January 20, 2015
ARTIST LINDSAY BLAMEY
Growing up in rural Australia and having a father who was passionate about photography played a big role in the life and work of Lindsay Blamey. The Melbourne-based artist creates fine art photographs that have a painterly quality. “I rarely stage my photographs, including the people I use,” Lindsay says. “My fine art works are made from photographs I take of ordinary objects that in the right light, at the right time, I find extraordinary. They’re generally from significant markers in my life such as my childhood.” Lindsay also creates more contemporary works using digital processes that incorporate scanned images of pieces found in vintage shops and markets. A series of contemporary landscapes called “Free Ways” are now exhibited online through Otomys.
Which five words best describe you? Creative, patient, emotive, father, dreamer.
How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? A desire to create images has been a constant in my life. This stems from my father always having a camera in his hand which would lead to our family’s famous “slide nights”. My first real job was as a printing machinist, which trained and developed my eye and knowledge of colour. The progression from here was into visual communication, and this improved my understanding of visual symmetry. It’s been a natural progression to combine these skills into my art which was bubbling away under the surface. The support of family and friends and their encouragement to pursue my dreams has allowed it to become a reality.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Life’s too short to idle.
What’s your proudest career achievement? Coming from a farm on the outskirts of a small country town having my work collected worldwide and featured in homes designed by some of Australia’s leading interior designers is very rewarding and quite humbling. However, I would say that fundamentally, I’m proud to have my children be proud of my work and, in turn, open a door to the creative world for them.
What’s been your best decision? To follow my instinct. Once I changed my perception from wanting to be an artist to actually being an artist things started to fall in place.
Who inspires you? My wife and children; my father and his photographs; rural childhood memories; the colours of nature; sunrise and twilight. Artists such as Andreas Gursky, Alex Prager, Jeffrey Smart, Hitchcock, Charles Blackman, Ansel Adams, Gregory Crewdson, Thom Yorke and Andy Goldsworthy - just to name a few - continue to inspire me.
What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about most things that enrich the senses: art, music, design. I can step into the NGV or NGA and become completely overwhelmed and awestruck. It always reignites my passion and creativity.
Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Rosalie Gascoigne.
What dream do you still want to fulfil? A road trip with a camera through Arizona and surrounds.
What are you reading? Being a visual person I don’t read as much as look at the pictures. Erwin Olaf Volume II and Where’s Wally.
images courtesy of lindsay blamey