Untitled (2014) ink on paper
Was having a public profile as an actor an
advantage or disadvantage in embarking on
an artistic career?
It was helpful to start showing in the UK where
I'm pretty unknown. Having celebrity in another
field is obviously a useful springboard in terms of
getting press etc, but unless you can back it up
with work it will ultimately be a negative thing.
Acting is a collaborative medium, while art is
more of an individual pursuit. Do you find
that more creatively fulfilling?
I'm a fairly solitary person by nature so I enjoy
working with others from time to time, but if I
could a making a living staying home and
painting that's probably what I'd do.
Much of your work is expressed through ink
on paper. What appeals to you about using
this medium?
I have a show this year at Lindberg Gallery in
Melbourne, around April I believe, and it will
mostly be oil on canvas, mostly new and a few
larger older pieces. I love painting with oils but it
takes a long time and I often mess up, which Is
frustrating and expensive. I found with ink I could
work furiously fast and unconsciously and
complete maybe fifty pieces in the time it would
take to do one small painting. I love the simplicity
of ink on paper and it instantly gives the work a
cohesive feel, almost like a single panel comic
strip. It's time to do something else now though
for a while, but I'll always go back to ink.
The sparse landscape of Australia, and
images from Australian history, often feature
in your work. Would you say that your art has
a specifically Australian character?
I wouldn't say the images are specifically set in
Australia but I guess you can't help but be