#mark davey

Rob invites his audience to be active cultural participants and engage with his work using an open and critical mind. He says “representation, abstraction and symbolism are used to explore ideas about self, the psyche, identity, duality, memory, place, disconnection and/or alienation…All of my work is meaningful to me, as it results from responses to the world around me.” Despite this, the representative nature of his work lends itself to a more a subjective interpretation.

In his less abstract work he has experimented with genres such as still life, self-portraiture and landscape. His self-portraiture often feature layered, surreal elements, with hints of cubism much like his earlier architectural interpretations.

He is influenced by nature as well as built landscapes and space, and says “Where you live and the places you visit always have some influence on how you see (and re-see) the world.” Rob has lived, worked and travelled but he’s “called Brisbane home for a little over 20 years [and] the light, colours and patterns in many of the landscapes in Queensland have always intrigued him.”

One important facet of Rob’s creative journey is his persistence in finding new ways to explore ideas and his courage to be bold about their representations. Throughout his work, he draws attention to our default cognitive settings, encouraging us to be judicious and fluid in our thinking.

“Perceptions of art are very subjective. And succeeding as an artist depends on what you define as success. I don’t think you ever reach a point where you need to stop achieving goals as an artist. There are always new ones to achieve, such as re-thinking how it is you use the media you work with (e.g. acrylics, pencil, collage, etc.) and how you tackle the subjects that interest you. Persistence and resilience are essential skills that will help an artist achieve his/her goals. Success for me personally comes from sticking at it, while knowing that you might fail at times. The art world is very subjective, and success means many different things to different people. If you are happy in what you do and it connects with some other people, then you are succeeding.”

Embodiment of the growth mindset is arguably one of the most important things for an artist and Rob is a great example of this. Psychology often frames mindset in one of two ways: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. The latter being more favourable because it assumes a fluid opinion of intelligence and sees failure as part of growth, facilitating development and potential success.

“My philosophy as an artist is based on being willing to experiment with different forms of art-making and therefore accepting that you will sometimes fail in your attempts.  Be resilient and persistent. Keep learning and challenging yourself. Success builds on hits as well as near misses. Someone once said that an important part of being an artist involved being willing to make mistakes – you will have become an artist when you know which mistakes to keep.”

  If you want more info on Rob and his work find him here:

Website – Robert Andrews

Email: [email protected]

    Another artist that lets his creativity fuel his growth is Logan artist, Mark Davey. Although he is known for his paintings, Mark doesn’t like to restrict himself creatively. He dabbles in mixing media, adding found objects, drawing, wood sculpture, photography, writing poetry even trying his hand at music despite admitting he isn’t very good at it. It doesn’t matter though, his creative journey is what matters to him. This kind of liberation, the freedom to express ourselves without reservation is something we seem to have forgotten how to do.

“The more I put into my art the more I get out of it. Practice and experimentation are the best ways to learn, just attack it, no restrictions, it is a never ending obsession.”

  Mark Davey Acrylic Abstract

This liberating mindset is evident in his work. Mark’s playful abstracts and expressive landscapes feature sweeping, fluid brushstrokes that tell of his confidence to let go of his self- criticism and doubt. Something he earned after more than 20 years creating. And because of this his “style changes and evolves regularly, [he’s] constantly experimenting.”

Mark Davey in his studio

Mark said he is conscious of not being restrictive about the sources of his inspiration, but since he often finds solace in his back yard and the environment around him, it is often featured in his work. In his previous post, he said “There are so many things to paint locally, I am making the most of it while I can, at the same time pointing out the beauty in the area.”

Mark Davey beach cityscape

Having painted in excess of two thousand paintings during his career, Mark’s art has become his way of life. Every crevice of his house is filled with colour, his creativity fuels his ambition and gives him a reason to grow and express himself.

“The further I get the more the thirst and passion grows. Anything is possible in the future. A gallery director once told me I was the kind of artist to become notorious.”

Mark Davey abstract

Get in contact with Mark:

Via email [email protected]

Instagram – Mark Davey

Facebook – Mark Davey

  You can catch both Rob Andrews and Mark Davey at Miami Marketta exhibiting a range of works.

Miami Marketta – 23 Hillcrest Parade, Miami, Queensland 4220

Find all the details on the Facebook event page .

Art Exhibition Ménage à Trois 

A video for Gallery Nosco by Genius & Mary in collaboration with Giacomo Mantovani of Avant-Garde Pictures. 

Creative Direction/Producer: Mimi Haleyi

Director/Producer/Editor: Giacomo Mantovani