Beauty and the Unknown

I was recently invited back to my old school to open the graduate art and design show, and to give a short talk. This is what I said:

I’d like to talk about the beauty in the unknown.

Four years ago I was standing where you are now, and I was beginning to get quite concerned that come the end of exams i had no idea what i was going to be doing… I knew i liked art, and that art was where i wanted to be… It’s a good start but -  no matter how much i tried - I just couldn’t see into the future… 

It’s very easy - especially at a juncture like this - to become intimidated by the unknown.  

But there’s another side to the unknown. during my time at art school I came to believe that beauty and the unknown are inextricably linked… 

I’ve often found that the most beautiful parts of a painting are those that cannot completely be seen… It’s these elusive moments that draw us further into the image, In the art world this is referred to as the sublime. It’s the beauty of the unknown in its purest form. 

I think that this is a perfect time to impress upon you the great opportunity that the unknown presents. The equation is simple, what is unknown is potential. 

The unknown allows you to surprise yourself, to create work far better than you believed you could and then to create work even better than that. And so on…

Last year when my time at the VCA was coming to an end I was again confronted with this problem… what do I do now?.. However this time i wasn’t concerned… I was excited. 

From my year at camberwell several of us went on to pursue our passions at art school, myself and jesse as visual artists, tim as a dancer, and jack as a costume designer. To name a few.   

Since finishing art school, tim has danced with a company across europe… jack has worked on hats for gaga in london, jesse is living and creating in berlin and I’m fervently working away at my first book. 

If you’d asked us what we thought we’d be doing a year ago we’d have all said ‘i don’t know’ 

The unknown provides the opportunity to create something from nothing. Who other than artists have that power? 

So my advice to you is this:

Seize the day. 

Trust that your best work is ahead of you. 

And: Follow your instincts. Because the only person with the ability to make you successful is you.

“The Moon can fly but it has no wings!”

“The Moon can fly but it has no wings!” from the series The Descent of the Dodo

Art For Mental Health

To benefit the Monash Alfred Psychiatric Research Centre my picture ‘The Moon can fly but it has no wings!’ is going up for auction on World Mental Health Day. If you enjoyed the work or would like to support this important cause please come along and bid!

'The Dodo Show' & What's To Come...

The Show

‘The Dodo Show’ is just days away from closing, so I figured I’d share with you a couple of links, a few thoughts on the work, and a little of what is to come…

Firstly, Obscura Gallery have posted the work from the show. Head on over to check it out. If you’re keen you might like to read the accompanying artist statement…

Also, for deeper critical analysis of the work it is worth taking a look at Grace Robertson’s catalogue essay. 

It’s been truly great hearing all of the reactions to these pictures, especially all of the different ideas and feelings that people seem to be taking away. As an image maker I am so honoured that people have been taking the time to experience and relate to the work.

The Descent of the Dodo is a three part series, I’m super excited about what’s in store…

The Future

My most passionate experiences with photography have always been found within the pages of books. There’s something about the inherent narrative and collected nature of a series of bound images that is consuming… Perhaps it is less about coveting the photographic print as an object and more about what the pictures have to say, or are saying together. 

Most likely it is because we read books on our own terms.

A couple of years ago I saw a copy of Chris Markers La Jetée in a bookstore… Each of the images isolated contemplatively from the continual beat of the film. It was perhaps the ultimate flipbook. Similarly, I have a friend who watches Mad Men with his finger poised over the remote control; ready to pause whenever the mis en scene rivals that of the Lorca diCorcia book stashed under his bed…

The screen, traditionally the destination of motion pictures, is now home to a cascade of still images. There’s no doubt that the internet has changed the way we relate to photography. Services like Tumblr, Flickr and Facebook have commodified the image. The challenge for Artists is to ensure that our work remains exciting whilst seeking out new ways to engage. 

A lot has been written about the current revolution in digital publishing. There’s no doubt that things are changing. Some see this as a threat and seek comfort in the rear view mirror. Others recognise the opportunity that new technologies present.

At the very least; the rise of touch-based media has the potential to combine the best of the book and cinematic worlds. Here is an opportunity to create engrossing experiences akin to film where the viewer controls their progression through the narrative as in a book.  Little packaged experiences, art to get lost in. This and so much more. Experienced on the viewer’s own terms.

This is where I want to be…