Self-taught or art school?
I guess I go into the self-taught category. When I was younger (much younger) I was focused on training as an animator, so I study intensively, also doing life drawing to learn about figurative drawing and human anatomy. I took a detour after realising that there weren’t many opportunities in animation – at least not in Australia, where I grew up. For the next twenty-plus years, I devoted my time in (graphic) design – working across advertising, branding and digital media.
About four years ago I took back to doing art and have slowly let it consume my time to where I am now a full-time artist.
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
Quite hard to decide – there’s so many. I guess I could only pick one it would probably be The Rose, Cy Twombly (2008). I saw it for the first time in LA at the Broad Museum and it blew me away. I could stare at it for ages.
How would you describe your style?
I’ve recently become fond of describing my work as ‘happy propaganda’ – although most people would classify it as pop art in style. The difference to me is pop art fetished over consumerism, whereas my work, mostly political in nature, attacks consumerism.
Can you tell us about your artistic process?
I work in different disciplines which include screen printing, painting and sculpture (although less sculpture). I’m keen to bring all the disciplines together. For my next collection, I really want to experiment more with galvanising silk screen printing with painting.
Is narrative important within your work?
Most definitely. My goal is to create iconic and memorable pieces, with a strong focus on storytelling. I apply style and the use of often unusual visuals to draw your attention to the narrative of the work.
Who are your favourite artist and why?
I have a love affair with the myriad of artists who painted and design propaganda posters for Mao Zedong’s Chinese Communist Party from 1949 to his death in 1979. The iconic red and black silkscreen prints are awe-inspiring and the colours used often in the painted landscape are truly breathtaking.
What or who inspires your art?
Broadly speaking, anything that gets me frustrated and anger is what inspires my artwork. For Rich Enough to be Batman, the idea was born out of frustration working in luxury branding and being exposed to immense wealth. I thought to myself, if I had billions (or even millions) I would get more pleasure using money to do good rather than flaunt, and waste, it on hedonistic pleasures. In Masks of Fear, I used my frustration to illustrate the shift in politics where biases and fear become policies for the new world order. In Portrait of Heroes, I became frustrated by the political agenda of Trump America and of Brexit which drew support on the idea of returning to a past ideal from chanting “Make [America/Briton] Great Again” and asked the question has there ever been a time in history that is better than the present?
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
I recently moved to a new studio which I managed to convert into my own gallery as well. It’s split over two floors. You enter through the gallery where, where my assistant/Studio Manager works and then if you go downstairs it opens up into my studio – from which several other rooms break off from, including, exposure and wash out room, storage, kitchen and large bathroom.
Do you have any studio rituals?
Play music really loud. Otherwise, work on stuff that takes my fancy during that day.
You can view more of Kane’s work at Leontia Gallery
