In the lead up to WATIM’s 12 x 12 exhibition opening, we are selecting a few contributing artists to sit down with and get some more info about what they’re up to and what they are producing for the show. This week is New Zealand’s finest export, Mark Alsweiler. An artist with a taste for skulls, birds, feathers and all things folk. Read on below…

Firstly, for our readers who aren’t aware of your work, tell us where you’re from and what you’ve been painting lately.
I grew up in a small town at the bottom of New Zealand. Have been living on and off in Sydney for the last 3 or 4 years though. Have been here nearly 2 years this time I think. Been working on a solo show coming up so have painted a few larger scale works and painting some little wooden sculptures for that plus some smaller works. Have been trying to blend my character style with more of a realistic influence too lately.

You’re originally from New Zealand. What made you decide to move to Sydney?
A lot of New Zealand young people move to Australian cities because they’re more exciting and have more things going on. A lot of my mates from home moved to Melbourne. I was the same but I just knew more about stuff that was happening in Sydney. Gallery’s like China Heights and Monster Children here who were showing work that I liked and was a similar style to what I was making at the time. I ended up getting a show at the Heights and just ended up staying after being back here. There’s more stuff going on here with that type of artwork than back home I guess. Still love going back to NZ though.

Has your home town or current environment had an effect on your art?
Its hard not to be influenced by everyday living but not so much the physical environment or lay of the land these days. I like to reference things I like or am interested in. I have always liked old stuff, so I will often look at old books for old images or find stuff at junk shops to draw and reference. There are loads more of these over here so that has helped in generating ideas. I draw mountains sometimes though that’s probably an influence from back home in the deep south.

Your work reminds us of folk tales or a kind of alternate world. Are these worlds made from personal experience?
No I don’t think so, not consciously anyway. I like the idea that people see a story in my work, but generally I’m not necessarily telling a specific story. I get influence from a lot of folk art though, which often have or had a narrative involved. I like the idea of collecting a whole lot of different elements from a variety of sources and then putting them all together under in a similar style to create something new.

We recently posted a photo of your billboard in Leichhardt. How did you find painting a piece so large?
It was real fun, I have always wanted to give a large scale piece like that a go and the Leichhardt Billboard was just good to start on because I could take my time and do it over a few days. I did it all with brushes and rollers so it took awhile. It was nice to do something just for fun too, not with the idea of trying to sell it in the back of your mind, which can make it hard sometimes when your making art. Definitely keen on doing some more murals in the near future.

What have you got planned for the 12×12 show?
Because they are a bit smaller than the work I usually do I’m just taking certain things from a lot of a my paintings and using them on their own. So there is a bit of variety in the subjects trying out a few new things. Keeping it fairly simple though.

Do you have any plans or projects coming up you can tell us about?
I have a solo show at China Heights here in Sydney on the 29th of July, there will be a little zine available at that too. Then me and Max are having a joint show at Nine Lives in Brisbane September 15th. Plus if you like artwork on t-shirts I have a few shirts I designed for RVCA coming out soon.