Dino Consalvo

FEATURED ARTIST

Dino Consalvo

I’ve been painting for a long time now. I had my first exhibition in the street back in 1973. For the past seven or eight years I’ve been using gouache, but I’m now moving into other mediums. I’ve been thinking about tempera. I’ve got the pigments, the materials, even sourcing eggs. I make my own oil paint and I also work with ceramics. There’s a lot of alchemy in my practice.

I like to experiment with conventional ways of using materials. I feel I’ve extended the use of gouache for myself, developing small techniques and tricks over time. That’s what I love. I’m very particular about how I do things, especially about making work that lasts. I want things to endure, but I’m not afraid to step away from tradition and try something different.

I always have my kit ready. My paints are organised, my boards are prepared. I have stacks of them. I never skimp on buying paint. I remember art school, when I barely had any money. If you’re rationing paint, you can’t really paint. You need it there on the palette to work properly.

Art has given me solace, a place to go. Creativity can take many forms. It doesn’t have to be painting. We should take our hats off to anyone who finds that outlet. Artists aren’t special. We’re just people who get to spend our time doing something we love. I feel blessed every time I pick up a brush. I can disappear into the work and everything else falls away.

I still get excited like a twelve-year-old kid. I remember that feeling from when I was even younger. Waking up eager to see what I’d done, or excited to start something new, whether it’s a painting or a pot. It’s about allowing yourself to be fully absorbed. You’re not thinking. The work takes over and you just do it.

When I finish a work, I hide it. I turn it to the wall or put it away so I can come back with fresh eyes. If you go in aiming to create a masterpiece, you never will. If you let the work take you where it needs to go, something honest usually happens.

Procrastination is part of the process. You need to stop, look, and think. Not in a mathematical way, but in a way that lets the work lead you to its own conclusions.

I’m returning to figurative work, painting people again. I used to paint seascapes, bridges, landscapes without anyone in them. One day at Merewether Baths I realised I’d had enough of that. I needed something else. Painting people there opened up a whole range of moods and interactions. I feel like I can keep pushing that further.

I’m also interested in more personal work. Life around me. I’ve thought about being more political, especially given the times we’re living in, but while I’m disappointed with parts of the world, I still believe in humanity. I want to stay positive. I love living. I love people. I love my partner. I enjoy interaction. I started out painting people, and it’s always been an interest.

I paint for myself. I’m selfish in that way. I do it because I need to. Painting has always been an escape for me.

Straightjacket evolved from several things. I met my partner, Anne Wells, who was deeply involved in building gallery communities. She ran independent galleries in Newcastle and organised gallery tours, moving people from one space to another. She was focused on creating connection, and I loved being part of that.

I bought this building in 2016, originally thinking it would just be a studio. I imagined a viewing room at the front. But remembering my first exhibition in this same street, and seeing what Anne was doing, it all made sense. Opening the space felt right.

I love it. I love interacting with artists, with people, and watching people experience art. That exchange, that moment, is something special.

Yeah. It’s great.

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Website: https://dinoconsalvo.com/

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Website: https://straitjacket.com.au/

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