it was never seen in my family to be a "career" choice. It's only recently that I have made the commitment to my practice, ensuring I make it a priority in my life. My mum reminds me that when I was younger I told her I didn't need to go to school because I was going to be an artist when I grew up, funny enough thats exactly how it turned out. I left my masters in Education last year because it was interfering with my art!

What is your earliest creative memory?

Making pictures with colored spagetti at a family day care. I still think its fun.

What drives you to do what you do?

I feel like when I am painting or drawing, I am being authentic to myself. I am happy in my own skin when I am creating, and to "not" create usually results in me feeling unwell and depressed. Its just something I have to do, like breathing.

"Boab"

Who/what are some of your creative influences?

I don't have to look too far for creative inspiration. Country and family and friends inspire me, my own bioregion, my garden, my son, all inspire me and influence my creative process. In terms of other artists I love the work of Jo Darbyshire, Toogarr Morrison and Peteris Ciemitis. Lyn Franke, Julie Dowling and Kimberley Kohan are also some of my favorites.

What are some of your creative goals?

I really want to travel and paint, particular up to the Kimberley, our homelands. I would love to just go and observe and explore, and create a body of work based on my experiences of place there. Another goal of mine is to move into public art, I have a great interest in how people interact with their environment, particularly children and young adults, how they explore and move in spaces. I'd love to be involved in creating public art that not only has people reflecting on what it means to be in "place" but also art that gets people moving and exploring these spaces.

Are there constant themes you are attracted to in your work?

There are definately themes that I return to regularly. Interaction with the natural environment and how we process our understanding of that. Sometimes this is something that isn't explicit in my work ( for example most people would just see a landscape) but other times its more obvious, well I think it is. My work based on my synesthesia I think is more "out there" for people, I get asked more questions about my process with that particular body of work. I'm also interested in how people interact with our shared history, although I have not produced a large number of works in that theme, it is on the cards.

"Synesthesia"

What do you like about Perth? How do you think living in Perth has influenced your work?

How can Perth not influence my work? While my mob come from the Kimberley, I have primarily grown up in Perth and surrounding areas. So I am most family with the plants, animals, people and places of Perth, our bioregion, our country. The small things of home, like the candle banksia flowering, or the bigger things of our home, like the shifting of our seasons influence every aspect of my life, including my art work. As they do for all people living here, just some seem to have forgotten the importance of it.

Do you listen to anything when you are working? If so, what?

I love to listen to music while working, although I can loose track of time this way! I listen to JJJ or Noongar radio most of the time, but I have a varied taste in music depending on my mood, anything QOTSA, prodigy to Joanna Newsom gets played. On some rare occasions when I'm completely alone, I prefer just the sounds of what is going on outside, birds singing, people walking past.

Any future shows coming up?

I have put my hand up for a few things this year but am patiently waiting for news back. Hopefully a show in Ellenbrook and I hope to be involved in the heritage week in Perth.

Where can people find out more about your work?

The best place to keep track of me is on my facebook group Kristi Chua Art, any events I am involved in or shows will be posted on my page. People can also track me down through Artsource WA.

A PDF version of this interview is available on Artperth.com.

Speaking with Laura Williams

Tell us a little about your background
I grew up in Australind, an hour and a bit south of perth. We had a beautiful house that was surrounded by bush and looked out over the estuary.

Did you grow up in a creative environment?
Yeah, my family is pretty creative but in different ways. There is a lot of quilting and sewing and cooking and gardening and music and generally making lots of things - everyone has their projects and we are a fairly practical family. We have always been encouraged to follow whatever we were interested in and I was always making stuff and had little projects on the go all the time. Papier mache bowls, necklaces, paper clay, paintings, sewing pencil cases in the shape of elephants...

One of my brothers is a graphic designer too (also with lots of painting and screenprinting and other projects on the go) so we often bounce ideas off each other and get another opinion on things. It is great having a family with lots of skills in different areas because if I am unsure of how to do something, someone else usually knows!

Who/what are some of your creative influences?
I get inspired by lots of artists, movies, books, music and often just things i see or come across. In terms of artists, I really like artists such as Andy Goldsworthy, Cressida Campbell, Margaret Preston, Clarice Beckett and lots of others. I also have a general love for patterned fabrics and papers. I recently realised that I collect a lot of things too (having had to pack it all up!). I have a lot of postcards of reproductions from exhibitions, fabrics, buttons, jewellery, beads – elements of these things inspire me , even if it is just the colours.

I also have a couple of lever arch files that are filled with pages that I have ripped out of old magazines or just general images that I have found. They are mainly of places and objects - gardens, plants, landscapes, animals, all kinds of things, but I've found this is a really useful resource if I am feeling stuck. I like to be surrounded by stuff that relates to what I'm working on, so at the moment there are a lot of photos of plants and gardens everywhere.

What do you like about Perth? How do you think living in Perth has influenced your work?
The lifestyle and the weather in Perth is pretty great and I really like looking at all the beautiful gardens in the streets around the house I have been living in. I do like the beach too – I feel pretty lucky to be able to go swimming at the beach in the morning and see a school of fish swimming next to me. I think that in some ways I am usually more influenced by other places i visit though or the photographs I have brought back with me. I get inspired in places where there is a lot of natural space and I feel like I need to get out of my current environment every once in a while for a bit of a refresher.

You are moving to Melbourne soon! Will you be continuing your practice there and what creatively are you looking forward to most?
Yes, I’ve actually just arrived! It’s quite exciting and I am planning to continue to paint and draw and make things but I’ll probably have a little break from exhibiting for a while and just focus on the making. I find going to new places really exciting: working out where things are and what I find interesting and how everything operates. I guess I am just looking forward to taking everything in and I’m planning to see as much and learn as much as I can too.

What are some of your creative goals?
I tend to look at everything I do as a learning curve, whether its how to use a material better or just hopefully improving my skills and techniques as I go. Every so often, I have a little bout of extra enthusiasm and start entering works in lots of exhibitions and putting ideas together for possible shows. In reality though, my goals are more about what I am working on at one particular moment. It always feels as if there isn’t enough time for everything. I guess this is a good way to be as I always have the next project or idea waiting in the back of my mind. It is more a matter of trying to get these ideas and images that I have in my mind onto paper as best I can - that is always the main goal.

What are some of your favourite materials to work with?
I have been working on paper for a while now and most recently with watercolours. My favourite part is putting the first wash of colour onto the paper. I like the way that painting of any kind always feels like something that you gradually learn more and more about but there is always more to know. I also did quite a lot of video and animation work while I was studying and I am quite keen to do some more. I like the way it challenges me to bring time into the equation and the ideas are no longer only about 1 or 2 images.

Any medium you would like to explore that you haven’t done yet?
I would like to try using oils sometime soon as I haven't really done much oil painting before. I have also been experimenting with resin recently and I'm really enjoying working out how to get different effects and seeing what it can do so that is definitely something i would like to explore a little bit more

Are there constant themes you are attracted to in your work?
I am usually drawn to natural themes - gardens, plants, insects, water, weather - i find these things endlessly fascinating. Over the past year or so I have mainly been focussing on gardens and plants and most recently, I have been doing some mini watercolour works in the shape of windows looking out into gardens. I guess I'm trying to make the works have the same effect as a nice window - a view into a calm sanctuary. I do also like drawing cute things too so every so often I do a bunch of drawings of tiny smiling snails or checked pigs or something!

Do you tend to work in a studio, from home or both? What is your workspace like?
I just work wherever I can but I have usually had a dedicated corner to work in with a table or a little bit of bench space. I have had a beautiful studio in Subiaco over the last few months and I think this was really good for my work. Prior to that I had always worked at home, so it was a good way to see if I could work somewhere else. It made me a lot more disciplined (no web browsing!) and probably a lot more productive too. Having said that though, I need a lot of things around me to be able to work effectively: paints, other materials, books and images that relate to what I'm working on - I always seem to surround myself with stuff. Hence, wherever I am working is also always a really messy area!!

Do you listen to anything when you are working? If so, what?
While i am working I usually listen to music or audiobooks depending on what I am working on. If I am doing really detailed and repetitive work, I find that listening to books really helps me work longer and not get distracted. Most of the time I listen to music though, and i like all kinds of things so it really depends on my mood. For some reason, Joanna Newsom's music and the Ys album in particular instantly inspires me but lately I've also been listening to Arcade Fire, Laura Marling, LCD Soundsystem, The National and Dan Sultan amongst lots of other things.

Where can people find out more about your work?
I have a blog: http://laurajwilliams.blogspot.com/
and an etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurajwilliams

Any future shows coming up?
Not in the near future. I'm just planning to concentrate on the making side of things for a little while and then see how i go, check the blog for updates on this one though!

Speaking with Lorraine Corker

Did you grow up in a creative environment?
I was born in Manchester, England in 1952 into a rather large and eccentric family, I being tenth of twelve children. As you can imagine there was never a dull moment, the house was always full of activity and interest. My dad was a welder by trade but drawing was his passion and he was very good at it. He would often draw his workmates in the rest periods.

Drawing by my father, S. J. Wilson.

Money was in short supply but that never stopped us from having a rich and fulfilling life, we just did things a “little” differently…

We always had a plentiful supply of drawing equipment using carpenters pencils and the back of blue prints that dad salvaged from work. It was this kind of resourcefulness and thinking that not only provided our basic needs but also our spiritual and creative ones.


What is your earliest creative memory?
My earliest creative memory was figure drawing in lipstick on my dad’s baldhead while he was sleeping.

My fondest creative memory was the biennial event of redecorating the house. This was always a family affair where we all pitched in to strip the wallpaper. The anticipation would build as the walls beneath started to reveal themselves and squeals of delight and laughter would ring out with each fresh discovery. Growth charts, drawings, poetry and memories were exposed. Once the walls were completely stripped we were given carte blanche to draw whatever and wherever we wanted. Eventually our work was all covered over with fresh wallpaper, hidden from the world, until the next time.


What drives you to do what you do?
I have deep rooted need to create and express ideas, the more I create, the more I need to create – put simply it’s an addiction.


Who/what are some of your creative influences?
A few years ago I started to develop a particular trail of thought that I knew would encompass a way of thinking capable of underpinning my art practice.
At this time it was quite a revelation to discover how much I had in common with the Dada movement’s philosophies and practices. It was in response to this I developed my own philosophy called maMa.

From the performance video What is Art?

“…maMa has not only responded to, but also reacted against some of Dada’s philosophies and practices. In doing so it has adopted those methods that are in keeping with its ideology and practice, such as the use of chance, the arbitrary act, and the meanderings of the mind.

“In reacting to the negative and destructive tendencies of Dada, maMa has tried to address the Dadaists need to shock, exclude and affront. In understanding their brutal approach, it has been possible to build a new model, one which utilises a positive approach that is based on the very act of creativity. In this respect maMa leans more towards the approach of Yoko Ono, whose work is not outwardly aggressive, but nevertheless challenges its audiences by undermining their compliancy. She often turns the viewer into participator in a manner that seemingly relinquishes the artist’s control, but is in fact placing the viewer in a situation where they have to confront their own values and consciences”. (extract from maMa - Honours Thesis, 2005)


Are you self-taught, formally trained or acquired skills from family/ friends?
All of the above.


Any medium you would like to explore that you haven’t done yet?
I am primarily a painter but my work extends far beyond the canvas. I have spent some years ‘painting as performance’ both within the public arena and the gallery context. The effect of this process is transformative. The paintings often become the ephemeral element of the work and the documentation the end product. My work has led me into the fields of painting, drawing, installation, performance, video, printmaking and photography but is not limited to these as each project sets it own parameters.

trans-Pose

live performance at The Kurb, Lorraine Corker and Lorretta Gibbs

Did you always want to be an artist, or did it come later in life?
I always wanted to be creative. It never occurred to me that I could or should be an artist. Going to college was merely a means of acquiring the skills to work in industry. I gained a diploma, but before I had a chance of putting my skills to the test I started a family. Then, just like my parents had done, my resourcefulness and creative skills were employed putting the quality into our lives.

It was some twenty years later when I had the opportunity to enter the art world. I won a prize with my first painting and I went on to have a variety of solo and joint exhibitions in which I made good sales. I was invited to curated exhibitions with well-known and respected artists but still I did not dane to call myself artist.

Eventually I went to university to study fine arts and made a deliberate decision to put behind me everything I thought I already knew. I went out of a limb with every project, daring to push my knowledge and capabilities to the limits, courting failure at every turn. It was through this process that I eventually emerged and began to call myself an artist.

Painting as performance in The Space

What are some of your creative goals?
The work I do invariably generates more ideas and inspiration for future projects than I can handle at any one time. I have therefore decided to reinvestigate those possibilities with a huge degree of enthusiasm. I don’t plan to do any more ‘live’ performance, although I do not rule it out.

from visual diary

What do you like about working in Perth?
I sometimes wonder if I made the right decision to settle in Perth as there seems to be so much more support for the arts out east. But I quickly dispel those notions. I love the lifestyle here and I could, and perhaps should push myself a little more to belong to the wider art community both here and over east.


How do you see the creative scene in Perth? What if anything, do you think would improve it?
I believe there are a wide variety of things to see and do, but they are not necessarily main stream. Enough for me to run myself ragged going to all the art exhibitions, shows and events, (from which I have now taken a back seat). The mainstream theatre and music scene can be quite prohibitive and unfortunately we do miss out on some of the major events. The arts should be so well supported that it would be impossible to go anywhere without having some kind of encounter with the arts. Well, I am allowed to dream aren’t I?

Painting from the trans-Pose performance.

How can people find out more about your work?
I am in the process of building a web site, which should be up and running shortly.

Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57564435@N02/

YouTube:






email:
rottenart@iinet.net.au