Podcasts about Wynne Prize

Send us a textIn this episode of Art Wank, we dive into the dynamic and prolific career of Australian artist Ann Thomson, whose expressive, abstract works have made her a vital force in Australian contemporary art for over five decades. Born in 1933 in Brisbane and trained at the National Art School in Sydney, Thomson's practice has always defied easy categorisation. Her paintings and sculptures are known for their vibrant energy, lyrical abstraction, and a deep, intuitive connection to material and process.We explore Thomson's early influences, including her time in Europe during the 1960s, and how her work evolved through an engagement with both landscape and gesture. Her ability to balance spontaneity with formal rigour creates works that feel both immediate and timeless. Whether working in paint, paper, or three-dimensional forms, Thomson consistently brings a bold sense of freedom and exploration to her practice.Over the years, Ann has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including the prestigious Wynne Prize for landscape painting. She has exhibited extensively across Australia and internationally, and her work is held in major public and private collections.In our conversation, we reflect on her fearless approach to art-making, her thoughts on abstraction, and her commitment to making work that resists constraints and expectations. Ann Thomson's career is a testament to the power of following intuition and embracing the unknown.We really appreciate your time, thanks Ann. 

An edited video version of this conversation will be on the YouTube channel soon! It's one of the most thrilling days on the Australian art calendar—and this year, Julie Fragar has taken out the Archibald Prize with a captivating portrait of fellow artist and colleague Justene Williams. Her large scale portrait of Justene, appearing to float in space and surrounded by model figures and structures drawn from Justene's creative universe, commands the viewer's attention.  Julie talks with me about the portrait and its elements, her approach to colour and her tips for a productive sitting. This episode also includes Julie's moving acceptance speech. Also announced today: Jude Rae, winner of the Wynne Prize (and two-time podcast guest) Gene A'Hern, winner of the Sulman Prize (video interview coming soon!) Scroll down for images of the winning works Podcast listeners click here to see images of the works Julie Fragar's website Julie Fragar on Instagram Ep 28: Jude Rae Ep 97: Jude Rae '424-428' TWP on Instagram TWP on Facebook Maria Stoljar on LinkedIn Sign up to the TWP monthly newsletter Julie FragarFlagship Mother Multiverse (Justene)oil on canvas240 x 180.4 cm Jude RaePre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminaloil on linen200 x 150.4 cm Gene A'HernSky paintingoil and oil stick on board240 x 240 cm  

Send us a textIn this episode of Art Wank, we delve into the world of Australian landscape painter David Collins, whose latest solo exhibition, Brevity, is currently on view at Defiance Gallery in Sydney from May 3 to 24, 2025 .Collins has been a significant figure in the Australian art scene since the early 1990s . Residing on Dangar Island in the Hawkesbury River since 1987, his daily interactions with the river—often by rowboat—deeply inform his artistic practice . His works are known for their meditative quality, blending abstraction with a profound sense of place.Brevity continues this exploration, offering a series of paintings that reflect Collins' intimate connection with the Australian landscape. The exhibition showcases his ability to distill vast natural scenes into compositions that are both evocative and restrained.Throughout his career, Collins has participated in numerous residencies, including the Australian Wildlife Conservancy Residency in Queensland and the Nock Art Foundation Residency in New Zealand . His work has been recognised in prestigious awards such as the Wynne Prize and the Salon des Refusés.In our conversation, Collins discusses his artistic journey, the influence of his surroundings, and the themes present in Brevity. He shares insights into his process and the philosophies that underpin his work.Join us as we explore the nuanced landscapes of David Collins and gain a deeper understanding of his contribution to contemporary Australian art.Brevity is on display at Defiance Gallery, 12 Mary Place, Paddington, NSW, until May 24, 2025. For more information, visit defiancegallery.com.

Send us a textThank you to artist Tom Carment for speaking with us on Art Wank! We visited Tom at his home in Sydney and talked about his long career as an artist. He predominantly paints outdoors, carrying a backpack filled with supplies and capturing interesting sights along the way—whether it's a jacaranda tree, rooftops, or a unique view. His work is like a visual diary, immediate and in the moment. When he paints at home, he often focuses on the everyday, like typewriters, eggs, and vegetables—anything at hand.Tom is also a prolific and gifted writer so check out his website to read some of his works. He is represented by King Street Gallery in Sydney. 'Tom Carment was born in Sydney in 1954. He studied for one year at Julian Ashton Art School in 1973. Tom is a painter of landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, and is also a writer. His pictures have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions since the 1970s, and his stories and essays have been published nationally. During the 1980s, he lived overseas for four years in Africa (Zimbabwe and Zambia) and in France, returning to Sydney in 1988.Tom has been represented by King Street Gallery since 1993. With his most recent solo exhibition ‘The Long Way Round' in October 2023.Tom's portraits have been selected for the Archibald Prize twelve times, and his landscapes for the Wynne Prize eight times. His works are held by the Art Gallery of NSW, City of Melbourne Art & Heritage Collection, NSW State Parliament, State Library of NSW, Kedumba Drawing Collection, Macquarie Group Collection and many others.Tom was the winner of the 2014 NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize, the 2008 Gallipoli Art Prize and the 2005 Mosman Art Prize. Over one hundred of Tom's works were shown at the 2014 Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial at the Art Gallery of NSW. In 2008 the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery held a survey of his work entitled, People, Paddocks, Coastlines.From 2004-06 Tom worked on a commission for the City of Melbourne to document in words, paintings and drawings the construction of Council House 2 – the ‘greenest' office building in Australia.Tom's work is a reportage on his life – the external environment through his landscapes, the internal environment and friendships through his still lifes and portraits. Tom's pictures are usually small in scale and notable for their sensitive interpretation of light. Nearly all of his works are painted and drawn from life.Tom's published books include Days and Nights in Africa (1985), Seven Walks – Cape Leeuwin to Bundeena (2014) and Womerah Lane – Lives and Landscapes (October 2019).Tom currently resides in Sydney, NSW.' King Street Gallery Website 

Send us a Text Message.Gary and Julie spoke to Ross over zoom not long after his exhibition, 'Moonlight -Daylight', at King Street on William gallery in Sydney. Ross Laurie is represented by King Street on William Gallery, Sydney.'Laurie has won the inaugural Norville Prize for Landscape Painting, the COFA Print Award at the Paddington Art Prize and the Kings School Art Prize. He has also been selected as a finalist in the Dobell Drawing Biennial and the Wynne Prize, both at the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney. Notably, Laurie's work has been selected for the Salon des Refuses ten times between 1995 and 2019.The artist's work can be found in numerous state and corporate collections such as Artbank, AGNSW, National Gallery of Australia, New England Regional Art Museum, Tamworth Regional Gallery, the Laverty Collection Sydney, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Macquarie Bank Collection and NRMA Sydney.Ross Laurie's 2020 solo exhibition at King Street Gallery ‘engaged the drought and it did so deeply. Many of the paintings in “Dry at Walcha” were suffused with the glow of pink light. But it was the arid stain of ash rather than nostalgia or eros that made these works glower' (Anna Johnson, 2022). Lauries last major body of work and solo exhibition ‘After Storms And Rain' 2022 ‘found a harder, brighter palette but also bolder geometric forms' (Anna Johnson, 2022).“It might be accurate to say that my work echoes the structure of the land. The verticals in tree forms. Multiple horizons. Forms and shapes embedded from childhood memories. I don't draw in order to paint. If I do draw I'm after a way to help me see. There is no scaffolding.” (Ross Laurie, 2022)Ross Laurie joined King Street Gallery in 2014. He lives and works on his family farm, Rams Gully, in Walcha NSW.'

Watch the video version of my interview with Laura Jones here on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel Congratulations to previous podcast guest Laura Jones on winning the Archibald Prize - Australia's most famous portrait prize  - with a sensitive and meaningful portrait of writer and environmentalist Tim Winton. On Friday I interviewed Laura shortly after the announcement and I'm bringing you that 5 minute conversation in this episode but I've also gone through the archives to my podcast conversation with Laura in 2018 to bring you something extra.  When I interviewed Laura a few years ago it was after she had finished a residency on the Great Barrier Reef where she was studying the terrible bleaching events which occurred there (and continue to occur) and her concern surrounding those events is not unconnected with her winning portrait in this year's Archibald Prize. Because it was after seeing Tim Winton's documentary on the ABC, Ningaloo Nyinggulu, about the fight to save the Ningaloo reef that Laura requested an Archibald portrait sitting. They have in common a sense of urgency that we must act now on climate change and are doing everything they can to bring attention to the devastating and inevitable consequences of inaction. One of the most interesting parts of my conversation with Laura was when she explained how coral bleaching occurs. It's complex and scientific but she explained it in a way that anyone could understand so I thought I would bring you that part of the interview today .   The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes exhibition continues until Sunday 8 September 2024.  The Archibald finalist works then go on tour across 5 venues across NSW and for the first time, to the Northern Territory. The Wynne Prize finalist works will tour to four venues in regional NSW. 2018 podcast interview with Laura Jones (ep 53) Laura Jones' Archibald Prize acceptance speech (Instagram) YouTube version of my Archibald interview with Laura Incognito Art Show Studio A Tim WintonOil on linen, 198 x 152.5cmImage: Art Gallery of NSW, Jenni Carter Winner 2024 Archibald Prize              

Join us for the latest episode of @art.wank featuring the talented artist Nicole Kelly (@nk_nk_). Congratulations to Nicole on becoming a new mum! In our recent Zoom interview before the Xmas, we delved into her painting techniques, past exhibitions, and her unique approach to color. Nicole is a very generous artist and offers dedicated mentoring through workshops and classes. Visit her website today to learn more and reserve your spot.Represented by Arthouse gallery in Sydney and Nicholas Thompson gallery in Melbourne.‘Kelly creates paintings that linger between the essence of a subject and the experience of being. Clouded by the romanticism of remembering, her paintings are imbued with experience captured in vibrant strokes of colour and with swift brushwork. Kelly's works, informed by an interest in literature and the discipline of painting, cast moments of shared stillness in an atmosphere of light. She says of her works “my desire is to push painting beyond a surface likeness of any subject and into the realm of poetics”. Winner of the prestigious Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship (2009) and the Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize (2018), Kelly is well recognised for her landscape, portraiture and still life painting. She has undertaken residencies in France (2019, 2018, 2017, 2010) and Spain (2016) and has completed major public commissions for the Sutherland and St George Hospitals in Sydney. Her work has been selected for inclusion in the Lester Prize for Portraiture at the Art Gallery of WA (2019, 2018, 2017, 2015), Portia Geach Memorial Award (2021, 2020, 2019, 2015, 2014), Salon des Refusés (2023, 2020, 2019) and Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW (2015). ‘.Thanks Nicole! Listen wherever you get podcasts or link in bio :#Podcast #artpodcast #artwank #abstract #art #artistsoninstagram #artwork #artist #artgallery #nicolekelly 

We really loved our chat with Peter Sharp! Very inspiring talk and we learned so much from Peter who was very generous with his words and the pastries he bought us!! We interviewed Peter in his studio in Sydney and talked about his teaching, his upcoming show, Fowlers Gap, being an artist, and much more.. Peter is represented by Nicholas Thompson gallery in Melbourne and his new show, Signal, opens on August 20th so get down there and check out his fantastic work. thanks so much for your time and support, Peter, we really appreciate it. 'Peter Sharp has held solo exhibitions since 1989 in Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra, Melbourne and internationally in Germany. His work has been included in group exhibitions since 1987 throughout Australia and internationally in Paris, Chang Mai, Beijing and London. Sharp is a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales School of Art and Design and has a Master of Fine Arts (1992) from the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales. His work was acquired by the Kedumba Drawing Award in 2007 and the Grafton Regional Gallery's Jacaranda Drawing Award in 1996. Sharp was a recipient of a Cite International des Arts Residence, Paris in 1997. A monograph Peter Sharp: Will to Form was published in 2012. Sharp has been a finalist in the Paddington Art Prize (2020, 13, 08), the Hazelhurst Art of Paper Prize (2019, 15, 13, 11, 07, 05, 03), the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize (2018, 10, 06), the Dobell Prize (2010, 09), the Sulman Prize (2008, 98) and the Wynne Prize (2003, 96). His work is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Artbank, regional and tertiary collections in Australia and significant corporate collections.' - Nicholas Thompson gallery

It's difficult to describe the work of James Drinkwater, he really is indefinable. His confidence and talent shine in his work, bold and edgy, full of energy and texture. James was always destined to be an artist as we discovered in our chat, an aunt providing the nurturing and example to become an artist alongside a close and loving family. He won the Brett Whiteley scholarship in 2014, propelling him further into a dynamic career. He is represented by two major galleries, Nanda Hobbs, Sydney, and Nicholas Thompson, Melbourne. 'James Drinkwater studied at the National Art School, Sydney (2001) and has held solo exhibitions since 2004 in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, and internationally in London and Singapore. A survey exhibition The sea calls me by name was held at Newcastle Art Gallery in 2019.James Drinkwater's work has been included in group exhibitions throughout Australia and internationally in Berlin, Leipzig, and London. He has been awarded the Brett Whiteley Travelling Scholarship (2014), the John Olsen National Art School Life Drawing Prize (2002) and has been a finalist in the Wynne Prize, Sulman Prize, John Glover Art Prize, Paddington Art Prize, Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Dobell Drawing Prize, and the Salon de Refuses.James Drinkwater has undertaken international residencies in Germany, Kenya, Paris, and Tahiti. His work is held in the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Artbank, and several significant regional and tertiary collections.'He has recently embarked on a new project creating a ballet inspired by William Dobell's, ‘Storm approaching Wangi', to be performed at Lake Macquarie's MAP Mima in November. We cant wait to see it!  .He also has an exhibition coming up at Nicholas Thompon in Melbourne coming up - 27 JUL TO 13 AUG.Thanks to James for having us and Ben Adams for the Photos! 

How do creatives manage self-doubt? In this week's episode, Gemma Rasdell (professional artist and 2022 Wynne Prize Finalist) shares her insights about navigating and thriving despite creative doubt, how to totally surround yourself with a source of inspiration (ie water) and why she chooses to paint on sailcloth rather than paper.Gemma is one of Australia’s leading young artists and lives a life that sounds as though it’s a setting for a fantasy movie - she lives alone aboard her at-anchor yacht with puppy Arkie and paints every day from an island studio in Sydney’s Pittwater. Gemma’s Wynne Prize entry is currently on display at the Art Gallery of NSW and she is also hosting a solo exhibitor “Water Access Only” at The Bathers Pavilion Gallery in Mosman, near Sydney. Links:Gemma RasdallLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gemma-rasdall-0481a781Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gemmarasdall/Artworks: https://www.gemmarasdall.com/water-access-only-exhibitionBathers Pavilion: https://www.batherspavilion.com.au/Ideas & Stories that Matter: https://www.twocommoncreatives.com/workshopTwo Common Creatives: https://www.twocommoncreatives.com/Michelle Loch: linkedin.com/in/michellelochMark McGuinness: linkedin.com/in/markmcguinnessSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2010 Sam Leach won the Archibald and Wynne Prizes, two of Australia's most famous awards for portraiture and landscape painting, becoming only the third person in the prizes' history to win both in the same year. The two artists to achieve this rare distinction before him were 20th century greats Sir William Dobell and Brett Whiteley. I remember seeing those two small paintings hanging in the Art Gallery of NSW and being struck by their beauty and exquisite detail. The debate surrounding his Wynne Prize painting that year, which caused a small media storm, is something we dive into in this episode. I've been intrigued by Sam's work ever since then. His art delves into the areas of science and nature, and in more recent years, he's used Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to initiate his paintings. It was fascinating to hear him talk about this approach. With a distinctly surrealist feel, Sam's work also reveals his continued interest in the Dutch masters of the 17th century which began in his early career. In his current show at Sullivan+Strumpf in Sydney, moody utopian landscapes team up with incongruous elements such as huge 'bubbles' and globular and tubular forms often hinting at or including a human presence. Other works depict animals, particularly polar bears, created from machine learning. These paintings, and the rather comical-looking Polar Bear Detector devised by Sam (where you can test how closely you resemble a polar bear) encourage us to see ourselves and the creatures with which we share the planet from a new perspective. The exhibition, with the unsettling title  ‘Everything Will Probably Be Fine', continues until 16 July 2022. Sam has exhibited in 30 solo shows nationally and across the globe, has won several other awards apart from the Archibald and Wynne, and his work is held by many private and public collections including Australia's National Portrait Gallery. A short video of Sam talking about his work will be uploaded to the Talking with Painters YouTube channel in the coming weeks. Scroll down for images of the works we discuss in this episode. Press play to hear our conversation and scroll down for images of the works we talk about in this episode. Above feature photo supplied by the artist Current shows 'Everything is going to be fine', solo show, Sullivan + Strumpf, Sydney, until 16 July 2022'Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes Exhibition', Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, until 28 August Links Sam Leach (website)Sam Leach (Instagram)Sam Leach at Sullivan+StrumpfSam Leach talks with Professor Kate Crawford (Sullivan+Strumpf magazine article)Professor Mandyam Svrinivasan talks about his work and his portrait by Sam Leach in the National Portrait Gallery (National Portrait Gallery video) 'Machine-assisted memory of Harewood Farm, Meadows', 2022oil on linen, 51 x 51 cmFinalist Wynne Prize 2022, Art Gallery of NSWImage: AGNSW website 'Tim Minchin', 2010oil and resin on wood, 60 x 38 cmWinner of the Archibald Prize 2010Images: AGNSW website 'Proposal for landscaped cosmos', 2010 oil and resin on wood, 32.2 x 29.9 cmWinner of the Wynne Prize 2010, Art Gallery of NSW Images: AGNSW website 'Large Bubble', 2022oi on linen, 240 x 175cmImage courtesy the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf 'Polar Bear With Optimised Bananas', 2022oil on linen, 51 x 51cmImage courtesy the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf 'Polar Bear Detection I', 2022 oil on linen, 51 x 51 cmImage courtesy the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf 'Professor Mandyam Srinivasan', 2014oil and resin on plywood (frame: 65.5 cm x 50.5 cm, support: 61.0 cm x 46.0 cm)Collection: National Portrait Gallery 'Two Bubbles', 2022, oil on linen, 51 x 51cm. Image courtesy the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf

It's that time of the year! The winners of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes have been announced at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and in this episode you'll hear my interviews with each of those artists about their winning works: Blak Douglas (Archibald Prize)Nicholas Harding (Wynne Prize)Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro (Sulman Prize) The Archibald Wynne and Sulman Prizes exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW runs until 28 August 2022 and will then travel to Victoria and regional NSW until July 2023. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists! Links Blak Douglas - episode 68 Talking with Painters (podcast and YouTube video)Blak Douglas in his studio - TWP YouTube ChannelBlak Douglas delivering his Archibald winning painting on the loading dock - TWP YouTube channelNicholas Harding - episode 65 Talking with Painters (podcast and YouTube video)Nicholas Harding in his studio - TWP YouTube ChannelClaire Healy and Sean Cordeiro (website) Blak Douglas, 'Moby Dickens', synthetic polymer paint on linen, 300 x 200 cm Winner of the Archibald Prize 2022© the artist image © AGNSW, Mim Stirling Nicholas Harding,  'Eora', oil on linen, 196.5 x 374.8 cm Winner of the Wynne Prize 2022© the artist, image © AGNSW, Mim Stirling Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, 'Raiko and Shuten-dōji', acrylic gouache, jute and tape on helicopter shell, 159.5 x 120 cm Winner of the Sulman Prize 2022© the artists, image © AGNSW, Mim Stirling

A riverbank in the Australian bush would be the perfect plein air location for many artists. A rushing stream, long tree trunks and a deep vista where the artist's eye can gather information into the distance. But what is more fascinating for leading Australian artist Guy Maestri, is what the substance he is applying to the canvas is capable of doing in response. Ever since art school he has been exploring the materiality of paint, whether it’s an Archibald-winning painting, a non-descript laneway or a bird as roadkill, it’s this passion which drives the work whether it’s in the landscape or back in his Sydney studio. Although some might think of him as a portrait painter - he's an Archibald Prize winner - his subject matter lies more in his expressive landscapes and breathtaking still life works. He's also a sculptor and his various interpretations of the classic bust are captivating. He has exhibited in over 25 solo shows to date and the Art Gallery of NSW has just announced the acquisition of his fabulous work 'the rain song' which was a finalist in last year's Wynne Prize. After years of plein air painting, Guy's studio work now plays a more significant role. The result is a growing body of outstanding works created through observation, imagination and a letting go of previous constraints. His show 'short stories', opening on 8 April at Yavuz Gallery in Sydney, is a testament to this way of painting. We recorded this interview outside Mudgee in country NSW, near the banks of a river among the sounds of birds and the wind in the casuarina trees. Guy had planned a day's painting after the interview and he set up a large canvas near the riverbank which he fixed to an easel to keep it stable. I was fortunate to film him setting up and painting that day and I'll be posting a video to the Talking with Painters Youtube channel of that work in the coming weeks. After the interview we also had the opportunity to see the construction progress of the spectacular new regional Art Gallery in Mudgee which is almost completed. Guy was born in the town and spent the first few years of his life there. An exhibition of his current works will hang on its walls when it opens its doors to the public. That show is scheduled for August this year. To hear me talk with Guy about how he became an artist and his approach to painting, click on 'play' beneath the above feature photo or listen however you get your podcasts. Upcoming shows Solo show 'short stories', Yavuz Gallery, 8 April - 1 May 2021Solo show and inaugural exhibition of the Mid-Western Regional Arts and Cultural centre, Mudgee, scheduled for August 2021 Links to things we talked about in the podcast Guy MaestriGuy Maestri at Yavuz GalleryGuy Maestri at Jan Murphy Gallery Guy Maestri at Sophie Gannon GalleryJames DrinkwaterGeoffrey Gurrumul YunupinguJennifer ByrneJude RaeLuke SciberrasDavid GriggsNeo RauchSally Anderson 'The rain song', 2020, oil on linen, 198 x 244cmFinalist, Wynne Prize, 2020Collection: Art Gallery of NSW, purchased with funds provided by the Art Gallery of NSW Society.Photo: AGNSW website 'neo's tree', 2021, oil on linen, 168 x 138cmPhoto courtesy of the artist 'LL 16' 2020, oil on linen, 168 x 138cmFrom the exhibition 'the lane' with Jan Murphy Gallery, 2020Photo courtesy of the artist 'Wreck No 21', 2016, oil on linen, 51 x 61cmPhoto courtesy of the artist Feral no. 13', 2015, oil on linen 61 x 71cmPhoto courtesy of the artist 'Shattered (Griggs)', 2016, oil on linen, 71.5 x 81.5cmFinalist Archibald Prize 2016Photo: Art Gallery of NSW website 'JB reading', 2020, oil on linen, 43.5 x 43.5cmFinalist 2020 Archibald PrizePhoto: Art Gallery of NSW website 'Dr Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu', 2009, oil on linen, 203 x 172.4cmWinner Archibald Prize 2009, Art Gallery of NSWCollection: National Portrait Gallery, Australia 'Self -portrait (for posterity)', resin,

Joshua Yeldham's imagery is steeped in nature. His large works range from portraying the landscape with its stunning mystical trees, to figures with a tribal aesthetic, to his iconic owls which he has famously painted and sculpted multiple times over the years, even as a self portrait.  As you get closer to these works you realise they are intricately composed with astonishing detail. And the marks aren’t limited to paint. They’re often created through carving into the board or paper and in some cases even by inserting pieces of cane into the surface which protrude to create an exciting visual experience. The sculptural quality of Joshua's work is both beautiful and technically outstanding. His works often reference the landscape near his home on Sydney’s Pittwater where untouched bushland converges on the Hawkesbury River, a short boat trip from his home. Nature plays a crucial role in his art and he spends significant periods of time connecting with it. Although he experienced a challenging time at boarding school, his life took an adventurous turn when he completed his schooling in Switzerland - from risking his life in the mountains of Venezuela to living in an abandoned double decker bus in the Australian desert. His early successes even took him to L.A. after receiving an Emmy for a film he wrote, directed and produced in his early 20s. He has exhibited in over 30 solo shows, including a well-received survey show, and his work is highly sought after in Australia and internationally.  To hear my conversation with Joshua press 'play' beneath the above photo. I also filmed Joshua in his studio where he uses a rotary tool to carve into his work and that video will be on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel and the website in the coming weeks.  His powerful exhibition 'Providence' is now showing at Sydney’s Arthouse Gallery and will continue until 21 November 2020. For more information about Joshua's work, visit his website here. 'Monstera Deliciosa Owl', 2020, acrylic and cane on hand-carved board, 210 x 159cm 'Yeomans Bay - Bird Rock', 2020, acrylic and cane on hand-carved board, 202 x 246cm 'Angophora - Yeomans Bay', 2020, acrylic and cane on hand-carved board 'Providence', 2020, acrylic cane and instrument on hand-carved board, 202 x 246cm 'Self portrait - Morning Bay', 2013, instrument, cane, shells and oil on carved board 200 x 244cmFinalist, The Archibald Prize, 2013, AGNSW 'Mother tree - Morning Bay' 2017, acrylic on hand-carved paper, 210 x 210 cm Finalist, The Wynne Prize, 2017, AGNSW

Driving to Philip Wolfhagen's home outside Launceston, Tasmania, was a dreamlike experience. Unlike the dry landscape of drought-affected NSW (we recorded before the onset of the bushfire crisis), there were green farmlands rolling down to a plain with hills in the distance. If it had been dusk I would have felt I was driving through a Wolfhagen painting because capturing the landscape surrounding his property is a large part of Philip's practice. In particular he beautifully captures that moment of twilight, often with a hint of melancholy, through his expert use of colour and superb application of paint.  However, there is more to Philip Wolfhagen than painting. His interests span from music to gardening and building and these other pursuits feed into his work. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation where we talked about those subjects as well as many others, especially his use of colour. He is one of Australia's most acclaimed and respected contemporary landscape artists. He has exhibited in over 40 solo shows, has won the Wynne prize and the Lloyd Rees art prize amongst other awards, was highly commended in last year’s Hadley’s art prize and has been awarded the Centenary Medal for contribution made to the Arts.   A major survey of his work travelled the country in 2013-14 and his paintings are held in nearly every major state and national public art institution in Australia as well as many private and corporate collections both in Australia and internationally. To listen to the podcast episode press play beneath the above feature photo. Upcoming shows Solo show, Bett Gallery, October 2020Sydney Contemporary International Art Fair with Dominik Mersch Gallery, 10 - 13 September, 2020 Links Philip WolfhagenPhilip Wolfhagen at Bett GalleryPhilip Wolfhagen at Dominik Mersch GalleryPhilip Wolfhagen at Philip Bacon Galleries Colin McCahon A Litany of Vapours, 2007, oil and beeswax on linen, 7 panels200 x 107cm (each), 200 x 941cm (overall)National Gallery of Australia collection Studio journal, 30 July 2007, gouache, ink on paper Delirium Stage VIII, 1990, oil on canvas, 126 x 105cmNational Gallery of Australia collection Third Exaltation, 2011, oil and beeswax on linen, 200 x 214cmPrivate collection Transitory Light, 2017, oil and beeswax on linen, 57 x 46cmTasmanian Museum and Art Gallery collectionWinner Lloyd Rees Art Prize 2017 Studio shot, works in progress, January 2020 Winter Nocturne IV, 2006, oil and beeswax on linen, 200 x 214cmWinner of 2007, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of NSW Approaching the Cusp  2019, oil and beeswax on linen, 3 panels46 x 171cm overall, Collection of the artistHighly Commended, Hadley's Art Prize 2019 Night Beacon VI,  2005, oil and beeswax on linen, 200 x 210cmNational Gallery of Victoria collection

Tony Costa says winning the Archibald makes the invisible artist visible but you wouldn’t have called him invisible before he won the prize this year.  He’s been painting for over 50 years, and in addition to the Archibald has won several other awards including the Paddington Art Prize for landscape painting and has been shortlisted in others including another three times in the Archibald, in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, the Wynne Prize, the Sulman Prize, the Kilgour Prize, and the list goes on. Costa paints in an expressionist style. His whole practice is about trapping energy and a large part of his method is guided by an eastern philosophy - seeking to enter into the world of nothingness and distancing himself from any thought process. This process is applied whether it's a landscape or a portrait. His methods are neither traditional nor predictable and I found our conversation incredibly interesting and eye opening with a good dose of humour thrown in. This podcast interview was recorded in Tony's beautiful studio in Sydney. To hear it, press play beneath the above feature photo. I first met Tony at the Art Gallery of NSW shortly after his win was announced. You can see my 5 minute interview with him on that day here. Scroll down for a short video of Tony Costa talking with Maria Stoljar in his studio. Current shows Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, current until 8 September 2019Salon des Refusés, S.H.Ervin Gallery, Sydney, current until 28 July 2019 Show Notes Tony Costa at Art AtriumDesiderius OrbanKevin ConnorFred CressJohn Firth SmithColin LanceleySyd BallRodney MilgateIan FairweatherFred WilliamsNeo-expressionismTransavanguardiaMimmo PaladinoEnzo CucchiFrancesco ClementeSandro ChiaRoberta Bell- AllenClement GreenbergLucian FreudPhilip GustonRembrandtJohn PeartLindy LeeClaudia Chan ShawDavid FairbairnBen Quilty Lloyd ReesJeanette Siebols https://youtu.be/-wmdfFrmK70 Tony Costa talks with Maria Stoljar in his studio 'Lindy Lee', 2019, oil on canvas,182.5 x 152cm Winner Archibald Prize 2019 'Fallen Tree Port Hacking River RNP', 2014, gouache on paper, 135 x 114cm Winner Paddington Art Prize 2014 'Claudia Chan Shaw', 2018, oil on canvas, 182.5 x 152cmFinalist Archibald Prize 2018 'Simon Chan', 2017, oil on canvas, 183 x 152cmFinalist Archibald Prize 2017 'David Fairbairn', 2015, oil on canvas, 152 x 122cm Finalist Archibald Prize, 2015 Portraits of David Fairbairn in Costa's studio - finalists in the Archibald Prize, Kilgour Prize and Doug Moran National portrait prizes. 'Hacking River Audley RNP' vinyl on paper, 152 x 114cmSalon des Refusés, S.H Ervin Gallery, 2019 'Angophora RNP', 2014, gouache on paper, 151 x 114cmFinalist Wynne Prize 2014 Costa's first painting created at 13 years of age which he talks about in the opening minutes of the interview

Alexander McKenzie started painting at 11 years old, and has gone on to be exhibited extensively, with over 20 solo exhibitions in both Australia and the United Kingdom since 1996. He is a five time finalist in the Archibald Prize for portraiture at the Art Gallery of NSW, and a seven time finalist in the Wynne Prize for Landscape painting. Today, he stops by the chat cave for an in depth ramble on what it means to live the life of an artist.

Alexander McKenzie started painting at 11 years old, and has gone on to be exhibited extensively, with over 20 solo exhibitions in both Australia and the United Kingdom since 1996. He is a five time finalist in the Archibald Prize for portraiture at the Art Gallery of NSW, and a seven time finalist in the Wynne Prize for Landscape painting. Today, he stops by the chat cave for an in depth ramble on what it means to live the life of an artist.

In Alexander McKenzie's paintings the sun hides below the horizon and a low light illuminates the mysterious landscape. It might be a manicured garden or a hill covered in trees and there will probably be water nearby. Perhaps the sea, a lake, a channel. Perfectly still but brightly reflecting the sky. One thing's for sure. You're going to venture in for a closer look. At first it might look familiar but as you get closer you realise it’s not a place that you're likely to find on this earth.  You’ll discover things you didn’t notice at first glance; a closed gate with its key lost in the painting, a bridge taking you to another place, a red flag warning you to reconsider. Those elements are not accidental. They’ve been deliberately placed by the artist who is himself looking for answers where spirituality is key. Even the symbols in his portraiture lend themselves to a metaphoric interpretation. He’s had twenty five solo shows in Australia and the UK, has been a finalist in the Archibald six times, seven times in the Wynne Prize and is hugely popular. McKenzie’s shows often sell out and his superb mid-career survey show ‘The Adventurous Gardener’ currently at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery in Sydney has been what could be called a blockbuster for a regional gallery, with 2000 people going through the doors on the first weekend. We recorded this episode in McKenzie's studio with some of his paintings in progress propped up on milk crates against the walls destined for Martin Browne Contemporary and his November solo show. To hear the conversation press 'play' beneath the feature photo above. Or listen however you get your podcasts. Scroll down to see a video of McKenzie talking about his survey show 'The Adventurous Gardener'. Current and upcoming events 'The Adventurous Gardener', Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, current to 21 October 2018 Solo show, Martin Browne Contemporary, 15 November - 9 December 2018 Show Notes Alexander McKenzie Alexander McKenzie at Martin Browne Contemporary Julian Ashton Art School Leonardo Da Vinci Claude Monet Edouard Manet Paul Klee Dutch Golden Age painting John Bokor King Street Gallery Blake Prize Matt Corby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzVHMan9j7Y

Winning the Archibald Prize as Guy Maestri did in 2009 would be a defining moment in most artist’s careers, but he is quick to cite physical immersion in the landscape as revolutionary to his painting practice. It’s easy to gloss over the history of plein-air as a European tradition, born of gentle grasses and mild sunlight. Practiced in Australia, away from the slip of green coastline, plein-air demands rigor of vast dimensions. For Maestri, the material and temporal challenges of extended painting sessions in the hard country around Hill End, Wilcannia and Broken Hill has been instrumental in a new understanding of local art histories and ecologies, as well as the atmospheric and elemental qualities of landscape. Beholden to intimacies of place, the artist stakes out a subtle void or stillness in these dry landscapes without surrendering his animated, almost kinetic approach to paint. Masquerading as a shady retreat, the studio retains its disciplinarian attitude but demands a different kind of focus. Here the void is more theatrical, Maestri’s compositions orchestrated with operatic tempo. Desiccated road-kill (the anti-trophy of inland highways) perform as contemporary Gothic vanitas, shot through with equal measure of beauty and pathos, the eye and the heart facing off. A graduate of the National Art School, Maestri won the 2014 Kings School Art Prize and the 2013 Premier’s Plein Air Painting Prize. He is a regular finalist in the Wynne Prize for Landscape at the Art Gallery of NSW and his work is held in several public collections, including the National Portrait Gallery and Parliament House collections. Topics Discussed In This Episode: His experience studying at The National Art School in Sydney Education in the arts Exploring mediums within your artistic practice How his work has evolved over the years His paintings of road kill Discussing self portraiture How he began experimenting with sculptures His process creating his sculptures Morbid curiosities Wes Anderson www.artistdecoded.com

During his lifetime Hans Heysen was one of the most accomplished and publicly acclaimed painters of the Australian landscape. He was equally a master of oil paint and watercolour, as well as a formidable draughtsman in pencil and charcoal. The landscape around Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills and especially its old gums were his preferred subject matter. He was also attracted to the rugged isolation of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. ‘Drought sheep’ underwent gradual development, indicated by the date Heysen put on the work (1916-21) and a preliminary drawing ‘Travelling sheep’ c1916, now also in the Art Gallery of NSW collection. The preliminary drawing is half the size of ‘Drought sheep’ and has an additional sheep in the bottom left foreground. Heysen removed it in the watercolour, strengthening the overall compositional movement to the right. In both drawing and watercolour, muscle, bone and sinew are suggested in the movements of each sheep. This evocative watercolour was produced around the time of the First World War when Heysen’s loyalty to Australia, like many others of German birth or background, was unfairly questioned. As well as capturing the conditions that accompany severe drought, it may reveal something of the artist, suggesting his anxiety at the time. A flock of parched sheep moves across a hot and dusty track under an overarching sky with clouds in magnificent ferment but without the promise of rain. Featureless and treeless, it is an unusual work for an artist whose paintings of grand eucalypt forests came to epitomise heroic Australian landscape painting in the interwar decades. Heysen won the Wynne Prize for landscape an unprecedented nine times between 1904 and 1932, boosting his early reputation and the popularity of his work. He was knighted in 1959.

Awarded the Wynne Prize in 1919 and painted the same year as Roland Wakelin's and Roy de Maistre's experiments in colour harmony, 'Spring frost' is one of Elioth Gruner's most critically acclaimed achievements. With its impeccable sense of light and tone, and its vigorous foreground brushwork, 'Spring frost' is a tour de force, and perhaps the most loved Australian landscape painting in the Gallery. Elioth Gruner painted 'Spring frost' according to 19th-century plein-air conventions, but the work also demonstrates a contemporary succinctness of form. To complete the painting - one of his largest compositions - en plein air, Gruner built a structure to protect the canvas from the weather, and wrapped his legs with chaff bags to avoid frostbite. Although painted largely outdoors at Emu Plains, its large size and somewhat theatrical quality make it likely that Gruner completed parts of it later, in his city studio. This work was acquired by the Gallery in 1939.

Awarded the Wynne Prize in 1919 and painted the same year as Roland Wakelin's and Roy de Maistre's experiments in colour harmony, 'Spring frost' is one of Elioth Gruner's most critically acclaimed achievements. With its impeccable sense of light and tone, and its vigorous foreground brushwork, 'Spring frost' is a tour de force, and perhaps the most loved Australian landscape painting in the Gallery. Elioth Gruner painted 'Spring frost' according to 19th-century plein-air conventions, but the work also demonstrates a contemporary succinctness of form. To complete the painting - one of his largest compositions - en plein air, Gruner built a structure to protect the canvas from the weather, and wrapped his legs with chaff bags to avoid frostbite. Although painted largely outdoors at Emu Plains, its large size and somewhat theatrical quality make it likely that Gruner completed parts of it later, in his city studio. This work was acquired by the Gallery in 1939.

Inspired by his experiences as a youth in the bush near Warren, NSW, George W Lambert began this ambitious work at the age of 26, while living with his mother at Hornsby. He worked in a small shed in the garden, and had to position the painting diagonally across it, even then unable to stretch the canvas to its full extent. The painting was enthusiastically received as a heroic portrayal of bush life, displaying Lambert's innate skill at draughtsmanship. It was awarded the Wynne Prize for landscape painting for 1899, and the following year Lambert left for London with the first New South Wales Society of Artists Travelling Scholarship. This work was acquired by the Gallery in 1899.

Awarded the Wynne Prize in 1919 and painted the same year as Roland Wakelin's and Roy de Maistre's experiments in colour harmony, 'Spring frost' is one of Elioth Gruner's most critically acclaimed achievements. With its impeccable sense of light and tone, and its vigorous foreground brushwork, 'Spring frost' is a tour de force, and perhaps the most loved Australian landscape painting in the Gallery. Elioth Gruner painted 'Spring frost' according to 19th-century plein-air conventions, but the work also demonstrates a contemporary succinctness of form. To complete the painting - one of his largest compositions - en plein air, Gruner built a structure to protect the canvas from the weather, and wrapped his legs with chaff bags to avoid frostbite. Although painted largely outdoors at Emu Plains, its large size and somewhat theatrical quality make it likely that Gruner completed parts of it later, in his city studio. This work was acquired by the Gallery in 1939.

Inspired by his experiences as a youth in the bush near Warren, NSW, George W Lambert began this ambitious work at the age of 26, while living with his mother at Hornsby. He worked in a small shed in the garden, and had to position the painting diagonally across it, even then unable to stretch the canvas to its full extent. The painting was enthusiastically received as a heroic portrayal of bush life, displaying Lambert's innate skill at draughtsmanship. It was awarded the Wynne Prize for landscape painting for 1899, and the following year Lambert left for London with the first New South Wales Society of Artists Travelling Scholarship. This work was acquired by the Gallery in 1899.

Lambert’s best-known bush image, Across the blac k soil plains was inspired by his memories of horse teams hauling heavily laden wool wagons across the bare, miry, flat lands of Snakes Plain from Warren to the railway station at Nevertire. He encountered this landscape while droving sheep in the 1890s and was reminded of it during a visit to Warren in 1899. Lambert suggested that Jim Smith, a known identity of the district, was the model for the teamster walking beside the wool wagon and urging the horses onwards (ML MSS A1811, p.54). It has also been claimed that the teamster was Luke Rollins from Moree, and Henry Sharkey, who carried a record load from Louth to Bourke. By portraying the rhythmic rise and fall of the horses’ heads and the tilt of the wagon, Lambert created a sense of movement in his image. The horses strain as they pull the load through the mud which sticks to their hoofs like glue, with the leader leaning into the chains to pull others into line. He dramatised the scene by placing the horses in silhouette against the sky and using the chiaroscuro of light and dark, showing the light making its way through the billowing clouds and illuminating the horses’ backs. In adopting a low viewpoint Lambert also made the team dominate the image. Apart from the blue in the sky the painting is a harmony of tonally balanced browns, beiges and white. Placing the large canvas diagonally across the garden shed or washhouse at his mother’s home in the Sydney suburb of Hornsby, Lambert began to work on it. He had made colour notes of the landscape, as well as sketches of Jim Smith’s team of horses while staying at Meryon in about 1895–6 (ML MSS A1811, p.17). He commented that: As a boy in the bush I did much work with draft [sic] horses ... [One] called Barney had such fine action and such imposing carriage ... and possibly what knowledge I displayed in connection with horses in ‘Black Soil Plains’ originated with my association with this exceptionally fine animal (ML MSS A1811, pp.54–5). He later scoured the area around his mother’s home for further models for the horses, and for each one in the team he made two or three oil studies (ML MSS A1811, pp.54–5). The painting echoes the spirit of a poem by the Scottish–Australian narrative poet and horseman, Will Ogilvie, ‘How the Fire Queen crossed the swamp’. This poem, published in Ogilivie’s first collection, Fair girls and gray horses (Sydney, 1898), included the lines: With straining muscles and tightened chains – sixteen pulling like one; With jingling harness and droning wheels and bare hoofs’ rhythmic tramp, With creaking timbers and lurching load the Fire Queen faced the swamp! Across the black soil plains inspired other poems such as ‘Across the black soil plains’ by ‘Mousquetaire’ (Gordon Tidy), which was published in the Bulletin , 30 October 1902 and was illustrated by Lambert’s painting. O nobly manned must be the land, and nobly horsed as well, Has such a sight as this to show, such story has to tell, The teamster who so sternly strides, the team so strongly strains Till stride and strength be come at length across the Black Soil Plains The picture received an enthusiastic response from contemporary critics. The Sydney Morning Herald wrote on 18 August 1899 ‘In this long narrow canvas the young artist paints with astonishing vigour and sense of movement ... in every conceivable attitude the horses tug and strain at the heavy load.’ It was purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales at the New South Wales Society of Artists exhibition in 1899 and was subsequently awarded the 1899 Wynne Prize for landscape painting. More critical of his own work than many others, Lambert wrotein the Australian Magazine , 18 September 1899: It is strong, ‘masculine’ if you like; the horses are well drawn and painted, the movement and action are ‘all there,’ the teamster (and his dog) are realistic, the sky is good, the colour is harmonious, the subject is popular, and the picture has been purchased for the National Art Gallery – what more can we say? This: that when G.W. Lambert has studied and worked hard for a few more years, both here and abroad (as we hope he will) – well, then he may paint the ‘picture of the year’. The painting inspired variations in other media such as Tom Woodman’s glass painting Load of wool 1940, at the Carinda Hotel, New South Wales, as well as a plaster version. About 1855 Edward Roper painted a landscape entitled Bringing down the wool from a Murray station (National Library of Australia, Canberra), which included a bullock team with a load of wool. Frank Mahony also treated the subject of a wool wagon several times. These images have none of the action or drama of Lambert’s painting, nor the spirit of place. Out of the particular and the personal Lambert created an enduring icon conveying the toil of man and horse and their relationship with the land.

In 1934 Elioth Gruner made one of several visits to the Canberra region where he painted Murrumbidgee Ranges, Canberra. In 1928 Gruner had purchased a car, which gave him the means to travel throughout the countryside on painting trips. He first visited Yass and Canberra in 1929 and was impressed by the crisp, clear light of the area. Over the next ten years he returned several times and completed some of his major late works in the district. Murrumbidgee Ranges, Canberra is an arrangement of several views looking south-west from Canberra towards the Tidbinbilla and Brindabella ranges. While there are no Murrumbidgee Ranges as such, the Murrumbidgee River runs between Canberra and the Tidbinbilla Range. Gruner would have painted this work outdoors, and possibly in one sitting. Through his use of colour he has captured the sharp light of the Canberra region and the cool velvety softness of the surrounding mountains. He has also depicted signs of settlement, including sheep grazing quietly near the ‘bush capital’, distant trails of smoke and a car heading west towards the Murrumbidgee River. Murrumbidgee Ranges, Canberra was awarded the 1934 Wynne Prize for landscape painting at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Indeed, Gruner won the prize seven times between 1916 and 1937. In 1937 Murrumbidgee Ranges, Canberra was exhibited in London in the Artists of the British Empire overseas exhibition at the Royal British Colonial Society of Artists.

Two English gentlemen of the desert. Recorded on site at the Hazelhurst Regional Gallery in Sutherland, Sydney. On a perfect Autumn afternoon, I spoke with artist Ian Bettinson & poet Dr. John Bennett about Ian’s current exhibition LAND, and about desert ecology & history in general. Ian is twice winner of Australia’s most prestigious landscape award, the Wynne Prize, as well as the inaugural Country Energy Art Prize. John is a highly regarded poet, academic, and eco-philosopher.