ARTIST LORIBELLE SPIROVSKI
Discussing The Art World with Artist Loribelle Spirovski
I was born in Manila, Philippines in 1990 and emigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1999. I attended the College of Fine Arts in 2008, graduating in 2012, with a Bachelor in Art Education - my original plan was to become a high school art teacher, but realised that this was not the profession for me. I began painting initially as a kind of self-therapy, as I was feeling directionless in life and wanted to actually learn how to paint (despite having attended art school, the curriculum was such that we were never taught painting technique). I created my first independent painting at the start of 2013. My first career highlight would definitely be becoming a finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Art Award in 2014 (my first art prize selection).
Since then, other highlights include being selected as a finalist for three consecutive years, in the prestigious Archibald Prize, having a solo show in New York, having a painting bought by legendary guitarist, Dave Navarro, and being represented by Arcadia Contemporary in LA and hanging next to some of my favourite contemporary painters.
Greatest inspirations or influences?
This is something that changes on a weekly basis, but the top three boil down to Francis Bacon, Egon Schiele and Lucian Freud,
How do you feel the art world is changing?
From the vantage point of someone whose career has skyrocketed as a result of social media, it appears as though the art world is going through a transformation that has never before been experienced in the past, and certainly, the mass availability and access to art in 2019 is unparalleled. However, the actual 'art' that is being produced, despite ranging from traditional and non-traditional mediums, is still expressing the same basic human message that it has since cave paintings, and this is what really anchors me in an industry that runs on a largely capitalist framework.
Challenges of the art industry in your opinion?
A lot of people ask questions about how to 'succeed' or 'break into' the art world, and this is a loaded question. The idea of 'making it' in art is definitely a 20th century phenomenon, and can certainly kill any authenticity in an artist, to the point where one would even hesitate using the label 'artist'. It has never been easier to make money from images, than it is today. Social media has allowed access to attractive and affordable paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc. to everyone from every corner of the globe. With this comes obvious pitfalls in terms of the quality of the works, but this is a topic for the academics to debate. I am all for people earning money doing what gives them the most satisfaction. What the 20th century taught us, is that the value of art is certainly not an intrinsic quality, nor is it any fixed aesthetic quality; the fact that marks on fabric can bring someone to tears is still a piece of genuine magic that will always be priceless.
Most interesting response to your work so far?
Honestly, I get interesting responses almost everyday. However, coming from a teaching background, I have to say that being contacted by teachers from the other side of the globe, and having them show me works created by their young students in a style that is inspired by my own work, is something I treasure.
Favourite websites or social media handles?
@paintguide - always fantastic to see what inspires other artists
@giba_mazzo - amazing and often obscure films shared daily
@thegreatwomenartists - a phenomenal platform for sharing female artists of the past and present
@canvas.tube - there are plenty of art sharing profiles on Instagram, but this one's one of my go-to's
@greatartinuglyrooms - exactly what the name says
@painterspaintingpaintings - another great one for the paint-obsessed
