Art Wank

Fiona and I are currently showing at Stella Downer Fine Arts Gallery in Waterloo, NSW, and so we thought it was a great opportunity to speak to Stella about her illustrious career as a Gallery Owner and Art Valuer. Our work is on show until June 8th 2024.

'Stella Downer is a respected art dealer, consultant and valuer. Stella has worked with leading contemporary galleries for over thirty years. Stella was the manager in Sydney of Roslyn Oxley 9 gallery, Macquarie Galleries and Australian Galleries before opening her own gallery in 2001.

​Previously Stella has worked in the auction industry managing sections of Christies London and Christies Australia. Stella has been a member of the S.H.Ervin Art Advisory Committee Sydney for over twenty years and was also on the board of the South East Area Health Service. Since 2001 she has been a member of the Woollahra Small Sculpture Committee helping organise their annual shows. Stella’s other board commitments have included the Australian Centre for Asian Art and Archaeology, University of Sydney. A supporter of the National Art School Sydney, Stella was on the Accreditation Board to assess their standing for BA Fine Arts.

Stella is a valuer for the Australian Governement Cultural Gifts Program. Her extensive knowledge of, and experience in, the Australian and international art world ensures that she is regarded as one of the top valuers within this organisation.'

Thanks for speaking to us Stella and having our work exhibited at your gallery.

Many thanks to Armando for such a great chat on the podcast we really appreciate hearing about your art practise and how you have developed your career.

Find Armando on his website

https://armandochant.com

or social media

https://www.instagram.com/armando_chant/?hl=en

Thanks to Nick Vickers for speaking to us from See Street Gallery at Meadowbank TAFE.

Phillip Martin's exhibition, 'Paintings 1952-1972', is on at See Street until 16th May.

'Nick Vickers BA Visual Art, Dip. Ed, M.Art Admin

Nick Vickers has been involved in the Australian art industry for over 30 years when he established his first gallery through UNSW Art & Design in 1984. Throughout Nick’s career he has championed the works of emerging artists by establishing a number of galleries through universities and art colleges. He has presented, curated and hosted national and international artists and he has lectured in tertiary, intermediary and secondary institutions.

Nick has contributed to the curatorial expanse of the University of Sydney Art Collection where, through his expertise as Curator of the University Union art collection, he added works of some considerable cultural significance. He established the Sir Hermann Black Gallery & Sculpture Terrace through which he hosted and curated ten years of highly rated art exhibitions and prizes that included The Blake Prize and The Freedman Foundation annual exhibitions.

On a local government level Nick has served on curatorial panels with the City of Sydney, Willoughby, North Sydney (Creative Spaces/ Spaces for Creatives) and Woollahara Councils (Creative Paddington and The Oxford Street Shopfront Festival). He was invited to co-ordinate The Art of Shakespeare, a fundraising touring exhibition of some of Australia’s leading artists that launched in the Sydney Opera House.

On an international level, Nick has served as President of the Slovenian/ Australian Institute that has hosted a program of international art ex- changes and touring exhibitions. In this role Nick negotiated sponsorships and partnerships at ambassadorial and ministerial levels.

During his career Nick has developed a strong network of arts and business professionals. He is panel member with The Freedman Foundation, advises on the artist studio for Curwoods Lawyers and has served as a board member with The Blake Society for over ten years and lectures in Museum Practices.

Currently, Nick works as an independent art curator and is a pro bono board member of the Sydney Art Zone. In 2016 Nick co-curated an exhibition called WAR – A Playground Perspective at The Armoury at Sydney Olympic Park and this year has been invited back by SOPA to curate an exhibition from the studio residency programme entitled Mining Pyrite. This year Nick has been invited to the panel of judges for the Paddington Art Prize.'

Ray Hughes: Africa

Many thanks to Jasmine for chatting to us on zoom - great to talk about your art practise.

Jasmine is a professional practicing artist whose work is best described as the meeting of exploration and refinement. Jasmine has taken her art to a number of mediums – sculpture, large-scale public works and intimate paintings for private collection. She is not afraid to venture outside an established comfort zone. Whatever her choice of art form, Mansbridge brings a refined and meticulous hand to the work; her deliberation and contemplation are evident at all times.

The work provokes thought and wonder and gives the viewer the chance to apply their personal storytelling, as they unpack the geometry and portals of Mansbridge’s imagined world.

You can find out more about Jasmine on her website or social media https://www.jasminemansbridge.com
https://www.instagram.com/jasmine_mansbridge/

Jasmine will be showing at Michael Reid Gallery on 4th May 2024

Natalie O'Connor and Jo Mellor are currently showing at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf so you can go check out their work right now!

Natalie O'Connor is an artist recently awarded her PHD at UNSW for her thesis, 'The Nature of Redness', which is also the title of Natalie's exhibition at Woollahra.

Natalie O’Connor is an artist, researcher, public programs & education coordinator at Hazelhurst Arts Centre. Her experience in the international colour manufacturing industry has heavily influenced her practice. She holds a Bachelor of Education and Master's degree. Most recently, she was awarded a PhD at UNSW for her thesis, The Nature of Redness- A Practice-Based Research into Red Pigments to Offer a New Understanding of Material Colour.

Her practice and thesis are concerned with the permanency and fragility of colour and the technical innovations of the artist’s palette that result from a collaborative dialogue between artists and scientists since the early nineteenth century. She engages deeply with the colour red, investigating its materiality and revealing its inherent qualities of colour.

By understanding and experiencing the delicacies of each red pigment, scientists explore the potential for colour-making in the future. This allows the new potential for contemporary artists to make informed choices with their palettes to interpret the world around them.

Jo Mellor is also a graduate of UNSW recently a masters in Fine Arts research

'Jo Mellorisa recent graduate of UNSW Art & Design's MFA program. Her MFA project was guided by Aboriginal knowledge provided byNgiyampaa ElderAunty Beryl Carmichael. The project applied the methodologies of yarning and deep listening to an expanded textile practice as well as consultation and collaboration with the Menindee Ngiyampaa and Barkandji community. Emerging from this research, Jo's current exhibition,Cobalt and Rust(Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, 20 March - 14 April 2024) is a critical examination of the ecological crises affecting Broken Hill (Wilyakali Country). Through a textile-based, eco-feminist practice, the exhibition lays bare the devastating consequences of land and water mismanagement by government bodies and corporations who fail to consult with the Traditional Custodians of Country. The textile series in the exhibition presents dense clusters of embroidery that suggest textures of scarred earth, whilst hues of cobalt and rust echo chemical discord.-

Jo's exhibition at Woollahra is called, 'Cobalt and Rust'.

Their shows are on until 14th April.

Thanks for talking to us!

Many thanks Evie for your time and sharing your stories and experiences about your life and artwork. Evie is inspired by her environment.

To find out more about Evie and her artwork you can see on her instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/evie.adasal/?hl=en

To see the artwork of Evie's from Paddington Art Prize 2023

https://www.artgalleria.com/folio?p=cb840d31-507c-457c-9439-0d7fe04a31bd

We had the great pleasure of interviewing artist @elle_beaumont_ at @michaelreid.northernbeaches last weekend just before the opening of the group show, ‘Country’, as featured in this month’s @countrystylemag. Elle also has a solo show in October at @michaelreid.southernhighlands so keep an eye out for that.

‘Elizabeth Beaumont (b. 1989) is an emerging artist living on the remnant bushland of the Ngambri/Ngunnawal people in the Southern Tablelands, NSW. Elizabeth grew up in the Southern Highlands, NSW.
Elizabeth is self-taught, with a background in criminal law and psychology. Elizabeth has always painted, but has dedicated time to her practice since 2017. Elizabeth’s paintings are predominately abstracted landscapes and expressions of the bush, with recurring interrogation of the ecology of the southern tablelands, wallum heathland, the central Australian desert, and Southwest Tasmania. ​​
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Thanks so much for talking to us, Elle, good luck for the future and happy painting!

Jesse - The Empowered muse, life modelling for individual wellness and social sustainability.

We've been eager to chat with a life model for some time, and luckily Jesse posed for Julie's Art class in Avalon. She's skilled and knowledgeable, exceeding our expectations. Initially anticipating a conversation about modeling experiences and anecdotes, we were pleasantly surprised. Jesse shared her reasons for life modeling, driven by a need to confront her fears. This journey led to enhanced self-awareness and body positivity, influenced by the artists' portrayals of her beauty. After mastering modeling, Jesse traveled across Australia last year, organising life modeling classes in rural towns. Her goal was to break barriers and demonstrate the benefits for both individuals and communities. It was an extraordinary conversation, and we're grateful to Jesse for her openness. Her story has reshaped our perspective on life modeling, offering a beautiful insight into her journey.

Join us for the latest episode of @art.wank featuring the talented artist Nicole Kelly (@nk_nk_). Congratulations to Nicole on becoming a new mum! In our recent Zoom interview before the Xmas, we delved into her painting techniques, past exhibitions, and her unique approach to color. Nicole is a very generous artist and offers dedicated mentoring through workshops and classes. Visit her website today to learn more and reserve your spot.

Represented by Arthouse gallery in Sydney and Nicholas Thompson gallery in Melbourne

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‘Kelly creates paintings that linger between the essence of a subject and the experience of being. Clouded by the romanticism of remembering, her paintings are imbued with experience captured in vibrant strokes of colour and with swift brushwork. Kelly’s works, informed by an interest in literature and the discipline of painting, cast moments of shared stillness in an atmosphere of light. She says of her works “my desire is to push painting beyond a surface likeness of any subject and into the realm of poetics”.

Winner of the prestigious Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship (2009) and the Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize (2018), Kelly is well recognised for her landscape, portraiture and still life painting. She has undertaken residencies in France (2019, 2018, 2017, 2010) and Spain (2016) and has completed major public commissions for the Sutherland and St George Hospitals in Sydney. Her work has been selected for inclusion in the Lester Prize for Portraiture at the Art Gallery of WA (2019, 2018, 2017, 2015), Portia Geach Memorial Award (2021, 2020, 2019, 2015, 2014), Salon des Refusés (2023, 2020, 2019) and Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW (2015). ‘

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Thanks Nicole! Listen wherever you get podcasts or link in bio

:

#Podcast #artpodcast #artwank #abstract #art #artistsoninstagram #artwork #artist #artgallery #nicolekelly

Last year, we had the pleasure of interviewing the remarkable Tony Mighell. Unfortunately, our recording equipment failed to capture the second half of the interview. Determined to delve deeper into Tony's work, we returned for a re-recording session. Notably, Tony is a recent finalist in the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize and is represented by Nanda Hobbs.

Adding to the occasion, we were joined by Gary, a friend of both Tony and the podcast. Gary generously brought along a cake for after the podcast!