Conversations with the Collection

Laith McGregor & Chris Wilson

LAITH McGREGOR

Laith McGregor uses the ubiquitous biro, or ballpoint pen, to make art. The biro is a tool that, although used daily, is rarely used as a serious drawing implement. Similarly, beards are rarely the subject of contemporary works of art. Hirsute men however, have become McGregor’s signature. In Dreamin’ about a place I’ll never see 2007 McGregor combines a self portrait with a willow pattern inspired landscape. Imported from China during the last half of the eighteenth century and appropriated by English potteries, the willow pattern is an eloquent emblem of cultural translation and in this work becomes an uncanny double image as both beard and dreamland.

CHRIS WILSON
The Entrance Campus
Liquid Refreshment (detail) (2010)
Drawing

The concept behind my body of work was to express the journey experienced by surfers, I tried to display a sense of freedom and motion through my pen strokes to create depth to represent and capture my individual experience. My passion for the ocean and also the movie “Morning of the Earth” inspired me. To create my body of work I used every available moment including free periods to get guidance or other points of view, in between drawing I would go surf and evaluate my images and visualise changes needed which is heavily linked to my concept.

Download the ARTEXPRESS 2011 Education Resource.