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Blurred Lines: Merging Art Genres in Far North Queensland

Ruby Fritz
Write About Art 5
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It is hard not to chuckle when one sees the clever title of a 2010 publication by the Queensland Artworkers Alliance: So you want to be an artist & still be able to eat? But for those familiar with the realities of an emerging artist in the industry, the humour soon dissipates and an enduring question arises: would an artist sacrifice conceptual individuality in order to gain social and financial recognition? I decided to investigate the issue at hand in my hometown of Cairns, Far North Queensland (FNQ).

Some academics in the field argue that a definite line separates commercial and fine arts—each of which have varying purposes. Fine art is known to convey a message, present an atmosphere or stimulate deep reflection through the viewer’s individual interpretation; commercial art often has the opposite intent. Driven by modern conventions, commercial art can be superficial and mass-produced, appealing to the larger clientele and often referred to as ‘pretty pictures’. Cairns artist Paul Giudice, whose works are regularly exhibited at the local Red Chair Gallery, defines commercial art as ‘appealing to as wide a market as possible’. Despite funding and support that has developed over recent years in response to growing concern for emerging artists, some may feel the need to compromise their individuality for the current consumer demand. Ingrid Hoffmann, Gallery Director of KickArts Contemporary Arts, explains: ‘[Commercial works] are generally unimaginative and predictable, in that they reproduce the clichéd motifs of ‘the tropics’ … in tired ways’.

It is the region’s rich culture and diverse sites that have attracted and inspired artists for decades. Rather than merely copying outward appearances, however, many works of art produced are vibrant reflections embellished... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline

Mollie Bosworth, A meditation on light, 2013. Cyanotype on porcelain, 50 tiles at 140mm square. From Sentinels 145° 38’14.17” E, 16° 50’ 08.63” S.

Mollie Bosworth, A meditation on light, 2013. Cyanotype on porcelain, 50 tiles at 140mm square. From Sentinels 145° 38’14.17” E, 16° 50’ 08.63” S. 

Sasi Victoire, Wish tree, 2013. Woodcut, 1800 x 1200mm. From Sentinels 145° 38’14.17” E, 16° 50’ 08.63” S. Images courtesy KickArts Contemporary Arts, Cairns.

Sasi Victoire, Wish tree, 2013. Woodcut, 1800 x 1200mm. From Sentinels 145° 38’14.17” E, 16° 50’ 08.63” S. Images courtesy KickArts Contemporary Arts, Cairns.