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D on Barrett
the Garden Path
In this piece I have
tried to depict a feeling of
the early Australian
goldfields, where poppet
heads would be seen
around Melbourne and
regional Victoria.
This piece recognises all
the people who have earnt
their living by working
under the ground.
Poppet Head
Cypress pine, 2007
460 x 190 x 310cm
Don was born in Melbourne in 1946. He left school when he was sixteen
and served an apprenticeship in carpentry. He was very interested in
building and architecture and worked on a variety of building projects
where he gained valuable experience. After completing his apprenticeship
he applied for several art courses at different institutions around
Melbourne but was unsuccessful, mainly because he had not
completed Year 12. At an interview with John Brack, Don was told that
you didn’t need a qualification to do art, and taking that on board he
has studied and pursued his practice privately over many years,
travelling and visiting many galleries in Europe including the Tate
Modern and The Pompidou Centre. Don works mainly with timber. He
has exhibited widely in numerous sculpture exhibitions in recent years
and in 2006 won the Montalto Sculpture Prize.
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