Artist of the Week - Julie Doye
Feature Artist of the Week
Chalk Talk with Julie Doye
In addition to competing at this year's event Julie is running pre-Festival workshops from 2 - 6 October at Stockland Wetherill Park.
Festival Director Andi Mether asked Julie a few questions...
How did you first get into art?
As a kid I was always drawing and writing as a way to entertain myself but ‘art’ wasn’t part of my upbringing at all. I loved records and album artwork, comic books and absurdist British comedy like Monty Python, The Goodies and The Young Ones. I had a great art teacher in high school who exposed me to the work of many different artists and actively encouraged me, I loved drawing and had a natural ability but the idea of pursuing art as a career at the time seemed a completely foreign concept.
In my late teens I was extremely fortunate to become acquainted with a great Australian Pop artist, he thought I had something special so he gave me a bunch of different art materials, access to his collection of alternative culture and art literature and encouraged me to continue learning and making art as a way of life. I really don’t know any other way to live now,it is incredibly difficult at times, but extremely rewarding.
What’s your usual medium?
Mostly acrylic paint and Ink on canvas.
Who/what inspires you & your art?
I’m mainly inspired by underground culture, I was 13 when the underground became known to the mainstream and I’ve been living underground ever since. There is a lot of incredible work that exists under the radar in Australia.
I really love seeing art in the context of where it comes from, experiencing live music and I respect and am inspired by anyone who actively puts their own stamp on the world. Initially my art was heavily inspired by Dali, Warhol, Picasso, Lichtenstein, Peter Blake, Martin Sharp, Robert Williams, Robert Crumb, Rat Fink, Joe Coleman, Reg Mombassa and Frida Kahlo but from there it’s kind of all been mashed together with a lot of other stuff, filtered through my own experiences and now it comes out as me.
DJ Lupe Fiasco signs his portrait painted by Julie Doye at Playground Weekender
Have you visited any great exhibitions or art events lately?
Most recently I attended the Reg Mombassa exhibition at Watters gallery and the 12x12 exhibition at Ambush, both were great!
What is the craziest or most outlandish artwork you have created?
Probably a bright yellow fur covered completely useless bar table that flipped like a see saw if anything was placed on it revealing bright coloured feathers underneath....it was part of an installation hybrid of a birdcage and nightclub that I created for a uni assessment....I think mostly everything I make is outlandish in some way though. I love outlandish!
What is your ideal overseas art-inspired destination & why?
New York...mainly because of Warhol, the Pop Art movement is of most interest to me particularly as I have a lot of knowledge of the movement within Australia during the 60’s and 70’s and to have an understanding of that within a world context would be ideal.
I believe the imagery associated with that movement largely defines the world we now live in, so I really want to understand where it came from. I’d really love to visit the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico too!
Do you have any advice for emerging artists?
Don’t be afraid of yourself and don’t even think about being anyone else. You’re O.K, now do it!....and it’s hard!
Why have you decided to enter the Chalk Urban Art festival this year?
I’ve met so many great people over the years I've been involved and it’s great to see everyone and watch them work their magic again. I love the opportunity of being able to be that person for someone else, the artist I saw when I was young and of course art for everyone in the context of everyday life, rules!
