Part of the reason I create collage is because it’s cheap. I tear up old magazines to create images and use boxboard as my canvas. It’s rudimentary, but effective. I’m lucky that paper is in love with glue and glue is head-over-heels about paper. As I move more towards assemblage and mixed media, I need to pick up a brush and paint, so of course, … Continue reading When scrimping and penny-pinching are the artist’s enemies
I’ve decided to go back to school and learn to draw all over again. After spending 20 years in the mad world of advertising, my drawing skills became institutionalised. They became kind of pictionary-esque quick-draws to get an idea across as quickly and simply as possible. It’s a joy to step back into school, at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra and pick … Continue reading Back to basics, re-learning to draw
When you think about religious art, the first thing that comes to mind for many is little baby Jesus with a golden halo. Not so, when it comes to the Blake Prize which explores the religious and spiritual in art. One year a textured abstract took the $25,000 prize. Another year, a Buddhist entry scooped the prize. I’ve always wanted to enter the Blake but … Continue reading What my teddy bear taught me about idolatry
It’s nothing much to look at. A few words in a column relegated to things to do to fill in lazy Friday afternoon. But for me it was a big deal, huge. Being invited to showcase my work in Goulburn Regional Art Gallery (GRAG) as part of ‘A Snapshot’ series meant so much to me. Not only did I get to share gallery space with the … Continue reading What is smaller than matchbox but can move mountains?
I’m looking at the months ahead and they look like a gaping yawn, a wide open mouth ready to devour me. After a relaxed Easter, I’m in danger of dropping into that post-exhibition dark hole. I know what I have to do next, I just have to do it. But at the moment, there’s an unfinished work on the easel and I’m doing what … Continue reading Is video art real art?
After two weeks, Dark side of the Road, is coming to close. It’s been a great show and absolutely amazing to be part of Art Month. If you couldn’t make it, I’ve posted images of them all here and the ones that haven’t sold will be up on Saatchi Online. Continue reading Dark side of the Road, the complete suite of work
This has to be one of my absolute favourite times of the year. You can almost feel the zappiness in the air as artist’s around the country wait to see if their work will be shortlisted for the Archibald, Wynne or Sulman Prize. I love how it’s so contentious and there’s always a lot of snootiness and declarations of artistic wowserism. I got so … Continue reading Is that a little bit of Basquiat in the Archibald’s this year?
I was lucky enough to stop by Ben Quilty‘s exhibition at the National Art School. Ben was the offical war artist in Afghanistan, commissioned by the Australian War Memorial. His works are staggering in scale and paintwork. It looks like he’s taken great slabs of paint and smeared them across the canvas. It makes the paint very meaty, very chunky and made me want to … Continue reading Why you want to bite into Ben Quilty’s work, just mind the nipples
In all the hubbub and excitement of my opening last week at Gaffa Gallery, I completely forgot to take any photos. I would have loved to show you photos of my friend Kelly, who I haven’t seen for 20 years who turned up on the spur of the moment, I can’t show you photos of a friend’s friend who was compelled to travel huge distances … Continue reading Questions you should never ask an artist.
At home, I don’t mind being disorganised or messy, as you would have seen from my kitchen photos earlier on. But when I’m in the public eye, I like to look like I know what I am doing, even if that’s not the case. That’s why last night I sat down with the gallery plans for Gaffa Gallery and painstakingly make a scale replica of … Continue reading An organised artist: is that an oxymoron?
Ray Monde 