By Briony Wright, Portrait By Carole Hampshire
Vice: From what we understand you were just a kid when you got into art.
Vernon:
Right, so how did you come to meet Brett?
And what did you do after high school?
What were you painting while you were in London?
Right, obviously before Ken Done coloured us pastel. Were the English open to Australian artists at that time?
What was it like? Were you guys partying a lot?
How long did you stay in London?
And how did being there change your work?
And how did your work develop around that time?
Your work is often described as psychedelic but I think some of it could also be filed under surreal. How does that sit with you?
And what did you do for that show?
Really, 3D is going crazy right now. And so you paint with that in mind obviously?
So you were doing really well but then, quite suddenly, you dropped out of the art scene altogether. What happened?
So what did you do instead?
Wow, did you enjoy it?
So it changed the reasons that you painted—more for yourself and less for commercial reasons. So back to the Aquarius festival, was it good times?
And some of the people who went liked it so much they made Nimbin their new home right?
Why had it been abandoned?
Amazing, just like that. That’s a great story. So you brought life back to Nimbin and then moved to the Blue Mountains. How has living there affected your work?
It’s great though. You had an exhibition in 2003, your first in 30 years. Do you have any more planned?
Vernon:
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And what did you do after high school?
What were you painting while you were in London?
Right, obviously before Ken Done coloured us pastel. Were the English open to Australian artists at that time?
What was it like? Were you guys partying a lot?
How long did you stay in London?
And how did being there change your work?
And how did your work develop around that time?
Your work is often described as psychedelic but I think some of it could also be filed under surreal. How does that sit with you?
And what did you do for that show?
Really, 3D is going crazy right now. And so you paint with that in mind obviously?
So you were doing really well but then, quite suddenly, you dropped out of the art scene altogether. What happened?
So what did you do instead?
Wow, did you enjoy it?
So it changed the reasons that you painted—more for yourself and less for commercial reasons. So back to the Aquarius festival, was it good times?
And some of the people who went liked it so much they made Nimbin their new home right?
Why had it been abandoned?
Amazing, just like that. That’s a great story. So you brought life back to Nimbin and then moved to the Blue Mountains. How has living there affected your work?
It’s great though. You had an exhibition in 2003, your first in 30 years. Do you have any more planned?
