A group exhibition of the theme "Fetish"

https://www.facebook.com/events/1905404576402342/

I always get scared starting something new when a piece of paper that I work with is between $20-$100 or a single piece of canvas is over $100. However art has told me I must try and if I fuck it up, I better learn how to fix it so the mistakes become intentional. This attitude comes from using water colours where the medium is unforgiving, unpredictable and weather affected. So if you're scared of fucking up I say try water colours till you're mediocre and then you won't have a fear. The same principle applies to graffiti you only have so much time to do a piece and if you fuck up, 10 times out of 10 at a legal wall you can't go back to fix it. So you have pressure to perform.


For this new series I was scared to use 23kt gold leaf, I have never used it before and taught myself how to mediocrely use it. It works, it makes it appear like I know how. But in all honesty I don't. You pay for 24 squares of super thin temperamental sheets of gold for a fuck ton of money and everything destroys them. However shit I am at the gold leaf I have made it work and the mistakes are well thought out degradation that have a symbolic meaning to the painting. Unpredictability spurs creativity and mistakes make you more creative in how to fix them, cover them or incorporate them and once you've racked your brain at all possibilities sometimes you have to give up, but not without a valuable lesson.


Here's some Lessons I have learnt:


Taxidermy with cats around is difficult and distracting


Always use a colour keeper for water colours as cat hair gets everywhere


Don't drink and touch up your work. Unless you're a functioning alcoholic, 9 times out of 10 you will probably make something worse


If you make a mistake in oils simply wait a month in winter for it to dry and then fix your mistake.


Wood carving is both enjoyable but incredibly dangerous, never put your hand in front of what you're trying to carve otherwise you will bleed like crazy and if it's on a train possibly scare people. Not the desired effect unless it's a performance piece.


Don't buy art materials on pay day. You will return with a gazillion things you justified you needed, even though they weren't on your shopping list but you bought them anyway because they were on special. Now fast forward ten to twenty years and you're hoarding thousands of dollars worth of art supplies and you justify all of it with "I have a lifetime to use this stuff".


When you dream about art write the memories down before you forget cause sometimes they aren't brilliant ideas and sound lame when you wake up.


Never try to fit into the art scene, don't ever tell someone you like their work if you don't. I haven't done this, but I have observed this at art school. The more you pander to egos than you care about someone's work will lead to people not respecting or valuing you and your opinion. This makes you an art wanker. To fix this, have a one to one with the person and positively critique their work.

When we look at art one often feels too uneducated or excluded to make judgement of taste (if they have not come from an arts background). Taste being whether or not it is good or bad in your opinion. However it's quite simple and art is not for the elite anymore, with the exception you do need capital or barter to buy/acquire art. To view a work and have an emotional engagement with a piece of art costs nothing. With the Facebook and Instagram era upon us, it is quite simple to like or dislike something and that same principle is what you need to view art.

Language and discussion on art is different to viewing art. If you wish to have a conversation with someone about art it is still simple.

1. figure out what things you like about the art: The subject, the technique, the message, the colour, how it makes you feel
2. Figure out what you don't like about the art: The subject, the technique, the message, the colour, how it makes you feel
3. Discuss these points.

Subject matter: is what the work depicts if it depicts anything

Technique: is it a painting with brush strokes, is it a sculpture carved from wood, is it a photo and how they captured the light, is it ceramics, drawing etc etc

The message: what do you take away from the work? Is there a plaque describing what the work is about? Is the artist talking about their work?

The colour: what colours or lack of colours do you respond to and why? Eg it's a grey colour scheme with a touch of yellow that makes it interesting. Do you just like the color red because it's your favourite.

How it makes you feel: do you love it or hate it? does it make you happy or sad? does it remind you of something in your past? Does it make you laugh? It's okay to laugh at art cause not all art is serious even if everyone else looks at the work seriously. Truth and honesty in how you feel rather than pretending to feel will communicate your passion or dispassion for the art.


One final note, if you have been invited to an exhibition opening wear whatever you like, take that glass of wine they're offering and sip casually while looking at the art. If it's took awkward go outside for a "phone call" or a "cigarette" and leave after the speeches as courtesy and respect to the artist whether the art is or isn't in your taste.

 The work depicts children like old medieval religious paintings, one work will be a madonna figure. Despite that most depicted will have Muslim faith, the choice is to use western familiarity because often we see and view muslims as bad people when in actual fact they have a belief that should be respected and they are humans suffering genocides. I won't get into the politics as that's not my intention with the art, it's for the viewer to make up their mind.

When you type this into google you will find numerous ISIS beheadings before you reach medieval art depictions. I chose to do this series as a comment that in Australia the media only follows terrorism but fails to highlight the damaging effects of how many beheadings are going on around the world. There is a disconnect between photography of an actual beheading and the watercolours I created which engage a viewer better than the shock value of coming to terms with a real image. The series is and only will be a 12 part as the beheadings crept into my psyche and dreams. The works are 8cm by 8 cm and on May 27th were exhibited in Hopewell New Jersey.