Jason’s art practice has developed a unique aesthetic, derived through his professional placement across various creative fields and extensive academic research. His art practice has spanned over 30 years, merging influence from various intercepting forays into film and design related industries.
His work comments on an emerging synergy between global culture and the mechanised world, exploring cultural shifts that occur as technology displaces every day practices. The works are situated amongst these shifts, keeping pace as new cultural developments materialise.
Jason’s work takes a satirical viewpoint, posing questions concerning the effect of technological advancement on humanities physical and cultural evolution.
He combines traditional handcrafted methodologies with technology-based production techniques in the creation of his works. Attention to detail and implementing mass fabrication techniques create a “production line” aesthetic.
Jason’s professional practice began in the late eighties, inspired by the works of Swiss artist Jean Tinguely and Australian artist Robert Klippel. Jason’s assemblies of “junk metal” regenerated a junk metal movement in Australia into the mid-nineties.
The saturation of junk metal works which followed in Jason’s footsteps inevitably precipitated a need for change in direction.
After a two year travelling and research journey abroad in the early 90’s, Jason returned home to incorporate his practice within the booming feature film industry at Fox studios, in Sydney Australia, working on films such as the Matrix trilogy and Star Wars.
Once the feature film boom had run its course and in his pursuit, for a greater understanding of materials and production methods, Jason turned his skills to design.
Throughout a ten year period in design, Jason developed computer CAD skills he now uses extensively to realise his works. During this period in design, Jason created many iconic urban development designs which are still in use throughout the City of Sydney and elsewhere such as the “Smartpole bike ring” and Hanging Baskets.
In 2010 Jason returned to Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) equipped with newly acquired skills and ready to rekindle his artistic practice through a line of academic research. Jason has since completed two master degrees and a Ph.D. research degree.
Jason’s Ph.D. concerns itself with indigenous/non-indigenous collaboration, researching institutional response towards a serious of works Jason co-created with acclaimed Torres Strait Islander artist Dr. Ken Thaiday Snr. Jason’s research provides context to the realisation of sustained and indebt cross-cultural engagement amongst global contemporary arts and an emerging Torres Strait Islander contemporary art movement.
Since reinventing himself as a visual artist Jason has been the recipient of 9 awards in major competitions as well as a finalist in the Wynne Prize and recipient of an Australian Post graduate award.
2019 will see Jason’s return to the studio in pursuit of a new line of multi – disciplinary kinetic works that will engage his extensive history of research and material manipulation.