An Interview with AUSTIN CAMILLERI

After a hectic day at his studio, Austin Camilleri, grandson of the late Wistin Camilleri, walked with the Gozo Plus team from his large studio cluttered with work in progress to his house, both in Santa Lucija. Austin Camilleri is presently working on the final preparations for a video to be presented at the exhibition 'Going beyond the countries’ art – small states on uncertain stereotypes' in San Marino on November 10^th.

As he sat on his sofa, relaxed and comfortable, sipping red wine, he spoke to Charmaine Attard about his artistic career.

When and how did you first become aware that you had a flair for expressing yourself in art?

I was born to a family of artists.  My mother used to live next to my grandfather’s studio, so it came natural to get dirty with clay and paint from a very early age. Whilst studying sciences at university, I remember having a sort of call and wrote a solitary entry on my otherwise blank diary “I am an artist”.  Not that I really understood what it meant.

Did you attend any school of art to learn and perfect your artistic abilities?

Fortunately I won a scholarship to study art in Perugia for four years.  This experience nudged me out of a closed cultural environment and exposed me to a myriad of expressions in all disciplines. The most valuable lesson learnt, however, was self-survival and understanding the true self.  Travelling was and still is part of my formation.

What encouragement did you receive to pursue your artistic skills? Is there any particular artist who has influenced you?

You do not really need encouragement.  You may need an initial push, but the energy in yourself keeps you going. I can mention hundreds of influences, from Giotto at the Scrovegni Chapel to the early Douglas Gordon, through the sounds of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Pasolini and Roberto Benigni’s TV appearances.

What is your preferred medium and method of expression in art?

Whatever it takes to put my idea together is good enough. Photography, video, painting, drawing, sound, sculpture and installation: All are adequate vehicles.

How do you reconcile your innovative, abstract, profane art and installations, with your work of art in churches?

All are facets of the same persona. Prior to work for the Lady of Tears’ Sanctuary in Syracuse, the Gozo Cathedral and the Dome in Santa Lucija, many of my installations and objects, investigated religious literature and imagery. The medium might be different, but I like to treat both as site specific interventions. As in installations, you research the space, its history and architecture. And in both cases you have to input your idea in your own words.

What is it that prompts you to put your brush to the canvas?

It’s a necessity, like water. I don’t wake up in the morning, sipping coffee on my terrace staring at the Citadel, catch a canvas and try to depict it. That’s too narrative a way for me. Obviously there could be some stimulus here and there, but generally it’s a vicious circle – if you don’t produce, you get constipated and if you get constipated, you don’t produce.

Do you prefer working at certain times of the day, following a routine, or just when the inspiration fires you?

If you don’t play everyday, inspiration never comes.

What message do you try to convey with your work of art? Or is it just a means of redirecting your negative feelings into something productive?

It is not necessarily a negative feeling and there might be no messages. I am aware that some of my works may give this impression. The audience – depending on its own cultural baggage – can give different interpretations to a particular piece.

Do you think that artists work for money?

Real ones?

Do you think that those who hide behind a work of art to convey a particular message should be considered artists?

Real artists do not hide. True art constantly reveals the artist’s weaknesses and preoccupations. 

Are there any hidden messages that are not immediately apparent in your work?

Maybe. Although you have an idea in mind when producing a work of art, it then lives a life of its own. I try to let it be!

Were there any particular exhibitions, where the public’s response diverged from what you were expecting?

I never expect a reaction in particular. My first installations produced some shock, even though I’m not after shock. I recall that during Stones and Sacredaustin the public wrote letters to the editors of local newspapers to show their disdain. I like that. You have to react in front of art not just chill out.

Do you think that the number of modern artists in Gozo is proportionate to that in Malta?  

Probably.

What is the difference between the Maltese Islands and foreign countries with regard to contemporary art?

Primarily we lack the appropriate establishment and cultural management. I feel that there is not enough moral and financial support to contemporary art practice… especially to expressions that try to expand our society’s notion of art.