Open the Doors of Curiosity
Step into a vibrant story where curiosity reigns supreme, creativity flourishes, and hope remains our constant companion.
Imagine a childhood where history books were as thrilling as comic books. As a child, I devoured stories like that of Fionn MacCumhail, the Irish warrior who gained superhuman knowledge from a bite of the Salmon of Knowledge. These tales sparked a lifelong fascination with myth and its power to illuminate the human experience. Curiosity fuels my art, where I explore the resonance of ancient Irish myths in our modern world.
As a child of Ireland and now a citizen of Australia, my artistic tapestry is woven from a rich blend of cultures. Living on the traditional lands of the GuriNgai and Darug people, I pay my respects to their ancestors and acknowledge their connection to this land.
Influenced by Imagination and Critical Reflection
I’m also influenced by:
- Comic books: I devoured comics like The Beano, Dandy, 2000AD and more as a child and rediscovered them as ‘graphic novels’ later in life. The Sandman, Hellboy, Plastic Forks, the list goes on. You can’t beat a comic for the ultimate in visual storytelling, entertainment and an immersion in the ‘what if’ of fiction.
- Science fiction and magical realism: Haruki Murakami, Flann O’Brien, James SA Corey, and Becky Chambers are all writers who entertain, captivate and present a different way of looking at the world
- Poetry: Padraig O’Tuama, Seamus Heaney, Anne Casey
- Street art: Shepard Fairey, Banksy, Os Gemeos
- Music: Brian Eno, Biosphere, Myles O’Reilly
- Storytellers, researchers and explorers: Blindboy Boatclub, Manchan Magan, Dr Martin Shaw, Billy Mag Fhlionn, Dr Marrion McGarry, Dr Jenny Butler
- Over thirty years of professional design practice.
- The tension between digital technology’s potential for connectivity and empowerment and its ability to commoditise your attention
- The deep, timeless canon of Irish myth and folklore
- You
The way we engage with the world shapes it and ourselves. My art reflects a commitment to curiosity, creativity and hope A critical lens is essential, but so is the recognition of the inherent good in humanity and our potential to rise above.
Enjoy a Creative Pause
We navigate a world filled with distractions, their seductive promises and misdirection numbing our senses and stealing our creative spark. Imagine the constant tug-of-war: the relentless pull of algorithms vying for your attention while your potential for creative transformation fights for expression.
My art carves out small spaces, tiny moments of pause and reflection. Every drawing is a magical act of hope, a bridge built from nothing, an illusion brought to life through our shared imagination.
Step onto an upward spiral
What if, instead of passively consuming, we fueled our curiosity with questions that propelled us on a journey of creative enlightenment? Imagine ourselves not as passive bystanders but as engaged creative beings, actively exploring and shaping our world through the lens of our collective vision. This is the artist’s path, an upward spiral of exploration and discovery.
Immerse Yourself In Unfolding Discovery
Whenever I set out to make an artwork, I embark on a deep immersion into a subject. It could be a story, an old tradition, something playing out in our daily experience – often a thing that passes by without notice. Until you look and look again, a little closer.
My interests and experiences overlap. I’ve practised drawing seriously in various ways since I was a teenager. Threads of DNA from thirty-plus years of commercial award-winning design practice inform my drawing style:
- I work on a small scale, drawing in hardcover Moleskine notebooks because they are portable, so I can keep them nearby.
- Small-scale artworks are also easy to hang or to display on a desk. They lend themselves to creating small portals of creative vision in your setting of choice.
- Working in black and white enables me to create graphic compositions that draw the eye in. I craft intricate detail and linework that captivates with super-fine pens.
- A postcard-sized drawing can take months to complete. A drawing is the fruit of a tree. The work of that tree is to spread its roots, seek the most fertile soil, connect with the underworld and continually grow and evolve as the wheel of life turns.
- You’re invited into the process to feed your curiosity, enjoy a connection with creativity or influence my art explorations.
Take Time to Connect
A rhizome is an underground plant stem that sends roots and shoots from its nodes. They grow horizontally and can also form new upward shoots. Any point of a rhizome can connect to another. Rhizomes are a continually growing and evolving network that seeks new connections. Rhizomatic thinking involves making ceaseless and ongoing connections. My artistic journey is a string of connections with mythic stories, critical thinking and the pleasure of making something new in an ever-expanding multiverse of timelines and possibilities.
Nourish Your Creative Instinct
My art isn’t just something you hang on a wall, or share on social media. It’s a different way of seeing, a portal to another world of potential, a wellspring of creative nourishment. Take a pause and reconnect with this essential part of yourself.
You’ll enjoy arresting images that capture your attention, inviting you to look again. My imagery is familiar yet somewhat quirky, like something you notice at the edge of your vision, the corner of your eye. They are little portals into a liminal space where you can ask yourself.
- Where am I in this drawing?
- What’s happening here?
- What am I noticing?
- What magic will I make today?
Commission a piece
Collaborate with me to create a one-of-a-kind artwork that speaks directly to you. As your artist in residence, I’ll guide you through a bespoke process to create an artwork that will give you a lifetime of pleasure, a connection with your creativity and a touchstone to inspire conversations and reflection. You’ll enjoy:
- A collaborative Process: We’ll work together to define your vision, from the initial concept to the final piece.
- Personalised Options: Choose your desired size to integrate into your space. We’ll also agree on themes and inspirations as unique as you are.
- An artistic odyssey: Stay involved with the creative journey through regular updates and the chance to provide input and inspiration.
Contact me for a consultation to bring your dream artwork to life.
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Ask a question, make a suggestion or propose a collaboration. I’ll do my best to reply in person as quickly as possible. Contact Anthony
My art invites you to become part of an unfolding story where the doors of curiosity are thrown open,
Past projects
Reading Is… A project that asked the question, “What does reading mean to you?” 2014-15
Goodness You I invited people to commission mail art for others doing good in their world, 2013
Project 52 52 people shared an object that inspired 52 artworks, 2011 – 2012
A Walk in That Park Mike Featherstone commissioned an artwork that responded to his writing, 2023
Cultivating Hope: Art for an Innovative Workplace, a talk about change, with art for Woolies X, 2023