Tim Vagg

Born 15 / 2 / 73

Origin Born in Canberra, A.C.T.
Studied in Ballarat, Victoria.
Moved to Melbourne in 1993.
Now lives and works in Northcote, Melbourne.

Education

1991- 1996 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting)
Ballarat University

2001 Graduate Diploma of Education (Fine Art)
Melbourne University.


Solo Exhibitions

1997 'Surface Tension' Metro Gallery, Nth. Melbourne.
2000 'Simbolos Sagrados' Hogan Gallery, Collingwood.
2003 'Face-Up' Kick gallery, Northcote.
2004 'Dogmatika' Kick Gallery, Northcote.
2005 'Northcote Stories' Kick Gallery, Northcote.
2007 'Theatre of You & Me’ Kick Gallery, Northcote.
2008 'Batmania – Tales from a cold Melbourne studio.
2009 'Heroes Drunks and Bounders - Forgotten Tales of Melbourne
Kick Gallery, Northcote.



Group Exhibitions

1993 Mural Project Ballarat Eureka Museum.
1995 'Emerging Rural Artists' State Library of Victoria.
1996 'Highly Strung' Ararat Gallery.
1996 'New Student Work' Contemporary Art Fair, Melbourne.
1997 'New Visions' Ballarat Fine Art Gallery.
1997 'Figures and Form' Mair St. Gallery, Ballarat.
1998 'Journey & Myth' Mair St. Gallery, Ballarat.
1998 'Re-View' Eltham Art Space.
1999 'Three' Eltham Art Space.
2002 'Inner Sense' Kick Gallery, Northcote.
2003-08 'Kick Artists’ annual showcase exhibitions.

Prizes

1996 David Pratt Drawing Prize
1999 Warrandyte Youth Arts Award

Tim Vagg : A Background


Tim Vagg has made himself known in Melbourne and surrounds as a unique and dynamic artist and musician, involving himself in creative projects as broad ranging as music festivals, film, theatre, and comedy, but he is best known for his highly personal and successful exhibitions of his paintings.

Tim is also a qualified teacher and has shared his skills and knowledge with both secondary and
primary aged children.
Tim’s emotive work has found a home onto the walls of art collectors both nationally and abroad, and has enjoyed the success of the last four of his solo shows being completely sold out.

Tim paints in a lyrical, gestural and narrative style that has a wide appeal to both young and old alike, and part of the reason for this appeal is that the artist finds a way to make his narratives both universal and personal at the same time. Tim’s work has been described as whimsical, sophisticated, naive, childlike and emotive, also perhaps suggestive of the figurative work of Australian artists, Joy Hester or Charles Blackman.

Some of Tim’s earlier work explored a more hard graphic street style, inspired by Melbourne’s strong graffiti and stenciling art scenes. More recently however, Tim has been inspired by an appreciation of the folk art painting of Mexico and it's celebration of colour, pattern and the everyday.
The artist continues his exploration and development towards a personal kind of 'Urban Folk Art' language, that acts as a kind of narrative to express the simplicity and beauty of various reflective emotional states.

Tim is currently working in the Australian Film and TV industry lending his skills and
vision to the Art Departments on HBO’s “THE PACIFIC” filmed here in
Melbourne at Melbourne Central City Studios, Docklands and on “CARLA CAMETTI P.D.”
for SBS Television, 6 Episode Crime Drama Series and “Saved” a telemovie for SBS.

Preview of new works

New Exhibition of paintings by Tim Vagg

Kick Gallery presents,

Tim Vagg

Heroes, Drunks & Bounders
- Forgotten Tales of Melbourne

Exhibition Opening 7-9pm Thursday August 20
Exhibition runs August 20 – September 5 2009

Tim Vagg is an artist that revels in the process, the musing, the action of making art. Having consistently practiced and exhibited over the last 15 years Vagg is a highly skilled master of his materials being able to use paint and other mediums to create rich, high key, colourful artworks that appear to almost come alive on the canvas and immediately engage the viewer. As a part of his on-going creative development Vagg delves into the history of Australian art and Western art more broadly, and through an engagement and appreciation of past artists as well as his contemporaries Vagg consistently sources new ideas and inspiration for his work. What’s more as a person Vagg chooses to engage the world rather than being a recluse or running from it, living a life rich in experience with fervor for what might come next and quite often driving what is to come.

In this context we are able to more easily understand how Vagg has developed such a unique and identifiable style that reverberates in his soul and resonates with his audiences. Having sold out his last three exhibitions at Kick Gallery and having sold additional works throughout the last year there is an enigmatic quality to the universal appeal of his art.

Heroes, Drunks & Bounders – Forgotten Tales of Melbourne is an exhibition that marks a major shift in focus for Vagg. These new works mark a move away from imagery of the internal world that the artist has been exploring for the last decade, to depicting quite specific subject matter from the external world dealing with various narratives of Melbourne's past.

Tim Vagg has had five solo shows at Kick Gallery since first exhibiting at Kick’s inaugural exhibition 'Inner Sense' in 2002. These solo exhibitions include; 'Face-Up' (2003); 'Dogmatika' (2004), 'Northcote Stories' (2005); 'The Theatre of You & Me' (2007); 'Batmania: Tales from a cold Melbourne Studio' (2008).

Heroes, Drunks & Bounders – Forgotten Tales of Melbourne runs until September 5.

For further information or to purchase work please contact Jacob Hoerner, Kick Gallery (Director). e:info@kickgallery.com m:0412 243 818 w:kickgallery.com - Cash, Cheque, EFTPOS & Credit Cards accepted.

Kick Gallery is open w-f 11-7pm & sat 12-5pm and is located at 239 High Street Northcote