Statement:

Renee Este's figurative works offer insight into the lifestyle of the musicians and
artists she is surrounded by. The preciousness of a fleeting moment is a
prevalent theme throughout her work, and her large scale oil paintings invite
viewers in to explore both familiar and private encounters.
Renee embellishes the spaces her subjects inhabit, depicting altering terrains of
interiors and exteriors. Capturing her subjects engaged in rituals, conversation
and intoxication, Este's work is devoted to moments shared between friends
and lovers. Honing in on the transitional period between youth and adulthood,
Este combines an array of references to depict vibrant, evocative narratives.
Este immerses herself in books, music and underground culture, which her
research is primarily focussed around. Estes intricate and atmospheric images
expose young people, questioning and revelling in a pivotal time between youth
and adulthood where the thrill of discovery is paramount. The chemical-hue
environments, dense in their painterly application, highlight the artists
engagement with not only the creative act itself, but with storytelling methods
too.
Travel Plan:
Upon being awarded this scholarship, I plan to travel to New York, which for me is
the creative epicentre for artists and musicians whose work aligns with my
practice. Travelling to New York would be both a research and practice driven
exploration. Engaging with the exciting culture of emerging artists, underground
musicians and contemporary spaces will richly inform my Honours year, which I
plan to undertake at the VCA in 2017.
After finishing my Honours year I will relocate back to NYC and undertake my
Masters, either at Hunter College where Jules de Balincourt studied, or the School
of Visual Arts, where Elizabeth Peyton studied. The inspiration I have gained from
these artists has been indispensable to my practice, and engaging with the
institutions they studied at would be enriching. I plan to visit the Hunter
College/Times Square Gallery, which hosts work of the MFA students. Visiting this
space, as well as the School of Visual Arts Gallery, would enable me to set up
connections and meet with the lecturers. This would be a vital step in helping me
decide where to base myself for my Masters, and where to base myself as an
emerging artist.
I plan to arrive in New York as early in 2016 as possible. In doing so, I will be able
to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Arts new branch, the Met Breur, which
opens in March 2016. This is an exciting new space which will offer an array of
residency programs, and opportunities for contemporary visual and performing
artists, who I hope to come into contact with.
The scholarship money would enable me to rent a studio space, and start
producing work instantly, with the energy from the 2015 VCA Grad Show still
fresh in my mind.
Whilst renting a studio, I plan to visit many studios of emerging artists in NYC
who I have set up communications with via Instagram. Visiting these studios will
provide a communication and ongoing exchange with these artists, even once I
return to Australia. Not only this, I will visit as many artist run spaces as possible,
including but not inclusive to: Essex Flowers, Pierogi, Real Fine Arts, The Donut
District, Con Artist Collective and Storefront in Brooklyn. Many of these spaces
combine galleries, studios and offer spaces for musicians to perform in also.
Alongside undertaking my Masters, I plan to run an Artist Run Space. Visiting
these spaces in NYC will be an amazing and unbeatable insight into the

contemporary emerging artist scene I ardently desire to align myself with. The
spaces I will visit encompass a community for emerging artists, who all prosper
from their close proximity to one another.
Some of my most researched and referred to artists are Neo Rauch, Nicole
Eisenman, Henry Taylor, Jules de Balincourt, Karin Mamma Andersson, Peter
Doig, Hernan Bas and Elizabeth Payton. These artists are represented by
numerous NYC Galleries, including: David Zwirner Gallery, Anton Kern Gallery,
Malborough Chelsea, Salon 94, The Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Lehmann
Maupin Gallery. This scholarship would enable me to visit all of these spaces, and
to see in person the works of artists whose books and articles I have been
collecting throughout the duration of my degree. Seeing these works in the flesh
and being able to investigate their practices more, and learning more about their
techniques and processes will encourage my own work to flourish.