When Young Optimists Chase The Sun

Clint Troubles

2011-11-27T12:52:00.001+10:00

Clint's blog: http://who-is-okham.tumblr.com

Clint painting at The Cott in Townsville. Photo by Louis Dunn.

CLINT TROUBLES is one of my oldest friends and is an extremely creative and prolific artist and designer. Clint was the kid at school who was always filling his notebook with drawings instead of words. Skilled in pretty much every medium, he doesn't let tradition or preconceived notions of what art is supposed to be get in his way. He graduated from James Cook University with Bachelor Degree in Communication Design, and worked at Perc Tucker for a few years. He then fled our island and travelled around the world, from Egypt to Russia to the UK. After getting in trouble by some Russian gangsters for tagging a toilet wall he learned he could talk his way out of anything. Upon his return to Australia clint has been making art non-stop. Recent work from the Urban DK exhibition featured a large sculpture of an ATM machine spewing out money, guts and blood, with the word Account: Ability: on the screen. Other sculptures included detailed collage-like cabinets full of spiders and figures and drawings and words taken from sources such as papers and magazines to create visual and traditionally written poems. It is this kind of work that makes Clint one of the more interesting artists working in Australia at the moment. Clint is about to move to Croatia or Serbia, or some place in Europe. Who knows, but what I do know is that he will continue to make interesting art, for the love it!

Poster by Clint.

A video of Clint and the guys from RUN painting for the Urban DK exhibition.

Clint's blog: http://who-is-okham.tumblr.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jordan Grant

2011-10-27T10:49:00.001+10:00

Jordan's blog: http://jordangrantart.com

Jordan's email: jordanbrentgrant@gmail.com

Jordan Grant. Photograph by Louis Dunn.

JORDAN GRANT is a 19 year old artist originally from Townsville, now living in Melbourne. In a short time he has produced a large body of work in his own distinctive style. He has been in several group shows in Townsville including a solo show at Perc Tucker Gallery, and recently had a solo show in Brisbane at the unusual space; Shøøting Gallery. He has a real skill for acrylics and now incorporates aerosol into his art. Apart from his art, it is Jordan's personality that shines through. He is an unassumingly nice person, with no ego or bad thing to say about anyone, but at the same time is extremely honest. As you will see by the interview I recently did with him below:

Who would you say influenced you whilst growing up to have the courage to pursue your art?

I was tutored for a short time in Townsville by the painter Cary McAulay, who introduced me to acrylics and spurred my love for the medium. I also really admired his lifestyle and the peaceful happiness he carried with him, I guess that he was an inspiration there too, I realised that if you do what you love it's hard not to be happy, regardless of wealth.

Then more recently, during the year that I lived with friends in a studio down the hall from the Cot. That year was hugely inspirational to me. It was energising to be surrounded by so many incredible creative people. The RUN crew also taught me a fair bit about painting with aerosol, which has been very influential.

Who are some artists that have a stylisticly influenced your art? And was it coincidental, like you started making art then found there were people with a similar style or aesthetic as you? Or did you find those artists first and that style spoke to you?

Anthony Lister, Charlie Isoe, Justin Williams, Lou Ros, Anthony Cudahy, the list is pretty large but those few are like gods to me. I gather a lot of inspiration from artists, and lend their techniques/styles without hesitation. it is definitely a case of their style speaking to me, and influencing my practice from there.

Are you going to go to University next year?

I have applied for RMIT, I guess I'll see what happens, if I get in I'm excited to see where that takes me, but if not I won't be too bummed. When applying for something that's going to hold me down for 3 years all my mind does is think of all the other shit I could be doing instead. So if it falls through I feel like the world will still be mine. I'm young. Whatever.

Did you grow up in Townsville, or were you born somewhere else?

I was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand, but lived in Townsville since I was 7. I'd still call it home, and it holds most of my childhood.

Are you proud to be from Townsville, and do you think it was necessary to leave to have an art career or was it more of a personal choice?

I'm not sure if I'm proud, but definitely not embarrassed. I think I have a little pride in being from NZ, not sure why. But Townsville was too hot for me, too many assholes.

It was necessary for me to move in order to study art that wasn't "new media art", but it was also a personal choice, I fell in love with Melbourne the first time I visited, and have always wanted to live here since.

I take it for granted now but still occasionally have those moments where I realise how lucky I am to be here and fall into a mild state of awe and bliss.

What exhibitions have you been in?

I have been in numerous group exhibitions around Townsville from 2009, and as far as solo shows go, I have had one in Perc Tucker Regional Gallery late last year, and one at Shøøting Gallery in Brisbane in September this year.

Is art a cathartic thing for you or do you want people to take a message from your art or have an emotional reaction?

It is cathartic for sure. I would love to be able to say I have a message and a purpose for it all, but really I just do it because I love it, and if I go too long without painting I get blue.

Jordan's blog: http://jordangrantart.com

Jordan's email: jordanbrentgrant@gmail.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shane 'Trouble' Keen

2011-09-10T14:52:00.000+10:00

Shane's Blog: http://mrtroubles.tumblr.com
Shane's Email: troublecollective@gmail.com

SHANE KEEN is a good friend and a talented and prolific artist who works across many disciplines. Shane is part of the street art crew: RUN and art collective: Trouble Collective. His main art form is paint, any kind of paint; Aerosol, house paint, acrylic, oil, water colour, anything! As long as it will change the surface of any canvas, be it a wall, old beer carton, wooden crate, cut in half Ironlak can or an actual canvas, Shane doesn't discriminate.

Shane in his studio 'The Cot'. Photo by Kristof Schrader

Shane grew up and lives in Townsville in North Queensland and has been championing and pushing the art and music scene there for the good part of 10 years. He has held dozens of group shows, including the huge and successful Tonite We Run show at Umbrella Studios. In this show the RUN collective converted an entire car park and basement of the gallery into a living breathing art project.

Shane has also hosted local and interstate bands in his studio, officially named The Cot. Has had solo shows through-out Queensland and was recently in the Paper Cuts Collective exhibition I helped put on in Brisbane in late 2010. Plus a huge urban art exhibition at Pinnacles Gallery in 2010 called Urban DK.

Along with doing art in every spare minute he has and orginising exhibitions and gigs, Shane also has a young Son, Ollie, and works full time teaching art to 'at risk' kids at school. Shane has also worked at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre doing art workshops.

Shane is just an all round great guy and talented artist who is representing Townsville and North Queensland. Check out his work and get in contact with the MAN.

Marf Loth at 'The Cot', 2009

Collaboration at Urban DK, 2010

Shane's Blog: http://mrtroubles.tumblr.com

Shane's Email: troublecollective@gmail.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dirty Dances With Wolves - Joe

2009-06-18T19:26:00.005+10:00

I went to uni with Joe in Townsville for a year. He's a really talented illustrator and musician. He's working in Sydney now and playing in a magnitude of weird and interesting bands. Check out his blog

Ben Brown

2009-06-03T19:31:00.006+10:00

www.benbrown.com.au

He's Probably not young. He's been doing this for a long time. But I'm not an ageist, well, at least not anymore. In my oppinion, he's one of Australia's most iconic designers.

Jamie Hay aka: Tyre Swans, Fear Like Us, A Death In The Family, Conation

2009-05-13T20:24:00.005+10:00

Jamie Hay's myspace
Jamie Hay has been involved in the music scene for as long as I can remember, playing in a magnitude of punk and punk influenced bands. Now based in Melbourne his work in Fear Like Us and his new solo project have really resinated with me.

His latest project Tyre Swans is really interesting. Press release: Three of Melbourne's most talented and well respected punk/ indie/ folk song-writers have recently commenced work on a combined side-project titled, TYRE SWANS. The album will feature solo tracks from DONNIE DUREAU (Blueline Medic), JAMIE HAY (Fear Like Us/ A Death In The Family) and DARREN GIBSON (Lead Sketch Union) as well as several songs written & recorded as a trio.

Perth based illustrator Sean Morris

2009-05-08T14:12:00.005+10:00

Sean's Website

Sean's Flickr Page

Paper Shields Blog

Sean has got a great style and swag of new drawings up his flickr page. I discovered Sean after trawling through the Noise website. These images really put a smile on my face.

Dan McPharlin

2009-04-29T09:23:00.004+10:00

Dan's Website

I found this Australian based artist and designer on flickr. He's doing some really original work, including these miniature handmade cardboard models:

GREEDY HEN art collective

2009-04-21T13:38:00.007+10:00

Greedy Hen is the collaborative effort of Katherine Brickman and Kate Mitchell from Sydney.

They create artwork for musicians. Including The Panics and Josh Pyke:

Greedy Hen Myspace

Hunz and his RPM challenge

2009-04-20T18:39:00.006+10:00

Hunz is a Brisbane based musician who I've been addicted to since being introduced to his music by a friend last year. Hunz is an electronic project, but plays with a bass player and drummer live. It sounds like a cross between Aphex Twin and Patrick Wolf. Hunz plays with so much energy and passion that he stands out amongst a sea of apathetic live bands.

Recently taking part in the RPM Challenge to make an album in 28 days, Hunz has been documenting his daily workings online. It's really exciting to see a project come together. Check out new tracks on the Hunz website for yourself.

Check out this really cool promotional animation for his first album, created by Hunz himself:

Scratched Australiana -- The Work of James Dodd

2009-04-13T12:10:00.006+10:00

James Dodd's Blog

James Dodd's Website

Based in Melbourne, this former street artist uses the images of Australian culture and the street then takes them into the gallery, representing them in a new context. Dodd’s use of cliché sign writing effects, such as fluro paint and blocked out letters has become an apparent style through out his bodies of work. Recently exhibiting at GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) in Brisbane, I was lucky enough to catch his installation.

It was a reproduction of a bus shelter with text taken from the Darwin area scratched into it. It had a familiar feel, a kind of universal amateur graffiti style. But when you see it in a gallery you read it differently. I think this is what Dodd is trying to get people to do with his work.