A big collection of small works.
'Big Whoop is a response to the general ‘enshittification' of things at the moment - politics, the environment and ‘cozzie livs'. It feels so overwhelming at times, like everything is going downhill, but we can only change what we can change, so I thought what can I do? How can I address these issues through an exhibition? So, I curated a series of happy and exuberant paintings to bring some joy into people's day to day lives. A collection of smaller, more affordable works that are more accessible to people in the current economic climate. Repurposing materials that would have been sent to landfill, but instead have made into something beautiful. Little pieces that aspire to bring some joy and happiness into the world during times of uncertainty. An attempt to brighten peoples lives both literally and figuratively.'
Liam’s work is the evolution of his lifelong habit of doodling. Vast repetition and an innate understanding of colour create a sense of oddity which is both sophisticated and childlike.
Your collection has come together beautifully, is there one piece in particular that stands out to you and why?
Thank you! There are a couple of little pieces that stand out- We Dance Alone and Tentative Decisions. These and others were a bit of a practice in painting with a restricted palette. Not something I'm known for! Once I'd completed my background I put two colours and white on the palette and completed the painting using just these. I'm really happy with how they turned out and that they don't look in any way limited colour-wise. Maybe sometimes less is more.
Big Whoop - what a fun name for a collection of works and exhibition. Is there a story about how the name came to be?
It is fun! I always try to name my exhibitions with a fun title and preferably just two words. Misery Guts, Strawberry Choc-top, Yeah Nah, Goose Lagoon etc. Not really sure why - I think the first couple were two words so I've just ran with it ever since. So Big Whoop (pronounced with the 'oo' as in foot) is something my siblings and I would say to each other to try and annoy each other. It's like saying 'so what, big deal' but more dismissive. It was a particularly fun saying to say; just another expression in a wide assortment used daily to try and take each other down, piss each other off and assert our position in the family. We do love each other though!
What do you hope people will feel or take away when experiencing your work, particularly this exhibition?
Hopefully people feel a sense of fun and joy and happiness when experiencing my work. I really like the idea that people can look at them repeatedly and see new things. That they are continually rediscovering them. I'm really looking forward to seeing all these little works hung together - hopefully people see the love and care I put into them. As always some of them were easy and some were a struggle but I'm really happy with them all. I used a new material in framing some of the works - I salvaged some timber beams and chopped them up, I'm looking forward to seeing what people think of this as well.
What is your process when tackling a series of small works?
It's not too different to doing a series of larger works, however I tend to complete them in batches. So I'll pull out half a dozen or so canvases and work these through from start to finish, then pop them away and start a new batch. In a way this little batch is connected together in some way - they may share some colours from a mixed palette or be in a similar style etc. You could probably look through the exhibition and pick out some of these batches.
How are you spending the holiday season this year?
We're lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful spots in Australia (in my opinion anyway!). Port Fairy over summer is a great place to be, there's a reason it's packed with tourists, so we'll stick around here for the holidays. My wife and I are both from large families so Christmases are always chaotic with cousins, presents, barbecues, one-eyed French Bulldogs, beers, competitive backyard cricket and toddler tantrums.
Other than that there'll be lots of time spent at the beach. Usually (hopefully) multiple swims a day, early morning, maybe a pre-lunch one followed by a sandy barefoot trip to IGA for some lunch supplies, then a swim after dinner is a great way to end the day.
Explore Liam’s Collection here
