{"id":18578,"date":"2023-02-23T16:24:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-23T08:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/?p=18578"},"modified":"2025-07-24T10:40:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T02:40:57","slug":"landscapes-share-an-important-connection-in-artists-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/landscapes-share-an-important-connection-in-artists-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Landscapes share an important connection in artist’s journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chris Hill.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author | Raquel De Brito<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lush green scenery depicted in Claude Monet\u2019s iconic Water Lilies series<\/a> may be in stark contrast to the desolate, rugged red earth found in WA\u2019s Kimberley region but the two landscapes share an important connection in Chris Hill\u2019s journey as an artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many, the Curtin Fine Arts graduate was captivated by the French Impressionist\u2019s oil on canvas paintings when he first came across his work as a pre-teen in South Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And though he could have drawn plenty of inspiration from Wales’ famed countryside of rolling valleys and quaint villages to paint his own masterpieces, it was only when he reached WA shores that a landscape captured him in quite the same way as Monet\u2019s work did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the gallery in Cardiff, they had a room of Monet\u2019s Water Lilies and that was just an amazing thing for us, I think it was all four walls with these giant Monet paintings and that was pretty amazing,\u201d he said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Often taken to galleries by his mother, who was keen to pull him from his working class neighbourhood to experience things beyond his simple everyday life, Chris said he became quite enamoured with the world of art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mum liked to go into the city and have a taste of what she thought was culture but the whole art thing has followed me all my life, really. I’m a very visual person and I think that was the start of it all anyway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After studying architecture in England, Chris quickly discovered it was only the artistic side of course that resonated with him and so when he moved to Australia, he decided to complete a degree in Fine Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy partner got a job as a teacher, and we went up to Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley and that\u2019s what really inspired me to start painting \u2013 it\u2019s such an amazing landscape.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Chris, it wasn\u2019t just experiencing a landscape different to anything he\u2019d ever encountered, it was immersing himself in the region\u2019s Aboriginal culture and the dizzying clashing of colours from red dirt to the ancient rocks, to the river and the bright blue sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was the beginnings of it for me and then we moved to Broome, and I had a number of exhibitions over the years there based on similar landscapes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe North-West colours, especially the blues and the reds and all that kind of stuff, it’s such an incredible contrast. People from the north tend to paint about their landscapes more and what surrounds them or what impacts them; the weather, the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chris is inspired by the colours of Broome.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

His work organically evolved into creating props and sets for Theatre Kimberley, Goolarri Media, Marrugeku Dance, Megabala Books, Shinju Matsuri Festival and even Perth Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris has also taught painting and sculpture at Broome\u2019s North Regional TAFE, Broome Regional prison, and in numerous community arts workshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But one common source of inspiration that has continued from his first glimpse of a Monet to his first painting of the Kimberley, and now in the magical set and prop designs he creates, is his love of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a passion he hopes he ignites in viewers of his work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t do so much painting these days but really it’s about the nature. It’s about the environment and you can’t help to be inspired by it. Especially in the Kimberley, we’re very precious about the environment up here,\u201d he said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou go to some parts of the world and their landscapes are totally artificial and their birds are imported from somewhere else. Whereas when you come up to the Kimberley, there\u2019s so much variety in birds and animals and landscapes that we’re a unique part of the world,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being raised by his father, who was from the post-war generation, Chris was taught to never be wasteful and it\u2019s a principle he tries to apply to his art, particularly because of his love of the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"One<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chris Hill is a talented artist and set designer.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe’re really aware that these things are rare and much appreciated by tourists and locals alike and we\u2019ve got to look after these places and I hope some of that comes through in some of my work,\u201d he added.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fittingly, he was a 2022 recipient of the State Cultural Treasures Awards<\/a>, which honour senior WA artists who have made a lifelong contribution to their art form and their community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you realise you’ve been doing it for 30 years or more, and the amount of events and the number of people that you’ve interacted with, I was more than happy to accept the award,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris also shares his knowledge of the field to inspire the next generation of behind-the-scenes creators and offers practical advice for those hoping to make it in a notoriously difficult industry to break into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don’t necessarily have to be the world’s greatest artist to get into the industry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs long as you’re keen, you can learn on the job and then you can go on and do further studies after if you really want to but be keen, turn up on time and get off your phone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author | Raquel De Brito<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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