Dion Archibald

Re-post from July 2003. I’ll be reposting the artist profiles that I did over the years on the ArtQuotes.net website. I wasn’t planning to after the complete redesign but people kept asking where they disappeared to and I profiled some pretty cool artists over the years. Some of the artists have also passed away unfortunately, so I think it’ll be good to keep a record of their interview and artworks from that period online. I’ll be adding a few each week until they’re all back online and then I’ll do some new ones. I’m starting with me as I was the guinea pig for the first artist profile.

Artist Interview from 2003

+1 ::: Why are you an artist?
I have always drawn, I’ve always felt 100% me with a pencil or paintbrush in my hand. Art is the only thing I have ever felt completely confident with. I could not imagine my life without art.

+2 ::: Tell me about your art.
My art is what I do and how I live. I paint the things around me, the things I know and feel comfortable with. My art is an acknowledgement of life, a confession of my feelings, and a celebration of the painting process.

+3 ::: Why did you choose to paint Turkey?
My relationship with Turkey began with a relationship with a girl from Istanbul that I had met on the Internet. Through her I experienced a country of great beauty, overflowing with culture and history. I started painting the Turkish series of paintings after my third visit, when I felt that I had experienced enough of the country to honestly paint it.

+4 ::: What artists have influenced you and why?
My first leap into art was through the Australian artist Brett Whiteley. Through his art I discovered that painting was more than just landscapes and portraits, it could be whatever you wanted, painting could be a way of life. Vincent van Gogh was also a major influence as I admired his passion, intensity, and his emotional honesty. I admire many artists from many different movements and periods in art. I think it’s important to keep an open mind.

+5 ::: What do you do for fun (besides art)?
I love reading and learning new things. My mind becomes restless if I’m not growing. I read books on art, religion, spirituality, business, investing, psychology, and culture. Other interests include the Internet, the occasional glass of wine, and music.

+6 ::: What inspires you to paint?
Life inspires me to paint. Painting inspires me to paint. I have formed a habit of walking into my studio on a regular basis and I become inspired while painting.

+7 ::: How have you handled the business side of being an artist?
Like many artists I have struggled with the notion of art as a business. It doesn’t come naturally to me but it is a very important part of being an artist. I don’t intend to be a factory but I do plan to become wiser in the areas of business.

+8 ::: Where do you see youself in 10 years?
My mind is very open to change, so I could be anywhere. I do know that I will be painting, enjoying life, and always learning.

+9 ::: Tell me more about your latest series of paintings and where you are going with them.
I wanted to paint some of the places around Newcastle that I have always loved looking at; The beach, the city, the parks, and the people. The softness of the beach beside the hardness of the city is also fascinating to me. I am currently working with the portrait more. In the emotion of the face rather than the physical likeness of the person. With triptychs it allows you to discover and express things in the same face three different ways. There is always more to be found by exploring the same subject again and again.

+10 ::: What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Learn the rules before you break them.

Newcastle Paintings from 2003

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Artist Statement from 2003

My art is about a personal exploration of the subject and the materials used to create the work. Regardless of whether the subject is something as mundane as a toothbrush or as awe inspiring as the beauty of nature, it has to speak to me in some way. I have to feel an empathy towards the subject and desire to form a relationship with it, as inevitably I am affected by the feeling or mood of it. My paintings evolve organically from life’s everyday glances. Rather than trying to force my will on them, I give them total control. Each layer determines and guides the next. My paintings are a dialogue between giving and taking. I don’t want to sign the work until it looks like it has been lived on, until I have violated the open white space and created something that can become independent of me and fend for itself.

More on Artist Dion Archibald

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