Ep 29: James Drinkwater

He’s a musician, singer, songwriter, poet and sculptor but of course James Drinkwater is primarily a painter and one of the most exciting contemporary artists creating work in Australia today. Drinkwater started his art training at 10 years of age and now, at 33, has exhibited in 20 solo shows in Australia, London, Singapore and Berlin. He’s been awarded the coveted Brett Whiteley Travelling Art scholarship and Marten Bequest scholarship, has won a number of art prizes and been finalist in many others including three times in the Wynne prize. In this episode of the podcast we talk about what artistic influences he had as a child growing up in Newcastle, his time overseas and the fascinating stories behind two of his impressive Wynne finalist paintings: ‘Passage to Rungli Rungliot’ and ‘Encrusting the Marvellous Heart’. He also talks about his optimistic outlook which seeks out beauty in the world and how nearly every aspect of his life contributes to his art. Upcoming Events Sydney Contemporary, Sydney, September 2017 Links to things and people we talk about on the show James Drinkwater at Nanda Hobbs Contemporary James Drinkwater at NKN Gallery James Drinkwater on Instagram Anne Von Bertouch Judy Cassab Lottie Consalvo at Dominik Mersch Gallery Marten Bequest Scholarship Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship Damien Minton on Instagram Sunday Painting/ James Drinkwater/ Berlin – Video by Osvaldo Budet Lottie Consalvo – Evenings in Residence (Kaldor Public Art Projects) Adam Cullen Jasper Knight Ralph Hobbs Holy Holy – That Message (Youtube) Conrad Marca-Relli Wynne Prize Video of James Drinkwater talking with Maria Stoljar in his studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel (below) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqXjOI1gAD4 ‘Passage to Rungli Rungliot’ 2016, oil on board, 180 x 360cm ‘Encrusting the marvellous heart’, diptych, 2015, oil and collage on hardboard, 180 x 244cm ‘Long day in Figaro Beach’ 2016, mixed media on board, 140 x 120cm ‘Encrusting the Marvellous Heart 3’, 2015, mixed media on paper, 59 x 42cm ‘Thus far and no further’, 2017, oil on studio debris on hardboard, 140 x 122cm ‘The rogue sun was kicking trees’, 2017, oil, copper and studio debris on hardboard, 140 x 122cm