FORM

Ben Mitchell

Ben Mitchell is the new artist-in-residence at Midland Atelier. He recently wrote an article for tête-à-tête - a new bimonthly arts newspaper. Its first issue was released in May 2009 and can be downloaded here, and we'll be speaking to Clare Peake, the editor of tête-à-tête in Interview #8.

What do you do?

I am a part time student working on a Dip.Ed at ECU and the rest of the time an artist making paintings, photos and drawings at home, on the streets of Perth and in my Midland Studio. I am working towards a show in February of next year at TAFE. Also looking for some work in the creative industries illustrating or painting.

Who is in your ‘creative community’?

My creative community is all the people around me which recently includes gallery managers and arts administrators like Thelma John, Patricia House, Alana Culverson, Yvonne Doherty, colleagues from ECU such as Jessica Jubb, Aaron Seymour, Tanya Schultz, Claire Canham, Brooke Zeligmann, as well as former workmates and artists Madeleine Casey, Matthew Jackson and Yvonne Zago. Inspirations include my father David , my aunt Brigid, lecturers Paul Moncrieff, Chris Fitzallen, Lisa Wolfgramm, Christopher Crouch, artists John Tarry, Andrew Frost, Rachel Coad… hmmm the list is pretty long and could get boring so...

What is your ‘creative footprint’?

Originally from New Zealand and now happily an Australian citizen after years of procastination. I trained at ECU graduating in 2005 and since then have been exhibiting at Primo Piano gallery in Lecce Italy and in one or two group shows around town. The main factor shaping my art practice has been giving up any idea that things would come my way by osmosis.

Describe what creativity means to you…

Imagining, doing, discussing, and learning, which obviously can occur in any field to anybody open enough. Creativity to me is the expansion of an idea and its’ development into interpretations the creator didn't envisage. Lord Sandwichs’ invention is a good example.

Describe the ideal conditions for your creativity, and what, if anything, hinders you in creating those conditions.

The ideal conditions for creativity are in one's head and heart and in the visual arts one's eyes. In my experience life is rarely ideal but with the will to achieve something and some materials, you are half way down the path. I like basic things in art like using linen instead of canvas, rag paper instead of pulp, pine frames instead of the ones from China, quality over quantity. However I would never let the lack of those materials stop me doing a picture.