My art explores the process of movement in society and humanity. My photomontage style is a process of production that tells a story of everyday life within the subject.
A word from an observer, Richard Sleeman, UK:
“Just like his art shows, Brett curates imagery through the face of iconic symbolism creating a microcosm within reality. Ashby plays with the standards of beauty to communicate savagely funny messages that tell his story, your story, our story or whatever you see it to be.”
My recent work involved the ideas of movement and capturing our physical actions represented as art. This has developed from interest in educational theories and projects involving community engagement. These have directly related back to my exploration of society and reality. The impact of others has shifted my thought process within artistic practice to further engage and elaborate on the thoughts and actions of society as a collective.
As a mixed media artist previously working as a professional producer and animator in commercial television, I have an understanding of media as a whole and have found that this experience has influenced my artistic development across the last 7 years. I have come to realise that my past experiences and work focus has been on studying the motion and potential energy of matter. From activities ranging from my strong engagement with state-level soccer right through to my work as an animator and my continued exploration of electronics and media technology.
New projects involve my study of what I once considered a hobby or a talent of mine to now being the device for my art and community awareness. In commercialised hobbies such as skateboarding and drumming I have found the rhythm and energy that connects artistic practice. This newfound method of connecting and engaging with society has informed my art.
“Exploration through present day realities, I document people, places and spaces through photography. Mixed media techniques lead to completed works on timber, pre-loved furniture, objects etc. Resin, oil and acrylics are found in my studio”... Brett Ashby.
Artist Australia, contemporary artist servicing
Alpine Shire Council
Ararat Rural City Council
Ballarat City Council
Banyule City Council
Bass Coast Shire Council
Baw Baw Shire Council
Bayside City Council
Benalla Rural City Council
Boroondara City Council
Brimbank City Council
Buloke Shire Council
Campaspe Shire Council
Cardinia Shire Council
Casey City Council
Central Goldfields Shire Council
Colac Otway Shire Council
Corangamite Shire Council
Darebin City Council
East Gippsland Shire Council
Frankston City Council
Gannawarra Shire Council
Glen Eira City Council
Glenelg Shire Council
Golden Plains Shire Council
Greater Bendigo City Council
Greater Dandenong City Council
Greater Geelong City Council
Greater Shepparton City Council
Hepburn Shire Council
Hindmarsh Shire Council
Hobsons Bay City Council
Horsham Rural City Council
Hume City Council
Indigo Shire Council
Kingston City Council
Knox City Council
Latrobe City Council
Loddon Shire Council
Macedon Ranges Shire Council
Manningham City Council
Mansfield Shire Council
Maribyrnong City Council
Maroondah City Council
Melbourne City Council
Melton City Council
Mildura Rural City Council
Mitchell Shire Council
Moira Shire Council
Monash City Council
Moonee Valley City Council
Moorabool Shire Council
Moreland City Council
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council
Mount Alexander Shire Council
Moyne Shire Council
Murrindindi Shire Council
Nillumbik Shire Council
Northern Grampians Shire Council
Port Phillip City Council
Pyrenees Shire Council
Borough of Queenscliffe
South Gippsland Shire Council
Southern Grampians Shire Council
Stonnington City Council
Strathbogie Shire Council
Surf Coast Shire Council
Swan Hill Rural City Council
Towong Shire Council
Wangaratta Rural City Council
Warrnambool City Council
Wellington Shire Council
West Wimmera Shire Council
Whitehorse City Council
Whittlesea City Council
Wodonga City Council
Wyndham City Council
Yarra City Council
Yarra Ranges Shire Council
Yarriambiack Shire Council
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
May, 2014 Nexus Modern Art
Jan, 2013 City of Casey Council Chambers
Mar, 2012 Brick Lane Gallery exhibition, East London, UK
Jun, 2012 JL Gallery, London Olympics
Feb, 2012 AAF Brussels, Tour and Taxis, Brussels
Feb, 2012 AAF Milano, Superstudio Piu, Tortona
Dec, 2011 East London Design Show, Shoreditch Town Hall
Oct, 2011 Buy Art fair, Manchester City, Uk
Nov, 2011 Art Singapore, AAF 3 Tank Rd, 3/F Singapore
May, 2011 Art Melbourne, A5, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton
May, 2011 Hawthorn Studio and Gallery, solo show, Burwood Rd, Hawthorn
May, 2010 Art Melbourne E20, Royal Exhibition Buildings Carlton
Aug, 2010 Art Sydney Gallery C2 Moore Park, Sydney
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Jan, 2014 Louey and Lane Gallery, Glen Huntly
Dec, 2013 Casey Contemporary Art Show
May, 2013 Camm Art
Apr, 2013 Casey Mobile Art iMax
Dec, 2012 100th Gallery, Prahran
Aug, 2012 N.gym exhibition, Liechtenstein
Sep, 2012 European Driving Escapade Art Tour
May 2012 AAF Melbourne, A5, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton
Jun, 2011 Kodak Salon, Centre of Contemporary Photography, Fitzroy
Apr, 2011 Herald Sun, Camberwell Rotary art show
Feb, 2011 Hawthorn Studio and Gallery (summer show)
AWARDS
2011 Milan Art Prize, Winner, Blindonkey New York, New Atlantic Gallery
2011 Tastes of Chapel, ART-Town Chapel off Chapel, March 2011 (Winner)
2010 Artist Wanted, Photographic prize, NYC
2009 Tastes of Chapel, ART-Town Olsen Hotel, Chapel Street. (Winner)
2009 Artoconecto BOmb 2, The American Dream, 941 NE 84th St, Miami FL, Art Basel
PROFESSIONAL
2007-2014 Professional artist- photomontage, painting, animation, professional mixed media artist
2001-2014 Photographer- private, professional commissions
2007-2009 Senior Producer/EFP and ENG cameraman- WIN TV
ACHIEVEMENTS
2014
Wireless Art- Artist in residence- Run out of education program, Victoria
Digital Artist Residencies: Documentary photographer/ Artist.
2011 London and Europe- Private/ group exhibitions. Residency around Europe- European Escapade, UK- curator, professional artist- 2 years
2009 Southern USA documentary: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Durango, Cortez, San Juan Mountains, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis, New Orleans, Pensacola, Miami, Orlando, Saint Augustine, Savannah, Charleston, Raleigh, Richmond, Washington Dc, Philadelphia and New York
2007 Europe documentary: London, Paris, Nice, Canes, Barcelona, Madrid, Liechtenstein, Lyon, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Rome, Berlin, Hamburg, St Goar, Brussels, and Amsterdam
2006 English documentary: London, Derbyshire, Manchester, Devonshire, Birmingham, Nottingham, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Warwickshire and Newcastle
COLLECTIONS
2014 Louey and Lane Gallery, Glenhuntly
Nexus Modern Art
LG&GR Ashby Pty ltd.
2006-2014 Private
COMMISSIONS
Private Commissions
2014 Painting-Officer, Victoria
2013 Photographic/Painting- Toorak Towers, South Yarra, Victoria
2013 Art in houses- Bathroom. Carnegie, Victoria
2013 Sculpture- photomontage record player, South Yarra, Victoria
2013 Photomontage- Mulgrave, Victoria
2013 Sculpture- Photomontage chair. Richmond, London, UK.
2012 Portrait- motor cross champion. Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Public Commissions
Nov, 2014 Artist in residency Beaconhills College, Pakenham
Nov, 2014 Art in Year 8 centre commercial interior artworks, Beaconhills College, Pakenham
Oct, 2014 Sculpture by the sea, Sydney
Aug, 2014 StreetWORKS City of Maribyrnong Council, Footscray bridge public art
Aug, 2014 City of Casey- Public art Casey Fields Rugby Pavilion, Berwick Cranbourne
Jul, 2014 Health and well-being, video youth services, City Of Greater Dandenong
Jun, 2014 Outr, Morwell winter arts festival, projection project
Jun, 2014 City of Casey- Artist Ping Pong Project, Doveton, Victoria
May, 2014 Art Town 2014- Art Almanac prize artist.
May, 2014 Heritage Hill Museum and gardens, resident artist
Feb, 2014 Cardinia Shire- Public art on glass at Cardinia Life, YMCA
Feb, 2014 Contemporary artist guest speaker, Eltham High School
Oct, 2013 Stonnington Council, Arts Burst feature artist, Art Van
Aug, 2013 Artist collaboration cover art- Deondrae Porter, New York
Jul, 2013 Artist in residency art/ education project Beaconhills College, Berwick
Dec, 2012 City of Casey public art, The Photo Connection, Berwick
REVIEWS AND PUBLICITY
Jun, 2014 Herald Sun, PoPP table paint and skate
Jul, 2014 City of Casey, Leader Newspaper
Jun, 2014 Stonnington Leader, Art Town
May 2014 Star News, Berwick, Pakenham
Aug, 2013 Art furniture- Grand Designs Home Australia
Aug, 2013 Art Book Guy, USA
Jun, 2013 Courier Mail, Brisbane Y column
May, 2013 Beacon Hills College Lux Lucent society dinner presentation
Dec, 2012 Casey Leader, Casey Gazette, Photo Connection
May, 2012 Q + A Desktop Magazine, Melbourne
May, 2012 Acclaim Magazine, Melbourne, ‘Go Hard, Risk it All’
Apr, 2012 East Thames online, Public Art exhibition at Taylor Place, London
Feb, 2012 Art map.Tv Milan
Jan, 2012 Il Globo, Milano news paper- Milan, Italy
May, 2011 Art Shine, Sydney, Interview with artist Brett Ashby, online
May, 2011 Manchester Confidential, Buy art fair is back
Jul, 2010 Illawarra Mercury, Ashby’s love of the gong lights up busy street, Wollongong, NSW
Jun, 2010 Casey Weekly, In the mind of Brett + How he colours the world
Jan, 2010 Illawarra Mercury. Mt Keira man takes on Obama, Sydney, NSW