Music made me do it.
A vibrant, collaborative artwork that embodies the spirit of community, creativity, and spontaneity. Created in partnership with the Inner West Sessions at Little Bay Beach, this piece captures the energy of a sun-soaked day filled with music, art, and interaction.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the beach, I placed a large canvas on an easel and invited over 30 attendees of the event to make a single, unique contribution to the artwork. The simple rule was that each person could either add a splash of paint in their chosen color or create a single uninterrupted line. This constraint brought out the personality of each participant, whether they followed the rules or playfully bent them. The piece grew organically as people engaged with it, adding their own touch. In keeping with the same rule of an uninterrupted stroke, I added my final contribution with the charcoal to visually tie the piece together and encapsulate the shared experience of that day.
The resulting artwork is a beautiful reflection of the day, combining the vibrant randomness of individual expression with the harmony of collective creation. For me, it’s a celebration of how music, art, and community come together to shape something greater than the sum of its parts, each mark telling a story of the people and the shared experience.
Progression.
An image taken half way through the day, as the painting started the take form and build character. Every new contributor said the same thing when approaching the canvas, “I don’t want to ruin it”. It was funny to see people’s nervousness around the idea of making a bad contribution to the piece, so I encouraged each participant by saying “It’s art, there’s no way you could ruin it. This is about what you feel in this moment and no one else”. Those words sparked a certain confidence in the people, to the point where some wanted a second go after their first contribution. Some participants took their time to think about how they could contribute, by walking away and coming back to gaze at the piece in it’s current state. Some took over an hour to make a decision, and some were quick to make their mark. Some even recruited new participants. It was really interesting to see each individual’s approach and method. I loved seeing everyone becoming so passionate about the artwork.
Final contribution.
The artwork made it safely back to my studio, where I completed the piece with my final contribution using black charcoal over the various splashes and strokes of paint. I followed the same rule of an uninterrupted line spanning across the entire artwork. My goal was to capture the memorable day I shared with all participants. The multiple layers of paint made it difficult to get a dark charcoal colour in the first stroke, so I repeated the same stroke a few times over, whilst not removing the charcoal from the canvas. My entire right hand was cramped for a good ten minutes after I had finished, but it was totally worth it!
