Mike Retter

Retter is the most easily distracted artist I've ever met. Consequently, not much more than a handful are completed in any given year.

He is also the only artist I know of who is so captivated by television that the medium has informed his work; blink and you miss it.Unlike all the other artists who squirrel away preliminary sketches and first daubs and all the rest for posterity, Retter is incapable of this. Each work is a one-off, effectively worth far more than whatever you'll be lucky enough to pay for it.

If, of course, he lets you buy it.

To be moved by a Retter is to buy it; photographs and film do not do them justice, don't even come close, in fact.

The only good news for the collector is that he's become interested in portraits. If you have an interesting face.

If you don't, you're not going to get painted.

You may think this the usual unforgiveable arrogance of the artist; it isn't.

He's just busy. And easily distracted.

Robert Brokenmouth

Portrait of Adelaide writer and poet Robert Brokenmouth by Mike Retter

Robert Brokenmouth from Mike Retter on Vimeo.

Mike Retter

"I paint about television. This became my subject naturally. Television has a power over a space and demands out attention. It lights up a dark room with flickering light. We learn more from the television than school. Technology is changing and combining with one another into something new. We are surrounded like never before.

Basically I paint about the medium of TV and use all kinds of techniques and take a year to finish a painting. I like the pictures to soak up a year of my life. It's not a consious thing it is just how it happens."

Mike Retter

In 2008 Mike Retter has exhibited at the ABC for six months.
Mike is one of the strongest supporters of the Outsiders Festival.
You can see more of his very intriguing work on Youtube.
http://mikeretter.tripod.com/