FEATURE ARTIST
Jack Paterson
WRITTEN BY KEEP GEELONG WEIRD
It is an uncommon occasion in which we are able to witness the mastery of an art-form this closely within our lifetime. I have had the pleasure of being able to be present for exactly that in the last few years of following @pato.jack ‘s work. Jack’s dedication to perfection, is like none other and every collection of work he has produced in the last few years, tops the former, showing an incredible journey from what has always been an impressively accurate yet vitally individual output. Jack is not only a wonderful painter, illustrator, printmaker and sculptor, but also a communicative and direct teacher, to which I have been lucky enough to benefit from in his guidance. Now, he has formally completed his teaching training hoping to one day share his drawing skills beyond his friendships and creative networks and guide those who are passionate in making true-to-life illustrations. I first found out about Jack Paterson through his work in a group show many years ago, and was instantly a fan of his unique way of presenting commonplace environments, human form and still life’s, and that fandom quickly turned into friendship. After being friends with Jack my appreciation for his work has continued to grow exponentially, as I see the mind behind his goals, and his diligence in seeking, and accomplishing them. Jack has a both a Bachelor and Diploma in fine art, through Deakin Univeristy and RMIT alike, but continues to study as he finesses the world of picture framing with Geelong’s best fine art framers, @frameline_framing_printing . Being the son of two still-producing and working artists is a hard role for a young artist to live up to, but Jack has very much carved a space for himself (no pun intended) and his work, which I’m sure any parent would be proud of, let alone those with similar leanings. Jack’s dedication to his practice, his obsession with the romance of making work in it’s truest form, and his sheer talent is a force to reckon with, and I’m glad he is a pillar in helping Keep Geelong Weird.
The Hue and Cry Collective asked Jack some questions to find more about him. We know he is an amazing person, so we thought it would be nice to share the love and show the community what Jack does.
Geelong is a beautiful and down to earth place, I’m not a very social person but the artists I have met have all been unique in their own way. They have also been very kind and inclusive.
I mainly make artworks based off observation. Either from life or from photographs. How I interpret direct observations and my own ideas are what make them particular to me.
Over the years my artworks have changed, my work used to look a lot worse, but I continually try to improve.
Reflecting on artists / artworks and ideas from the past and the contemporary influences me to continually improve.
There are so many exciting artworks to find all throughout history from many different cultures, I enjoy finding these hidden gems and sharing them with people.
I have a diploma of visual art from RMIT, and a Bachelor of Visual art with Minor in Philosophy from Deakin University.
Colleen Barry is definitely my favorite contemporary artist at the moment.
Ocean Breathes Salty by Modest Mouse, gets me moving.
To follow up and find more of his work find his Instagram @Pato.jack