ART IS A BUSINESS //People still believe in the idea of the tortured
artist, but it’s perfectly all right, I think, for artists to make money.
You have to be business-minded. When I had my first exhibition at
40, not everything sold, and I had a child, a house, a big mortgage.
I needed to make money. So I made some prints – one was a basket
of cowries, one was a single shell. I wasn’t trying to shock the crap
out of people; I wanted to make things people would like. I’d take
them to various print shops and say, "Look, you can buy this from
me for $10, and you can probably sell it for 20 bucks." You've got to
take responsibility and find your own way.
COPYCATS ARE INEVITABLE //When you become popular for
a certain look, as I did in the ’80s, people think it's absolutely
fabulous, and start to knock it off shamelessly. Somebody came to
me a few years ago with a Sydney Harbour t-shirt, very well printed,
absolutely line for line like my original drawing. The thing that gave
it away was underneath – where I used to write ‘Sydney Harbour’,
it said ‘Gulf of Thailand’. In the ’80s, if anything was in colour,
people would say it was mine. When that happens, there's too much
of it around, and people move away from it. Hopefully, if you're any
good, you can find your way back up again. Or, another generation
discovers you, which is what's happening in my case.
LEARN FROM THE MASTERS //Study other artists as closely as
you can. If you like the feeling of Picasso, look closely at what he's
done. If you like colour, look at Matisse. If you love the Australian
landscape, look at Sidney Nolan or Fred Williams. You will learn.
And don't be worried about painting over something, either. You
might finish something and your grandma or aunty will say, "Oh,
that's wonderful." Well, maybe it's not wonderful! Your aunty's your
aunty, she's going to love it. Be prepared to paint over something
and move on – it’s a journey.
KEEP MOVING FORWARD //In my studio, I've got a handwritten
sign on the back of the door that says ‘painting for me’. A few years
later, I painted over it with the word ‘fearless’. I’m 78, right? If I'm
not taking risks, there's no point. Some artists paint essentially the
same picture their whole lives, but I like to try and push myself.
I rarely make paintings to frighten or shock people, because I don't
think that's the role of painting, especially in the time in which we
live. For me, the definition of a good painting is something that gives
you pleasure over time, like a relationship.
GO ON THE RECORD //I recommend everyone writes a memoir- whether people actually publish it or not, it's very important. I was
thinking just this morning, "I really wish I’d asked my grandfather
more questions." You don't have to be Shakespeare to write down
some things so another generation canunderstand how you felt,
or what you did. Somewhere in the sky, there's a piano that's gonna
drop on my head. Where and when, I don't know. But that’s it - you never know.
things i’ve learnt
WITH OUR ICONIC COVER ARTIST,
KEN DONE.Interview Sophie KalagasIllustrationCass Urquhartcreative people