Dan Sibley

Dan Sibley discusses some of his ideas about photography with Joel Gailer

Dan Sibley is the first Cozens Street residency artist. He is an active and well known Melbourne based photographer. He takes the everyday and creates modernist form.

Joel Gailer: You are primarily known as a photographer, have you worked in other mediums?

Dan Sibley: Yes, I started in drawing and printmaking and developed into painting. Digital media has always played a large role in many of these applications. Photography seemed like a natural progression in this respect.

Joel Gailer: You are mainly web based in your delivery of photographs, is print still a concern for you?

Dan Sibley: Even though the output for my photography is mainly digital web display. I still make prints. The intention is always for print – in-fact I consider myself a printmaker.

Joel Gailer: Is 20th century modernism a big influence on your photography?

Dan Sibley: My influences come from painting and in that respect, yes, that does influence my photography but it is not something I am actively pursuing.

Joel Gailer: How have the disciplines of printmaking and painting influenced your photography?

Dan Sibley: It has given me a clearer understanding of what photography is and how it differs from other mediums

Joel Gailer: How does it differ?

Dan Sibley: Photography is a subtractive process, as it relates to, what I call ‘in camera photography’. It is based on the traditional precepts of film photography, in that, there is no manipulative or additive process. When you photograph something it is a pre-existing image and you are simply cropping from that scene, image or moment. You can only subtract from what exists and you have to contend with every element in the frame.

This is different to other mediums as you are always building and can omit or add elements to manipulate the outcome.

A photograph to me is like a container – that you collect information in – what you leave out is as important as what you put in it. As the photographer the goal is essentially to place more drama within the frame by cutting away or cropping the excess ‘noise’. I see this is an interesting philosophical position for photography.

Joel Gailer: You have discussed this subtractive process as somehow positive or accumulative, can you explain this?

Dan Sibley: It is not negative, the subtraction is somehow a collecting, a making – the document of the photograph is a collecting – in regards to the viewing of the photograph as a document.

Joel Gailer: What other philosophical aspects of photography interest you?

Dan Sibley: A large part of what I do relies on chance – chance is a big part of the process. Even if you have a preconceived idea of what you want, chance is still the defining factor and sometimes chance will exceed the expectations and that is a primary aim for me.

Joel Gailer: Is location important for you?

I like to photograph in my locality, Melbourne, Australia. My work deals with the familiar, the near and the colloquial. It relates to me my place and being. It is my context, I can understand my context. If it was somewhere else it wouldn’t be that intimate space.

Dan Sibley is active in the Melbourne art scene, he exhibits regularly and more of his photography can be found on:

View Dan’s work at: https://dansibleyabn.wordpress.com/

Stelarc

Stelarc experiments with alternative anatomical architectures. He has performed with a Third Hand, a Stomach Sculpture and with Exoskeleton, a 6-legged walking robot.  Fractal Flesh, Ping Body and Parasite are internet performances that explore remote and involuntary choreography. He is surgically constructing and stem-cell growing an ear on his arm that will be electronically augmented and internet enabled. Recent performances include ReWired / ReMixed that incorporates an outsourcing of his senses and a sharing of his agency. In 1996 he was made an Honorary Professor of Art and Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University and in 2002 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Monash University. In 2010 he was awarded the Ars Electronica Hybrid Arts Prize. In 2015 he received the Australia Council’s Emerging and Experimental Arts Award. In 2016 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Ionian University, Corfu. His artwork is represented by Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne. www.stelarc.org

Alx Mac

Recently we interviewed Cozens Street Studio artist Alx Mac about the various techniques and styles incorporated in her work and the artists which have influenced her work.

Q 1. Your artworks create the impression of outer-space or deep underwater, could you discuss the materials you use to create this effect?

I start with clear epoxy resin, which is a two-part chemical system that begins in a thick liquid state. 

 Once mixed together it kick-starts the curing process. I have about 20/25 minutes until the mixture is no longer liquid and starts to harden, so I have to work quickly. 

 I tint the resin with a range of pigments including acrylic inks, paints and powders, being careful not to add too much to the mixture, otherwise it can upset the chemical ratio and stop the resin from hardening.

Q 2. I like your technical process, how does the chemistry of pigments and resin influence the way you make your work? 

To be honest it’s really only keeping the ratios in mind that effects the way I work with it. However I do now tend to work mostly with translucent pigments rather than opaque additives, as the benefit of resin is its clarity, so if I do multiple layers on a single piece in translucent colours, you can see some incredible depth and detail from the surface in the finished piece.

Q 3. Beautiful description, can you tell us about the artists you admire? How they have influenced you?

When it comes to historic or well known artists, I’ve always loved Degas’ work. His brush strokes and use of the colour blue really stand out to me. I don’t really think his artwork effects or necessarily inspires my work because the styles are so different, but that doesn’t negate my admiration for his style. 

 I think I draw more inspiration from modern day artists, like Andrew Bannecker, Bec Chamberlain, Emma Lindstrom and Carmilla Cicoria, most of whom use Instagram as their main platform like I do. I think I connect with them more as you get to see more of their personality in their posts, rather than just their gorgeous finished pieces. 

 The possibilities with abstract art are endless, so it’s great to see how other people that feel similar to ourselves navigate and express themselves.

Q 4. Can you talk about your strategies for marketing your work? This is always difficult but it can be great for artists just starting out to find out how other artists approach this.

 Social media is such an incredible resource and great for getting your artwork out there. 

 My biggest tool has certainly been Instagram. 

The fact that people can find you either looking specifically for your kind of product style through hash tags, or through the random algorithms on the explore page was essentially free advertising in my eyes! 

 Consistent posting times and consistent content is what helped my gain my initial following.

 Further than that, saying YES to all feasible opportunities gains a potentially more expanded audience. Whether it be articles, collaborations, free exhibitions or pop up shop, don’t be afraid to take on new exciting projects when offered to you. Especially since you don’t know if you’ll ever get that chance again.

Thank you Alx for your rich and informative responses, we look forward to seeing all the new work you create in the studio and following your career as it develops even further!

To view Alx Mac’s work visit @alxmac.designs on Instagram