1

MEET THE ARTISTHunter Smith

Find out more about Catherine Cassidy’s Australian landscapes

What motivated you to produce your artwork?

I chose the Murchison gorge, after my travels there in 2017. I was spiritually and creatively overwhelmed by the handsome and demanding presence of the landscape.

For me, the gorge profoundly encompassed the essence of Australia and the way its people function within it, that the landscape rules over us and we merely exist in only the tiniest fraction of time that this land has seen and will see – a feeling that is also presented physically, as you are reminded of your size in the world when towered over by the powerful and wise walls of the Murchison rock.

Did your initial idea change during the art making process?

Yes. It started as an attempt to paint in a de Kooning style, and then I realised I’m not de Kooning so I should paint in my own style.

If you were to choose one artist that had the greatest influence on your piece, who would it be and why?

Catherine Cassidy, because of her approach to depicting Australian landscapes and the way she uses pink and red in oil paintings.

How did you decide on your choice of materials?

I could achieve texture and thick layers that would allude to the feeling of the rock through oil paint.

What advice would you give future Art students who are keen to exhibit their work in shows like Pulse Perspectives? What advice do you have for teachers?

Advice for future students – don’t feel compelled to do something in a style

that conforms to the way you’ve been taught, create your own style and trust your gut.

Advice for teachers – encourage students to value the creative process as a labour of love and as something equally as important as the final product. While the final work is important, the steps getting to it are what allow you to grow and shape the person you are.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Hunter Smith Kalbarri sub-section study in pink and red 2019. Presbyterian Ladies College.

click to zoomclick to zoomclick to zoomclick to zoom

While the final work is important, the steps getting to it are what

allow you to grow and shape the person you are when it’s all over.

click to zoom

2

MEET THE ARTISTHunter Smith

Why is art and creativity important at times of uncertainty and change?

Art reminds us of perspective. When you are dealing with depiction and how to translate something you’re seeing or feeling, you are reminded that you are an individual in the world; firstly, that you do matter, and secondly, that yours is not the only way of seeing.

Creativity also allows you to use a part of your brain that is instinctual and that can be exercised sub-consciously, therefore, giving you a break from the outside world and preserving some sanity during a time of intense confusion.

In what ways do you think art influences how you feel about yourself, and how you connect to others?

Art allows you to discover yourself. It tests your patience, it makes you think about the world differently and it teaches you to love your individuality.

David Hockney said, “We always see with memory, and seeing each person’s memories are a bit different, we can’t be looking at the same things – we’re all on our own.”

I think in art we’re connected by the fact that we’re all on our own, together in our aloneness.

What career path are you embarking on, and has The Arts impacted your choice?

Yes, I am pursuing a career in fine art and history.

What do you feel young people need from AGWA at this time of rapid change while galleries are physically closed?

Young people would benefit from an online gallery, in fact, AGWA would probably reach a wider audience of young people because they’re generally more inclined to be on their phones than walking through the physical gallery.

ABOUT THE ARTS

Learn more about David Hockney

Art reminds us of perspective… firstly, that you do matter,

and secondly, that yours is not the only way of seeing.

Is there a song, book, memory, feeling, artist or state of mind that inspires your practice that might support other artists to create at home?

Yes, David Hockney is my favourite artist and he has this kind of philosophy in dealing with problems of depiction. He often comes back to the idea that you can go out into nature, and focus on something mundane, the smallest piece of knobbly bark, or a leaf on the ground, a tree etc.

By simply taking the time to notice that small thing and really look at it and study it, you can find something beautiful, knowing in full confidence that no other human in the world has seen that beautiful thing, no one else has ever or will ever take notice of that shape

in the tree bark, and that is a lovely gift, whether you turn it into art or not.

3

MEET THE ARTISTHunter Smith

Kalbarri sub-section study in pink and red Oil on canvas.

My painting breaks down a single snapshot of the natural environment into its architectural properties.

With this, I’d like to highlight the need for us to shed our perception of its more intricate, detailed and realistic appearance and to truly appreciate the beauty of the natural geology.

By manipulating the image in this way and offering an altered point of view of the environment, we are forced to see the landscape as a product of its age and layers formed through time.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Hunter Smith Kalbarri sub-section study in pink and red 2019. Presbyterian Ladies College.

Hunter Smith Kalbarri sub-section study in pink and red 2019. Presbyterian Ladies College. Rotate 90O to view.

Back to Page 1

Back to Page 1

Art Journal (1) accompanying Hunter Smith Kalbarri sub-section study in pink and red 2019. Presbyterian Ladies College.

Back to Page 1

Art Journal (2) accompanying Hunter Smith Kalbarri sub-section study in pink and red 2019. Presbyterian Ladies College.

Back to Page 1

Art Journal (3) accompanying Hunter Smith Kalbarri sub-section study in pink and red 2019. Presbyterian Ladies College.

Back to Page 1

Art Journal (4) accompanying Hunter Smith Kalbarri sub-section study in pink and red 2019. Presbyterian Ladies College.

Art connects us with ourselves,each other, and the world.

Education Partners

Principal Partner

artgallery.wa.gov.au#artgallerywa

#agwapulse#pulseperspectives

Back to Page 1