Tuesday 21 September 2010

Large Paintings

I've finally got around to scanning some of my larger works (mainly due to being asked to send some portraits to Taschen for their new illustration book). They have been scanned in up to 24 parts and seamlessly joined together by my fabulous boyfriend.
As follows:

Flora
2006
120 cm x 120 cm

2.4 Children (Janine, Kari, Jordy and Bertie)
2007
60 cm x 80 cm

An Australian Family Christmas (Gillian, Tabitha, Tony, Nathaniel, Jasmine, Kane, Breanna, Hayley and Christian)
2007
60 cm x 80 cm

Dolly
2007
80 cm x 120 cm


































































Sunday 12 September 2010

Venus Xtravaganza

Here is the 5th portrait in my Unsung Heroes series: Venus Xtravaganza. Venus (born Thomas Pelagatti) was a transgender American in the New York City Ball scene of the 1980s, in which contestants 'walk the balls' to compete for trophies under different categories such as 'Butch Queen', 'School girl/boy Realness', 'Hetrosexual Realness' and 'European Runway'.
The Balls were a fascinating homosexual subculture of fashion, style, and glamour, and were the inspiration for one of Madonna's biggest hits: Vogue. Vogueing is a series of gestures and dance moves which take from Egyptian hyroglyphics, gymnastics and mirror the poses in Vogue Magazine, and its roots date back to the 1930s. The ball scene was divided into Houses of 'drag families' often named after the Paris Fashion Houses such as Saint Lauren and Escada - each comprising a house 'mother' and often father. Venus was a daughter of The House of Xtravaganza, was saving up for sex reassignment surgery, and working as a prostitute to pay for the extravagant costumes she put together for the Balls. She longed to be a spoilt, rich suburban white girl, to get married in church and live in a nice home with her husband. Tragically, she was murdered by a trick and her body was discovered 4 days later in a New York Hotel room in 1988. You can see Venus in the documentary "Paris is Burning".


Wednesday 8 September 2010

New Exhibition Dates Announced 2010 and 2011!!!






Group Exhibition: "Black and White Vs Colour"
Opening Night Friday 22nd October 2010, 6pm - 9pm
Exhibition running Oct 22 - Nov 12, 2010
Off The Kerb Gallery, 66B Johnston St, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
http://www.offthekerb.com.au

Solo Exhibition: "I Dream In Celluloid"
Opening Night Saturday 19th February 2011, 6pm - 8pm
Exhibition running Feb 19 - Mar 19, 2011
19 Karen Contemporary Art Space, 19 Karen Ave, Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
http://www.19karen.com.au

Solo Exhibition: "I Dream In Celluloid"
Opening Night Wednesday 6th April 2011, 6pm - 10pm
Exhibition running Apr 6 - 29, 2011
For Walls Gallery, Miss Libertine, 34 Franklin St, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/For-Walls/116143241756732?ref=ts

Group Exhibition: "An Homage to Frida Kahlo"
Opening Night Saturday 4th June 2011, 6pm - 8pm
Exhibition running June 4 - 30, 2011
19 Karen Contemporary Art Space, 19 Karen Ave, Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
http://www.19karen.com.au

Group Exhibition: "I Dream In Celluloid" (as part of 'Art In Mind')
Opening Night T.B.C
Exhibition running Aug 2 - 15, 2011
The Brick Lane Gallery, 96 Brick Lane, London E1, UK
http://www.thebricklanegallery.com/

Monday 6 September 2010

Richard Brautigan

The 4th portrait in my Unsung Heroes series is American poet and writer Richard Brautigan. Richard grew up in poverty in the Pacific Northwest, his father leaving his mother 8 months before his birth. As a young man, he threw rocks at a police station window in order to be sent to prison and fed - instead he was committed to a mental hospital where he received 12 electric shock treatments. He moved to San Francisco to become a writer in 1954 - a huge ambition for someone of his social class. Richard's involvement with the 60s counterculture saw him give away much of his early writings on the street for free. His works employ a stark simplicity, black humour and hauntingly beautiful innocence, and are both an important cultural account of the 60s and priceless pieces of Americana. He often mentioned suicide to his daughter, Ianthe, and after falling from favour, he shot himself in 1984.