Interview
Gavin North
Gavin has had success as an artist both at home in Australia and abroad. He holds a diploma of visual arts from Victoria University, and a Bachelor of fine arts—painting from The Victorian College of the Arts.
In addition to taking part in numerous high profile exhibitions, Gavin has had works featured in Trouble Magazine, and the art journal Taj Mahal Review.
Over the last few years, Gavin has been working on three new exhibitions which he hopes to debut in 2024/25.
What is your background and how did you start your journey?
“Art has always been a way of expressing things out of my control. Throughout my life, it’s been my means of connecting with a world I barely understood. As a child, I was a bit of a loner. I learned to draw friends rather than make them because I felt alienated by the other children’s cruel words. At the same time, I was sexually abused on a regular basis, and this made life very confusing. Drawing became my preferred form of escapism.
These characters I created were my friends. They would never abuse, betray, nor be disloyal to me. Most of all, I never had to fear them. Over the years, my passion for creativity flourished. Upon graduating from high school, I was encouraged by my art teacher to pursue a career in the arts, although my parents anted me to be graphic designer. I applied at the local TAFE (Australian version of community college) to study visual art. But as it tends to, life got in the way. I failed the first year of the two-year course and subsequently was unable to complete my studies.
It felt like my dreams of becoming an artist were long gone, so I got job and worked for the next few years. When I turned 23, with a little money behind me, I decided to go back to school. I moved to Melbourne from Shepparton and enrolled once again in TAFE. This time I got my diploma, but my eyes were on a bigger prize. I wanted to enroll at the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). To my surprise, after a two-week wait, I received my letter of acceptance. I was one of 25 people to get in out of hundreds of applicants, and it was then that I knew I was going to be an artist.”
“I believe that if you have something to say, then just say it.
Don’t get bogged down in what others think, and don’t lose yourself. Stick to what you believe.”
What inspires you most?
“The erotic, the darkness in humanity, the perception of one’s self, being politically incorrect, and fashion are all inspirations in my artistic practice. For me, erotica is the perception of sex, not the act itself. This concept has always intrigued me. It’s almost primal in nature; a sensory attraction which is not about physicality but more about chemistry.
The darkness in humanity is a reflection of society and the dark nature that some people possess. Why are some people inherently drawn to the dark, while others are quite the opposite? When it comes to the human condition, it’s our very nature is to ask the question ‘why?’. I believe political correctness has gone way too far. It’s almost impossible to not offend someone these days. It’s a classic case of having to watch everything you say or do because there’s always one person that will take offense, even though you don’t mean to offend.
Lastly, fashion has always been a passion of mine. I like to create outfits made from rubber and translucent materials; sometimes a combination of the two. I like to design form-fitting and free-flowing pieces that have a life of their own, almost like a symbiotic relationship!”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“The underlying messages in my work revolve around mental illness and sexuality. Sexuality is the exploration of one’s sexual identity, and it’s a constant theme in the majority of my work. My work is also a reflection of my own sexuality, which has been a constant driving force in my creative process. The exploration of one’s sexuality can be very liberating, especially when one chooses to embrace it.
I find the study of the human psyche and all its facets fascinating. As a person that suffers from mental illness, the world is a strange and somewhat alienating place. I often use this insecurity in my work. Sometimes my works as a whole seem to make no sense—like a collection of images that don’t make a connection, but form a strong presence when viewed individually.”
How would you describe your work?
“My art is confronting and honest. I like to produce works that have the potential to make people feel uncomfortable. The subjects I deal with are usually based around raw emotion, and are often topics that people tend to turn a blind eye to.”
Which artists influence you most?
“H. R. Giger and Andy Warhol are the two artists that inspire me most. Giger’s work is best described as bio-mechanical erotica. His works are simultaneously beautiful and uncomfortable, almost like disguised pornography with sado-masochistic undertones. Giger is unapologetic in his work and though his practice is vastly different from mine, we seem to share very similar ideas
Andy Warhol’s use of color and repetition are the very things that draw me to his art. Using pop culture imagery as his basis, Warhol takes it and gives it a new artistic interpretation. His work is bold and full of expression. He was a pioneer of his time and even today, his works still have a place in social relevance.”
What is your creative process like?
“Like most artists, it all starts with an idea that comes to you at 3 a.m. in the morning. From there, it’s all logistics, divided into phases. Each phase is an evolutionary step in the completion of an art piece. The first phase is the validity of the work: “will the work suggest what I want it to convey?” If I’m satisfied with what I want to achieve, the next phase is to create a quick mock-up using Photoshop. This allows me to pre-visualize the work and make any changes that may enhance it.
The next phase is to gather the physical elements needed to complete the work, such as photographs of rusted metal sketches I’ve done for the project. I refer to the elements as textures. Finally, I assemble all the elements and start experimenting with them in Photoshop. Sometimes this can lead to what I call ‘happy accidents’, where the work is enhanced using another texture to get a stronger outcome. The final work can consist of more than 100 layers in Photoshop, and can take anywhere from weeks to months to achieve a final outcome.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“As artists, we are humanity’s conscience. We perceive what is good and bad with the world. We highlight the injustices and relish in the successes. We see past the conventional society, observing what it really is. We are more than pretty pictures, but voices in the dark exposing things to the light. We are highly perceptual and empathic. I don’t know what the future holds for the artist, but we will evolve, using history to guide us.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I’ve received accolades and exhibited my work as follows:
2023:
- I was awarded a certificate of Artistic Excellence by the Circle Foundation for the Arts.
2021:
- 25 of the most influential galleries in America voted me as one of the worlds top 4 digital artists.
2017:
- I had his first solo exhibition "Revenge is a Corpse Best Served Cold" at the Phyllis Palmer Gallery in Bendigo Australia.
2011:
- Featured in the ‘Art Undressed’ exhibition in Miami, Florida.
2010:
- Won third prize in The Red Ribbon Awards for the piece ‘Get Stupid - the complacency of Aids’.
- For the second time, I was voted as one of the worlds top erotic artists. My work ‘RAW’ is featured in the coffee table book, The Worlds Greatest Erotic Art of Today, Volume 4.
2007:
- Two of my works were featured in the coffee table book, The Worlds Greatest Erotic Art of Today, which was sold worldwide. These works were also featured in a traveling exhibition titled ‘Art Undressed’ and were shown in major galleries in Miami, Montreal and Berlin.”
