Artist Brooke Walker on Grants, Guildhouse and Giving a Voice to the Voiceless

Wildlife conservation artist Brooke Walker is on a mission - long a passionate advocate for animals and the environment, Brooke seeks to reconnect the human and natural world through her carefully considered and meticulously rendered oil paintings and charcoal drawings.

Brooke has a special relationship with wildlife having spent a childhood surrounded by animals on her family’s hobby farm in McLaren Vale. During those formative years Brooke developed a deep empathy for animals and her intricate paintings express much of how creatures might feel as they experience a world largely controlled by the human hand.

In 2020, Brooke was selected as one of the recipients of a CATAPULT Mentorship from Guildhouse which provides funding and support for creatives seeking to expand and develop their artistic practice through mentorship.

For Brooke, the program meant that she could further develop her practice and shift into a realm previously unexplored - that of street art.

Clownfish - Brooke Walker

“I feel there is widening dissociation between populated cities and the greater environment and as a result want to bring nature back into the everyday lives of people.”

In exploring street art, Brooke sought to bring her work away from interior walls and onto an urban canvas so that it might be experienced by a wider audience - passers by who could interact with the art as they went about their everyday lives.

Brooke knew that she wanted to use the mentorship as an opportunity to expand her horizons and step outside of her comfort zone as an artist. She had a desire to bring the overlooked, non-human animals back into the city environment through engaging street art so that the public might respond to them in a new way.

Another point of interest for Brooke was the fact that street art has long been a tool for change and a place where artists might express personal, social and political opinions.

Brooke knew immediately who she wanted to be her mentor and approached renowned Melbourne street artist Tyrone ‘Rone’ Wright who is well known for his large-scale, haunting murals of female faces.

Rone was happy to participate and Brooke subsequently spent 5 days in his Melbourne studio observing his professional arts practice and gaining insight into the mechanics of not only creating and designing large-scale murals but also the complexities of liaising with councils and public arts bodies, seeking out funding opportunities and the challenges of working outdoors.

Rone had secured Brooke a portion of wall for her piece Roo Memorial so she didn’t need to scout out a suitable location ahead of time. The piece is a thought-provoking depiction of two kangaroos, a Mother and child, gentle and serene even surrounded as they are by tags and graffiti.

Overall, Brooke feels that the experience offered her a fast track to understanding the process of creating large-scale murals.

“In 5 days I learned what would have taken me months to discover if I was developing the skills on my own. I now have contacts within the industry and the opportunity to speak with Rone about any questions that I may have regarding upcoming mural projects etc. I am very grateful for Rone’s generosity as a mentor.”

Brooke Walker’s work can be seen at The Fleurieu Arthouse where she is one of ten resident artists working from studios within the space.

Roo Memorial - Brooke Walker 2020

Written by Lindsay Nightingale