Phillip Hay was born in Sydney and left school at
15 to complete an electrical/mechanical trade.
In 1980 he rejected traditional
society, leaving his friends, career and secure lifestyle to be part of an
artistic community within the upper Blue Mountains
in NSW.
This began a period of introspection
and self exploration in which he was drawn to the performing as well as the
visual arts. In the 25 year period to follow, he developed skills in theatre,
dance, stage magic, painting and sculpture, the latter becoming his
professional focus.
The mud brick home and studio in
which he lives and works is nestled amongst bushland overlooking ironstone escarpments.
The native grass and fishpond behind the house attracts parrots, kangaroos and
blue tongue
lizards, thus creating a sanctuary for
artistic pursuits. Today Phillip spends his time refining welding techniques
and developing the ideas that come from his passion for nature and music.
Classical themes and archetypes of
the soul intuitively emerge in his work and are the result of a life of
introspection in conjunction with self inquiry. Sometimes the work is
essentially visual harmony, at other times humorous or thought-provoking.
Pop composite is the
first exhibition of ‘composite assemblage’ artworks – an idea that came about
over a year
ago.
I wanted to create a
‘pop’ influenced exhibition using modern composite materials.
I had painted using
acrylics on canvas for many years but felt the medium had become too
restricting as to what I was imagining and wanted to achieve in my art. The
skills I had learned outside of art seemed like a wasted resource so I began to
blend everything together and significantly changed the direction of the work I
was doing.
My aim was to keep my
style visually but bring colour to the work that paint alone didn’t offer and
literally build the works using modern materials and techniques I was familiar
with but weren’t commonly associated with art.
Carbon fibre, foam,
Perspex, epoxy resins, teak, plywood, enamel and electric light.
This body of work goes
much deeper than the surface of the artworks – the use of the many materials
are often an art in themselves – you don’t have room for error when using
materials like these, the works are true ‘one off’ pieces that require planning
and a lot of pre preparation, laminating and fabricating parts to suit the
individual piece. It’s very hard to go backwards on a piece once it’s started -
you can’t undo anything involving epoxies and carbon fiber so the risk is far
greater than simply applying paint to a surface.
The addition of
electricity added another dimension to the work. These pieces are interactive
and allow the viewer to create different effects through light and alter the
colour of a piece to suit their mood or environment.
As with all my
exhibitions the themes are varied and some are familiar but the
content is always fun. I
love creating new things and this is an exhibition of things I loved creating.
Pop composite is the first exhibition of
‘composite assemblage’ artworks – an idea that came about over a year ago.
I wanted to create a ‘pop’ influenced exhibition
using modern composite materials.
I had painted using acrylics on canvas for many
years but felt the medium had become too restricting as to what I was imagining
and wanted to achieve in my art. The skills I had learned outside of art seemed
like a wasted resource so I began to blend everything together and
significantly changed the direction of the work I was doing.
My aim was to keep my style visually but bring
colour to the work that paint alone didn’t offer and literally build the works
using modern materials and techniques I was familiar with but weren’t commonly
associated with art.
Carbon fibre, foam, Perspex, epoxy resins, teak,
plywood, enamel and electric light.
This body of work goes much deeper than the
surface of the artworks – the use of the many materials are often an art in
themselves – you don’t have room for error when using materials like these, the
works are true ‘one off’ pieces that require planning and a lot of pre
preparation, laminating and fabricating parts to suit the individual piece.
It’s very hard to go backwards on a piece once it’s started - you can’t undo
anything involving epoxies and carbon fiber so the risk is far greater than
simply applying paint to a surface.
The addition of electricity added another
dimension to the work. These pieces are interactive and allow the viewer to
create different effects through light and alter the colour of a piece to suit
their mood or environment.
As with all my exhibitions the themes are varied
and some are familiar but the
content is always fun. I love creating new things
and this is an exhibition of things I loved creating.
Pop composite is the first exhibition of
‘composite assemblage’ artworks – an idea that came about over a year ago.
I wanted to create a ‘pop’ influenced exhibition
using modern composite materials.
I had painted using acrylics on canvas for many
years but felt the medium had become too restricting as to what I was imagining
and wanted to achieve in my art. The skills I had learned outside of art seemed
like a wasted resource so I began to blend everything together and
significantly changed the direction of the work I was doing.
My aim was to keep my style visually but bring
colour to the work that paint alone didn’t offer and literally build the works
using modern materials and techniques I was familiar with but weren’t commonly
associated with art.
Carbon fibre, foam, Perspex, epoxy resins, teak,
plywood, enamel and electric light.
This body of work goes much deeper than the
surface of the artworks – the use of the many materials are often an art in
themselves – you don’t have room for error when using materials like these, the
works are true ‘one off’ pieces that require planning and a lot of pre
preparation, laminating and fabricating parts to suit the individual piece.
It’s very hard to go backwards on a piece once it’s started - you can’t undo
anything involving epoxies and carbon fiber so the risk is far greater than
simply applying paint to a surface.
The addition of electricity added another
dimension to the work. These pieces are interactive and allow the viewer to
create different effects through light and alter the colour of a piece to suit
their mood or environment.
As with all my exhibitions the themes are varied
and some are familiar but the
content is always fun. I love creating new things
and this is an exhibition of things I loved creating.
James Willebrant graduated from The National Art School in 1972, being awarded the National Art School Painting Prize in 1970 and 1972 respectively. While at The National Art School Willebrant had already established his unique vision and as his work continued to evolve, was encouraged in 1973, by fellow artist and mentor, Charles Blackman to mount his first exhibition at The Philip Bacon Galleries in Brisbane.
This seminal exhibition was enthusiastically received by the public and began a successful career as a professional painter for Willebrant which has spanned 30 years and over 70 exhibitions throughout Australia and overseas. His work features in major private, public and corporate collections [including: The National Galleries of Victoria, NSW and Queensland, Many Regional Galleries, Parliament House Collection, Australia-Japan Trade Commission, Sydney Theatre Company, Qantas, Australian Embassy [Tokyo], Artbank, Australian Stock Exchange, The Deutsche Bank and several Major University Collections].
In the mid 70's James Willebrant became part of the exciting evolution of the Art Scene in Australia, showing his work at the Australian Galleries in Melbourne and with the Kym Bonython Gallery in Sydney. These two galleries in particular were at the forefront of the revolution that supported a new generation of Australian Artists and captured the imagination of the Australian public. Willebrant and contemporaries such as Brett Whiteley, Tim Storrier, John Coburn, Martin Sharpe and John Firth-Smith continued to redefine, explore and celebrate the Australian Spirit/Experience as their precursors such as Streeton, Roberts, Dobell, Drysdale, and Nolan had done.
Like many Australian artists Willebrant uses the Australian landscape as an inspirational springboard for his exploration and celebration of the Human Condition. His idiosyncratic response has seen the development of a style and vision, the uniqueness of which is immediately recognisable. He has nurtured and honed this original vision over many years; refusing to compromise it's integrity, and above all respecting the work and the life of each painting.
His style has been variously labelled, Surreal, Naive, Pop Art, and even Existential...but no label can really encompass or describe the subtleties of this artists' unique work. He paints the Australian landscape and captures it's amazing light. He celebrates nostalgic Australian popular culture..... He paints the human form in this landscape and as we look at his "everyman-everywoman" figures, caught in a particular moment of 'being', we are brought back to some personal emotion, experience or memory.....Such a response needs no label or critical thesis...It just is..the essence of Good Art. It provokes, it stimulates, and it celebrates. It defines something about our essence, which is beyond words.
In 1986 James Willebrant moved from Balmain to The Blue Mountains, seeking new horizons, both literally and figuratively... The physically beautiful and mentally challenging atmosphere of the mountains saw his work expand both thematically and stylistically......And in the emerging artistic renaissance of The Blue Mountains he has been able to relive some of the excitement of the heady days of the Sydney Art Scene of the early 70's.
In 2001 he purchased a country property West of the mountains and established a second studio there… The new environment of 'The Farm' has influenced the evolution of his style and vision…
"When I moved my studio to our 'Dark Corner' Farm just West of the Blue Mountains I expected the rural surroundings to affect and influence my work, which it did, not so much visually but physically. The textures of old weathered timbers found in the cattle yards, sheep pens and paddocks, wires and objects scuffed out of the dirt, detritus of years of life on the land, old boards, joists and noggins found whilst renovating the country studio….
These inspired me to use different media for my new work. There is a newfound freedom in the technique of incorporating found objects into the painted surface – the juxtaposition of these objects against the beauty of rubbed gold and silver finishes renders the ordinary object more gemlike, iconic and precious. The theme, the diving figure is an evolution of the swimmer in the landscape which has featured in my work for many years – always the romantic image of my childhood and the lifelong love affair of surfing the beaches of the Eastern Seaboard. These nostalgic images intertwined with the resurrection of a rural history have come together to create a personal iconography."
Like many Australian artists Willebrant uses the Australian
landscape as an inspirational springboard for his exploration and celebration
of the Human Condition. His idiosyncratic response has seen the development of
a style and vision, the uniqueness of which is immediately recognisable. He has
nurtured and honed this original vision over many years; refusing to compromise
it’s integrity, and above all respecting the work and the life of each
painting.
His style has been variously labelled, Surreal, Naive, Pop Art,
and even Existential...but no label can really encompass or describe the
subtleties of this artists’ unique work. He paints the Australian landscape and
captures it’s amazing light. He celebrates nostalgic Australian popular
culture..... He paints the human form in this landscape and as we look at his
“everyman-everywoman” figures, caught in a particular moment of ‘being’, we are
brought back to some personal emotion, experience or memory.....Such a response
needs no label or critical thesis...It just is..the essence of Good Art. It
provokes, it stimulates, and it celebrates. It defines something about our
essence, which is beyond words.
In 1986 James Willebrant moved from Balmain to The Blue Mountains,
seeking new horizons, both literally and figuratively... The physically
beautiful and mentally challenging atmosphere of the mountains saw his work
expand both thematically and stylistically......And in the emerging artistic
renaissance of The Blue Mountains he has been able to relive some of the
excitement of the heady days of the Sydney Art Scene of the early 70’s.
In 2001 he purchased a country property West of the mountains and
established a second studio there… The new environment of ‘The Farm’ has
influenced the evolution of his style and vision…
“When
I moved my studio to our ‘Dark Corner’ Farm just West of the Blue
Mountains I expected the rural surroundings to affect and
influence my work, which it did, not so much visually but physically. The
textures of old weathered timbers found in the cattle yards, sheep pens and
paddocks, wires and objects scuffed out of the dirt, detritus of years of life
on the land, old boards, joists and noggins found whilst renovating the country
studio….
These inspired me to use different
media for my new work. There is a
newfound freedom in the technique of incorporating found objects into the
painted surface – the juxtaposition of these objects against the beauty of
rubbed gold and silver finishes renders the ordinary object more gemlike,
iconic and precious. The theme, the diving figure is an evolution of the
swimmer in the landscape which has featured in my work for many years – always
the romantic image of my childhood and the lifelong love affair of surfing the
beaches of the Eastern Seaboard. These nostalgic images intertwined with the
resurrection of a rural history have come together to create a personal
iconography.”
Marshall Williams lives and works in Melbourne as a full time practicing artist. He studied fine art at Monash University, Caulfield campus, has taught fine art and photography, has work in numerous private and corporate collections, and has travelled extensively.
MARSHALL WILLIAMS at Soho Galleries- Art Melbourne
He lives and works over looking Port Phillip Bay and his work reflects his interests in the light, the water, and the sea and all those vessels that drift past his studio vista .
The waterways and light of Sydney Harbour, her boats, and reflections being of fascination in a new series of his work. He maintains a strong formal and contemporary edge to his imagery, yet it also shows his interests in classical realism and a dialogue with the past .
'A glimpse of distant buildings, softly defined in the shadow and fall of ethereal light, glowing then disappearing into the haze…… the glow of the first night lights, building touched in the twilight tinge, dinghy's basking in their summer glow.
The summer of reflected light bouncing off mirrored water, tankers quietly moving past, signaling departure, the softened forms drifting into the haze'.
