Saying hello

Hello!

Earlier this year I read an incredible book by writer and activist Carly Findlay, titled Say Hello. The book is funny and powerful and brilliant and I liked it so much I made this ceramic sculpture of it, which was included in my recent exhibition at Readings.

Acrylic on ceramic. 15 x 23.5 x 4cm. 2019.

Much to my delight Carly happened to see my Readings exhibition and even tweeted this photo in front of my work!

Carly later commissioned me to make another sculpture of her book for her birthday. (Which is today! Happy Birthday Carly!)
Here's a couple of photos of the finished sculpture.

Acrylic on ceramic. 19 x 19 x 23.5cm. 2019.

And here's a pic from when I delivered the work to Carly.

(Photo by Emmy Clifton)

One fun fact you should know about Carly is she loves Darren Hayes and his band Savage Garden. (I do too of course, in fact Savage Garden was the first concert I ever went to!)
So as a surprise gift for Carly I also made her this ceramic sculpture of Savage Garden's first album.

Acrylic on ceramic. 14 x 12 x 1cm. 2019.

If you'd like to know more about Carly Findlay's work a great introduction would be listening to her interview with comedian Wil Anderson on their episode of his podcast, Wilosophy.

Thanks so much for reading, hope you're having a nice day, and to make your day even nicer here's a video I just found on youtube titled Hooligans singing Savage Gardens "Truly Madly Deeply'.

Back by puppy-ular demand

Hello from my studio!

The big canvas painting hanging behind me is called 'Tall Puppy Syndrome', and is included in a new group show opening next Thursday December 12th at MARS gallery.

The exhibition celebrates MARS gallery's 15th birthday and features a selection 32 of the artists who've worked with MARS during this time. Big congrats to Andy and the whole team at MARS for this marsvellous achievement.

Tall Puppy Syndrome. Acrylic on canvas. 150 x 120cm.

Another group exhibition that also opens next week is titled 'Let's Play', curated by Tegan Iverson at the CS Gallery in Melton City Council.

This show features playful work by 9 artists- Tai Snaith, Cat Rabbit, Kitiya Palaskas, Brooke Van Der Linden, Meg Rennie, Pey Chi, Carla McRae, Evie Barrow and myself.

The show's on from next Tuesday to February 27th, 2020, with an official Family Day opening from 10am on Saturday January 18.
 

Hopefully see you there, in the meantime though thanks so much for reading and I hope you're having a fruitful week!

Speaking of fruitful, here's a new ceramic sculpture I made of a pear as a gift for the great Brisbane based artist Samuel Leighton-Dore.

"Grow a pear". Acrylic on ceramic. Kenny Pittock. 8 x 11.5 x 7cm. 2019

The powerball's in your court

Hi, here's a new ceramic sculpture called Powerball.

Powerball. Acrylic on earthenware ceramic. 19 x 11 x 3.5cm. 2019.

This work was inspired by an unclaimed winning Powerball ticket that was sold by my local newsagent 6 months ago. Ever since I heard the news I've dreamed of finding it.

I work in a supermarket car park pushing trolleys and check all the scraps of paper I find in the hope that I'll hit the jackpot. My fear though is that one day I will find the winning Powerball ticket but a snail will have beaten me to it and gobbled it up.

Powerball is a playful response to the notion that entering into a power struggle with nature is never going to end well. We're always taught to gamble responsibly but to ignore our planets warnings is a gamble none of us should be willing to take.

In very exciting news, Powerball has been selected as a finalist in the upcoming R&M McGivern Painting Prize, opening this Thursday November 28th. Come along!

The theme for this years prize is Anthropocene, and I'm very proud to be exhibiting my work alongside so many great artists.

Here's the full list of finalists. 

Last weekend I was invited to talk about the McGivern exhibition on the radio! When I arrived at the radio station a person at reception looked at his clipboard and asked me quite genuinely "Are you Keith Haring?" I said "oh, nope, that's a different artist. My name's Kenny".

Anyway so it's very exciting to have my work be in the running for a prize tomorrow night but no matter what happens I've just been confused for Keith Haring so I already feel like a winner.

And just incase my Powerball sculpture doesn't win the McGivern tomorrow night I've decided that tomorrow morning I'm going to buy an actual powerball ticket to increase my chances of coming out on top. I'll let you know if I win the 2.8 million. Wish me luck!

In the meantime though thanks heaps for reading, hope you're really well and to finish up here's a photo of myself with fellow McGivern finalist, the great painter Nadine Christensen, having just been interviewed by Joy FM host David Hunt.

Bi-Carb loading

Hi, here's a new ceramic sculpture of a box of bi-carb soda.

Acrylic on kiln fired earthenware ceramic. 12 x 10.5 x 5cm. 2019.

In very exciting news, this work has just been acquired by the city of Melbourne into the Town Hall Gallery Collection.

Bi-carb soda has been improving our lives for thousands of years. It’s also been improving our deaths for thousands of years- apparently the ancient Egyptians used a version of bi-carb to keep their mummified bodies dry and free from bacteria.

Centuries later, in 1852, the iconic McKenzies Bi-Carb Soda was created in Australia by the H.S.K Ward family. This nostalgic powder has hidden in the laundry, kitchen or bathroom of every house I’ve ever lived. Long before I knew what it was or how to use it, I’ve felt comforted by the familiar presence of this magical little blue and white box.

In other news, big thanks to everyone who saw my train drawing books in the recent group show at Toot Artspace in St. Kilda. To read a great review of the exhibition, written by Matto Lucas and published on the Melbourne Art Review, please click here.

Here's a new train drawing I did last week while on my way to the exhibition.

Speaking of recent drawings, I was invited to run a ceramics workshop at Xavier College, and while I was there here's a drawing I made for the artist Lyndon Allen while he taught a pastel workshop.

And in rock'n'roll news, I recently had the honour of designing the new t-shirt for the awesome Melbourne band Underground Lovers!

They also put my drawing on a tea towel, for all your dish drying needs!

Underground Lovers are launching their new album (and their new merch!) at the Corner Hotel in Richmond this Saturday November 23rd. Looking forward to the gig, hopefully see you there!

In the meantime thanks heaps for reading, hope you're well, and goodbye. Or should I say, goodbye-carb soda!

And to finish up here's some photos of my sculpture at the supermarket :)

Train on your parade

Hi, hope you're really well, just wanted to invite you along to a couple of new group exhibitions that i'm in, both opening this week.

First up is a group exhibition titled Physical Absence, A human portrait. 
Open for one day only this Friday November 1st, from 10am-9pm, at Missing Persons Space in the Nicholas Building, this show is curated by Maya Martin-Westheimer and features the work of artists Amelia Dowling, Leonie Leivenzon, Lucille Martin and myself.

Phsical Absence is an exhibition re-imagining societal interpretations of portraits and self portraits in which the human body is absent, allowing the opportunity for exclusively emotional portraiture. The removal of the human figure within portraiture is a response to societies' preoccupation with physical appearance and seeks to connect people through shared emotional experiences.

Two of my ceramic works featured in the show are 'Self portrait as a balloon'

And this work from 2016 titled 'Self portrait as a tobacco pouch'.

The other group exhibition I'm in that opens this week is titled LO FI HIGH, opening from  5-7pm this Saturday November 7th, and on until November 16, at TooT Artspace in St. Kilda. 

The show presents artists who make zines, and whose work focuses on both high and low culture. LO FI HIGH is curated by Jade Walsh and it features the work of Nat Thomas, Jordan Mariani, Caspar Zika, Laila Marie Costa, Holly Crawford (USA), Amy Silliman (USA) and myself. 

I've included a few drawings and as well as copies of my 200 page book from 2015 titled Ninety Nine Drawings of People On The Train, which was originally shown in the exhibition NEW14 at the Australian Centre of Contemporary Art. 


If you're interested in purchasing a copy of my book but can't make it to the exhibition please click here!

The last thing I'd like to mention in this blog post is just a huge thanks to everyone who's been out to seen my piece Soy Sauce for Dimmies in the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize!

It's such a big honour to be a finalist in this show which is still on until this Sunday November 3rd, so please check it out if you're in Sydney. (Also, if you're feeling generous please click here to vote for my work in the 'peoples choice'!)

Here's a pic from the opening of me and the brilliant comedian Tim Ross, standing beside my work.
 

Tim's been a supporter of my work for a few years now and I think he's really great, as is his book, and so it was really cool to finally meet him. And just for fun, in preparation for the night I made a ceramic sculpture of Tim Ross' great new book Motel and he was kind enough to autograph it for me.
And ok, I'm officially at a Ross for words. Thanks so much for reading, hope you're having a nice week and hope to see you soon.

Soy Story

Hey, big thanks to everyone who attended by the Drop-by Drawing I hosted last weekend at the National Gallery of Victoria, thanks for dropping by! 

In other exciting news my ceramic piece Soy Sauce for Dimmies has been selected as a finalist in the 2019 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, opening this Friday night. I'm coming up to Sydney for the opening so hopefully see you there!

For more info on the prize please click here.

My first job was at a Fish’n’Chip shop, where after school, from ages 14 to 16, I worked part-time taking phone orders, folding boxes, giving out bonus potato cakes and putting soy sauce on dimmies. 



Most dim sim eaters were happy to just say “yes please” or “no thanks” when asked if they’d like soy sauce, others however were much more specific. “Just a drop”. “Just a drizzle”. “Yeah drown them in it, mate”. “Can I get my soy sauce in a separate ziplock bag?” The more specific the order the more joy I took in getting it right.
 

15 years later and I’m still making dim sims, only now I’m making them out of clay. Rather than steaming or frying the dimmies I’m now kiln firing them, and instead of coating them in soy sauce I’m painting them in glaze.

Soy Sauce for Dimmies uses humour and sentimentality to playfully encourage us to celebrate the simple things. Or perhaps I should say, the dim-simple things.

In other exciting news I have a new ceramic sculpture of a melted Bubble'O Bill available at Cement Fondu Gallery alongside their exhibition Flat Earth Society, also opening this weekend in Sydney.

Fun fact, a lot of people think Bubble'O Bill has a sad face, but that's actually his moustache!

Thanks for reading, you're dim simply the best and hopefully soy you soon! 

You Readings me like an open book

Hi, if you’re around Lygon Street today have a look in the Carlton Readings bookstore front window! To help celebrate Readings 50th birthday I’m thrilled and honoured to be displaying 50 of my ceramic book sculptures.

Hope you get a chance to see it, and just this once, please feel free to judge these books by their covers!

As well as the book sculptures, also included in the display are ceramic tributes to the neighbouring community of shops- a pizza box from Tiamo's, a one scoop cup of choc-chip coconut ice-cream with Nutella from Pidapipos, a flat white from Brunetti's and a movie schedule from Nova cinema.

And also this ceramic sculpture of a Readings paper bag, featuring an illustration by Oslo Davis. 


Thanks so much for all the kind messages from everyone who's seen it so far, it's been a bit overwhelming and I'm feeling very beside my shelf!

It's up until 11pm today so still plenty of time to catch it up if your weekend isn't too booked up!

In other exciting news, from 2-4pm today I'm hosting Drop-By Drawing at the National Gallery of Victoria. So please drop by if you feel like drawing! 

All ages and skill levels are welcome, all materials provided, and it's free! For more info please click here!

Hopefully see you soon! In the meantime thanks so much for reading, and thanks so much for Readings!