Playtime

Where to begin?

Champagne on an empty stomach at a cavernous gallery in Sydney. Prehistoric collectors waddling around the room trying to see what the kids are up to these days. By kids I mean a 48-year-old painter - it’s his opening. Each time someone asks you what you do (they really mean - how did you get into the building?) you get one step closer to self-immolation. You try to grab two drinks off a tray from a man in a white apron, but he only lets you have one this time.

These are the conditions under which Pierre and I found each other.

The thing about Pierre is, you can usually hear him before you see him. I didn’t know about this of course, which is why I was confused, to say the least, when I heard triumphant bellows of laughter that evening. Someone was having fun, somewhere.

It wasn’t hard to find him.

We left and proceeded to eat good food and drink nice alcohol at a nearby bar.

Somewhere along the way (100 or so metres) we had amassed an eager flock of mostly strangers. Some were from the gallery and some were from the street. Guess which ones were more fun.

This is how things go when you are around Pierre. Things come to you. People move towards you. They linger. Gravity bends. Moves are made. Ideas are announced. A lot of people don’t realise how much discipline is required to live life that way.

So to help you understand, I’ve taken it upon myself to make this catalogue essay more informative than usual. They say there are no shortcuts in life, but Pierre and I know of at least four, and we have outlined them below. They are complimentary to his upcoming show at China Heights

1. God

Understanding things is overrated. I have no idea how those aeroplanes that write things in the sky work. Each time I see one I feel like I’m witnessing a miracle. Not needing to know how things work and why is a freedom I wish upon more people. The worst things in life know things. Depression knows things, people without faith know things. To rejoice in that grey area, or even in the trenches, is a valiant effort. Pierre’s divine relics visit us often throughout this show. The messiah, the mother, the guardian. But there is a less obvious, more intrinsic kind of spirit in the work. And it’s called Playtime. An often overlooked, deeply spiritual and powerful practice; Playtime is hard. It means dedication to curiosity in the face of fear, and hope in the face of doubt. Playtime is faith.

2. Stay Outside.

Playtime has existed since Bison were painted in caves. For some reason, this simple truth is easily lost on us. If you are an artist, and you’ve forgotten about it, that’s forgivable. You are condemned to a lifetime of repetition. Make, destroy, make, destroy etc. And because of phones, we see more images before lunch than someone in the 18th century would have seen in their whole life.

Staying outside helps with this. Plenty of things in nature are serious and demand to be treated as such. Creativity doesn’t need to be one of them. We have found that a good remedy for this is real life. Art world gamblers- I mean participants- will have you thinking that what they do is extremely serious. It isn’t. It’s playtime. And you’re not doing it right if you aren’t laughing at all.

3. Armour

A suit of armour will come in handy. A helmet, a mask, a crown, face paint. Cartoons and anime figures mingle with cherubs. Choose your titans carefully and adore them. Whether it be Astroboy, Batman, Archangel Michael or Richard Serra. Fantasy is the lifeblood of Pierre’s work. Chance and childlike wonder. Every colour is an omen and all of his brooches fall off when he hugs someone that underestimates him. He’s gone through about ten since I’ve known him.

4. Chicken

Everything you need is within yourself. But sometimes you have to put KFC within yourself to get what you need.

Fact: Playtime pays off.

Newton was at play in his mind when he saw the apple tree and suddenly conceived of the force of gravity. Columbus was playing when it dawned on him that the world was round. Yves Klein was at play when he invented that blue. He was on holiday in Nice. Time will fly by whether you play in the trenches or not.

Eight bills for freight and postage - that’s life.

A housing crisis, so you live in hostels for three months - that’s life.

A Love Warrior with two golden organs, a halo and a sceptre stepping out of a red mouth - that’s Playtime.

See it for yourself. Pierre’s show ‘Holy Spirit, On My Knees In A Trench’ opens on the 10th of May.