Interview

Kylie studied Fine and Ceramics at Newcastle University Australia where she was introduced to traditional sculptural and Fine art practices. Her multiple disciplines include painting, sculpture, photography, taxidermy, steel, landscape art, writing, philosophy and interior design, where she incorporates elements of those disciplines into a new integrated work of art, a fusion of different disciplines where the boundaries between them are blurred into a new form that transcends individual principles. The purity of her artistic pursuit began at a very young age where she first started drawing portraits of patrons in her parents business at the age of 9 and employed as a sign writer on a fleet of trucks at the age of 11, she was awarded first in art all the way through her secondary education, in tertiary education she was an Australian national award winning make-up artist and hairdresser, she is intensely passionate and driven, full of emotional synergy and discipline which is evident in all of her works where you will see her personal expression, knowledge, methods and techniques transformed into a tangible expression of form. Her paintings are known for their vibrancy and intense pigments, they are eye catching, colourful and detailed, displaying an immersive story within the composition taking the viewer on a personal journey and thought provoking experiences. Her sculptural works are timeless and yet ancient, she takes the human form and presents it in an edgy way, highly influenced by her passion for philosophy, history, spiritual beliefs and genetic memory on how they influence our identity perceptions of our own reality and ever changing sense of self. They are designed to engage the viewer leading them on an enchanting journey of mystery and contemplation. Her sculptural disciplines with contemporary materials, juxtaposing mediums and elements in sculptural practices of ceramics, taxidermy, Steel, Fiberglass, concrete and her innovative use of cement processes with intriguing and aesthetic impact on both large and small scale sculpture. Her work is beautifully composed, dramatic and undeniably impressive with an ever-growing portfolio showing her endless vision and creative talents which she uses to transport viewers to a place where imagination meets consciousness.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“Wow! I say this with a smile on my face, I look back and my whole life was drenched in art right from the beginning, my art journey began at a very young age where I was influenced and exposed to the art world by my mother who was an artist. I first started drawing as a toddler with pencils and producing very feminine images which my grandmother kept and gave them to back to me they were quite sweet, it was interesting as they were full of so much colour even back then. I then began drawing portraits of patrons in my parents business at the age of 9 and employed as a sign writer on a fleet of trucks at the age of 11, I was just constantly drawing every moment I could steal, I was awarded first in art all the way through my high school secondary education, in my tertiary education I was an Australian national award winning make-up artist and highly awarded and acclaimed hairdresser where I was introduced to high fashion Avon guard creativity I even became a personal stylist, I was just so hungry for knowledge and different creative fields to find to myself and my self expression.
While all of this was going on my personal life was a complete wreck, I was an unsupported single mother completely thrown in the deep end whilst juggling a fulltime work I decided in all my wisdom to become an art teacher so I began my degree in a Bachelor of Fine arts at Newcastle University Australia. I laughingly look back and I have no idea how I did it, I some how managed to fit them all in, a mother, fulltime work and full time study, I was a walking zombie with a young son attached to my leg, but I did it, it was here I was introduced to traditional sculptural and Fine art practices, I was introduced to the most extraordinary people, my mind was a blazed with ideas, so many creative avenues to explore and feed this hungry brain of mine, I knew then that this was exactly who I was and where I was heading. I fully admit I’m completely driven in nature, this thirst for knowledge has navigated me to extend further my studies and degrees in photography, psychology, writing, philosophy, interior design, shoe designer and import an export law where I use all of these disciplines and elements by binding them together to produce tangible 2-D or 3-D form a fusion of different disciplines and outcomes allow me to go forth and aid me in my art journey, all of these creative paths are part of my own personal canvas of a life that is ever evolving a progression of works an expression of a life art on the path of life.”

What inspires you?

“That’s a great question and yet insanely personal for me, it is the core of what makes me live and breath, it is the essence of who I am, that intense driving force as I run the race in life and focusing on the end goal, it’s who and what I am to be each day, the spirit that lives within me is what inspires me, it’s that powerful piercing energy of that internal force that spills into everything I do and create, it’s an undeniable force, it has always been there even as a young tender child, almost like an old soul in a young body, never wanting to fit in with my peers or in the life that community tells us to walk, it never seemed to be something that I wanted. You know getting married, having children, grandchildren, being in the same career for 30 years, having a pet that is your child, the latest model car, tattoos, not that these things are bad, it’s just that these things are not enough for me, it’s the beauty that I see in all things, the earth, the ocean, the dew on the leaves that sparkle like diamonds in the morning sun, the spirit of internal essence in the beauty of loved ones or friends, the way the light streams through the clouds after a storm, the things we most take for granted are the most beautiful things of all, the spirit that lives within me is the spirit within all these things, that is what inspires me each day, each day is a new canvas and endless supply of inspiration.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I’ve been an avid student of Philosophy and theology for over 20 years combining those with psychological practices to understand the deep emotional threads of the heart and mind. The search for a greater understanding of the secrets of life, learning, understanding the reason for my existence, my role on this earth, with whom my allegiance lays with spiritually, the pursuit for being in the book of the living. The ancient Greeks and Roman philosophers, their teachings, their history, the pursuit of knowledge and stoicism, Jewish history linage, historical records, ancient teachings of ancient religions, beliefs, how they have forged the world and how their entwined common basis of belief forged the world in which we live and what is to be is the underlying message in my artwork, to open the door to the viewer to bring forth questioning, to stimulate the imagination with colour and form, to engage with their own emotional content thoughts and feelings, to see the story that and search for the content within and within themselves.”

How would you describe your work?

“My work parameters are the conscious and unconscious world, past, present and future, the seen and the unseen, it’s all encompassing and yet infinite, each artwork whether a painting or sculpture has a story to tell. I love to reach into the depths of chaos through thought and bring forth a tangible image that tells a story of feelings or emotions, or completely left field of historical facts or history itself, all expressed in the context of realism with a triadic colours, strong pigments of paint can be bold to blurred to the tiniest detail, smooth blends of sculptural mediums of recipes of cement that blend like clay across the fingers to sculpt and bring forth a 3-D form to express and tell their own stories”

Which artists influence you most?

“The Renaissance was a time where the religious world met mythology bringing forth some of the worlds greatest works, as a Interior Designer the timeless style of Louis X1V who saw himself as the sun king was also a lover of Greek and Roman gods, he acquired some of Europe’s best artist to create works that still inspire us all nearly 400 years later, he was a man ahead of his time in art and style, these old master painters is where I draw my influence, it first became apparent whilst at university I studied Master artists, periods and styles, it was a time of great self discovery of style as an artist, yet for myself during this time of expression I was deeply attracted to the interdisciplinary skills of Michelangelo, the way he mastered his fine arts from sculpture, to painting, to even invention, he did not pigeonhole himself, he stepped beyond, challenging himself, his creative boundaries, he produced such beauty on large scale. I followed him on my travel journey to Europe to see his works, how his mind came up with unconventional ways of producing works of beauty, colour and telling a story through his works. If I can leave behind a trail of works and leave a footprint behind on this earth for mankind those that are born or unborn, to tell a story of life, encouragement and beauty is the message I wish to leave behind.”

“My work parameters are the conscious and unconscious world, past, present and future, the seen and the unseen, it’s all encompassing and yet infinite, each artwork whether a painting or sculpture has a story to tell.”

What is your creative process like?

“My creative process takes form with a thought, it could be the spark of how the sun sets as it exposes the flecks of gold on the mountain grasses, the red flames on the cool waters of the ocean at sunrise, it could be a smell that lingers in the nose from the scent of flowers from a gentle Spring breeze, the twinkle in the eye of a stranger as he passes by, or watching the embrace of a lovers locked in a passionate kiss whilst re-igniting lost memories of the warmth of a lovers lips that lingers. The thought lingers whilst pray or mediating. These thoughts and emotions grow and take shape, I begin to write short story or synopsis which starts to produce an image and a flicker of colour, with a sketch reference it begins to evolve and take shape as I breathe life into a tangible form that has come from an imaginative place of chaos into beautifully composed and orchestrated piece art that tells a story and takes the viewer on a journey of imagination or an enchanted journey.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“As artists in society we are responsible for the beauty in this world created by man, it could be creating your own garden of Eden to parks, homes, architecture, poetry, literacy, everything we see that man has created has been by an artist, someone has come up with a vision, whether it’s the Opera House in Sydney harbour, the Eiffel tower, Statute of liberty, the palace of Versailles, Art is everywhere, it brings, beauty, imagination and inspiration, it brings lightness in the darkness with beauty , it is Artist that brings the inspiration of love, beauty, letters of encouragement with the extensions of a butterfly affect which touches every humans eyes and hearts. An artist is one who reaches into the depths of chaos and brings forth beauty, we as artist harness a greater power whether greater or lesser, we understand things, we tell a story about what we understand, often we can’t put words to thoughts yet we can produce a form about something we haven’t understood, art is something that extends beyond ourselves then we pull everyone else into the story by viewing. Artist have never been in a greater time in history, the amount of creativity and opportunities to expand skills, technology new forms of mediums, tools, brushes pigments are creating a greater mediums with technology, Art has always had a place in our society yet it is evolving to higher levels of forms and creative skills. We must encourage and support artists, as it’s the foundation stone to all creative thoughts and forms.”