Interview
Andrew Barr
Andrew Barr is a biological scientist and a landscape painter who records the fast-disappearing images found in nature in the remote regions of Australia. He combines graphic and impressionistic approaches to his paintings of the outback that he has visited since arriving in Australia.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I am a trained biological scientist. I discovered my artistic talent after coming to Australia in 1974. I joined the Scientific Expedition Group for surveys in South Australia. I started to sketch plants and landscapes. At my studio, I began painting with oils.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“I paint to show the austere beauty of the outback desert landscapes.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“I combine my photographs and sketches as references in my finished oil paintings.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“Oil paint, stretched canvas and handmade frames.”
What does your art mean to you?
“It is my record of the unusual remote places that I have visited in the last ten years.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“Images of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, as the area is most spectacular.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“The first joint exhibition was in Canberra after going down the Franklin River in 1983. A one-man show in 2010 of Flinders Ranges images. Many entries in the yearly SALA Exhibitions. A personal exhibition coming in November 2026.”
