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| Family Portrait |
Review by Kylie Eastley
Josie Birchall is a Tasmanian artist who is standing out from the usual suspects. She began as a graphic designer, before attending TAFE to develop her skills in painting and drawing and then went onto the School of Art. Her layering of life experience and commitment to her craft has enabled this artist to fully realise her narratives.
Josie Birchall is a Tasmanian artist who is standing out from the usual suspects. She began as a graphic designer, before attending TAFE to develop her skills in painting and drawing and then went onto the School of Art. Her layering of life experience and commitment to her craft has enabled this artist to fully realise her narratives.
It is what Birchall leaves out of her
painting, and chooses to include that is so alluring. In Family Portrait (Pictured), the inclusion of the iconic Bambi,
Donald Duck, the plastic pink flamingo and the cu pi doll, all represent various
eras that each of us can relate to. Birchall cleverly paints herself as two
figures; split with the use of random brushstrokes as reference to her pulled-apart
self. She includes simple child-like doodling that clash with the beautifully
executed and realistic painted figures.
