Design Federation

After seeing David Frazer’s amazing art on ABC’s Artists At Work, we just had to talk to him.

What is your name and where are you located?

My name is David Frazer and I’m located in Ormond, Melbourne.

Where did you learn your craft?

I had some really good art teachers in high school, in art school I didn’t learn much. Later on I did a couple of short courses in printmaking but basically taught myself. I went back for further tertiary study and picked up some skills. Recently I worked as an edition printer printing etchings and I learnt the most there about printing.

What is your favourite artistic medium of choice? Why that medium?

I think wood engraving is my favorite medium. I love the intimacy of it and also it suits narrative work which probably comes from its history of illustrating text. It’s also so real, what you cut and how it looks on the block is pretty much how it will look on the paper (except back to front). It’s just you, your tools and a piece of wood.

Have you always been focused in this particular area?

I’ve always been attracted to cartoons, stories and songs and I suppose that’s what drew me to wood engraving.

Whose work do you relate to most? Who inspires you?

I think music inspires me the most, especially Tom Waits.

Was it hard having the ABC cameras follow you around for the artists at work piece?

I loved it, it was fun and exciting although it did make it hard to get the work done on time. Also at certain points in a wood engraving you need to be alone and to really concentrate. A lot of it I had to do at night after they’d gone.

Do you listen to music at all while working, and do you still have time to belt out a tune?

I listen to music all the time when I’m working which means I have to buy a lot of cd’s… it’s a tax expense. I don’t have much time to do music myself anymore. I used to play in bands but I couldn’t be bothered anymore.

What about Australia motivates/inspires your work?

I like the emptiness of Australia and the melancholy that goes along with that. I liked the nature of our culture and its cruisiness but I think that is sadly changing. We’re becoming too busy, anxious, competetive and impolite.

How do you make your etchings so intricate?

By being borderline obsesive compulsive and analy retentive.

At your first gallery showing, was it everything you had hoped for?

Sure was, I sold heaps. Even though the work was as cheap as chips and generally not that good it was a real thrill that people liked it so much.

Where can people purchase one of your works?

Look at my website www.dfrazer.com then follow the links to my galleries.

Related Links

David Frazer

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Tags: abc, australia, david frazer, etching, Interviews