Congratulations to artist Anne-Marie Zanetti for earning her place as a Finalist in the 4th Edition of the Boynes Emerging Artist Award!

Who are you?

I currently live in Brisbane, Australia, with my husband and my constant companion, our dog Daisy. Two of my three children live close by whilst my eldest daughter lives in Perth with her husband and my two gorgeous grandsons

I am probably what you would describe as obsessively committed to, and passionate about my art; painting for me is an incredibly peaceful and meditative way to spend my time.  I really enjoy challenging myself in all areas of my work to gain better skills and appreciation.  My hope is always to create paintings that captures the wonder and fascination I experience throughout the world.

What inspired you to begin painting?

There is not one particular moment or event that inspired me - my most cherished childhood memories come from the moments I was free to create. As far back as I can remember I have enjoyed using my hands, from drawing and painting to cross-stitching and sewing, even building with timber or clay. As one of six children there was no space or thought given to pursuing a creative career. So, with the demands of a full and busy life I chose to continue my creativity as a hobby for two decades.

The opportunity to bring focus back on my art came when my youngest child reached school age and my husband encouraged me to pursue my passion. I gave myself permission to experiment with different forms of art but realised very quickly that I felt most comfortable with a paintbrush in my hand, it came very naturally to me.

Can you explain why you choose Painting as a medium for your work and voice as opposed to others?

I’m not sure I can answer this question adequately.  I’m inclined to think that I am drawn to painting for the incredible opportunity to experiment and manipulate colour, form and light but that doesn’t feel like the whole answer.  I think ultimately, I am in awe of the magical illusion of painting - placing colours on a canvas to create the likeness of a physical object! It gives me a sense of satisfaction that little else can compare to and sometimes even leaves me speechless.

Can you discuss the inspiration behind “From Which Do We Attain Our Maturity - Inside out or outside in?”?

The ‘Reminisce’ series of portraits of my youngest daughter, Bec, are part of my ongoing investigation into the turbulent years of my younger self.  Just as Bec left behind her teen years my own fragile memories of this era fought for my attention.  This awakening evoked in me a longing to not only envisage my own adolescent self but to also give my recollections voice, power and appreciation through my paintings

This particular painting from the series, it’s colour palette and pose, was an expression of that beautiful sense of childhood fun and innocence. Whilst painting the piece I was questioning - was it the external influences of my trauma or my own internal dialogue that so dramatically influenced the person I am today. It has become a wonderful reminder and inspiration for me of my goals to live a light and joyous existence.

“From Which Do We Attain Our Maturity - Inside out or outside in?” is part of the “Reminisce” series, can you discuss with us the entire series, the journey and inspiration behind it?

I am intrigued by memories from my childhood – how fleeting yet valuable each can be.  The emotions that accompany these remembering’s bring wonderful insights as long as we are willing to delve into the shadows of our emotional landscape. My painting, over time, has become a very important instrument in this ongoing journey to unearth the multitude of experiences I have encountered in my life. 

Portraiture, and all its complexity, has always infatuated me and my youngest daughter Bec has become my muse on this journey, a symbol of myself.  

As stated above this series of work ‘Reminisce’ became an investigation into my own teenage experiences. In order to reflect my youthful self, the portraits are all styled with backdrops of wallpaper suggestive of the 70’s and 80’s era. Growing up my mother was very mindful of the current trends and wallpapering was a prominent part of her styling expression. The wallpaper backgrounds help to fuse the eras, past and present, and introduce a sense of nostalgia and context. The intimate, often sensual, poses invite attention and yet at the same time the camouflage of the sunglasses protect her identity, even her innocence. 

The rendering of these works is all part of healing, nurturing and releasing the unconscious influences that shape my life.  My art has become a means of better understanding the secret wisdom of all my experiences whilst creating a visual diary of how my revelations are reflected in my work.

Your work seems to portray the beauty of realistic technique, was this done on purpose? If so, Why?

Beyond my strong desire to continually achieve a higher level of expertise and technical ability is based in my longing to describe my sincere interpretation of beauty. Hopefully through my realistic technique of painting I will not only express the surface level of what I observe but the more important soulful and emotional discoveries of my internal world. My hope is that viewers of my work will feel a sense of intimacy, wonder and presence - as if you were able to interact with the painting.  

What projects are you working on currently? Can you discuss them?

I am very excited to have an exhibition I am working towards with the REHS gallery in New York for Spring 2022 based around more works from the Reminisce series! 

Lastly, I would like to ask what advice you would give to your fellow artists?

One piece of advice I would give is, be willing to sacrifice ‘normality’!  If you desire to hold on to and live the life that the majority of the world promotes and you’re really not willing to give things up, then maybe an art career is not for you.

To view more of Anne-Marie Zanetti’s work

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