Art Melbourne 2012 - Melbourne's Affordable Art Fair

Added 8 months ago

Into the Distance

Interview with James Robertson

Into the Distance, James Robertson
Art Equity
15 – 30 September 2011

“If a measure of great art is its ability to provide a commentary of a time, there are few better examples of a contemporary artist interpreting our turbulent lives. The apprehensive atmosphere conveyed by Robertson's figures is contrasted with the romance of his landscapes that not only offer redemption, but hope beyond the burden of our mercantile society.”
Ralph Hobbs, Art Director, Art Equity

Maree Miller takes 5 minutes with James Robertson to talk about his latest solo exhibition, Into the Distance with Art Equity. Simply stunning.

Into the Distance, Oil on linen (framed), 122 x 167cm, $15,500 (Art Equity, Stand C3, Art Melbourne 2012)

After 10 years as a designer and Automotive Design Engineer how did you discover your passion for painting? Is it true that you have not had technical training?

Some friends had just moved into a new house which had lots of wall space and they had no art. I was asked to “throw” some colour on a canvas to fill one of these spaces. Having no idea, I purchased some paint, a couple of meters of canvas and a kit of cheap brushes, rolled the canvas out on a friends dining table and just stood there and stared at it. After a couple of hours, I had conjured up an image in my head of some figures in the desert, so I tipped some of the acrylic paint into an ice cream container, dipped the brush in and started slapping it onto the canvas. Almost immediately I had this strange feeling, it was like I had been doing this all my life, it was really weird, I couldn’t stop painting. Even now thinking about it still gives me goose bumps. I kept going till about 4 in the morning, working over and over this image. The next day, I looked at the image and couldn’t believe I had actually painted it. From that moment I couldn’t stop painting, I bought a 50m roll of and canvas and I would come home from work and paint till 2 in the morning, get up and do it all over again. And no, I have not had any training, in the early days I only used the primary colours, I mixed up a lot of mud, but you learn from your mistakes, and most of the time they are a blessing in disguise anyway.  

 

It is difficult not to associate the intensity of your landscapes with greats like JMW Turner— tell us about your influences?

My first memory of artistic influence is the American photographer Ansell Adams. I saw a large print of Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. I was a young teen at the time and the intensity of the image stuck with me. The only other image I liked was Rain, Steam and Speed, by Turner, I’m not sure where I saw it but the atmosphere in that work definitely has had an influence. I only started buying art books after I started painting, people would start talking to me about art and artists and I had no idea what they were on about. The other influences would have to be Leunig and Larson, I love their take on life, they have me in stitches.

   
James Robertson, Bridging the gap, Oil on linen (framed),                   James Robertson, Purple Haze , Oil on linen (framed), 122 x
76 x 101cm, $9,000                                                                                                       167cm, $15,500

 

The vastness of your intensely coloured skies is almost overwhelming, awe-inspiring really. Is this an intended viewer response? Is it a commentary on our tumultuous times?

 For me the skies are the fun part, the energy, the drama, the lightness and darkness, they are intended to set the mood and create tension, but it is not specifically about our time. I love looking out toward the horizon and watching a storm rolling in on a summers day, the excitement of change, you could stand there and worry about getting wet, or you can breathe in the electrified air, feel the excitement and be part of it.

 

Who is the suited man that often appears in your work and what is he seeking?

 It depends on the painting, the suited figure can mean many things, just a regular guy off to work or on his way home after a hard day, a banker, a stock broker, whichever it may be I do try to capture some kind of mood or feeling that individuals can relate to.

   
Waiting, Oil on Linen, 51 x 61cm, $4,500                                                 The Procurement II, Oil on Linen, 122 x 167cm, $15,500

 

You seem to have a strong connection with the landscape—do you think, as an Australian, that this is a cultural conditioning?

 Definitely, like a lot of my mates, I have spent plenty of time on farms, camping, and going on driving holidays. Even getting to the beach in summer can mean a 2 hr drive, stuck to a vinyl seat, no air conditioning, but you would be soaking in some beautiful scenery while you were playing I spy. Our memories are filled with wonderful times in wonderful places.

 

Into the Distance is an impassioned and unique body of work. Are you a romantic James?

I love what I do and I love this great country of ours, if that makes me a romantic, then yes.

Posted by Art Melbourne at 4:06 pm