Carl Gopal

UK-born Carl Gopal (AKA Carl Gopalkrishnan) is a painter & writer working in acrylic, mixed media and photography. He started out as a typographer/fabric designer in the 80s and worked in an art gallery for several years in the early 90s developing his own process. Over the years Carl added academic studies in sociology to his self-taught technique, often involving months of research, reflection and experimentation before touching a canvas. Almost all his work in some way explores Consciousness.

Carl hasn't taken the traditional road in his art practice and, though he spends much time on reflection, he feels his painting technique is influenced by Outsider traditions. His Indian and Chinese heritage has also instilled in him a respect for art inspired by spirituality.

"I knew a long time ago that I mixed things up more than others. I mix mediums, concepts, words and processes and they all come out at once. It's not logical to others, but to me, well, it makes perfect sense. But it takes real work, and as you delve deeper you focus on quality, on resolved pieces, completed thoughts."

Recent projects include a series of paintings exploring the new Obama administration in the US through the combined metaphors of the poetry genre chansons de geste and the American musical. Carl works from his studio in Perth, Western Australia.