Local artist BRENTON SEE has his second solo show this year, Super Predator, at Kurb Gallery in Northbridge from July 6 – 12. we talk to him about his inspiration for his new show, his painting process and the burgeoning Perth art scene. It was inspiration from his mother that began Brenton See’s love of drawing and it was his formative years at school that saw it flourish into a talent.
“My mother was always involved with art and craft and often volunteered at my school. I was always a shy child growing up and didn’t fit in with the sporty kids, so sitting at a table with a pencil made me comfortable. After finishing school I then ventured into Graphic Design, Tattooing and Sign writing. I soon discovered that I wanted the freedom to express myself through my own work and my own style which has come from all three areas.”
See soon noticed a style emerge that would dominate his work. “I developed a love for watercolours and traditional tattoo flash. I had always loved the simplicity of the designs and soon developed my own way of painting. I decided to start working on wood for a change and discovered I couldn’t use watercolours and keep the intensity of colour. I made the switch to acrylics and found I could get the same effect but keep the vibrancy to my work.”
This vibrancy is on full display in his new show. “Super Predator was inspired by my love of wildlife documentaries but especially David Attenborough’s series. In my eyes the things we do and experience in our everyday life, animals can relate in their own way. Each piece represents a feeling, struggle or experience myself and many others have had before. I try to concentrate on the relationship between predator and prey and the difference between being harmless and harmful.”
The new show is indicative of his creative process. “My pieces have a continuity to them as far as using my fine line work and dot work. I also choose a set of 5 colours over a period of 5 months to work with. This means that even though the image changes between pieces of colour, there is still a flow. When I design a piece, I want it to be enjoyable to look at close and from afar. This is why I paint a lot of animal heads as there is so many ways to create a visual experience just by adding a change in colour or line work.”
See finds himself in a local arts scene that he believes is not only growing within the city but also globally. “I think the Perth art scene is doing better and better every day. The amount of Perth artists that are known around the world by their work now is insane. I think artists should not forget where they started and keep it local as much as they can. Nowadays I try to interact as much as I can with other Perth up and coming artists and share some of my own knowledge with them about what I’ve been through and what to look out for. We need to help each other as much as we can as Perth is small but it doesn’t have to be cradled.
