Artworker Projects

There once was an artist’s advocacy group I first came across as an art student in the late 80’s, The “Queensland Artworkers Alliance”. I loved this title, not just the solidarity & fellowship inherent in 'alliance', but "artworker". It felt so right, it felt so accurate a description of my place then and into the future. “Artist” can be so subjective, arbitrary and bullshitty and I dont like it. This is my profession.

I’m an art-worker.

I work as an art consultant to high end hospitality and have completed many commissions internationally to the big hotels, resorts & private residences.

Most of this work is shrouded in confidentiality contracts so the most I get to show off is in that sentence.

Which is fine as I am intensely private but I also need to interact with the actual world, so here we are & here is my studio process and here is my vulnerability offset by this need to interact.

In my mind there is an idea/image ecosystem where the production is itself part of the final work, probably only apparent to me; transforming materials in process-heavy three-dimensional ways and gilding just about everything, then shipping it out so I can bring in more stuff to make more things that might explain all the others, but better. I throw the images up in the air (my mind), thinking maybe one day I’ll catch them in the right order & then I’ll know the answers. Make the really truly good thing.

But there could be many different answers & that’s why I must be constantly vigilant about finding the right questions.

Two things I can explain:

*ART SHOP

Translating ideas into things. To quote the over-quoted Chuck Close: “All the best ideas come out of the process: they come out of the work itself”. I’ve found I make some nice objects collaterally, spin-offs from the design process when proposing work for commissions, or when inspired by researching the market for consultancy projects, and that has precipitated opening my Art Shop. Have a look at my Art Shop! I make a lot of samples when testing new techniques & processes & they can be pretty cool in their own way, so I list them as either Souvenirs or Artefacts, depending on how I feel about them or if its a Wednesday. Just kidding you. Check both!

*The wares in Art Shop have changed over time, I began making jewellery during pandemic lockdown and discovered another passion! And then ridiculously non-capacious bags from luxury deadstock fabrics. So Art Shop is a Broad Church

And,

GRANNY CORNER

Sewing. Sometimes, repairing to Granny Corner is all I can do. I’m safe there & the world can fkoff & leave me with my sewing.

Having first picked up a sewing needle around 5 years old, I make most of my clothes; it’s always felt like a natural extension of my art making & I like making nice things to wear.

I’d be cool to call it sewworking but that doesn’t sell well with the two w’s and besides, it transcends ‘work’ in a different way to art-making, theres a meaninglessness coupled with mindfulness that is so…comforting. So seductive, so very pleasant. In the sew-zone there is peace.

I started this blog when we returned to Sydney following years living in London when my eldest son was diagnosed with autism, and it became clear that we'd need to home school. I thought that I'd lose my place in the outside world and to some extent I did, but its been astonishing how much good has come from the acute and unexpected change of circumstance. I thought home schooling would be the end of my life but in fact, its been a career defining period of intense creativity & prolific art-making.

As far as my day job and all the commissions go, it may seem a little cryptic, but modern life at the big end of town; I respect art lovers who keep it intimate & I deeply appreciate the opportunities I’ve been given; all artists need patrons who keep the faith & drive creativity & I’m grateful for all of it

Fellow travelers, thank you for stopping by, I hope your time here is fun because it can be fun, art can be funny so… keep smiling? :)