{"id":643,"date":"2012-03-23T10:53:26","date_gmt":"2012-03-23T00:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=643"},"modified":"2012-03-23T10:53:26","modified_gmt":"2012-03-23T00:53:26","slug":"artchat-blog-interview-number-9-%e2%80%93-mel-brigg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=643","title":{"rendered":"ArtChat [Blog Interview Number 9] \u2013 Mel Brigg"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb_share_1\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px;\"><a name=\"fb_share\" type=\"icon_link\" share_url=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=643\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php\">Share<\/a><\/div><div><script src=\"http:\/\/static.ak.fbcdn.net\/connect.php\/js\/FB.Share\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><\/div><p>This month we present an insight into the life and world of internationally acclaimed artist Mel Brigg.\u00a0<strong> <\/strong>Mel will show his latest collection in April in a major exhibition titled<a title=\"MB\" href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\/MelBrigg2012.html\" target=\"_blank\">\u00a0<strong>\u201cBeyond The Realms\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; a compelling look at the artist and his work. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mel Brigg is a self-taught, professional artist who commenced his painting career in 1970. As well as having exhibited in England, Portugal and Singapore, he has had numerous solo and joint exhibitions in South Africa and Australia. His collections of works are held by numerous major international companies worldwide plus several South African Embassies as well as the Queensland State Government.<\/p>\n<p>Mel is a great supporter of various international charities including <a href=\"http:\/\/www.care.org.au\/\" target=\"_blank\">Care Australia<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldwildlife.org\/home-full.html\" target=\"_blank\">World Wildlife Trust<\/a>,\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wildlife.org.au\/about\/affiliates\/index.html \" target=\"_blank\">Wildlife presentation Society of QLD<\/a>, to name just a few.\u00a0 Mel\u2019s artwork was used for the main promotional material during the visit to Australia by Pope\u00a0Benedict IX\u00a0for the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mackillopfoundation.org.au\/\" target=\"_blank\">Mary MacKillop Foundation<\/a>.\u00a0 Mel was the founder of the Swellendam Art Society in South Africa.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThis current collection can only be described as hauntingly beautiful.\u00a0 When you view a painting by Mel Brigg you are drawn into the subject, thereby discovering the powerful message that the artist is portraying. This exhibition has exceeded all my expectations of this very talented artist with his diverse selection of\u00a0subject\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><em>Margaret Campbell-Ryder,\u00a0Director, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.redhillgallery.com.au\" target=\"_blank\">Red Hill Gallery<br \/>\n<\/a><\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?attachment_id=646\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-646\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-646\" title=\"Mel Brigg Exhibiting April 2012 at Red Hill Gallery\" src=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/MelBrigg2.jpg\" alt=\"Mel Brigg Exhibiting April 2012 at Red Hill Gallery\" width=\"800\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/MelBrigg2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/MelBrigg2-300x111.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"mceTemp mceIEcenter\">\n<dl id=\"attachment_646\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 810px;\">\n<dd class=\"wp-caption-dd\">Mel Brigg Exhibiting April 2012 at Red Hill Gallery<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>AC:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 What inspires you to create<\/strong>?<strong><br \/>\nMB:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The excitement at seeing a blank canvass develop into something many may enjoy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AC:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 In three words describe your art.<br \/>\nMB:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hopefully, thought provoking landscapes&#8230;..sorry that\u2019s 4<\/p>\n<p><strong>AC:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do you spend your leisure time?<br \/>\nMB:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>With family and good friends chatting and enjoying fine food. Mowing 1,5 acres of lawn, that one see&#8217;s growing as\u00a0I mow!<\/p>\n<p><strong>AC: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Who is your role model or person you most admire?<br \/>\nMB:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Vincent van Gogh had the most horrific life but continued to create masterpieces (and my wife, because without her\u00a0I\u00a0would have no ears)<\/p>\n<p><strong>AC:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Share something with us about yourself that we don\u2019t know.<br \/>\nMB:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>My Father was absolutely against me painting as a career\u00a0and because\u00a0I\u00a0persisted, I was alienated for some\u00a0years.\u00a0\u00a0I was a troop leader in the\u00a0Boy\u00a0Scouts,\u00a0a gunner in the South African Navy, a dairy farmer, an olive farmer, had a gift shop and weaving factory and bred my own Angora goats for their hair!<\/p>\n<p>Ran an illegal pre-school for 120 African kids, during the Apartheid era&#8230;..fostered kids from <a href=\" http:\/\/saintgeorges.wordpress.com\/2008\/08\/12\/13\/\" target=\"_blank\">St George&#8217;s\u00a0Boys\u00a0Home in Johannesburg. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>I was also involved in the rehabilitation and welfare of ex of prisoners from Polsmor\u00a0Prison in Cape Town.<\/p>\n<p>Was actively involved in the organisation called Parents Of The Detainees &#8230;&#8230;.looking after African families whose breadwinners were incarcerated for so called crimes against the state.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AC:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 What music do you listen to while you create?<br \/>\nMB:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A<\/strong>nything &#8230;..except those screeching opera singers, and country music about their horse that died !\u00a0(AC: We hear you!)<\/p>\n<p><strong>AC:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 What was the last book you enjoyed?<br \/>\nMB:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A novel on the Rhodesian war called&#8230;&#8230;.. &#8216;Let&#8217;s Not Go To The Dogs Tonight&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><strong>AC:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 What does your art mean to you?<br \/>\nMB:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Everything,\u00a0I\u00a0cannot imagine life without painting!\u00a0I\u00a0am in a constant artistic blur!\u00a0(So my wife and kids tell me.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>AC:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In your work there is often a circle around a figure. Can you tell us what this represents?<br \/>\nMB:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It highlights that person, his feelings of angst, arriving in a new strange land, and being different, as if in the spotlight, and being scrutinised by the locals\u00a0(myself included.)\u00a0\u00a0 Until\u00a0I\u00a0discovered the SWANS&#8230;&#8230; the MAGPIES- ETC were not in fact endangered birdlife!<\/p>\n<p><strong>AC:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 You were born in South Africa, what made you decide to make Australia your home?<br \/>\nMB:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Most law abiding people would leave if they could&#8230;it was the hardest decision\u00a0I\u2019ve ever had to make in my life, but we saw no future there for our children.<\/p>\n<p>But, I know now,&#8230;..the best decision\u00a0I\u2019ve ever made&#8230;&#8230;this is our home!<\/p>\n<p>THANK YOU AUSTRALIA<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_645\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?attachment_id=645\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-645\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-645\" class=\"size-full wp-image-645\" title=\"Mel Brigg - Exhibition April 2012 at Red Hill Gallery\" src=\"http:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/MelBrigg.jpg\" alt=\"Mel Brigg - Exhibition April 2012 at Red Hill Gallery\" width=\"800\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/MelBrigg.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/MelBrigg-300x124.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-645\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mel Brigg - Exhibition April 2012 at Red Hill Gallery<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"al2fb_like_button\"><div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n(function(d, s, id) {\n  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;\n  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n  js.src = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=499790883388518\";\n  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n}(document, \"script\", \"facebook-jssdk\"));\n<\/script>\n<fb:like href=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=643\" send=\"true\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" share=\"false\" width=\"150\" action=\"recommend\" font=\"arial\" colorscheme=\"light\" ref=\"AL2FB\"><\/fb:like><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ShareThis month we present an insight into the life and world of internationally acclaimed artist Mel Brigg.\u00a0 Mel will show his latest collection in April in a major exhibition titled\u00a0\u201cBeyond The Realms\u201d\u00a0&#8211; a compelling look at the artist and his &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/?p=643\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=643"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5042,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643\/revisions\/5042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artchat.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}