Del Kathryn Barton Resplendent Vision

Term: 2 Year: 2018

This year, Zart Education will again sponsor the Nurturing Creativity Conference for visual art educators, and we are delighted to announce that our guest speaker for 2018 is the fantastic Del Kathryn Barton.

Del Kathryn Barton’s work is both delicate and sumptuous, work that is birthed from a creative practice fuelled by a profound energy Barton herself has described as her ‘constant companion’, something that is at the core of her motivation and existence.

The fruits of this creative practice were dripping from the walls in her recent solo show, The Highway is a Disco at The Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia. Walking into the show, I felt how I imagine Charlie felt when he walked into the chocolate factory: excited, inspired and full of desire. Barton saturated the space with her vision: both intricate in detail and grandiose in scale. The energy that drives Del Kathryn Barton’s practice was evident everywhere – my eyes danced from floor to ceiling: collages, drawings, paintings, sculptures and video work all fighting for attention. It was like devouring a decadent seven course meal. A splendid and satisfying treat for the senses – a visual triumph!

All of us at Zart, are very excited to have Del Kathryn Barton as our guest speaker at this year’s Nurturing Creativity Conference. The technical prowess, beauty and honesty of her practice, along with her ability to capture the imagination of her audience, is an inspiration to artists, teachers and young people alike.

The Conference will begin with a conversation with Del Kathryn Barton, after which she has generously agreed to take questions from the audience. Here you will have the opportunity to ask her questions about her motivations and art practice. We invite you to start thinking about what you may wish to ask her.

The Nurturing Creativity Conference is designed in response to the needs of art educators, an opportunity to engage with artists and industry professionals in a range of workshops built around information, inspiration and arts practice.

See you there!

Nic Plowman
ZART EDUCATION MANAGER