Artistic Influences

From childhood to now

One of my earliest memories is from when I was three, of my gung-gung teaching me how to hold a paintbrush. Throughout primary school, I was always drawing and I became known for it. Every year of high school, I picked art as my top elective and started to think that I could pursue it beyond school. At the end of Year Twelve, I prepared a portfolio and attended an interview at the Curtin University School of Art. There were more than 400 other prospective students, all with their portfolios in hand. I was nervous but I was accepted. On the first day, the head of the school talked to us about the discipline and devotion it would take to finish the degree. He said something about how there were 100 people in the room today but by the end of the year it would be half that, and then in three years, there would only be ten of us left. I looked around and thought about who would be the ten students left standing. After I finished my art school degree, life did take a few unpredictable twists and turns, but now two decades later I think that I can count myself as one of those ten students. I’ve been reflecting on some of my artistic influences from the last three decades. Here are the top five.

Chinese art from the Qing dynasty

My parents had a catalogue from an exhibition of Ming and Qing dynasty art. I don’t remember where it was from or even if I asked them if they had gone to see the exhibition (I assume they must have). The paintings and calligraphy were all delicately beautiful, with an…