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The Block’s Dan and Dani (yes they are still together) were among the guests at Andrew O’Brien’s first Sydney solo show at Corporate Culture on Thursday night.
Andrew O’Brien is on a mission to change the way people think about art as he puts the finishing touches to the work for his first Sydney solo exhibition at Corporate Culture. He gave Interiors Addict an exclusive behind the scenes glimpse and talked about his work and attitude to art.
In the last couple of months, Andrew’s work has appeared on the front cover of Real Living and on The Block. The awareness this has created has been really valuable but it’s a more mainstream approach than many artists would take. “I know this sounds very basic, but I have always found that people want to engage with art,” says Andrew. “Sometimes this engagement is on different levels, but more often than not it is about giving people the ability to take the first step in understanding the importance of art. In terms of The Block, Julian Cress, the executive producer, is very supportive of the visual arts, so in context of that environment I made the time to work with the contestants to help them create a space to display art in an appropriate way. This was very successful for the show and I believe added significantly to the overall quality of not only the program, but the actual houses themselves.”
Andrew O’Brien left a comfortable corporate career to finally become a full-time artist and to say his brave decision has paid off would be an understatement. You may have admired his work on the cover of the current Real Living magazine or in the background of pictures of the Danish Royal visit to furniture store Corporate Culture late last year.
I spoke to Andrew about the relationship between art and interiors and how to go about choosing artwork, something many struggle with.
Andrew says the relationship between art and interiors is interesting, complex and often trivialised. “Art influences interior design, fundamentally and in wholesale ways. Historically, think of the modernist movement in architecture and furniture which derives its genesis from visual art which was in turn the first to link sociological and philosophical changes from theoreticians like Kant. History is littered with how art has influenced interior design and architecture, but the question is why? Well, on the most basic measure, colour, pattern and subject matter tell us about how we fit into our larger community, they offer the viewer a perpetual cognitive self reference. Art talks to composition, beauty and balance; these are things that drive great design and have always been core to interior design.”
Should you ever choose a painting that matches your room’s colour scheme? “Yes absolutely, often understanding colour is the first step in the language of art. It is the most accessible point of discovery,” says Andrew. “Colour is such an important part of cognitive engagement with the world, it defines emotion and shapes perception. Colour tells us about how to act, how to be and who to be with. It has great powers of influence that by and large we take for granted. After time, most rooms change their colour schemes and decor, but often the paintings remain and process of engagement with the art begins again.”
His commercial background and the snobbery that comes with many art galleries led Andrew to instead partner with high-end furniture store Corporate Culture, where his work is displayed and sold. “It is about pairing great furniture and design with the art. It makes someone’s journey into art easier and without condescension. It also showcases the work beautifully and in a manner unlike any other gallery space.”
When the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark visited Corporate Culture to present managing director Richard Munao with an export award in Melbourne in November, Andrew’s work ended up being the backdrop for the official photos. “It was a great honour,” he says. “I had completed another work for the same shot, however it was rejected and this work was completed in some haste. Princess Mary was in a white suit, and the painting was still wet. At times she was a little too close to the painting!”
The big question: how to choose art? Simply go for what you like, what you think is “in” or something by the artist du jour? None of the above. “Art should be chosen physically and in context to the work. You should attempt to spend some quiet time with the piece and see how your senses engage with it.”
Andrew, who is inspired by the expressionist movement of the mid 20th century, advises against asking anyone else’s opinion. “It generally takes the decision away from the interaction of the art to the relationship dynamic between the person and opinion provider. Find the truth of the work for you. Does it make you happy, joyous? Does it calm you? Is the picture in harmony and well balanced? Does the work provoke you?”
Although he doesn’t regret his decision, Andrew says being an artist is challenging. “Self interested businesspeople, collectors and curators highly commodify artists with a proprietary hold on their ability to reach people interested in enjoying art. Been intimidated walking into a private gallery? Wondered why public institutions are so freely criticised by contemporary artists? Then you may get a sense of how the art world is a closed shop, usurped by those that benefit often at the expense of the artist,” he says. “It is this environment thats makes it so very hard for artists to make the move full time. I had to think differently about how I marketed my art. Once I had an idea that I could do something differently I think I was able to make the leap of faith with greater confidence.”
He says his work is about exploring the nature of the human condition and he is interested in works that activate primitive emotions. “I paint many highly repetitious layers and forms in a very deliberate and formalist manner. Over time these layers are painted out and the subsequent layers become much more subconscious and often gestural. To me, the painting’s completion is about seeking the pleasure in the painting without the formalist battle of dealing with objects and colour in space. I want my works to reward over time, with a power for the viewer to connect emotionally.”
Find out more about Andrew at his website.
What a delight to be invited by Corporate Culture and Georg Jensen to the first ever showing of the Silver Ambassador Collection in Sydney yesterday. It was quite magical to be surrounded by countless bowls, goblets, trays and pieces of cutlery, all made of solid silver and paintakingly made by hand in Copenhagen. Set against a backdrop of Corporate Culture’s wonderful furniture, flowers by Grandiflora and styling by the brilliant Steve Cordony and sparkling in the sunlight, it was a really beautiful experience!
If, like me, you’ve known Georg Jensen mainly for its stunning modern jewellery, it is well worth discovering the history behind a company which has been around since 1904. Head of Silver Anne Mette Muller-Krogstrup, brought that history to life as she spoke passionately about the craftmanship of a brand where only exceptional quality is good enough. Tableware like these are where it all started for Georg Jensen and it’s a huge part of their business today. You can see why Jensen brought her over from Denmark for the occasion as I’m sure not many people could tell the story better.
The most expensive piece on show is worth over $200,000 but when you consider it takes almost six months to make by hand, then it doesn’t seem so overpriced. I’ll take two!
Seriously though, while many of the bigger pieces are out of the price range of many, Anne Mette says we should all treat ourselves to a little something so beautiful, even if it’s just two wine goblets for you and your loved one or one incredible spoon you use every day because, after all, life is too short. And the late great Georg Jensen himself came from very humble beginnings. I’ve already started saving…
This Art Deco style teapot was one of my favourite pieces.
This silversmith gave a demonstration of hammering the silver by hand. It’s a highly skilled job requiring a steady hand, a lot of passion and 100 times more patience than I’ll ever have!
The beautiful furniture at Corporate Culture complemented the silverware so well. Managing director Richard Munao is known for his love of Danish design.
