What do you do?
A lot of drawing, some printing, some stitching, some digi-snaps, some writing of words and sometimes music. And high, low or mono brow; it’s all good.
When did you get into it?
I’ve always had a doodle addiction (heh) though I guess it was about 15 years ago when the lovely, ex-Canberran Mandy Ord asked me to draw a comic for Sticky Murmurs.
Who or what influences you as an artist?
I get excited by people who are compelled to create; especially if they are self-taught. I dig the DIY ethos where you don’t need expensive equipment or years of training to do something great. I’m also fascinated by neuroscience and human behaviour. And handmade - handmade is also good.
What’s you biggest achievements/proudest moment so far?
I got a ‘You pissed me off’ published once. Um… *thinking*… I had an animation shown on Recovery back in the day. Oh! My favourite thing: two of the five paintings I did for The Basement have gone missing, that’s pretty flattering.
What are your plans for the future?
Thanks to something Layne Beachley said to me in a dream last year (ooh how finger-wiggling mysterious...) I’ve been thinking of grabbing some hemp t-shirts and printing onto them - so perhaps I’ll see what comes of that.
What makes you laugh?
Dad jokes. Bum jokes. Kitties falling off the back of couches. Someone else laughing. Those things you say that are so wrong that you just have to laugh. Swearing. In fact, several swear words in quick succession is pretty hilarious.
What pisses you off?
Aside from my neighbours playing Rock Band after midnight on a Tuesday? Inequality, assumptions and people being mean because they have no self-awareness as to what makes them scared.
What’s your opinion of the local scene?
I hear there’s a lot going on. I don’t go out much ‘cause talking to people makes me tired - though I do get to the Canberra Comic Meet-ups occasionally. I love some of the public art that’s around: Nanna Brown’s bird people near the merry-go-round are GREAT! Belco owl-phallus? Hmm, not sure. As far as artists go, I dig Margaret Preston, Ghost Patrol and Stelarc.
What are your upcoming projects? Black Line Fever. It’s my first solo exhibition; a bunch of wee, low-brow, involuntary scribbles that were never intended to be seen by anyone, ever. Some silly. Some melancholic. Some just confusing. Made the frames too. It opens at The Front on Thursday July 14, at 6pm.
Contact info: Send an email with your list of favourite swear-words-in-a-row to shagsy@gmail.com
