Episodes

  • Natalie O'Connor and Jo Mellor are currently showing at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf so you can go check out their work right now!

    Natalie O'Connor is an artist recently awarded her PHD at UNSW for her thesis, 'The Nature of Redness', which is also the title of Natalie's exhibition at Woollahra.

    Natalie O’Connor is an artist, researcher, public programs & education coordinator at Hazelhurst Arts Centre. Her experience in the international colour manufacturing industry has heavily influenced her practice. She holds a Bachelor of Education and Master's degree. Most recently, she was awarded a PhD at UNSW for her thesis, The Nature of Redness- A Practice-Based Research into Red Pigments to Offer a New Understanding of Material Colour.

    Her practice and thesis are concerned with the permanency and fragility of colour and the technical innovations of the artist’s palette that result from a collaborative dialogue between artists and scientists since the early nineteenth century. She engages deeply with the colour red, investigating its materiality and revealing its inherent qualities of colour.

    By understanding and experiencing the delicacies of each red pigment, scientists explore the potential for colour-making in the future. This allows the new potential for contemporary artists to make informed choices with their palettes to interpret the world around them.


    Jo Mellor is also a graduate of UNSW recently a masters in Fine Arts research

    'Jo Mellor is a recent graduate of UNSW Art & Design's MFA program. Her MFA project was guided by Aboriginal knowledge provided by Ngiyampaa Elder Aunty Beryl Carmichael. The project applied the methodologies of yarning and deep listening to an expanded textile practice as well as consultation and collaboration with the Menindee Ngiyampaa and Barkandji community. Emerging from this research, Jo's current exhibition, Cobalt and Rust (Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, 20 March - 14 April 2024) is a critical examination of the ecological crises affecting Broken Hill (Wilyakali Country). Through a textile-based, eco-feminist practice, the exhibition lays bare the devastating consequences of land and water mismanagement by government bodies and corporations who fail to consult with the Traditional Custodians of Country. The textile series in the exhibition presents dense clusters of embroidery that suggest textures of scarred earth, whilst hues of cobalt and rust echo chemical discord. -

    Jo's exhibition at Woollahra is called, 'Cobalt and Rust'.

    Their shows are on until 14th April.

    Thanks for talking to us!

  • Many thanks Evie for your time and sharing your stories and experiences about your life and artwork. Evie is inspired by her environment.

    To find out more about Evie and her artwork you can see on her instagram.

    https://www.instagram.com/evie.adasal/?hl=en

    To see the artwork of Evie's from Paddington Art Prize 2023

    https://www.artgalleria.com/folio?p=cb840d31-507c-457c-9439-0d7fe04a31bd

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  • We had the great pleasure of interviewing artist @elle_beaumont_ at @michaelreid.northernbeaches last weekend just before the opening of the group show, ‘Country’, as featured in this month’s @countrystylemag. Elle also has a solo show in October at @michaelreid.southernhighlands so keep an eye out for that.

    ‘Elizabeth Beaumont (b. 1989) is an emerging artist living on the remnant bushland of the Ngambri/Ngunnawal people in the Southern Tablelands, NSW. Elizabeth grew up in the Southern Highlands, NSW.
    Elizabeth is self-taught, with a background in criminal law and psychology. Elizabeth has always painted, but has dedicated time to her practice since 2017. Elizabeth’s paintings are predominately abstracted landscapes and expressions of the bush, with recurring interrogation of the ecology of the southern tablelands, wallum heathland, the central Australian desert, and Southwest Tasmania. ​​
    .
    Thanks so much for talking to us, Elle, good luck for the future and happy painting!

  • Join us for the latest episode of @art.wank featuring the talented artist Nicole Kelly (@nk_nk_). Congratulations to Nicole on becoming a new mum! In our recent Zoom interview before the Xmas, we delved into her painting techniques, past exhibitions, and her unique approach to color. Nicole is a very generous artist and offers dedicated mentoring through workshops and classes. Visit her website today to learn more and reserve your spot.

    Represented by Arthouse gallery in Sydney and Nicholas Thompson gallery in Melbourne

    .

    ‘Kelly creates paintings that linger between the essence of a subject and the experience of being. Clouded by the romanticism of remembering, her paintings are imbued with experience captured in vibrant strokes of colour and with swift brushwork. Kelly’s works, informed by an interest in literature and the discipline of painting, cast moments of shared stillness in an atmosphere of light. She says of her works “my desire is to push painting beyond a surface likeness of any subject and into the realm of poetics”.

    Winner of the prestigious Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship (2009) and the Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize (2018), Kelly is well recognised for her landscape, portraiture and still life painting. She has undertaken residencies in France (2019, 2018, 2017, 2010) and Spain (2016) and has completed major public commissions for the Sutherland and St George Hospitals in Sydney. Her work has been selected for inclusion in the Lester Prize for Portraiture at the Art Gallery of WA (2019, 2018, 2017, 2015), Portia Geach Memorial Award (2021, 2020, 2019, 2015, 2014), Salon des Refusés (2023, 2020, 2019) and Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW (2015). ‘

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    Thanks Nicole! Listen wherever you get podcasts or link in bio

    :

    #Podcast #artpodcast #artwank #abstract #art #artistsoninstagram #artwork #artist #artgallery #nicolekelly

  • Last year, we had the pleasure of interviewing the remarkable Tony Mighell. Unfortunately, our recording equipment failed to capture the second half of the interview. Determined to delve deeper into Tony's work, we returned for a re-recording session. Notably, Tony is a recent finalist in the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize and is represented by Nanda Hobbs.

    Adding to the occasion, we were joined by Gary, a friend of both Tony and the podcast. Gary generously brought along a cake for after the podcast!

  • Dougie Schofield

    Douglas grew up in Eden, on the Far South Coast of NSW, in his parent's rambling garden. This early immersion in Nature has resulted in a practice that reflects on the bodily experience in Landscape.

    Schofield is an emerging artist currently based in Sydney, NSW. In 2017 he graduated Fine Art (Hons) at UNSW Art & Design, with a major in painting and a minor in printmaking.

    He has had solo and group exhibitions nationally and has been exhibited internationally in China, Spain, and the Philippines. He currently has work on display in the Macquarie Group collection, Sydney.

    Douglas is represented in Brisbane, QLD by Aster + Asha Gallery.

    Schofield’s ongoing body of work journals and ponders on the bodily experience in landscape in relation to his gardening practice. As a gardener and horticulturist, the climate and weather are determining factors in daily activities.

    Douglas notes, “We are witnessing dramatic, unseasonal and severe weather nation and worldwide. My practices of gardening and painting put me in contact with this change daily.”

    Their work is abstract, gestural and layered. Douglas prefers to work abstractly in an attempt to give non-figurative visual language to the contemporary experience of being in Landscape.

    Thanks Dougie, so great to meet you and talk about your art practice.

  • Richardson’s works are held in the collections of National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of NSW, Heide Museum of Art, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Artbank, City of Fremantle, MerriBek Council and the Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art.

    Richardson is the founding editor of CoUNTess a blog publishing data on gender representation in the Australian visual arts sector.

    The first Countess Report authored by Richardson, was released in 2016 a sector wide bench marking data collection project, and which re-launched as Countess.Report in 2017 in collaboration with Amy Prcevich and Miranda Samuels and producing the updated 2019 Countess Report.

    You can find out more about the Countess report here
    https://countess.report

    You can find out more about Elvis on her website
    https://elvisrichardson.com

    To see the images discussed - Dorothy and Jack -please click here
    https://elvisrichardson.com/Slide-Show-Land-Dorothy-and-Jack

    to see the 'gates' discussed at 20 minutes in
    https://elvisrichardson.com/Settlement-the-Gatekeepers

  • Thanks Nathan Hawkes for such a great chat - we loved talking with you. To find out more about Nathan's practice look at these links

    https://www.instagram.com/n.a.t.h.a.n.h.a.w.k.e.s/?hl=en

    b. 1980 in Bowral, NSW, Australia
    Lives and works in Sydney, Australia

    Nathan Hawkes is a Sydney-based artist whose work is grounded in the practice of drawing as a way of paying attention to and reflecting on the visual dynamics and sensations encountered in his daily life.

    His large-format drawings involve scratching into the surface of paper and using rudimentary mark-making with fingers and hands, masking, sponges and a vacuum cleaner, to embody a rough-hewn euphoria and sense of renewal whilst gesturing towards an illusory perception of self in relationship to the world. It exemplifies his commitment to the exercise of drawing.

    Hawkes states:

    I am obsessed by the seemingly endless vitality and flexibility inherent to the act of drawing. Being arguably one of the oldest modes of communication there is something so deeply rooted, open, adaptive and non- exclusive about the practice of making marks on a surface in various ways to embody an idea or sensation.

    In 2020, Hawkes exhibited in Real Worlds: Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial. In 2019, Hawkes was a finalist in the 2019 Ramsay Art Prize at the Art Gallery of South Australia. He has been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards including the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, Marten Bequest travelling scholarship, and the Asa Masakusa Award. Between 2013 and 2015 he was an artist in residence at Australia House, Japan and exhibited at the 2015 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial. In 2017 the Australia Council for the Arts funded an extended visit to Sweden where he worked with internationally acclaimed artist Andreas Eriksson.

    Collections: Art Gallery of New South Wales -
    Chalk horse Gallery

    represented by Chalk horse Gallery in Sydney and Sophie Gannon in Melbourne

  • We had the great pleasure to visit the newly renovated Artspace studio and gallery space at The Gunnery, Woolloomooloo. Ten artists have successfully received a years free studio space. The studios are amazing, brand new and huge along with common spaces and a beautiful gallery space downstairs.

    We interviewed Leyla Stevens, Julia Gutman, Latai Taumoepeau and David M Thomas about what they will do with their year at Artscape and their art practice.

    The 10 artists taking the studios for the inaugural year are -

    Jack Ball Brian Fuata Julia Gutman Tina Havelock Stevens Jazz Money. Thea Anamara Perkins Gemma Smith Leyla Stevens Latai Taumoepeau David M Thomas


    Artspace will have an opening on Dec 15th 5.30pm and Dec 16th 11am following the government's transformation of the heritage building. Live performances, artist talks and DJ's.

  • Many thanks Lisa for your chat about all the work that goes into building a strong business with artists .

    You can find the Astute artist course on this link
    https://www.theastuteartist.com

    Lisa's instagram https://www.instagram.com/lisadoust/


  • Conor Knight is an emerging artist currently exhibiting at Michael Reid Northern Beaches until November 25th so get online or down to the Newport gallery and see the show, El Aula, in person.

    Conor recently spent 8 months teaching in Spain painting for this exhibition. We had a great chat about learning to paint, having a mentor in his friend and previous podcast guest, Dylan Jones, and much more...

    Thanks Conor, we wish you all the best for your future art career...


  • Ochre Lawson is an artist and teacher working out of Addison Rd Studios in Marrickville. She has a deep knowledge of colour and composition through self study and curiosity, Her work is free, flowing and colourful, full of the energy of the bush, which she loves to hike through. She was once an environmental activist and her love for nature comes through in her work.

    She is represented by Jennings Kerr Gallery in the Southern Highlands.

    The group show, Pulp, opens at Jennings Kerr November 17 until December 17.

    She has a solo show next October...

    thansk Ochre!


    Ochres Art School - Art Class Sydney, get yourself along to one of her classes!

  • This weeks podcast is with the brilliant artist Carline Zilinksy. Her show opens at Nanda Hobbs Thursday 9th Novmember so go see it! She recently won the peoples choice award at the Mosman art prize, congratulations Caroline. It was a pleasure to chat with Caroline, full of energy and unapologetic passion!

    She is represented by Nanda Hobbs

    'Caroline Zilinsky is the most enigmatic of painters. She is obsessive, highly skilled, sharp witted and possesses an eye that drills into the very soul of her sitters, revealing their most intimate truths. Her unrelenting artistic drive is intoxicating—ten-hour days at the easel is the studio norm.

    When viewing Zilinsky’s paintings, one cannot be an innocent bystander. As an artist, she has the ability to metaphorically reach out and grasp the viewer, compelling us to engage in a dialogue with her protagonists. Her works inhabit an interesting place in contemporary Australian painting. She echoes many of the themes of the Australian Modernism greats and stylistically, acknowledges a debt to their introspective investigations into an uncomfortable world.

    Caroline Zilinsky was the winner of the 2020 Portia Geach Memorial Award (Australia's most prestigious art prize for portraiture by women) and in the same year won the Evelyn Chapman Art Award at S H Ervin Gallery. She is also a regular finalist in other premier art prizes including the Archibald Prize (2022), Art Gallery NSW, Darling Portrait Prize (2020, 2022) National Portrait Gallery of Australia, Canberra, the 2020 SBS Portrait Prize, the Kilgour Prize at Newcastle Art Gallery, Blake for Religious Art, the 2017 Sulman Prize and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. In 2009, the Muswellbrook Regional Gallery acquired her work United We Stand.'

    Thanks Caroline

  • Many thanks to Pete Codling for chatting to us on the podcast.

    You can find more about Pete on his social media https://www.instagram.com/petecodling/

    and here on the dockyard project
    https://www.instagram.com/the_dockyard_artist_residency_/

    or his website

    https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=website+pete+codling&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8


  • Susie Dureau is the first artist we have spoken to twice. She complete her masters at national Art school 2 years ago. She currently has a show on at Curl Curl Creative Space, Soundscapes, that runs until Sunday 29th October 11-4pm so get down there and check it out.

    Thanks Susie, great chat and wonderful exhibition.

    Susie Dureau website

    Spencer Finch https://www.spencerfinch.com/

  • We unpacked a lot in this interview with associate professor of UNSW Oliver Bown and Stuart Buchanan, Head of Screen programming at Sydney Opera House. they have converted data taken from the machinations of the Opera House into a digital musical experience that you can live stream for the whole month of October... The Opera House becomes a living artwork. We hope this podcast explains the way AI and art can come together to create some amazing artworks.

    Livestream runs from 1 - 31 October for 744 hours. you can find out all the information on the Sydney Opera house Website.

    'The Sydney Opera House comes alive like never before through an uncanny symbiosis of machine learning and human creativity, as the sounds and the data from the building itself are dramatically recomposed for an unforgettable 50th-anniversary performance across October.

    What will the future of performance look like? To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we’re looking ahead to ponder the weird and wonderful new ways in which technology and human creativity collaborate – by turning the Sydney Opera House itself into the star performer.

    The Interactive Media lab from University of New South Wales team up with music technologists Uncanny Valley to harness data generated by the building and turn it into music.

    Across the month of October, the resultant 744-hour generative artwork will use A.I. processes to dynamically recompose the everyday data flow of the building into a unique musical soundscape.

    Augmented with field recordings from the building, including the sounds of the Concert Hall’s Grand Organ, the work will be livestreamed on Stream, the Sydney Opera House’s streaming platform, accompanied by generative visuals, and ‘performed’ in situ at various moments during the Birthday Festival.

    Music of the Sails is a joyous celebration of a cultural icon and a dazzling glimpse into future possibilities.

    Interactive Media Lab, University of New South Wales
    The Interactive Media Lab at UNSW’s School of Art & Design researches and teaches emerging media technologies and their application in creative work.

    Uncanny Valley
    Uncanny Valley’s focus is one part musical craft, and the other sonic technology. Armed with decades of experience, they harness their diverse musical expertise and collaborate with artists and brands to create their unique sound. They utilise emerging technologies and engage audiences to tell musical stories via all mediums.'

    Thanks Natasha from the Opera House for organising and hosting.

  • Many thanks to Michelle Cawthorn multidisciplinary artist working with memory and personal experience through her distinct visual language of repetitive mark making.

    You can find out more about Michelle on her website https://www.michellecawthorn.com

    or on her instagram
    https://www.instagram.com/michellecawthorn/

    Michelle has a show on at Olsen gallery opening today Wednesday September 27th ..see this link for more details
    https://olsengallery.com/ex-works.php?exhibition_id=893

  • We covered everything in this podcast with these amazing curators and artists. We talked about science, ecology, archaeology, art, curating and much much more.

    Pippa Mott has recently taken up the mantle of Director of Woollahra Gallery in Sydney, after completing a Fulbright scholarship in NY and 8 years as a curator at MONA, Tasmania.

    Maya Martin-Westheimer is an artist, curator and founder of contemporary art publishing company, Floorplan Studio. She is also artist in residence at Woollahra Gallery until 13th September 2023.

    Thanks to you both for a great chat. Get yourself down to the gallery for the small sculpture prize opens September 28th.

  • Coco Elder - The Never Never is on at Art2Muse Gallery until 18th September.
    Bellingen Arts Trail 10-12th November

    'My artwork is based on observations of the landscape and flora, notably in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, and more recently in the Bellingen Shire. My initial study in Landscape Architecture has inspired my interest in geology and indigenous botanical landscapes. Overtime, I have witnessed the bush thrive in the wet, fight or recoil in the dry, and brought back to life after the fires. I hope to transcribe reverence for the Australian bush and to reveal the mysterious and alluring qualities of our native plants and the lie of the land.

    The natural landscape presents as an intriguing paradox. Up close, the bush is an unruly entanglement of prickly menace; from a distance, are distinct interlocking shapes that can be ordered by the eye into Cezanne's geometry. Patterns that appear on the macro level are reiterated at the micro. Whilst bodies of water lead the eye in and outwards through reflections, there is a mysterious chasm in time, yet it also appears infinite. Shadows of texture hem and define vibrations of light. I endeavour to capture some of these subtle ambiguities in my work.

    I retrace the place, coming closer to the essence of form, yet ironically remove it, by carving back through the surface. The image becomes a visual description that blends aspects of botanical documentation (like the early Australian artists); a journey through nature, (influenced by Japanese scrolls); and a personal expression through patterns of whimsy, and reflections on the past inhabitants, the Carigal and Gumbaynggirr people, whose presence are keenly felt.'

    thanks Coco for your time and good luck with the Bellingen arts trail!

  • Many thanks to Draw Space founding members - 4 of which kindly spoke to us - if you would like to find out more about these artists please find links below.

    Melinda Hunt, https://www.instagram.com/melinda.ink/?hl=en
    and Chelsea Lehmann https://www.chelseajlehmann.com
    and Daniel Press Art https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=daniel+press+art&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
    and Belinda Yee http://belindayee.com/about.htm
    and Luke Thurgate https://www.instagram.com/luke_thurgate/?hl=en
    and Jeremy W Smith https://www.jeremywsmithart.com
    and Lisa Pang https://www.instagram.com/jolibeol/?hl=en

    Also many thanks to Kristy Gordon https://www.instagram.com/kristygordon_art/?hl=en
    and Joyce Lubotzky https://www.instagram.com/joylubo/?hl=en
    who kindly spoke to us about their art current practises which was on show in Materiality https://drawspace.org