Gian Manik_Untitled 2_2014
Ahead of his solo exhibition Ventilation & Natural Light, which opens next Wednesday 1 July, we sat down with Gian Manik to talk zombie minimalism, classical music and anti-photorealism...
Describe your
work in 100 words or less:
My paintings
explore vibration, an in-between or liminal space that is created when a
painting borrows from a number of visual devices, as opposed to simply
recording in a singular style.
Why Art?
I’ve always
done it, my grandfather and mother both painted, so it was nurtured from an
early age.
How has your
artistic practice changed over time?
I used to be
into painting really realistically when I was young, then at art school I didn't want
to paint anymore, so experimented with video and sculpture... I began to
incorporate painting into this and then slowly recognized that I was recording
the same thing in multiple media, which I though was unnecessary. So now my paintings are of simple fabrics and foils which I consider sculptures that
aren’t shown, but photographed and recorded.
Which
artistic movements or artists do you most identify with?
Probably Abstract Expressionism, and maybe Zombie Minimalism, although that has negative
connotations.
Gian Manik_Untitled 9_2015
How do you
work? Can you tell us about your process?
I usually
take a lot of photos of one or two materials, mostly foil or sometimes a screen that
is used in photography to bounce the flash off it, and then print a few and
then work from an image, building up between 4-10 layers of oil on canvas. I can't work
from my head, I need an image to work from, so in a sense, the abstract
expressionism elements I enjoy have to come from the abstraction of the object,
if it looks too much like something else, I'm not interested, because then
it's recognizable and, for me, not engaging. The painting style, quite messy,
but restrained in places connotes this abstraction, but essentially the image
is ‘photorealistic’.
Describe your
average day from ‘As soon as I wake up…’ to ‘… and then I go to
bed’.
I work full
time! I wake up at 5:30am and go to work (I make recipes and develop products for a
food company called Loving Earth). I finish at 4pm, then go to the studio, paint
for a few hours, then go home, have dinner and go to bed, unless I go out to
see a friend, etc.
What music do
you listen to while working?
It's pretty
cliché but usually classical music, or mixtapes on soundcloud, there’s a radio
station called noise in my head from Sydney that is good. I can't stand the
radio with all the talk back, unless its radio national, then I sort of tune
out.
What are your
go-to things to do if you’re stuck in a creative rut?
Nothing, just
ride it out, I rarely get into one these days. I’ve been working on the same
body of work for a while and still find it stimulating and engaging. The good
thing about reflective surfaces is that the will always generate a new image, so
my subject matter is both consistent and ever changing. However, I do usually
feel a little awkward when beginning a new painting, especially a big one,
white canvasses are intimidating, but I cover it quickly and then I’m fine.
What’s the
hardest thing about being an artist?
The
expectation that you’re a cookie cut version of one, as in I can't afford to be
in the studio 24/7 and honestly I wouldn’t want to, I enjoy spending quality
time there when I need to, rather than being on the computer or hanging out
with other people. Obviously also money...
And what’s
the most rewarding?
Hearing
honest feedback, people usually compliment, but you can tell when someone is
genuinely excited or engaged or wants to know more. Also someone buying work is
a big compliment.
What themes
and ideas do you pursue?
Representation,
the validity of realism in contemporary painting, anti-photorealism,
self-portraiture, the vibration between object, image and painting.
Gian Manik_Untitled 10_2015
What is your
dream project?
Maybe a
fresco, a really large one that I can work directly onto a wall, for a month
straight...
Where would
you like to be in 5 years?
Same place.
If your work
was a:
Song, it
would be…
This song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvuMc_4pvg
and this song at the same time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvuMc_4pvg
and this song at the same time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvuMc_4pvg
Smell, it
would be…
Probably
turps and paint, to be honest, they dry really slowly, but if I’m being poetic
then maybe something Smokey, like wet wood burning?
Meal, it
would be…
Something you
push around on a plate because you aren’t hungry.
Animal, it
would be…
Coral.
Youtube
video, it would be…
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