Remy Faint
@remy.faint
Painting / Mixed Media
Favourite song to get down to
Funkadelic - Can You Get To That
How did you get your start as an artist?
I come from an artistic family, so I’ve always been surrounded aspects of creativity. I actually started getting into film photography at first which then translated my approach later into more painting/mixed media assemblage kind of stuff. From then enrolling to UNSW Art and Design last year, I focused my efforts into refining and expanding an artistic language and process that I hope to further develop.
Name some projects/ collaborations you’re are currently working on and how these came about.
Studying at UNSW Art and Design pretty much takes up most of my time at the moment, but there’s some projects with the university’s Creative Collective involving mural works on the main campus which should be fun.
Describe some of your favourite past works, and what made them meaningful.
I’ve recently got into ceramics while studying at university, and I’ve really enjoyed learning a new skill and the three dimensional way of thinking when creating works. It’s really helped complement my painting process in terms of thinking about the physicality of the medium and viewer experience, thinking about the work objectively rather than a window into a scene or other world. Learning new things and getting hands-on in the studio is really fulfilling.
Tell us a little bit about your creative process.
I’m very instinctual but I am always seeking a sense of equilibrium in my work. It usually starts with layering textures and tones to build up a sort of atmosphere and then let it evolve until I feel it’s right. I can be quite specific in what my initial vision may be, but I found that if I let it progress on its own I end up with a more natural result.
What themes do you explore in your work?
My process fluctuates between spontaneity and recreation of surfaces. In some ways this has stemmed from my photographic background in terms of capturing moments and experiences. I describe most of my paintings as visual landscapes that explore sensory stimulus’ in response to sounds, textures and my experiences to my initial environment. Recently I’ve been looking into the spatial relationships of painting mediums and exploring concepts relating to the viewer’s experience.
Can you talk about your online presence?
I can’t say that I’m particularly social-media savvy, but I do use Instagram quite a bit for documenting my work as well as exploring others’ as well. I really like it for that reason as well as for getting inspiration or just seeing what other people are up to.
How do you view the role of social media to artistic practice?
I think it’s a good platform to get your work out to a wide audience when you think about how many people have say Facebook or Instagram. In some ways, it’s become the new portfolio for an individual but I’m slightly intrigued in what the future of social media and technology has on the arts in general.
What are some other artists you love?
Some Sydney-based artists: VJ and digital artist passive_kneeling, Jasper Powrie, Nakisha Jamieson, Jason Farrow. Also Mathew Allen, Dale Frank and Kika Kiradi.
What does the future hold for you? Which upcoming collaborations/projects are you most excited about and how do you see your practice developing?
I’m developing a body of work and hoping to collaborate with other artists and friends who work in more digital, video-based work. I think it would be an interesting dichotomy between the mediums as well as a challenge for me as well. I’m also looking at site-specific residency and exchange as part of my course.
