Brett Chan: ‘Get In Loser, We’re Going Insane'

Brett Chan has been a friend of Monster Children since the beginning, and it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out why.

As a pro skateboarder in the mid 90s, Brett got into painting and photography early, living by the motto ‘a life well lived is the best art.’ Now he’s currently in the middle of an artist residence at At The Above Gallery, with the opening night of Get In Loser, We’re Going Insane next Friday July 19th and until Sunday July 28th. Skating and art - what more could you want out of life? Get live updates of Brett’s residency on At The Above’s Instagram here, and read our chat with him ahead of the show.

What is the central theme for this exhibition? 

I describe my art as lo fi / sci fi. In that I am conveying futuristic ideas in a very basic form. The use of medium or technique has never been my priority rather the translation of the expression or idea as the key, or purpose to the artwork itself. Be it song, film, drawing, painting or sculpture, it's not just art for art's sake. Though that is valid too, as pretty things are nice. I just feel other people do that better than me. The art is still fun and sexy but fused with a purpose or point whether that’s directly translatable or not. 

The intro says this is an exploration of technology and how to avoid a George Orwellian 1984 route - what is it about technology that scares you? Do you think it threatens your life as an artist? 

I'm not scared by technology, it's a wondrous tool. I just feel like potentially mankind is blindly unleashing terror with AI and the combination of autonomous robotics that we have yet to fully grasp. It's hypothetically plausible that technology is the next form of humanity and our task as biological organisms, is to birth this next wave, so consciousness can live on and explore our world and the depths of space without the need for decaying limited flesh and bone, no matter how good a design the human vessel is. 

Alternatively, the tech humanity covets could also be being delivered by an evil multi-dimensional entity that is using the guise of robotics and AI to infiltrate this realm. Once the savage slave monkeys have built the literal body for it to inhabit 3rd dimension space within, a nefarious being could theoretically enter our realm like a Trojan horse. In a way in which it could not have previously, like a vampire unable to enter a house without first being invited inside. 

What would you like the audience to know about this body of work or is it top to their own interpretation? 

People can take what they want from it. It's cool looking and has a wave of its own. It still functions as art, but if someone sees some other thing in it then that's cool too. It's like how when I look at things, if there is a hint of an idea that is beyond the obvious then I'm like ‘oh this person knows what's up’ and I'll relate to it more, like it means more. I’ve been proven right about all the things that were once considered shit in life, be it skateboarding, spirituality or art itself, these were all rubbished ideas at one point, not that long ago but now they are coveted things, so I feel l’m on the money with where we are headed tech / humanity wise. 

You say ‘a life well lived is the best art’ - can you recall a moment or an experience that directly relates to this? 

I was in Byron on mushrooms after reconnecting with a friend and we were by this bonfire as we sailed away from the shore, to paddle a canoe down the river as the sunset on crystal reflects sunset water. Her hand trailed in the water breaking the surface and I had the forethought to film that little moment zoomed in with her hand and then panned back out to reveal the vista we were engulfed within. It was such a short moment that I captured perfectly and so I used that in the film for the song I made for this show ‘Burn It Down’, with the film I tried to make it all stunning nature shots that I have lived, because that’s what I value in life, juxtaposed with the lyrics being about how ‘one small ember can burn down everything’ to reflect the power off you just doing your part to combine with nature against the technocratic beast machine 

Do you have any rituals or routines before you paint? 

I'm very spatially and sense aware, it's actually been a curse at times. Hypersensitivity, but I learnt to control that as a child so as not to be too overwhelmed by the sorta false reality that is collectively projected all around us ...I sound like a nutter. But yeah just vibes. Like a good vibe. It was the same with skating. The right piece of clothing or footwear, the board graphic, good spot, the homies around, a few spliffs or some wine, or just solo with a filmer getting it done. Watch the breeze, look out for pedestrians. Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme…. cool runnings. 

I feel like this body of work has moved away from the geometric patterns you’re renowned for-do you feel like there is a switch in your life that resulted in this change? 

With the freehand geometry style, that was reflecting the spider web that weaves reality spiritually, so that it vibrated with the viewer atomically on an all frequency level. That style is called future primitive. It was still raw and real but very purposefully basic in its approach. Like cave paintings. its ancient symbology through two dimensional mathematics. I am talking about hieroglyphics. Not that you needed to understand that to feel it. With this wave now, I'm dealing more with humanity at its beautifully horrific core, rather than the lofty cosmology of existence. This era in my lore is by far more sex and death. So sex and death is the answer. 

With time and practice of your art has the creative process evolved?

When I first began art it was because I had so much free time in between skating (in the 90s) and wanted to channel all the psychedelia I was experiencing, The God molecule, so that was more channelling and ritualistic in its creation, to achieve an altered head space. Then art came popular so I could just do it more and it became more normalized. Now I just do it and it's fully integrated into my reality. I've learnt to tap the membrane that houses all the creativity in the ether far easier, and have the mental space to catch it straight away. The muse or whatever. 

Does skating spark the concept or subject matter of the painting?

I think skating is its own art form. It's the interpretation of the environment and using your surroundings for your own purpose rather than for its original design or intent. I’ve collected some random stuff I’ve filmed to project at the show. So not really. Its its own thing. I would say that all good art, like skating, is when it's honest and not contrived. You have to feel it for it to be radical. 

Are you hopeful about the future of mankind? 

Oh for sure. I’ve seen the other side. I know what reality is beyond this false one we all seem so obsessed with here. How are we the only life forms that pay rent to live here? It’s insanity! I feel like evil has had its moment and that good will triumph in the end. But reality is beyond space and time so it could be in my lifetime or in the others that follow. All I know is I’m golden. I've done my tasks (laughter). I promise I'm not a mental case. I am for real. 

‘Get In Loser, We’re Going Insane’ will be open from July 20th - 28th at At The Above.