Duncan James Macarthur
b. Sydney, NSW, Australia. Lives, works, and teaches between Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia.
About
My painting practice engages a methodology of material experimentation that explores notions of mimesis. Recent works investigate portraiture, where particular consideration is given to the genre’s conception of capturing ‘likeness’. I am currently studying Doctor of Visual Art at Griffith, QCAD. I have exhibited both nationally and overseas with inclusions in public collections in Australia, Europe, and Asia. Group and solo shows have occupied Testing Grounds, Little Woods, and Signal galleries in Australia, and Artist's Corner, Los Angeles. Key awards include the Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship, Griffith Award for Academic Excellence, and Open Bite JCP Studios Award.
Artist Statement
My work explores the intersection of queer identity, memory, and the expressive potential of contemporary portraiture. Drawing from a diverse archive of found family photographs and gay Pop iconography, I investigate how personal and collective histories can be reimagined through the physical act of painting.
Central to my practice is an investigation of the material possibilities of spray paint to fortify queer histories and existence. I utilise a process of Mimetic Drift, where the original image begins to dissolve or shift during the painting process. This visual "drift" serves as a metaphor for the fluidity of identity.
By layering historical references with a vibrant, modern materiality, my paintings aim to capture the psychological depth of the queer experience. I am interested in moving beyond a literal likeness to find a more visceral, felt representation of my subjects. Importantly, my work is an invitation to consider how we construct our own histories and how those histories continue to shape our presence in the world today.
Education
2023/current - Doctor of Visual Arts QCAD, Griffith University, Brisbane (current student)
2021 - Bachelor of Visual Art Class I Honours QCAD, Griffith University, Brisbane
2019 - Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) with Distinction RMIT, Melbourne
2017 - Advanced Diploma of Visual Art RMIT, Melbourne
2016 - Diploma of Visual Art RMIT, Melbourne
2015 - Certificate IV of Visual Art RMIT, Melbourne
1993 - Bachelor of Arts (Physics), La Trobe University, Melbourne
Exhibitions
2024
Recent Portraits (Solo), Tacit Art, Melbourne
2021
QCAD Honours and Postgraduate Exhibition (Group), QCAD Griffith University, Brisbane
Openbite Printmaking Association Print Auction 2021 (Group), School of Art, RMIT, Melbourne
QCAD Honours Showcase (Group), QCAD Griffith University, Brisbane
2020
Openbite Printmaking Association Print Auction 2020 (Group), School of Art, RMIT, Melbourne
RMIT School of Art Showcase (Group), School of Art, RMIT, Melbourne
2019
RMIT School of Art Graduating BAFA Exhibition (Group), School of Art, RMIT, Melbourne
Formalism Now (Group), Testing Grounds, Melbourne
Openbite Printmaking Association Print Auction 2019 (Group), School of Art, RMIT, Melbourne
2018
Soft Trash (Group), Testing Grounds, Melbourne
Concrete Dream (Group), Artists Corner Gallery, Los Angeles
2017
RMIT Advanced Diploma of Visual Art Graduation Show (Group), School of Art, RMIT, Melbourne
Complete Garbage (Group), Tank Gallery, School of Art, RMIT, Melbourne
Postcard Show (Group), School of Art, RMIT, Melbourne
2016
The Atherton Marbles (Solo), Performed at Little Woods Gallery, Collingwood as part of The Gertrude Street Projection Festival
Know Your Surface (Solo), C50 Gallery, School of Public Art, RMIT, Melbourne
Colour (Group), Tank Gallery, School of Art, RMIT, Melbourne
Superstring (Group), Signal Gallery, Melbourne
2015
Bricktraiture (Solo), C50 Gallery, School of Public Art, RMIT, Melbourne
Miniature Worlds (Group), C50 Gallery, School of Public Art, RMIT, Melbourne
Public Collections
Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia
Curtin University, Australia
Hong Kong Open Printshop, China
National Art School, Australia
RMIT University, Australia
University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Vilnius Academy of the Arts, Lithuania
Scholarships and Awards
Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship (2023)
The Griffith Award for Academic Excellence (2021)
Open Bite JCP Studios Award (2019)