Tim Storrier

1024 Words3 Pages

(1949-)

Tim Storrier was born in Sydney Australia in 1949. He spent his early childhood on his family's sheep station at Umagarlee, near Wellington, NSW. His mother and grandmother were interested in art, and he would draw a lot. He drew military heroes and rural subjects such as woolsheds. At the age of ten he went to boarding school in Sydney, where he spent a lot of time in the art room, painting under the influence of his teacher Ross Doig. Storrier attended the National Art School from 1967-1969.

Storrier is a contemporary artist. He has used non-traditional artforms, incorporating different artstyles into the one artwork. He challenges the audiences comfort zone by depicting carcasses.

Tim Storrier's artworks have been influenced by his childhood memories, dreams and myths of the Australian outback, country life, his travels to the outback, his travels to Egypt, and Dutch seascapes. Dutch artist Theo Kuijpers, English artists Constable and Turner, French artists Delacroix and Gericault, and Australian artists Russel Drysdale and Sydney Nolan have influenced Storrier's artwork as well.

Tim Storrier goes about creating his artwork as follows. He travels to a sight, for example, the Australian bush and he commits what he sees, feels, and experiences to memory. He paints and creates his artworks when he returns to his studio. They are his personal response to the spirit of the location. He does not sketch or record notes whilst he is travelling, although he does take polaroid photographs. He takes photos of the same thing at different times of the day, resulting in his artworks having atmospheric effects of sunrise and sunsets. When Storrier did roleplays, dressing up for heroic roles, like a spy for example, he took photos to record himself as well.

Upon returning to his studio Storrier picks a photograph that can be associated in a variety of ways. He makes works similar in subject matter, but which give different overall impressions. 'I never work from photographic documents. The little polaroids are just mental records. I paint pictures about, not from, photographs.' He explores the concept, and makes preliminary sketches and small studies of his ideas to decide the colour and tone. He chooses the size to make his artwork oncer he has his idea.

Tim Storrier uses a variety of media in his artworks. He uses acrylics and oils, but likes acrylics more as they are quicker to work with, and it is easer to correct mistakes.

Open Document