Christian Dimick: 10 Questions

Christian Dimick is a Tāmaki Makaurau artist working between painting and drawing. He often starts from the marks he made as a child. Oil, pencil, collage and calico build up in layers that feel both studied and instinctive. His work is less about perfection and more about persistence.

We recently commissioned Christian to produce a series of drawings for Shoe Shop, and asked him 10 questions.

1. Who was the first artist that made you think, “I could do that”?
The first show that effected me in this way was seening a Gareth Sansom retrospective at the NGV many years ago now. Incredible work, worlds within paintings.

2. What did you want to be when you were ten?
A rock and roll star

3. What’s something you collect that has nothing to do with art?
Hmmm, everything is tied in with art.

4. What does a good day look like for you, start to finish?
Up early, quality time and food with my partner Freya, studio time, going to the beach, dinner and wine with friends.

5. What’s a painting you’d steal if you knew you’d get away with it?
Untitled (1957) by James Bishop

6. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ignored?
I was once told I wasn’t ready to exhibit my work, advised to not show it in the real world just yet. That went straight over my head. Maybe I should have listened.

7. HB or 3B?
3B

8. If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing?
Maybe a youth councillor or a hairdresser.

9. Be honest. Whose feet were you looking at for the Shoe Shop drawings?
My feet, haha.

My school shoes in high school (before I knew about doc martins) were pretty diabolical. I remember feeling very uncool wearing those. They were some run of the mill, number one shoe warehouse shoe.