For an artist, the studio is the engine room of his or her creativity. It is both sanctuary and torture chamber, the place where long, long days are spent wrestling with the Muse. For the general public the artist’s studio is a mysterious and magical place from which an infinite diversity of images may emerge. STUDIO: Australian Painters on the Nature of Creativity is a book, DVD and exhibition project that showcases 61 of Australia’s most respected and important painters working in their studio environment.

The idea was to show painters from all across Australia. The selection was made with the aim of representing a broad cross-section of men and women working in a variety of styles, from abstraction to the most exacting realism, as well as traditional Aboriginal painters. Large photographic portraits by award winning photographer R. Ian Lloyd examine and illustrate the artist’s working environment, whether it be an inner city loft, a kitchen table or the sandy earth of the Outback. How this space affects and inspires individual creativity is the subject of a text by John McDonald, art critic for the Sydney Morning Herald, and former Head of Australian Art at the National Gallery of Australia.

The project has been under way since 2002, and the book and an exhibition of photographs was launched in July 2007 at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

To photograph and interview subjects, we travelled more than 50,000 kms, and shot 50 hours of video footage. In the process, as we learnt more about the way painters think and work, the nature of the project itself began to change. From a focus on the artist’s environment, we became more concerned with the nature of creative activity, as it applies in all human activities.

Creativity is a special form of problem-solving behaviour, or as Einstein called it “combinatory play”, which follows roughly similar patterns in art, in business or science. The more we began to understand the way artists create, the more we realised that painters have valuable lessons to teach the rest of society.

How does a painter such as William Robinson sell paintings for more than $300,000, even though he was virtually unknown before the age of fifty? What is it that distinguishes the successful Aboriginal painters of the western desert from their non-indigenous counterparts? What does an artist do when he or she reaches a creative block? How important is it to create the right environment for creative activity? What can we learn from a mistake, or a happy accident? Is subject matter important, or is it the process of painting itself that drives an artist? Where does work begin and play end?

The list of artists represents a snap-shot of Australian painting in the early years of the new millennium. In contrast to earlier overviews, such as the 1968 book, In the Making, by Craig McGregor and David Moore, the mix reflects the rise of women artists and a more ethnically diverse community. The roll-call includes:

Davida Allen, Rick Amor, Michael Bell, Annette Bezor, Marion Borgelt, Cressida Campbell, Peter Churcher, Julia Ciccarone, Lucy Culliton, Elizabeth Cummings, Lawrence Daws, Ken Done, Julie Dowling, Joe Furlonger, James Gleeson, Guo Jian, Robert Hannaford, Pro Hart, Louise Hearman, Robert Jacks, Michael Johnson, Robert Juniper, Michael Iwanoff, Colin Lanceley, Richard Larter, John Mawurndjul, Allan Mitelman, James Morrison, Alison Multa, Rosella Namok, Angus Nivison, Margaret Olley , John Olsen, Gloria Petyarre, Rosslynd Piggott, Anna Platten, Luke Roberts, William Robinson, Jenny Sages, Gareth Sansom, Luke Sciberras, Jan Senbergs, Wendy Sharpe, Garry Shead, Shen Jiawei, Wendy Stavrianos, Tim Storrier, Marina Strocchi, Imants Tillers, Willie Tjungarrayi, Aida Tomescu, June Tupicoff, John Vella, Savanhdary Vongpoothorn, Robin Wallace-Crabbe, Judy Napangardi Watson, Yvette Watt, Regina Wilson, Philip Wolfhagen, John Wolseley,

The project has been inspired by a previous book on West Australian Artists published in the mid 1990’s by photographer Richard Woldendorp and writer, John Stringer. This new book encompasses all of Australia but concentrates solely on painters, in a larger 284 page hardbound edition. The publication features an introductory essay, then four pages on each painter beginning with a double page photograph of the artist in his or her studio. A further two pages will contain a 500 word profile, the artist’s bibliography and a reproduction of his or her work. The publisher is R. Ian Lloyd Productions and national distribution in Australia will be through Tower Books.

The artists’ interviews have been edited, and a DVD produced that is an invaluable educational tool for schools and colleges, and of interest to the general public. The topic of creativity is the organizing principle, but the DVD will also provide an overview of contemporary Australian painting. The material is in-line with the current secondary schools’ art syllabus.

The book and DVD are now available online.