Artist Collaboration / 04

Feb 14

Written By Jennifer Gilbert

two character heads on the bottom left and right looking up at a masked creature with horns in the centre, with a bubble coming out of the left shoulder with another head in. There is a grey trash can on the left of the picture.

For our fourth Peer/Peer, UK based artist John Powell-Jones and Australian studio based artist Matt Robertson, from ArtGusto, began a storytelling journey together

Click to hear intro and artist biographies:

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image of a young white man with dark messy hair and thin framed glasses. He is smiling at the camera in a bright green and yellow leaf print shirt, working on a drawing on the table infront. — Matt Robertson

Being a true Artist Matt Robertson is always thinking of his art and what he is going to create next. He brings characters to life on paper, that have evolved through his imagination. His narratives are quirky and he delights audiences with his instinctual use of colour. Robertson also works in film and animation. He has attended the ArtGusto studio in Geelong since 2015.
Robertson has had his work featured in several group exhibitions, including at The Geelong Gallery, Deakin Waterfront Gallery and in Federation Square in Melbourne.

a white man sitting in a camouflage hooded top in front of a desk, working on a colourful drawing. He has shoulder length blonde hair,and is surrounded by art on the wall and a booksheld behind — John Powell-Jones

My practice deals with themes of perception, power structures and personal reality in an on going study into how the warped western view on progress and success acts to inform our perception of morality.
These ideas are explored through the use of speculative fiction played out through video, performance and installation, interweaving costume, dance and ritual, taking inspiration from European folklore, body horror and science fiction. My aim is to form a dialogue with our present and an imagined dystopian future in which the horror of capitalism and neoliberal ideology are presented as cyborgs and demons.
Recent exhibitions include: a solo show at Castlefield Gallery, Manchester (2021), a solo show, IMT Gallery, London (2021), and a group show at IMT Gallery, London/Online (2020).

Over Winter 2021/22 Matt Robertson from the ArtGusto studio in Geelong Australia, met over zoom with John Powell-Jones in Manchester, in the UK. Both with a fascination of character creation and story telling, and also wanting to share real-life emotions and events, the story boarding began. Read on to find out how this project developed over several weeks.

Click to hear the interview:

two drawings side-by-side, matt's drawing of two figures happily looking to the right of the page, and john's drawing on the left of a masked being waving to matt's charcacters, in much more muted tones — And so the story begins… Matt’s characters put out their hand in their world to greet John’s character, who is waving from his world

Jennifer: Let me introduce you to Mhought and Flaze (above left), created by Matt Robertson, and Atamur (above right), created by John Powell-Jones. The characters decided to go across into each other’s worlds to see what the other was like, and to learn more about the characters, their lives and their surroundings. Across two separate storylines, we get an insight into the minds of two incredible illustrators with their own unique styles, both telling stories of developing trust and overcoming anxieties. Mhought and Flaze are two homeless characters who take Atamur on a trip around places they like to spend time, including the beach, a golf course and a beautiful fireworks display. Atamur is a nervous system who has built himself a suit to protect himself from everything the world throws at him, but over time the suit softens, and sometimes comes off completely, when he feels comfortable with those around him. Read on to hear a little more from both artists about the digital collaboration, following the 8am UK/7pm Australia zoom meetings each week! At the bottom you can see the full images and text that were digitally put together. Enjoy!

Jennifer: Can you tell us a little about the work you have produced during the collaboration?

Matt: It was a way to show off my world and different sceneries and seasons. A way to introduce new friends into the world of my characters, and to introduce my work to people who don't know me or haven’t seen my work before.

It was a story of bringing two worlds together. By introducing our characters to each other’s worlds, and bringing them out of their comfort zones. The characters realise they weren’t all that different from each other and that they could learn from each other.

It's two storyboards in alternate worlds happening simultaneously. It was exploring what if my characters went to John’s world and John’s character went to my world. It is a collection of 16 drawings manipulated into 15 digitally finished works.

John: During the time together we developed a collaborative story in which existing characters of ours crossed over into each others worlds. Each week as Matt and I got to know each other better so did the characters. Each week we would individually draw our characters, the environments they inhabited, and ask questions. These separate elements where then digitally compiled to make comic book/story board pages.

a highly detailed patterned background of bright colours, two simple characters in bright colours enter on bottom left looking scared, beastly figure on the right towering over them, asking in a speech bubble what is happening — Once the portals had opened, Matt’s characters step foot into John’s characters world for the stories to begin

Jennifer: How have you found the project and what were your favourite parts?

Matt: I found it engaging and it brought together two continents. It came at the right time for me. It gave me my mojo back and helped me to be creative.

John: I’ve found the project really positive, I feel that Matt and I immediately struck up a great rapport, and it was a very easy process to share and develop ideas between us. My favourite part of the project has been getting to know Matt and Sharon (the facilitator from ArtGusto in Australia) and seeing how the work developed each week. The process of collaborative storytelling made it really exciting to see what would develop week by week.

Jennifer: Has anything been a real surprise for you during the collaboration?

Matt: Initially, I thought the themes of John’s work seemed incompatible because of the horror content I had seen in his previous works, but I began to understand the context of his work, and how he was portraying the anxieties of the world. I also realised that we both approached our work in a similar way, and that the passion was just as valid.

a street scene with a road and dustbin on top left and brown fence across the back, with two characters looking scared in bright simple clothes and a beastly looking figure in muted colours central. text across the bottom. — Once the portals had opened, John’s character steps foot into Matt’s characters world for the stories to begin

Jennifer: If you could describe the other artists work in three words, what would you say?

Matt: Horror, bizarre, insightful… in that order.

John: Absorbing, detailed, thoughtful.

Jennifer: For others potentially doing the peer-to-peer collaborations in the future, what would be your advice to them?

Matt: Keep in regular communication and contact / Throw ideas around/ Get to know the other artist’s motivations and the concept behind what they are doing / Motivate and encourage each other / Have an open mind / Have fun!

John: I found Matt a real pleasure to work with, and it quickly became the highlight of my week! I found the experience incredibly beneficial and inspiring.

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Here are the two storylines that developed over the weeks – the top line being Matt’s characters going into John’s world, and the bottom line being John’s characters going into Matt’s world. Do click on the individual works as they will come up larger on your screen, and you can scroll across them.