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Built: Billy Bain’s Creative Double Life

Billy Bain wants to make art, hit the lip and get barrelled.

We catch up with artist Billy Bain after 5 years of university and Sydney city living, as he transitions back from weekend warrior to once a day surfer. Graduating with first-class honours in fine arts at UNSW, Bill has moved back to his hometown Avalon Beach, where he now builds work out of his basement. His work, whether it be sculptural ceramics, painting or printmaking, is quintessentially Australian.

One of Billy’s many sculptures, which questions the accepted norms of Australian culture. This one is titled ‘Family’. 

As an Indigenous man, his work takes the piss out of Australia’s hyper-masculine and often white-washed culture. Bain often seeks to reveal the deeper and darker ironies of day to day suburban living, whilst still keeping his work stylistically fun and humorous. BUILT is a visual journey that transitions between Billy’s studio where he plies away at his trade, and the ocean where he further expresses himself. All laid out to the riffs of the legendary live Aussie band and his mates, The Pist Idiots.

Filmed by Josh Simpson, Nick Colclough, Max Zappas and Peter Baker Edited by Josh Simpson.
Music – Sweet Headache – The Pist Idiots.

 

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A bi-monthly eclectic tome of tangible surfing goodness that celebrates all things surfing, delivered to your door!
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HAPPENINGS
Your portal to cultural events happening in and around the surfing sphere.
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