artist's statement

I like nothing better than watching animals in their natural world. In my art I am concerned with the astonishing complexity of the biological world, and capturing that fleeting existence on paper. I record the beauty and significance of the world around me, and those qualities which give pleasure to the senses.

I despise apathy, a trait lacking in emotion, enthusiasm, or interest in things generally. I have a passion for the natural world; my practice of illustrating this connection has been developing from an early age. Audiences sometimes describe my work as isolated, melancholy or lonely. In an effort to avoid ‘kitsch’ clichés I first began drawing animals isolated on the page, without background or context, this developed into a consistent aesthetic style in my work. The sense of loneliness created by this is not entirely deliberate; but perhaps my drawings are subconsciously influenced by my moods or the creature depicted. Like memorials to a war or statues worshipping gods and leaders, the work is a symbolic tribute to the myriad of creatures.

‘The gaze’ is often commented on in my work, i.e. the character consciously addresses (looks at) the viewer. What are they looking at? This engagement of the viewer provokes thought and connection with the image. Often in my studio I feel uncomfortable surrounded by a thousand eyes fixed on me, what is it I am suggesting by always having my subjects visually appraising my viewers? You certainly cannot easily ignore someone when they are staring at you, and seeing one of my motivations is to remind people of the natural world, its beauty and importance, this is very apt.

The manner in which I choose my subject matter often varies. Sometimes the animals I draw are purely out of aesthetic attraction. Recently I have begun choosing characters in a symbolic manner, for example to represent artists I find inspiring, such as ‘Frida’s Fawn’, a work inspired by a photograph by Nickolas Murray, which shows Frida Kahlo with the families pet Fawn, or ‘Rossetti’ whose hobby of collecting exotic animals led him to own a Llama and a toucan, such a comical pair I obviously could not resist. I am currently working on a body of work with symbolism inspired by contemporary politics and natural history; some of my biggest inspiration comes from the greats of science such as Alfred Russel Wallace, Charles Darwin and Stephen Jay Gould.

about the artist

Adair Imrie born in rural NSW in 1988, is a Sydney-based artist, working primarily with drawing and printmaking. She studied B. Fine Arts at The National Art School in 2009 and her fledgling career she has already contributed to a series of national and international art exhibitions. Her first international residency began May 2010 in Berlin, Germany, and she is already working on curating another big show in the German capital.

View my work or contact me.