Term 3 2007 Plus... Careers In Art - Zart Art

Zart Secondary Supplement
careers in art
How did these creatives turn
their art passion into a career...
For many students the prospect of a career in art and
design comes with uncertainty... where can ‘art’ take
me We’ve interviewed four creative professionals
from different backgrounds with varying experiences,
to explore the realities of the issue -“How do I turn
my creative passion into a career” Your students may
enjoy reading these interviews to shed some light on
their own career paths.
Sculptor
Furniture
designer
Interior
designer
Painter
PETER SCHIPPERHEYN Sculptor
At what age did you decide to
make a career from visual arts
Right from a very early age (4
years old, ask my parents) I have
always drawn, painted and made
things. For me schooling was an
incursion into what was for me
my naturally expressed inner
world. But to answer the
question, I became aware in my
teen years that there were people
called “artists”, and it dawned on
me one day that I was one of
them! And after being advised by
all and sundry that “art” should
be your hobby, I went to Art
School here in Melbourne. This
for me was a frustrating and
depressing experience. The level
of teaching was very mediocre
and it was only when I went to
Italy on an Italian Government
Scholarship that I became aware
of how grand the Arts are!
Do you come from a creative
family
Not particularly
What is a day in the life of Peter
Schipperheyn like
I get up contemplate what I will
do and rejoice in being alive, even
when I am in the Shits!
What is your favourite medium
to work with
Sculpture in marble and bronze
and drawing on paper
What effect has the computer
age had on your work
Profound, I made my first
sculpture this year entirely
digitally 3D program and rapid
prototyping machine] and can
see great possibility with this
technology. I have always
believed that you grab and use
whatever tool you can lay your
hands on if it helps you express
your ideas and ambitions.
What are some of the negative
aspects of your job
None, this “job” is my own
invention, if at times this activity
is not always experienced as
being wonderful, it is entirely a
matter for my own perception,
and nothing to do with the shear
“fantasticness” of being an
Artist, of being alive.
What is something you would
love to do that you haven’t
already done
Learn how to Tango
How would you describe your
first solo exhibition
Very Successful!
Where do you get most of your
inspiration
Life is a profound mystery, at one
moment full of beauty and
fecundity at the next brutal and
terrifying. Inspiration comes to
those who are prepared to go
look for it!
What fellow artist has most
influenced you
The French sculptor Jean Robert
Ipousteguy, [recently deceased]
after seeing his sculpture at the
National Gallery of Victoria I
decided to go to Carrara and
carve myself. Latter on a trip to
Paris I saw him in his studio and
spent an exhilarating afternoon
with him.
What’s your favourite piece of
work to date
“Paura del’ Intimita” sculpture in
marble
What is your favourite piece of
clothing in your wardrobe
A silk Versace vest.
Who would you most like to sit
next to on a flight to Europe
My wife Cinzia.
If you were speaking to a
secondary school student who
was showing interest in
following in your footsteps, what
advice would you give them
Assist me with my work, I would
expect you to work hard, do not
think to make any profit except
to learn, and then I would take
the person to Italy and show
them the extraordinary Art
Gallery of the World that Italy is
and that I have experienced. I
would set them up for a period of
time in a studio that I know and
have worked in and enable the
person to carve stone.
Zart Extra_Term 3 2007 7