ARTIST: Ruth Leigh
TITLE: Ric
DESCRIPTION: Do unto others. That’s the universal thing that we all have to live by. We’re all in this together. RJB is a Port Hedland–based artist whose path into art has been shaped as much by industry and distance as it has by creative drive. Growing up on Australia’s east coast, he was drawn to art from an early age. With his move to Port Hedland, RJB found an immediate sense of belonging within the local arts community at Hedland Arts – HARTZ.
I grew up on the East Coast- the normal, typical suburbia. I was always really interested in art at school… but I didn’t want to be a starving artist- I wanted to have a roof over my head. So I got a job at the steelworks as an apprentice fitter, and everyone was telling me how lucky I was to get an apprenticeship with BHP, and I really appreciated the opportunity… but all I wanted to do was surf and make art. But the whole point for me, over the long-term, was to get a house that I could work from and go back to art school.
Then I moved to Port Hedland. One of the first things I did was find Hartz- which was very similar to an arts network I’d had back home, but it was different at the same time. When I turned up [at Hartz] it was really cool. It was just a lot of people really interested in art. Di Boyd was a fairly established, practicing artist, and Amanda Bell. Most of the other artists were just happy to be involved and to have a space where they could work from. It very encouraging, which was super cool and different for me. I’d spent most of my life in industrial spaces so far from anything art related, and for the most part I’d felt very isolated.
To come to Port Hedland and have that immediate community- for someone to just say; ‘Here’s the keys, and if you need anything just let us know’, that was amazing. That’s what I really love about Hartz and what I like about Hedland. Most people come here and realise it’s an opportunity. The other thing about Hedland is that it’s such a transitional town. You’d go from catchups and phone calls to not seeing people at all when they moved. It’s a very isolated town and can be very isolating, but I appreciate the isolation because there’s nothing to distract me, and it’s up to me. I like Hedland. It’s afforded me a lot of opportunities, and it’s up to me to make the most of what I want to do with it.
MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
$420.00
In stock
