Exploring Art and Identity: A Conversation with Jamie Torpey
I met with the incredible artist Jamie Torpey at the hidden gem Cooly Breeze Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, where her newest piece is prominently shown on the walls of the bar. Diving into the world of mixed media canvas art and captivating wall murals, Jamie Torpey is an artist whose creative journey has taken fascinating turns. With a dedication spanning over two and a half years as a full-time artist, Jamie's artistry unfolds through intricate dot art and pointillism. Her canvas stretches from bars and businesses to high-end homes in Sydney, crafting commissioned pieces that dance between her diverse style and the clients' visions.
Jamie talks with us about how beyond her evolving creations lies a journey to uncover her artistic voice. Her upcoming collection of work, underpinned by profound themes of identity and the indelible marks artists seek to make, reveals a new chapter in her artistic odyssey. This exploration is informed by her personal journey, the struggles of self-discovery, and the metamorphosis she's experienced over the years. As Jamie sets her sights on a global canvas, aiming to illuminate walls across cultures and communities, her art becomes a beacon of both personal and collective identity, speaking volumes beyond the strokes of her brush.
Interviewer:
What kind of work goes into your wall murals and the high-end homes?
Jamie:
Commissioned work can be so broad, hence the challenge as it’s about collaborating and combining my ideas with the clients to come up with a joint vision. Finding that sweet spot between my style, what they want and what will enhance the space, takes up the majority of the design and planning process. From then, the fun begins, I put my head down and get painting!
Interviewer:
How does your style feed into what they ask for?
Jamie:
My own artistic style is quite diverse, and this is definitely highlighted when doing commissioned work as the requests are always different. Instead of using the same method and technique in every creation I prefer to believe that whatever medium I choose they will hopefully all stay true to my ‘style’ as I am the one creating it.
Recently I have taken a liking to pointillism and have been incorporating this technique wherever I can. My ‘style’ is ever changing and evolving and that’s what keeps me on my toes.
Interviewer:
And with your art, with the art you create, how would you say you're represented in the work you make? Where does your style come into play and what makes your art special to you?
Jamie:
At this point in my career, I have been so heavily commissioned that it can be hard to pinpoint my artistic voice in everything I create. Some work doesn’t always reflect the artist I want to be, and I believe that's okay. What makes it special to me is how an audience interprets it or how it can make someone feel. In that comes my artistic style that is driven by creating uplifting, impactful art and brightening up the space so that it is left a little nicer than I found it. That’s what makes it special to me.
Interviewer:
Well, you mentioned your artistic voice. Is there anything you would like to say with your work? What emotions or feelings would you like to invoke with your pieces?
Jamie:
As much as I love doing commissioned art it is a combination of voices in most of that work. This year I have taken more of a focus to strengthen my voice as an artist and what I want to convey to the world. I’m currently working for the Gold Coast City Council in a level up residency program which has allowed me the time to self-reflect and shed some light on this.
I have started a series based on my own journey of self-discovery and identity. It’s aimed at highlighting that it’s okay to not know where you want to go or what mark you want to leave on the world but to stay true to your own path and that you are strong enough to get through all of life's setbacks, struggles and triumphs. This collection was inspired by the pressures I have felt from finding my feet as an artist and as a woman and to share that in this part of my life through my art is so meaningful to me.
Interviewer:
Well, you said your pieces are going to be showing identity and struggles with identity and personality that's shown in your artwork. Do you think it's necessary to feel those emotions and have those experiences to then create artwork that shows those? Or can you create art that invokes an emotion you personally haven’t experienced?
Jamie:
I think you do have to go through those to fully express those feelings and tap into them for you to create art that kind of represents that.
I think that in the last 5 years of becoming a young woman and an artist has truly changed my perspective on life and allowed me to view things differently and more openly. Having been through the challenges and self-reflections required to get me to where I am today, I'd say it has definitely been necessary for me to convey those emotions in my pieces.
I don't expect or want anyone to feel as though they had to experience something similar. Everyone experiences different things at different times in their life and if someone can look at my art and resonate in any way shape or form, I'm okay with that. you take what you want from my art, and I never expect anyone to relate to it in the way I do.
I kind of just would rather brighten up a wall and brighten up a space and just uplift people when they see [something] dark.
Interviewer:
That's something to say in itself.
Jamie:
Yeah, exactly at the end of the day I just want to keep moving forward day by day improving myself and my art and spreading it around the world. I want to go internationally, and go to third world countries and paint walls in the schools there and just brighten up anywhere I can, and just connect with the communities, lightening up their spaces in a tiny way that I can.
Interviewer:
Do you ever get to create art for yourself?
Jamie:
Not enough, as a creative I'm guilty of getting sucked into creating work for other people and it’s easy to get lost in that, that’s for sure. This year has been an eye-opening realization that I want to get back into making art for myself just for the sake of it. Hence the collection I'm currently working on that is coming up for the level up residency program.
Interviewer:
With creating art for yourself do you feel more connected to that piece? Or do you still feel like there might be a separation between the art and the artist?
Jamie:
The art and the artist. Well, the work I'm currently producing for myself I feel a lot more connected to for sure, but if I’m being honest, I do still feel a separation between myself and my work sometimes. It's hard to let those walls completely down and be 100% vulnerable, it's confronting to pour your emotions onto a canvas and reflect back at it. However this {opening up] is what I'm striving for and hope to break down this separation as I move further on in my career.
Interviewer:
It's hard to be vulnerable.
Jamie:
Yeah absolutely, which I guess is a goal that I can strive for and keep working at so that my art can be the best version of me.
Interviewer:
Do you have any ways that you're hoping to reach that? Any steps you're going to take to hopefully break through those walls?
Jamie:
Just focusing more on being present and emotionally aware as I go through my day-to-day life so that I'm connected to the way I'm feeling. A lot of self-reflection can help too and just setting more time aside to create the art that suits my temperament and not trying to be anything I'm not. I’m currently also studying at the Milan art institute as a mastery student and going through personality, DISC and temperament testing is also helping me understand myself in a way that is hard to see from the surface. which again allows me to become aware of why I feel the things I do and how I can portray this on the canvas.
Interviewer:
The art you want to create, do you feel you're nervous towards creating it? Is this vulnerability because you're worried about how it's going to be perceived? Or where does that vulnerability and nervousness come from?
Jamie:
Art is such a raw thing and yes, I'm always afraid of how it's going to be perceived but I don't do it for others, I do it for myself. I think the scary part is how closely connected my art is to what’s going on in my life and that's confronting its constant form of self-reflection and dealing with things head on every day. Letting people into that piece of me is vulnerable, however I choose to believe I'm lucky to have art as my vehicle to growth and self-reflection as I don’t think I'd be where I am today without this process.
Interviewer:
Do you favour certain styles over others?
Jamie:
Yeah, I definitely love pointillism. I find it super therapeutic, and I just love the way it looks. I also love charcoal because it's just such a raw and earthy medium, it's natural and insane to use, it’s probably my favourite.
Interviewer:
Let's talk about charcoal. You said it's earthy, you said it's natural. What makes it feel so good in your hand?
Jamie:
Because it's so messy. I love that I feel like a 3-year-old again. I feel like whenever I use it, it's everywhere and I hardly draw with the charcoal I'll just draw with my fingers, and I feel like I have the most control when I'm using my fingers, not actually a paintbrush or tool because with an object my hand's at the end of it, whereas with charcoal I'm in direct contact with the canvas so I feel the most control and the most freedom at the same time.
Interviewer:
What’re your plans for the future?
Jamie:
Well from here I want to continue on my journey of finding my artistic voice and continue going larger and larger with wall murals. I do want to find a way to make wall murals in charcoal and I haven't nailed it yet, but I think when I do that would be awesome. But with my wall murals I just want to start going international and spread my work all over the world and transform the white walls across the globe.
Interviewer:
The world's your canvas!
Jamie:
Exactly, exactly! That's the plan for now and just keep growing as a person and as an artist.
In the world of artistry, Jamie Torpey's journey is a testament to the power of self-discovery and creative evolution. From her foray into large-scale mixed media canvases to the immersive world of wall murals, Jamie's artistic expedition has been a vibrant exploration of style and self. Through commissioned works, she's masterfully woven her diverse techniques into the visions of clients, bringing her signature pointillism to life.
Yet, it's in her forthcoming collection that Jamie's artistic voice truly resonates. A new chapter beckons, one where she delves into the depths of identity and leaves an imprint through her art that extends beyond the canvas. The fusion of footprints and portraiture embodies a journey of vulnerability and growth, a testament to the challenges artists face in carving their own unique paths.
As she dreams of adorning walls across the world, Jamie's art becomes a celebration of shared humanity. Each stroke, each dot, and each mural signifies not just a visual masterpiece, but a narrative of self-discovery, empowerment, and connection. With unwavering determination, Jamie Torpey paves the way for a future where art transcends boundaries and speaks the language of the heart.
Interview and photos by Angus Thomson
