Nick Morris talking to some cool locals.

Dave Bowers (on right) with Local artists Stephen Phibbs and Charlie Wrencher with Retrospect staff member Jane Wrencher.

Nick Morris talking to artist Troy Archer (biro extraordinaire - you should see the callous Troy is developing on his finger getting ready for Art Sydney)

Dave Bowers Deep in conversation explaining the resin techniques

A view of the show 

Doug Bartlett takes over Retrospect Galleries

Nick Morris in white leather......

Steve Probert, proud owner of the Real Thing.

 Nick and Dave with Gallery Directors Bree Delian and Alberto Sanchez and artist Michelle Dawson.

We had a great dinner show at Why Not Cafe which sold out and everyone had a fantastic night. Here Nick and Dave showing just how many layers can be behind some of their work. A painting takes between 40-60 hours and may have up to 90 layers.

A serious moment. (I lie- I don't think there were any in the presentation. I laughed so much my sides were sore the next day, especially the pics of the Nude surfing competitions they ran).

And if someone does paint over your work, you're not allowed to complain about it!

 

 

 

 

Local glass artist Noel Hart was recently written up in an African Art and Culture Magazine..

ARTS REVIEW Africa's Premier Arts And Culture Online Magazine

Noel Hart's Parrot Vases at the Glass Edge Gallery

15 September 2009 Written by: Tiisetso Tlelima 

Distinguished Australian glass artist, Noel Hart, exhibits his extraordinary and colourful ‘Parrot Vases’ at the Edge Glass Gallery in the Mother City. Living most of his life amid reptiles, birds and insects in the sub-tropical rainforest on the east coast of Australia, it is no surprise that Noel’s work is heavily influenced by a shrinking biodiversity. His earlier works were colourful paintings depicting the colours of the fur of a rare Australian Marsupial Carnivore – the spotted tailed Quoll – which are increasingly becoming extinct.

Looking at his current work, it’s pretty clear that Noel is passionate about two things: making the world aware of the dwindling numbers of over 350 parrot species and exploring their breath-taking beauty. His parrot vases are vivid and flamboyant – inspired by the expansive array of colour sequences in parrots’ plumage. “I have looked at the range of colours in the ways that parrots see them - which unlike our own sight which is mostly in the infrared spectrum – is mostly in the ultraviolet spectrum,” he explains. “I also have an interest in the way the parrots’ colours are reproduced in magazines and books, and how they are often quite different to how they look to our eyes in our reality.”

He uses a technique based on the ancient Core Formed Technique to make the vases. But instead of using a core of mud, Noel uses a clear, thick and heavy blown glass bubble. The glass is blown into a hollow, flat and rectangular shape much like the format of his paintings. He then instructs a team of assistants to collect different glass colours which he applies to the outside of the bubble. The result is an intricate piece of artwork that art enthusiasts can collect or that can be used for interior decorating or as vases.

With such beautiful creations it’s hard to believe that Noel got into glass art by accident. Making a living as a conceptual artist is nearly impossible, so he had to do other things to earn a living. “I was curating exhibitions at a university near where I live when I was asked by a glass artist whose exhibition I had just put together, to come and work with him,” he recalls. “I like a challenge and his desire to broaden both the narrative and reach of his work gave me a good reason to take on the project.” Though he worked as a designer and had no particular interest in the medium of glass for his own work for a decade, he began gathering ideas about the material of glass and how to work it.

The idea to venture into glass art making finally came to him while attending a lecture on the subject of Egyptian Core Formed Glass: a primitive technique for producing hollow glass vessels prior to the invention of glassblowing over two thousand years ago. “I saw in this attraction of the primitive, which I’ve always been interested in, a way of painting with glass by a slight and simple modification of the technique,” explains Noel. “After a few experiments confirming that the idea was sound…I went for it.”

Renowned for his dazzling paintings, Noel always dreamt of becoming an artist as a young boy. His uncle exposed him to European contemporary art magazines at the age of 11 and he’s been hooked ever since. He started art school when he was 16 and had a Diploma in Fine Art by the time he was 20. However, despite his extensive art education he strongly believes that a formal art education can limit one’s creativity. “I don’t think a formal art education is terribly important,” he insists. “It tends to distort creativity towards conventional ways of expression that usually are connected to current trends. I tend to think an artist is born that way. Some of my favourite works of art have been created by people who wouldn’t realize that people are labelling their creations ‘art’.”

Currently Noel Hart has been exploring other forms with glass including fully flat wall-mounted panels that start off as blown glass vessels but are cut and slumped in a large kiln.

His parrot vases are on display at the Glass Edge Gallery until someone purchases them.

learning to draw instead.  Inspiration came from hot rod comics, afternoon cartoon shows, 60's National Geographics, and true romance magazines. These were the things we drew without inhibition and with a sense of discovery, this is how we learnt who we were."

 

 View his work online

 

"While this year's judge of the Olive Cotton Award, respected photographer Dean Sewell, could obviously only choose one winner (Richard O'Farrell with Savitri) he also Highly Commended four finalists. And one of them was Byron Bay photographer Alberto Sanchez-Peinador with 'Frank', taken on a recent trip to his native Madrid."

 

You can read the article here...

 

 

We sold two of Conelia's wonderful pink cows to a lucky collector from Victoria last week. But do not despair, we still have two more available. The wonderful Hanelore and Cow Zero. Check out her gallery here for more details on the work.

PREMO is a collaboration between north coast artists Karen Preston and Christian Morrow.  Karen is a visual arts teacher who was a finalist in the 2007 Country Energy Art prize. Christian studied at Sydney College of the Arts and returned to art making after 15 years in the music industry. He is known for his powerful renditions of jet fighters and planes and won the 2008 FEHVA Art Prize. We are excited to introduce PREMO just in time for One + One our collaborative show in galleries one and two at the same time as the Doug Bartlett Solo, Global Boom.

"The artworks are inspired by the drawings we did in the back of our school books when we should have been paying attention but were learning to draw instead.  Inspiration came from hot rod comics, afternoon cartoon shows, 60's National Geographics, and true romance magazines. These were the things we drew without inhibition and with a sense of discovery, this is how we learnt who we were."

 

Another exciting collaboration between two of North Coast's favorite local artists. We were waiting in anticipation to see the final outcome of this duo. Both their styles are so different, Hilary drawing on mood with deep layers of brushwork and slightly abstract dreamscapes whilst Michelle's technically brilliant draftsmanship would be an interesting combination of styles.

"Although we work very different stylistically, we have a tendency to mine similar territory thematically, strange beasts and spooky girls spring to mind. So we talked  alot over the last twelve months about the possibility of experimenting with a collaborative painting, intrigued by the notion of seeing what would happen if we put the two stylistic sensibilities together. We have a mutual respect and admiration for each others' work and a similarly evil sense of humour, all of which seemed to bode well for the outset of our endeavour. It was important for both of us was that it be fun, that it be an extension of our close friendship. Having said that, there was an initial sense of terror! The notion of working into someone else's art work is such a no-go-zone. But without doubt it has been an exciting, playful and provoking experience, something we both wish to pursue through more work. There is a sense that once that paint line has been crossed, there is an enormous rush of freedom, that creatively there is a bright new world of possibility, both individually and collaboratively, because this process has also, unequivocally, informed our individual art practices."

Has brought in a wonderful work depicting endangered animals and plants. Its called Parrot Seed 900, and is one of the last pieces from her series of 60's pressed steel.
Check out her artist gallery here.

THE ART OF COLLABORATION

Two rising stars of the contemporary art world are on their way to Byron Bay to share their secrets of success and the story behind their unique collaborative working arrangement.

Working side by side, artists Nick Morris and Dave Bowers regularly paint over each other’s work, trashing hours, days or weeks worth of the other’s compositions.  The only explanation required is the phrase, “Doug has entered the building”.  Then they just move on, to the next idea or inspiration that takes them.

The Doug that they’re referring to is the almighty Doug Bartlett, who Morris and Bowers credit with ‘continually forcing their creativity’. Despite being somewhat of a hard taskmaster, the two artists agree that he is the commanding voice who keeps them on track, driving them well beyond the need to pander to each other’s egos.

Doug in fact is a construct, the holy grail of artist pseudonyms, and much more in addition. He’s a star on the Doug Bartlett website, oft referenced, quoted and even photographed - a mustachioed playboy with a certain 70s style, surrounded by a bevy of beautiful naked women.

 

If this all sounds like just a quirky bit of fun, then you should check out how Doug’s work is selling.

 

Whilst Nick Morris and Dave Bowers are both established artists in their own right, it’s their collaborative work that’s most regularly in demand by buyers in Australia and internationally.

 

Bree Delian from Retrospect Galleries, Byron Bay represents the guys in NSW and says they are by far the Galleries best seller.

 

“We must have sold over 60 of their works in the past six months, which is quite incredible given the price bracket their art fits into,” Delian comments.  “And in this time, the value of their canvases has more than tripled, which makes them very popular with collectors.”

 

Morris and Bowers describe their Doug Bartlett works as “a free-flowing exchange of random images and themes”, where individual contributions intertwine and overlap in a chaotic dance that they say reflects “the constant barrage from global mass media”.

 

They are known to work on up to 40 canvases at a time, using a mix of stencils, spray paint, silkscreen and freehand drawings.  Words, phrases, full sentences appear on the canvas too, all gleaned from popular culture.

 

The pair studied together at Monash Uni in the 80s and then spent the early days of their careers working for iconic Australian street and surf brands such Mambo, Quicksilver, Mossimo and Stussy.

 

Old friends, they eventually started working together when they discovered they were based in the same neighbourhood, along the surf coast of Victoria.

 

Although they have similar backgrounds, their individual styles and techniques are quite different, but they both agree that Doug Bartlett rules, with his radical code and philosophy. 

 

As Morris describes it, “Our rule of painting over anything you want creates art with no boundaries, free from clinging and being too precious, and the creative process is accelerated as we bounce off each other.”

 

Bowers agrees, saying that he gets a huge kick out of sharing canvases because of the chaotic momentum. “Working alone you can sometimes labour over a detail for hours, but with a shared canvas, someone else – usually Doug, will just boldly paint right over it and I'll think what a bloody relief.”

 

Coming up soon, Doug Bartlett will be appearing ‘In Conversation’ at Why Not Café on Thursday September 24^th, to talk about their inspiration, their unique code and their boom or bust experience of the contemporary arts industry.

 

There’s limited tickets available at $40 a head, including a two course meal and glass of wine.  After the talk, guests will be invited back to Retrospect Galleries for an exclusive preview of their new Doug Bartlett exhibition, Global Boom, opening Friday September 25th.

Each month we will bring you a new artist of the month, an exclusive interview with unusual questions. Get to know your favourite artists, get the inside information here deep inside the Retrospect blog! In the month of September we are introducing you to Alberto Sanchez. 

Originally from Spain and now based in Byron Bay, Alberto Sánchez conceives photography as a creative art form that is not constricted to the digital medium, where he photographs, prints, hacks and re-invents his own images to give them his unique flavour. He sees photography as a kind of time travelling experience, a mixture of magic realism, which enables him to rediscover the world through his viewfinder.  Alberto combines his fine art with a passion for portrait and wedding photography which has won him numerous awards including highly commended Olive Cotton Award 2009, finalist HeadOn Alternative Portrait Prize 2009, finalist Olive Cotton 2008, in addition to 17 silver and bronze awards at the AIPP Canon Awards 2007 to 2009.

 

View Alberto's profile

 

Right now I am…

Cursing that I have to do the dishes.

I’m inspired to start a new work when...

I return from travelling all refreshed.  I also get a lot of inspiration from looking at people, they are an 

interesting species.

I usually start my day by…

Making a coffee and checking newspapers on the net. If  I am lucky I catch a wave (my ideal start to the day).

 

My favourite film of all time is…

Down by Law by Jim Jarmusch, a fantastic film featuring John Lurie, Tom Waits and Roberto Benigni. Every time I watch this film it makes me feel alive, nothing is too bad!! I also love One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Amores Perros, La Haine and Delicatessen.

 

When I am working I like to listen to…

Something with guts!! Control Machete, Spanish hip-hop, Eddie Vedder.

 

My favourite artist is…

Photographers Henry Cartier-Bresson and Carmen Garcia Rodero. Cartier-Bresson simply was a visionary and an artist in a yet to be discovered medium. It simply created Fine Art Photography. Carmen is the first Spanish woman to have joined Magnum Agency and her series on Dark Spain and Ritualism are simply sensational.

 

It makes me smile when…

Someone asks me if am Irish.  Albert O’Shánchez doesn’t sound too bad.

 

I get angry about…

Politics, particularly the Middle East.

 

My three most valued possessions are… 

My flute, an old shirt belonging to my dad and my ‘Paellera’.

 

The three things in life I could never give up are…

 Music, sea and travelling.

 

If I could travel anywhere back and forth in time, I would go…

Early in the beginning of last millennium, I would love to have seen (and lived in) The Alhambra Palace in Granada, in what was then called Al-Andalus (Spain), sometime during the Arab reign where Jews, Christians and Arabs co-existed together for hundreds of years.

 

My dream dinner party of six would include…

My closest friends and family.

 

If it were my party, I would serve…

Starters: Chilled rosé  wine from Toro, Pimientos de Padron (killer green peppers), cockles in white wine sauce, Octopus a la Paprika. Mains: Vega Sicilia red wine from Ribera del Duero and paella.  Desert: Anything chocolate.

 

The craziest thing I have ever done was…

Being expelled from the USA for looking too much like a ‘terrorist’ (and not having enough dollars) and getting back there again two weeks later.

 

The most valuable lesson I have learned in life is…

Follow your heart.

 

If a young person told me they wanted to be like me when they grow up, I would tell them…

To never give up. 

 

I am currently reading…

The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and On Photography by Susan Sontag. 

 

The book that changed my life is…

Riding The Iron Rooster by Paul Theroux. Where he travels from London to China and describes life on the train. Not only is it a great journey but I also felt akin to his way of perceiving the world. I thought it had a great symbolic approach as to how life is.

 

If I wasn’t an artist I would like to be…

A pilot. Any flying machine would do. Helicopters, Cesnas, 747’s.

Coinciding with and inspired by Global Boom, some of the Northern Rivers most successful artists have tried their hand as part of a team. One + One is a preview show of stunning new collaborative pieces by: Hilary Herrmann + Michelle Dawson, Noel Hart + Helene Sheean, Christian Morrow + Karen Preston, Mia Taniaka + Luke Taaffe and Alberto Sanchez + Rick Shearman.

One + One Dinner Show at award winning Harvest café, Newrybar Sept 12

What happens when you ask one talented individual artist to pair up with another-

Find out with the first in a series of Art Parties at Harvest Café. Michelle Dawson + Hilary Herrmann and Helene Sheean + Noel Hart, talk about the joys and challenges of working as a collaborative team. See the preview of works created by these exciting duos as well as solo pieces from the individual artists. Tickets are $60 and include constant flowing delicious canapés from Harvest and organic wine from Thistle Hill + Rosnay. Simon Durrington + Dan Brown AKA Red Bamboo will be providing the music. Don’t miss out! Bookings essential. Ph (02) 66872644

"Four Highly Commended Awards were also chosen for 2009. These include touching portrait Frank by Alberto Shanchez-Peinador of Byron Bay, Sibling Rage by John Slaytor, The Last Supper, My Father's Death by Adam Hollingworth and The Bad Seeds by Stephen Dupont (Director's Award)."

Frank scores for Alberto

"Of the more than 100 photos chosen to hang in the prestigious Olive Cotton portrait prize, Byron's Alberto Sanchez was the only regional photographer judge Dean Sewell chose to highly commend."