Artist profile
Josh
Fartch
Josh Fartch draws on the study of materials and process and the indeterminate nature of in-between states: between representation and abstraction, material and immaterial, the real and virtual, tomorrow and yesterday.
He works from River Studios in Footscray and lives in Coburg, Melbourne. He holds a Masters in Fine Art from Monash University.
Career Highlights
- A near sell out exhibition at the recent Affordable Art Fair in Melbourne.
- Working as a visual artist on a theatre production
- Winning the John Shaw Neilson and Limestone Coast Art Prizes
What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?
I work with acrylics mainly, but paint with oils as well. I like the instant, intuitive nature of painting with acrylics. You have to work quickly and be confident in your brushstrokes, while oil offers a different effect. Oil colours are seductive.
How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?
I use drawing and painting to explore different ideas. My abstract works show the process of painting in a very revealing and authentic way. I like the idea of working backwards and forwards across time - drawing on artists from the past for inspiration while trying to predict the future.
Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?
I have a painting studio at River Studios in West Melbourne, filled with small painting sketches, odd objects and large canvases ready to be painted. I also often paint small works from home, often at 4am in the early hours of the morning and bring these into the studio.
