INTERVIEW:

 

Patrick: Who are you and what is your art-style?

 

Charlie: My name is Charlie Buckner. My art-style would be sculpture and photography; I like to focus on those two main mediums.

 

Patrick: When did you start doing art?

 

Charlie: I’ve been doing art for quite a while; I used to do drawings as a kid and really picked it up during year 11 and 12 at school. Then I’ve been here, doing it for the last few years as well.

 

Patrick: How did you get involved in the art community?

 

Charlie: Well sort of like I was saying before, I’ve been doing art for a while and always doing little competitions here and there. I have a lot of friends that are artists, and a few that are more professional and developed and I help out with their practice where I want or can. They can also lead to other exhibitions that you can be a part of.

 

Patrick: Have you or do you have any formal arts training?

 

Charlie: Yeah, well I’ve completed art during VCE in school, and now studying art at university.

 

Patrick: How important is art to you?

 

Charlie: I’d say it’s pretty important to me. I think it’s really a way of talking about an issue, or communicating something that’s really important to you. A lot of my art is a way to release stress and to get away from the current… everything that is happening in your life at the moment. It’s a good way to engage with other people on a different level.

 

Patrick: How important do you think art is to society?

 

Charlie: In Melbourne for one I think art is very important, it’s what Melbourne is known for, like the street art culture. There’s all sorts of graffiti down in the city. But on top of that, Melbourne is very up-and-coming sort of on the world’s art scene. There’s lots of sculptures, and exciting all down little laneways you’ll find little art galleries that display their unique style of art.

 

Patrick: How long do you spend on your art each week?

 

Charlie: A long time… I think everyone’s going to say they’d like to spend more than they do at the moment. I spend quite a bit of time on it, you know when I’m at home whether I’m actually making something, or sculpting something outside I’m always at least thinking about it. It’s always there in my head.

 

Patrick: Are your friends and family supportive of your art?

 

Charlie: Yeah I would say they are. My family knows I’ve been doing art for quite a while. Even though I always lots of big ideas for my sculptures, which sometimes are unrealistic they help me out with doing what I need to. The same with my friends, I’ve got a lot of projects that I need to photograph and my friends are always willing to help me out, so yeah they’re supportive.

 

Patrick: Do you need a job to supplement your art?

 

Charlie: I do. I think art at my early age, I’m only 20 years old, trying to make a living or make money for one out of artwork is difficult. A lot of people purchase artworks that are from established artists, I’m still pretty young. But I am a qualified personal trainer so I have a job at a gym, which is nice. But hopefully one day I’ll be able to make some serious art that gets some serious funding.

 

Patrick: How do you get an audience to your work?

 

Charlie: I think in this day and age getting an audience to your artwork is a lot through social media, obviously Facebook and Instagram is a very big platform that a lot of people are on. I have an Instagram account for my art, but otherwise it’s word of mouth a lot as well, talking about it with my friends and getting them to talk about it with each other.

 

Patrick: Do you have any art career aspirations, in maybe the 5 to 10 year range?

 

Charlie: Yeah I would like to say I have big art dreams of becoming a full on professional sculptor. Maybe a travel photographer which would be pretty cool. More short term I’d like to just continue working really hard with my art and seeing where that leads and go with the flow a bit.

 

Patrick: Do you have any advice for new students or other people who want to get into the art scene?

 

Charlie: People who are trying to get into the art scene, I would probably say to just keep working at something you really love. If you’re really passionate about something you’ll get there one way or another. But don’t just lose faith and say “Oh, it’s taking too long” or “I don’t have the materials right now to do something about what I want or to make what I want” there’s always a way of getting around something.

Interviewed and writtten by Patrick Lunney (2016)