Listed works for sale from first solo show

Naturally I didn't sell everything from the first show I held, so I found a site called Bluethumb where you ca list your works for sale. I did the measurements and weight yesterday for a number of works (see below). It was a relatively painless process made a bit more difficult by the fact that my phone was on low charge so I had to sit in the lounge chair instead of on the couch.

Bridge 9340, 2023 (watercolour colalge and posca on paper)

FOCARE II, 2023 (watercolour and collage on paper)

FOCARE VI, 2023 (watercolour and collage on paper)

Social animals III, 2023 (mixed media)

Trial by media, 2023 (watercolour and collage on paper)

I have other things to list on Bluethumb and will get around to it in the future. I hope someone sees the works and likes them enough to buy. I haven't thought too much about packaging because I think it's a bridge to cross when I get to it, my first goal is to get a "view" on Bluethumb.

What do you think? Are these the sorts of things you'd like to have on your wall? Do they make any sense at all? It's Pop art I think, at least that's the way I classified them in Bluethumb. You can put in little descriptions as well where you can note your influences or write down any explanatory ttext detailing what your work is mean to be about. But these things are all relative. When I see these works I see one thing but when someone else sees them they might see something completely different.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. For me, this journey is just beginning and I have been making lots of new work over the past few weeks. I made two paintings last night, for example, which feature cars and koalas. You can guess my meaning already?

Colour as a plot device

It feels like eternity has passed but since I did the ‘Death by cop’ series only two months has gone by. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been thinking about the show in July so haven’t been painting much, but a few days ago I went back to what I did last year.

And reinvented it.

Last year I was making colour watercolours with collage but I hadn’t turned the paintings into series yet. A month ago I did so and therefore had something to think about when it came to doing ‘Colour as a plot device’ (which will also be the title of the show). I specifically wanted to use nine panels and made nine watercolours but then at the last minute broke up another series and used one panel from that in this new work.

I think about how artists are portrayed in popular culture, they’re usually denigrated on account of their enthusiasms, rendered in a way that makes them unpalatable. They don’t fit in. They’re deliberately different and use that as a weapon to attack the status quo. But ‘Colour as a plot device’ uses tropes from that same place to turn the mirror around, you see familiar elements of cultural iconography but the gorgeous background makes them look like they’re seen in front of a splendid sunset. We all seek to escape and when we’re caught up in a net we struggle all the harder.

I think about popular culture and what it means. That policeman, that joker, that criminal, that reigning monarch, all fit into destiny’s tableau like parts of a puzzle. You belong to an organisation you fit into its matrix, you belong to a community you conform. You settle in for the ride. You mix and mingle. 

And smile.

'Magnificent obsessions' series

I was out with friends on Saturday but stayed home all day Sun giving me time and space to dream. 

Because I’d flattened out a whole lot of watercolours I had given them a second life and resurrected possibilities. The confluence of events led me to making a bunch of standalone paintings into a series I titled ‘Magnificent obsessions’ in honour of Sydneysiders’ penchant for food and real estate. The title is similar to my old boss’ film title, what she made after she left the company we worked at. 

Like my collage I’m not really stealing the film title, it’s more like payment because I made some graphics for the credits, and anyway her film title is not precisely the same. I repurpose magazines to make collage so why not repurpose a pair of words?

There is something unwieldy about our obsession with real estate, more recently paired with an interest in food – see all the cooking shows about farm-to-fork etc – and it’s a bit of a stretch to call it “magnificent” though we have nationally a much higher mobility rate than other countries apart from those in Scandinavia, so evidently the use of dwellings to improve one’s material wellbeing isn’t all bad. 

We’re yet to see if the state and federal governments can do something about homelessness, which is still too high. We know what to do about homelessness it’s just a matter of authorities biting the bullet and taking the necessary actions to make sure people are housed. The measures required imply an all-of-government response. I wonder if siloing – which is inevitable where you have organisations responding – isn’t going to throw a spanner in the works.

Automobile transition series

This week I flattened out a whole slew of paintings. What happens is that if you don’t use good paper with lots of water the paintings dry curled, so I popped down to IGA on the off-chance they’d have a squirter bottle to fill with water. 

In fact this one was the last one on the shelf so for the rest of the day I sprayed the backs of paintings than weighed them down with heavy books as per the instructions I’d got from Google. 

It worked so well that I decided to revisit one series and add a closure to round out the viewing experience.

It’s a sort of comic/conceit that I’m going to call ‘Automobile transition’ in order to tap into the zeitgeist and capitalise on a popular theme. In fact the series DOES show change from one state to another and back again.

The original paintings were done in November so it goes a LONG way into the past. When I first did the paintings I started out by experimenting, just following my intuition. In the same way that in October I began in Pitt Street Mall to paint leaves, when I started to use collage it seemed natural to make leaves as well.

Abstract chevron sets

I can’t remember exactly when it was, yesterday or the day before, but I assembled the abstract series of works into sets (see below) giving the individual paintings a second opportunity to glow. One viewer said they are “luscious” and I’m grateful for the feedback, but for myself I think they create meaning when they’re considered together because of the sheer diversity the new work embodies.

Seeing the thing here online you don’t get the full effect but in real life when seen together the paintings secure new life because in addition to the range of colours, the arrow (chevron) shapes all point in different directions so the eye is constantly changing its point of focus from one panel to another. The sense of movement you get from the work has something to do with this diversity, as though a sink full of soapy water were being stirred.

Because I had two panels left over after putting the two sets together I am making a third set to accommodate the two spare paintings. I explained in the previous blogpost how I came to have three of the first set, and not two.

Abstract series

On Thursday I was due to meet friends for dinner in Darlinghurst and there was a show opening also nearby to go to. A friend had furthermore offered to give me things for the baby (my daughter is expecting) so I had three reasons to go into town, and caught a bus at around 3pm. I went to the Sheraton Hotel to pick up the bibs and cap then went to Dymocks and bought some more children’s books as well as some art books.

I started reading one on abstract painters when I was in the CBD at Westfield’s food court where you can sit freely for as long as you like, then I tried getting on the train but it didn’t come so resigned myself to resorting to a bus, which I caught on Elizabeth St.

The walk down from Oxford St to Rushcutters bay was a little stressful because I was always wondering as I went along when my heart would start thumping but it stayed calm. I took in the show by myself – you can see the review on the Esag blog – then sauntered back up the hill to Victoria St where I sat down on a bench reading.

The cars were buzzing behind me and one popped and snorted as it changed gears because it was owned by a young man and he thinks that making noise is as fun for everyone else as it is for him. For about 30 minutes I wandered mentally through different worlds, art movements, manifestos, declarations etc and I came away amused at the frailty of human endeavour, we think what we do has a certain meaning and it turns out that other people (in the future, say) don’t care a fig about what we say and only admire the pretty pictures.

Last night I talked with my friend Basia about all these earnest people and their exhortations and “position statements” etc and we laughed (I love the pretty pictures though). We also talked about the abstract works I made in response to reading the book (see below), I started with an unused base watercolour from a previous series and did four more to make five in the ‘Yellow abstract’ set, then did four ‘Orange abstract’ paintings using some of the new paint I picked up on Thursday.

At dinner a friend of a friend commented on my paintings (not from the abstract series) and later I saw an SMS she sent regarding them that noted their preliminary nature, I think she wants me to make acrylic or oil paintings and use these watercolours as studies. I took this person’s words to heart thinking about the future and its mysteries but haven't moved away from my current method yet and possibly never will. I’d shown her some of my return to the ad slogan series (see below) and I hadn’t started on the abstract ones at that point. her husband also said I should use larger paper but after talking with Basia about both of these suggestions I'm deciding to stay put for the moment. I'm enjoying myself.

A distant ship on the horizon (the newscast)

You might remember if you’ve been following the progress of my art practice that I did a series called ‘Shipwreck’, it was back at the middle of last month (it seems like years have passed) and it contained renderings of ships mainly the Pasha Bulker that ran aground off Newcastle in 2008. 

More recently in fact last year there was the Portland Bay operated by a company called Pacific Basin (operating out of Hong Kong) which lost power at sea near Sydney. At the time I took photos of the newscasts the ship was still at sea and every day there were updates fed to viewers via the Nine channel as well as others, I don’t know I can’t remember exactly which station broadcast what it was so long ago and so many things have happened to me in the intervening months.

In fact in July I met Simon Kahn and we started the art group, so it has truly been a momentous year for me. Nevertheless I distinctly recall the ship and have therefore used it to talk about time’s passing in this new work ‘A distant ship on the horizon (the newscast)’ .

The above photo shows the necessary 4 panels laid out in the correct order. The following photos show the individual panels separately.

I’m tentatively happy with the overall effect but am welcome to ideas from other people. ‘A distant ship on the horizon (the newscast)’ of course references a popular song of my youth, in fact the song was on a concept album that all of my friends were listening to that had been put out by Pink Floyd in late 1979 titled ‘The Wall’. 

Looking back it was timely as the Berlin Wall came down a decade later but for us the idea of protest embodied in the songs had a closer relevance. The only thing I can think about now in relation to the songs is how poor the education system was (is?) in addressing our needs. The art group is a way for me to regain time (see first panel) but like looking through the smoke of a burning forest it’s hard to remember the reason why it was important to make art in the first place.

Settling on a 4-panel work like this is a new approach for me, previously these “double overlay” works have been standalones, and the reason for additional curiosity and application is the show planned for June. As I put together things to go in the show I see new opportunities for expression and this leads me to starting works. A major problem for me is insight however, as the more I struggle the harder it is to write coherently about the work, I wish someone else would come and take the job of talking about ‘A distant ship on the horizon (the newscast)’ away from me, relieve me of the burden of making sense, of promoting the work, of being a mouthpiece. The more I think about it the less I want to explain and clarify but by the same token writing has become such an intrinsic part of my life – writing a way to do art WHILE SEATED AT A DESK – that I also see no way to avoid speaking.

While seated at a desk. In a way Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ is a reaction to the study (not to be confused with the studio), or at least I currently choose to see it that way. I choose that explanation for my interest in a ship in distress at sea. What is it about ships that attracts us so strongly? Is it the idea of another shore, or places to go to gain wealth, status, or experiences? Is it the danger that draws us, that challenges our jaded complacency: here, look, this is what adventure is like. When we sit down to watch the news, or, more likely, when we overhear a story on the news as we’re preparing dinner of helping the kids with some routine task, do we empathise with the people whose traumas are laid out for our entertainment? Do we feel comfortable, and forget about the niggling insecurities that lash us? Do we wish we were somewhere else? Do we reconcile ourselves with our domestic dramas?

Whatever it is about the news it’s not going away anytime soon in fact it looks more and more every week like an institution, complete and fixed in space, a point of reference we can all orient ourselves by as we journey through life.

Going back to 'Social animals' series

I’d just done some “double overlay” paintings, in fact four of them (see last post) and decided to go back to November when I made the original “social animals” series. The reason for this move was that I didn’t have any new Japanese “kotowaza” to use but needed a break. The ‘Social animals’ paintings are easy to do and this time I’d be making sets deliberately, originally I made up the sets in the end with extra ‘Party animal’ paintings having made a bunch of the other ones. You’ll see (if it’s not clear what I’m talking about right now).

I had always wanted to make ‘Social animal’ paintings in red and blue, and now added yellow as well for variety. Perhaps in future I’ll just do red and blue alone or maybe red, white and blue. That’s the thing about painting it’s not just WHAT you draw of paint, it’s also the colours you use, or else the overall tone.

I chose brightness this time because red, blue and yellow is a happy combination. For the collage I used some old paramontage rejects photos that were still usable in this way but that I otherwise had no use for. I have a bunch of paramontages upstairs not being used that people can’t even see because the living room is on a different floor, but I haven’t made up my mind to cut them up yet. Maybe some of the less successful ones I’ll cannibalise in this way I haven’t made up my mind yet.

The photo paper these paramontages are printed on is very thick relative to ordinary magazine paper so it takes a while to get the collage to stick but I spend a good deal of effort making sure it does. Following the red-blue-yellow ‘Social animals’ set I’ve also started a maroon/purple set so will post those later on the blog. The reason I chose the maroon/purple colour scheme is that a friend recommended this for a “kotowaza” series and I got some positive feedback on the colours then.

First sale of a picture I made

Starting last week I’ve been making different series of watercolours this time adding collage with advertising slogans on top of colour fiends. I do washes with different brands of watercolours then let the sheets dry before sticking cutout letters and shapes onto the paper. In fact I started on this jag on 26 Jan because a houseguest was watching YouTube in Chinese without subtitles available, it was the excuse I needed to make something instead of consuming something else, I made sets of four pictures starting with the theme of cars, graduating to apparel (clothes, glasses) and finally doing some about real estate.

Though it’s not immediately apparent what these pictures are “about”.

Yesterday I was talking with Simon who I started the Eastern Suburbs Art Group with (back in July), we were travelling on the train to Kings Cross on the way to the galleries in Rushcutters Bay. We talked about consumer culture and he focused on a type of combat sport that is very popular in some sectors, probably he knows I don’t watch sport so was ribbing me. He said there is a UFC fight on soon in Perth between two major figures and we laughed a lot, I guess he wanted to discuss spectacle and the ways we look for entertainment.

We met up with Sophie and Anthony at Arthouse Gallery, two years before I’d bought paintings by James Ettelson at the same location. This time he was showing spectacular large colourful works and smaller limited run prints. I told my friends about what had happened two years earlier, I was apparently in “on the ground floor” whatever that means, I only buy things I like and I don’t sell them for profit if the value escalates.

In a little while we walked down toward the railway viaduct to go to another gallery where I got tired and sat down to wait on a park bench made of stone. Some people brought dogs along to poop while I was waiting and then Sophie came out with two men in tow and introduced us, I said hello and the six of us walked to Victoria Street in Darlinghurst where Daniel and Gavin had left their bags in their office. Anthony and I sat down on a street bench while Simon stood on the pavement and the three of us talked, then the other three came out of a gallery and I showed Sophie paintings of mine I had brought in my knapsack. 

A miracle happened when Daniel whipped a $50 note out of his pocket and said he wanted an orange one, I think “orange” had cropped up in one discussion or another I wasn’t following closely, so I took the pen he had with him and using a restaurant table I signed the back of the paper. This is the purchase, ‘Apparel VI’.

When I got home I labelled the rest of the series and told Daniel via SMS the title of the work he’d bought. It was a memorable night as you can imagine as I lost count of the number of people I told about the evening’s events. I shall write more at the end of the year in my annual memorial.

Visual disturbances: Four

On Saturday 5 July 2008 I walked from Central Station, having caught the train from the suburb where I lived, through Surry Hills to Paddington. I took 474 photos on my way to an art gallery to hear a presentation given about an exhibition of photographs, then more photos were taken in the gallery itself, and more as I walked to the city where I intended to catch a train for the ride home. In this post there are 61 photos taken between 12.31pm and 3.50pm, but my snapping started about 10 minutes earlier than that, when I was in the space beneath the railway viaduct over Campbell Street, near Central Station.

Oddly enough the National Gallery of Victoria had an exhibition of Petrina Hicks' photos on at the time this post was written. The show started on 27 September and would run into the following year.

In the previous post in this series I talked about how, after a certain age, you become invisible. It’s clear that I wasn’t invisible at the time the following photos were taken because there is one here that contains an image of me: my body’s reflection, as I stood on the footpath on Flinders Street, caught by the camera in the glass door of a passing bus. In that photo I am not wearing the suede-and-Nylon belt that I still use now, over a decade later.

The gallery I visited on the day no longer operates and the people who are in these photos are now somewhere else or, perhaps, they are no longer of this world except as physical remains. Even if these photos had been in focus, the people who are caught in them, if they are still alive now, would look different from how they looked then, so it is fitting that it is merely their movement through space, rather than their outward appearance, that has lasted. Only the ephemeral, spectral outlines of their shifts remain.

In any case, people change over time. We are but the ghosts of our former selves. I think I remember learning that the human body is completely renewed every seven years, every cell replaced by a new one that fulfils one of the essential functions that sustain life. As I walk down the street today, over 11 years away in time from that July day, I can wonder about who those people were and how their lives have since changed.