Future focused
Behind the Scenes
As you might know, in October last year I advised Australia’s leading arts critic, John McDonald, on digital strategy after he was fired at short notice from Sydney Morning Herald and Australian Financial Review. After providing the concept and developing and executing initial strategy to establish Everything the artworld doesn’t want you to know, I delivered further original ideas and strategy for long term independent growth. While I'll still provide occasional advice as his site grows, I'm returning focus to my own work.
Inevitably, during the process, I thought a lot about the artworld as it is now. Although art is essential to the soul and beloved in every culture, my assessment is that the contemporary artworld as we know it is in the early stages of collapse. Using new, sustainable and ethical strategies that can withstand transparency is a way forward. In response to requests, I've begun a weekly column on digital strategy, available exclusively here at After Studio Hours. You can read an overview of my experience in this area at the artist bio’ of my website. The column will be a review of digital strategies as they evolve and the digital tools and platforms available to artists – and everyone else. It is for paid subscribers only, with an option to join a private group Q+A where I answer member's questions on digital strategy.
My primary focus is on drawing and painting. The first painting from the Sunlit Flowers series, Frangipani, is now with its collectors in Vienna. My own family loved the works on paper from the same series so much that I decided to gift two and keep one for myself. Most of my small original paintings on paper from the series Saltwater Jewels, Redgate have been delivered by DHL courier to collectors in Australia and America. I'm close to finishing my next acrylic on linen painting, the first in another series.
Like many people these days, I am more private about my personal life. I've drawn some classic portraits of friends' children and enjoyed a thousand other beautiful experiences that I will never write down, or share in public, but they’ll inevitably inform the art I make. Which is, in the end, my favourite way to communicate.