I met Joe Whyte about a year ago through the wonderful National Emerging Art Prize - we were both finalists and he was the overall winner. Joe, a quiet Victorian, paints streetscapes and buildings and the romance of the glow of afternoon to early evening light like an absolute magician.
Having now encountered his work in other settings - the Salon de Refuses, for example, his style has lodged firmly in my mind. Sometimes when I'm walking around in the actual world, I see "Joe Whyte light" and the streets of Sydney or Melbourne are like one of his paintings. These paintings are so real, solid and full of structural integrity; the only uncanny element is their lack of humans which has a calming effect. His new body of work, Roma, is based on Italian streets so while they may feel a little less familiar, it sure does feel nice to be transported to Italy.
Joe Whyte in action. Image: supplied
Joe Whyte is the 45th in my series of creatives to take five questions.
When my creative process is stuck, I reach for... a paintbrush. I used to wait till inspiration hit. But that just led to a lot of waiting.
Whereas I eventually found if I just start painting SOMETHING, even something crappy, then pretty soon the ideas will start flowing. And next thing you know you’re six hours in, brimming with inspiration, immersed in the whole creative process.
If I’m REALLY stuck though, sometimes I’ll just leave the studio and go for a bike ride. It’s amazing how much of the inspiration for my work has come about whilst cycling the streets of Melbourne.
The weirdest thing about being a creative human is... just the fact that you can having a normal day, when something random catches your eye, or triggers some connection in the brain, and in a heartbeat you are in ‘painter mode’.
You may be mid-conversation, or out with friends when you suddenly notice some beautiful light or an interesting composition. And suddenly that is ALL that matters. The world just sort of falls away.
Also, the hours we keep. You've got to work when that inspiration hits, even if it is 3am.
The most unusual object in my house is... OK well I don’t feel it’s weird, but others are somewhat weirded out by my anatomy collection.
Replica anatomical skeletal models, so many anatomy books, countless drawings and studies of human anatomy, as well as a ram skull complete with horns, which has made an appearance in multiple paintings. Nothing too crazy.
I celebrate my achievements by... To be honest I don’t really celebrate them. There is always a new project to work on, a new artistic avenue to explore.
I will take a little time off to recharge the batteries and hang out with friends, but then I just get back to work.
I’m not sure if this is the healthiest approach, it might be better to stop and smell the roses every now and then. But at the same time, being lucky enough to be in a position where I can go back into the studio and work every day IS a reward.
Something in the world that already exists that I wish I had created is... Vermeer’s Woman in Blue Reading Letter.
If I had painted that I could retire happy now, safe in the knowledge that I had mastered painting.
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