The Mind artist working primarily in pen and ink
“Angus Fisher is a Sydney based Creative March 2014
and copper plate etching. His current work is primarily focused on the
natural world, celebrating the diversity of subjects this presents. The
precise and intricate documentation of his chosen subject matter alludes
to the encyclopedic natural history illustrations of the 17th and 18th
century. He has been the recipient of the National Art School Aboriginal
Arts Centre 2011 Internship award, The Paper Plane - Paper Mill Gallery
graduate Emerging Talent 2010 Exhibition Award, and the 2010 Derivan
Here is an extract of the interview with TMC (together with some of his
most significant works), where he talks about his work, his passions, his
techniques and his upcoming exhibitions and projects.
TMC: Creativity in all forms is usually inherited in some form. Have you
inherited your skills from someone in the family by any chance?
ANGUS: Neither of my parents are artistic but my grandfather on my
dad’s side and grandmother on my mum’s side both have experience with
visual art. Though my parents appreciate art, artistic practice seems to
have skipped a generation with them. I was brought up in a home where
my creative practices were encouraged and I believe this is essentially
what is inherited in a ‘creative family’.
TMC: You have delved into a wide variety of art forms. What is personal
your favourite forms of art and your favourite media?
ANGUS: I find myself especially captivated by naturist art of the 18th and
19th century and have a particular love of printmaking, especially etching.
I have always held a fascination for the vast amount of art that has
attempted to represent, understand and quantify our natural surroundings
throughout history. As well as admiring these artworks as individual pieces
of expression I am also captivated by their role of documenting the new
world around them in a time defined by exploration and discovery.
Although the original context of much historical naturalist art has been
superseded, the exquisite harmonies that can exist between science, art
and nature are still extremely potent. Many of these works exist in the
print medium, especially etching and engraving and it is through the study
of this style of work that I have come to adopt printmaking heavily in my
own practice.
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