- John Williamson
Estelle Asmodelle
You are an abstract expressionist. But what is your ancestry?
In am Latvian on my dad’s side and English on my mum’s side. But my ancestors came here a long time ago, so I am Australian through and through. Our family traditions connect us all to Sydney.
Your art transcends Australia though, as you told me that you have historical clients in Japan, the USA and even in Europe?
I have lived overseas for a long period of time, mainly in Japan and then in America, to name but a few of my overseas experiences. I also worked in the film and movie industry in Los Angeles. So, yes you are right that helped me gain recognition beyond Australia, during my decade overseas.
Lockdowns were quite long and very stringent in Australia. Did it affect your work in any way? How did you adapt?
I live on the coast one hour away from Sydney, the Central Region of New South Wales. We all had to adapt, but our domain was not affected so much, as most galleries are now online. They organize virtual exhibitions. During the first lockdown in 2020 I did a SAATCHI ART (Australia) show. It was a great experience.
How did you become a painter? Where is your inspiration coming from and why did you specialize in abstraction?
My mother was an artist. She taught me how to paint, after going into the bush around our little country town. She was passionate about the Australian outback. Many of my earliest memories bring me back to watching her paint. She never got to be famous though. I started in realism, painting landscapes of the bush. But at primary school, in my catholic school, I also started working on religious paintings. The priests and nuns loved my work. When in High School I moved towards semi-abstract work, playing with free form. It is after I had entered University that my painting became completely abstract. My first year at Uni. opened my mind completely and made me focus on abstractionism
What were your main influences?
As a child I was fascinated by the greats from the Renaissance: Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Byzantine period: Giotto. My interest then shifted to modern painters like Manet, Kandinsky and Picasso. Finally I became interested in Franck Stella in America. More recently I was attracted to the works of Pollock and Krasner, from New York. New York is such a great art capital. Galleries and museums are everywhere.
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Extract from issue 4 of Mozaik