Artist Spotlight: Vince Vozzo

Who (or what) do you consider your artistic inspiration?

I have many inspirations one is reading philosophy and looking at great works of art. Or just having a break from my work and walking down to Newtown for a coffee. Another one is walking my dog to Sydney park and going on top of the highest peak staring at the planes taking off from Sydney airport.

Do you listen to music while you work, and if so, what is most often playing?

I don't listen to music while I work any more, I am in complete silence. Although I love all sorts of music, I really love guitar sounds like Santana and Jeff Beck.

Who of your peers do you respect the most?

There's a few American artist I like, I can't name them at the moment. I seem to like artists of the last century like Picasso, Brancusi, Giacometti and the list go's on.

Do you have any habits/rituals or strange superstitions when painting?

I try to work 7 days a week, always have an afternoon break and walk to Newtown for coffee, it keeps me sane.

When did you decide to become an artist?

I didn't decide to become an artist, it chose me.. I always remember my first stonecarving. I didn't have a clue what I was doing, all I know is from my very first carving it was like I gave birth, from that day I was a sculptor.

What is your favourite colour?

Blue

Do you have a favourite painting or work of art? If so, what is it?

There's to many works of art I like to mention, but what I will say is if I don't feel creative I just look at Picasso's work and I can do anything.

New Addition to the 2010 Exhibition Schedule

Rosemary Valadon: New Work 2010
Opening 28 August 2010, 3-5PM

Artwork of the Day - Irving - Beyond the Fence

Tony Irving (b.1939)
Beyond the fence 2009
oil on linen
80 x 130cm

Tony Irving is one of Australia’s leading contemporary realist painters whose devotion to realist painting extends across four decades. Irving is represented in the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Lady Potter Collection as well as numerous other public collections throughout Australia. He has held exhibitions in the UK, Indonesia and Singapore and in 1966 was awarded the coveted McCaughey Prize.

Press Release: Wayne Eager - New Work 2010

Wayne Eager (b. 1957)
Exhibition opening Saturday 6 March 2010, 3-5 pm

Wayne Eager’s paintings are a careful consideration of the nuanced and changing Australian desert landscape. Whether a painting’s title denotes a specific place, such as Backyard View; one of the five senses, like Fragrance; or a time of day, being Early Morning, Eager’s work is characterised by an earthy awareness of his relationship to the environment. Collapsed picture planes pulse with the layered depth of interlocking primordial shapes evocative of stones, fossils, and foliage. A frenetic entangling of brush strokes might illustrate the dimensions of a man-made structure while an even spacing of varied squares might convey hectares of richly hued land or the view of a lone hill from the window of his studio. Irrespective of these differing subjects, Eager infuses all of his paintings with gravity and an unabashed appreciation for vibrant color and form that is reminiscent of twentieth century Western art movements such as Abstract Expressionism.

Beginning his art career as a founding member of the Melbourne-based art collective Roar Studios in the 1980's, Eager has continued to involve himself with the support of grassroots Australian art communities. The aim of Roar was to create a dynamic and collaborative environment in which young artists could paint freely without concern for the stifling constraints of the commercial art world. The ideologies adopted by Roar continue to motivate Eager’s artistic practice and are reflected in his preference for living in the desert bush far from Australia’s urban art centres. In the early 1990's he relocated with his wife, Marina, Strocchi ,to Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory to aid in the establishment of the Ikuntji Women's Centre. What was intended to be a few months stay became a five-year stint for Eager as well as the mark of a new dimension in his artwork. Eager subsequently became Field Officer for the Papunya Tula Artists, commuting regularly between Kintore and Kiwirrkkurra. Eager is currently affiliated with Ananguku Arts in APY Lands, South Australia, assisting several regional art centres. Additionally, he and Marina have curated an exhibition including painters from APY Lands and the Western Desert that will be on view at the Adelaide Museum in March of this year.

Eager has maintained a solitary approach to painting yet continues his involvement with neighbouring indigenous art centres. While he acknowledges a continued interest in landscape painting, he points out an evolutionary branch from his earlier works such as Untitled Yellow, 1992, in which there is a clear bifurcation between land and sky. Eager’s recent work is not overtly marked by this separation of the elements, but is rather more a testament to the integration of them in order to represent the concept of wholeness—an inextricable, multi-layered portrait of the environment.

Artwork of the Day - Nothling - Nowhereland like Hollywood

Stephen Nothling (b.1962)
Nowhereland like Hollywood
Graphite on paper
107 x 150cm
no.11043

Immersed within the idea of paradise and perfection, Nothling created the fictional, ‘Nowhereland,’ an imaginary destination which acts as a backdrop for his pictorial theatrics. In Nowhereland Nothling’s parachuted navigator, (perhaps the pilot from the biplane in Joyflight) descends gently to the middle of nowhere.

Artwork of the Day - Thomson - Transmition

Ann Thomson (b.1933)
Transmition
Oil on linen
122 x 153cm
no.10705

Ann Thomson studied under Jon Molvig, Brisbane in 1956 and at the National Art School, Sydney from 1957 – 1962. In 1978 she studied etching with Paul Frank and Henri Goetz whilst Artist in Residence at the Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris, France. In 1985 she was Artist in Residence at “Parataio” Studio, Tuscany, Italy and in 1995 at the Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris, France. Ann Thomson lives and works in Sydney.

Artwork of the Day - Proud - The Suitors

Geoffrey Proud (b. 1946)
The Suitors 2007
oil on canvas
44x 43cm
no.9855

Often quirky and verging on the surreal, Geoffrey Proud's paintings in oil and pastel are like fractured fairytales. Depicting a world of innocence with a sometimes ominous edge, Proud's paintings are fantastic and bizarre. His choice of subjects is broad, including children and childhood narratives, flowers, still lifes and nudes. Alternating between expressionist impastoed brushwork and sensitive detail, he experiments freely with vibrant colour and varying textures. The highly glazed surfaces of his recent oils give his scenes an ethereal and otherworldly quality. Proud has won numerous awards including the Sulman Prize in 1976 for a painting on perspex, and the Archibald prize in 1990 for his portrait of writer Dorothy Hewett. He has exhibited consistently in all state capitals since 1966 and is represented in the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; many State and regional gallery collections; Parliament House collections in Canberra and Sydney; Artbank; IBM collection; and the Elton John collection, London

New Additions to the 2010 Exhibition Schedule

Doreen Gadsby (b.1926) Exhibition 2010: New Work Opening 27 October, 6-8PM

Francis Giacco (b.1955) Exhibition 2010: New Work Opening 4 December, 3-5PM

Artwork of the Day - Platten - Head and House

Anna Platten (b.1957)
Head and House 2007
charcoal on paper
125 x 100cm
no.10769

Finalist in the Kedumba drawing prize 2007

One of the most important artists of current times Anna Platten was included in the recent Contemporary Australia; Optimism at the Queensland Art Gallery with two large commissioned works. She was also included in the Samstag Museum's Colliding Worlds earlier this year. John Mcdonald included Anna in his recent book Studio a selection the leading contemporary painters and Australian Art Collector magazine has listed her as one of the top 50 most collectable artists. Anna Platten is represented in the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Tweed Heads Regional Gallery, Newcastle Regional Gallery, Art Bank, Parliament House; South Australia, University of South Australia, important private collections nationally and internationally.

Artwork of the Day - Kruger - Slice of Garden

Elisabeth Kruger (b.1955)
Slice of garden
oil on linen
122 x 306cm (diptych)
no.10887

Awarded the prestigious Moet & Chandon Art Fellowship (1989) and an overseas studio residency with the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council (1990), Elisabeth Kruger is recognised as one of Australia's leading contemporary artists. In her newest series of paintings, Kruger explores the luscious beauty of flowers. These are stunning floral masterpieces with a contemporary edge. Her work is represented in the Australian National Gallery, The National Gallery of Victoria, the Parliament House Collection, Macquarie University and major private collections.

New Additions to the 2010 Exhibition Schedule

Stephen Nothling (b.1962) New Ways With Roses Opening 19 June, 3-5PM

Tony Irving (b.1939) Exhibition 2010: New Work Opening 3 November, 6-8PM

Press Release: Brenda Humble

Brenda Humble's December exhibition includes paintings and sculpture from 1988 to the present. Humble's body of jewel-like still life's, abstracted in varying degrees are painterly, boldly colourful and beautifully simple. Her continuing motif; the silhouette of vase and flowers against an open window, is distinct and distilled to essential elements and colour blocks. Her palette is high keyed like Mattisse and in some of the still lives, the flatness and bold outline of shapes is somewhat reminiscent of Picasso.

Her sculptures share a similar simplification of form; Humble pares back the image to its most elemental lines, creating crisp linea images of quirky teachers, laughing horses, squinting love hearts and little Alice figures.

Humble won the 1982 Portia Geach Prize for her portrait of Virginia Hall, the American world war II spy. In August this year her work was honoured with a retrospective which explored her painting of the 1970's and 80's. Brenda Humble: Art as Activism coincided with History Week 2009 and the Kings Cross Library 50th Anniversary. The exhibition explored Brenda's involvement in the activism in the Kings Cross area during that period, her work on the Green Bans and the disappearance of Juanita Nielsen.

Having graduated from the national art school in 1960 Brenda Humble has been a major part of the Sydney art world for more than 50 years. She has had over 16 solo exhibitions in Sydney and was a finalist in the 1974 Wynne Prize, the 1982 Waverley Art Prize and the 1981 Mornington peninsula Drawing prize amongst others.

Brenda Humble is represented in the Artbank Collection, Parliament House, Canberra the Reserve Bank of Australia, University of NSW, the IBM Collection, Sydney, Mackay City Library, Queensland as well as private and corporate collections in Australia, Canada, Japan, UK and USA.

Press: Humble - Sydney Morning Herald

Artist Spotlight: Michael Kelly

Who (or what) do you consider your artistic inspiration?

Inspiration comes from the world around me. I walk a lot and take in images of places and the atmosphere of places that settle into my subconscious and blend with memories and paintings I've looked at or studied in museums or books among other things. All this ferments and bubbles away in my head till a time comes when I need to get it down in drawings and canvas either in the studio or in front of the motif itself. This whole process works its way through my sketchbooks which are the prime source of most of my work. This sounds very orderly but is not as I always have a feeling of time running out and the subject disappearing before I'm able to pin it down.


Do you listen to music while you work, and if so, what is most often playing?
If I'm in the studio Ill often have the radio on 2mbs FM, Eastside FM or abc FM playing classical or jazz music in the background. If the music becomes to frantic or there's too much talk I'll turn it off as it becomes a distraction, as i will if I'm trying to paint a difficult passage. When I'm working outside or direct from life I favour complete silence.

Who of your peers do you respect the most?

I lived in Melbourne for seventeen years and in that time had a lot of respect for Rick Amor.We became friends and along with a few others artists went out painting every week for several years. It was a way of connecting with the whole tradition of Melbourne painting as we would often paint from sites that previous generations of artists worked from. Through Rick I met Frank Werther who was part of that old school of painters and had worked with Williams, Boyd and Percival. I learned all sorts of technical things from him that Id never had learned otherwise. He was like an old alchemist in his laboratory working away in the studio under his house in the hills north of Melbourne.

Do you have any habits/rituals or strange superstitions when painting?

I have a lot of bad habits when I'm painting that Id like to dispense of, I try, but generally my only rituals are that I always wash my brushes out after painting, cleaning their ferrules and wrapping the bristles in paper so that they hold their shape. My only superstitions are that I don't like talking about works in progress or paintings I'm planning to do or showing people unfinished work.

When did you decide to become an artist?

The desire to draw and paint has always been there. My mother painted and encouraged me to do so when I was young, but it wasn't until my late 20's that I had the opportunity to go to art school. I'd worked in a variety of different jobs since leaving school and developed a work ethic and took art school very seriously. I was always drawing and built my skills from that.

What is your favourite colour?

I do have favorite colours but find they live or die depending on what other colours they are mixed with or surrounded by.

Do you have a favourite painting or work of art? If so, what is it?

Impossible to pin down one favorite painting. When Ive travelled Ive sketched favorites from museums that occupy the gallery of my mind, among them would be Cezannes ' Blue Vase', Brueghals 'Harvest' in the metropolitan, Rembrandts 'Jewish Bride', Van Goghs paintings from Arles, Giorgiones 'Sunset' in London and Lloyd Rees' drawings and early oils of Sydney, the harbour and its surrounds.

Sam Wade's Drawing Blog

Eva Breuer Art Dealer would like to highlight Sam Wade's new blog where he showcases his sketches and drawings. The works are beautiful and are an invaluable source of inspiration. Please click here to view paintings available for sale by Sam Wade.

Sneak Peek: Space, Time, and Memory by Christopher McVinish

Christopher McVinish's 2009 exhibition, Space, Time and Memory, will be opening tomorrow - Saturday December 5th- from 3 to 5PM.

Click the photograph to view the podcast.

Rex Turnbull - Paddington Art Prize 2009 Finalist

Rex Turnbull, The Lane, Acrylic, 60 x 120 cm

Congratulations to Rex Turnbull whose painting The Lane is a a finalist in the 2009 Paddington Art Prize UNSW COFA Award. Click here to view available works by Rex Turnbull from Eva Breuer Art Dealer.

2010 Exhibition Schedule

Wayne Eager (b.1957) Exhibition 2010: New Work Opening 6 March 2010, 3-5PM

Pam Sackville (b.1944) Exhibition 2010: New Work Opening 24 April 2010, 3-5PM

Brian Seidel (b.1928) Exhibition 2010: Cocktail Hour Opening 8 May 2010, 3-5PM

Michael Muir (b.1975) Exhibition 2010: New Work Opening 5 June 2010, 3-5PM

Petra Reece Exhibition 2010: New Work Opening 17 July 2010, 3-5PM

Geoffrey Proud (b.1946) Exhibition 2010: New Work Opening 15 September 2010, 6-8PM

Artist Spotlight: Meg Williams

Who (or what) do you consider your artistic inspiration?

While my own work may not show it, I am inspired by John Brack's originality, Sickert's colour sense, Milton Avery's funky beauty and everything about Giorgio Morandi. There are many more.

Do you listen to music while you work, and if so, what is most often playing?

Yes, a huge selection from Ian Drury to Vaughan Williams.


Who of your peers do you respect the most?

Painters, because painting is so difficult. Independent artists who have found an original and personal language. Can I claim John Brack as a peer?

Do you have any habits/rituals or strange superstitions when painting?
Some props seem lucky while others refuse to be painted well.

When did you decide to become an artist?

About 7 years ago.

What is your favourite colour?

I love them all, it's all about context.

Do you have a favourite painting or work of art? If so, what is it?

Anything by Giorgio Morandi, Piero della Francesca or Giotto. Las Meninas (Velazquez) is a wonderful picture and I love William Scott and the early work of Stanley Spencer...

Press Release: Christopher McVinish - Space, Time and Memory

Christopher McVinish (b.1952)
Exhibition: Space, Time and Memory
Opening Saturday 5 December 2009
Drinks with the artist 3 -5pm

Eva Breuer Art Dealer is proud to announce the opening of Christopher McVinish’s new exhibition Space, Time and Memory. McVinish is a realist painter concerned with the depiction of time and the moments of everyday life.

With Space, Time and Memory, McVinish focuses his attention on the figure in the landscape, using the atmospheric qualities of weather to establish a mood and suggest the protagonist’s thoughts. As with The Interrupted Journey No. 3 the darkening clouds and expansive landscape serve to isolate the figures and heighten the stillness of the composition. The collection of paintings range from gritty urbanscapes to soft rolling landscapes all with a centralised pathway – a road, stairway, or sidewalk – as the common thread uniting the receding figures. .

McVinish has an extensive exhibition history and is represented in a number of Australian collections including Griffith University, Redcliffe, Gold Coast, and Toowoomba City Councils.

Space, Time and Memory can be viewed from Friday 4 December until Tuesday 15 December and will have its official opening with the artist attending on Saturday 5 December from 3pm until 5pm.