STREAM
BEING HUMAN Conversation

DATE & TIME

2 JUNE 2018

LOCATION

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

 

Are artists given undeserved liberties?

On 2 June, The Ethics Centre and Vivid Ideas presented The Ethics of Creativity where a line-up of artists shared how they manage ethical dilemmas in their craft.

Four artists – Mirrah, Sasha Brandt, Brett Patman, and Scott Marsh – offered us a peek into their creative processes. How do they manage skirting the law, navigating their own morals, and making damn good art in the meantime?

Where rapper Mirrah cautioned us to slow down before making grand political statements, elusive street artist Scott said a few mistakes in the quest for political literacy didn’t hurt.

Brett, a photographer far better at breaking and entering than you’d expect, shared his scepticism at the law being a moral standard. So too did Sasha, tattooist and co-owner of The Darling Parlour Tattoo Studio, a professional at the forefront of rapidly shifting attitudes to skin and body.

A lively Q&A session with harbour views in the background topped off this afternoon session. If you missed out, here are some photos from the event.

Catch up

Didn’t make it on the night? Tune into the conversation on Soundcloud and listen from the comfort of the couch, bus or beach. Just hit play below.

Photo gallery:

Speakers

Mirrah

is a rapper and singer known for energetic performances and a positive attitude to music and creativity. Record labels find it hard to pigeonhole the recording artist who is Indonesian born with African heritage and brought up in California and Australia. She is also dedicated to youth work.

Sasha Brandt

is a tattooist and co-owner of The Darling Parlour Tattoo studio. She is passionate about creating designs she knows will last for decades on a person’s skin. Her artistic creations are colourful floral and animal pieces. Tattooing is Sasha’s first and only job.

Brett Patman

is the photographer behind Lost Collective, a project capturing abandoned built environments. The sites he shoots have rich histories of communities’ past but are often privately owned and gated properties — like old pubs, power stations, and hospitals, destined for demolition or gentrification.

Scott Marsh

is a graffiti artist who juxtaposes the ‘high art’ of galleries with the street art found on trains and walls. His canvases feature floral bouquets with trade tools like bolt cutters and spray cans. His socio-political murals take on lockout laws, environmental policies, and famously, Kanye West.

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Who is it for?


  • THE ACTIVIST
  • THE ARTIST
  • THE BUDDING ETHICIST
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What you'll take away


  • 01A PRACTICAL TESTIMONY ON NEGOTIATING ETHICAL DILEMMAS
  • 02AN ARTIST’S PERSPECTIVE ON ETHICS
  • 03THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND A PIECE OF ART
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Things to think about