Meet Ed Bechervaise: contemporary artist, social commentator, and visual exploiter of the mundane and ordinary.  

Since 2007, Berchervaise’s work has been pushing creative envelopes from the walls of galleries Australia wide; no longer confined to the backdrop of city streets.

Having run for several years under the intriguing moniker “UnwellBunny”, Bechervaise’s latest show “Fast Forward” successfully meshes brilliant artistic skill with a healthy dose of post-modern satire.  Showcasing vibrant representations of day- to-day objects, Ed re-contextualises the toothbrush, the taxi cab, the bottle of cider, and the dumpster, all the while taking the proverbial piss out of consumer culture.

“Fast Forward” makes the entrails of modern life look artistically rad, and this unwell Bunny paints an interesting picture …

So, first things first, what’s with the moniker ‘Unwell Bunny’?  It makes me sad – but it also sounds cool – what’s the story behind it?

‘UnwellBunny’ was living malnourished in the world of mishaps with a two litre bottle of excess and three cups of over indulgence in a porcelain blender. He was the sick days your boss didn’t want you to take, the enemy of snow white, the friend of insignificance. Everything that could go wrong – and probably did. The dishevelled wino, the shoes you were missing, the three-day-old socks you wear anyway. A rebel philosopher. A scribble for a comic book, which stuck.

A piece of the past.

Earlier on, you were a street artist –  was it all about making pieces on the side of warehouses? A bit of self-expression? Or was it a serious outlet?

I stopped painting on the streets at the beginning of 2007; it was a bit of a metaphor for coming to the party. The ‘serious citizen’ party. Although it’s an ingrained part of my work, and will no doubt continue to play a part in the future, for now I’m taking a break. Street art is an intrinsic way to express messages people may be too afraid to acknowledge. Life sort of goes in looking like one thing, and comes out interpreted as another. The street stuff mostly contained messages, poignant… or completely shallow.

Bulmer’s, taxis, toothbrushes in the shower; you definitely have a knack for making the ordinary look brilliantly artistic! Were you the kid putting everyone else’s finger painting to shame in school? Or is art something you grew into?

It’s always been there, I’ve always done it, and it’s always been a little bit of a satiric ripple for some reason.

For this show in Feb, I’m just poking a stick at the day to day, flipping the lid on streets full of traffic that don’t move, the quick fix culture, fast food, short breaks, over time, mass marketing, mass messaging, mass consumption. Who are we really? When we’re swimming in everyone else’s ideas.

Are we Gloria Jean, or Krispy Kreme?

Can you tell us a bit about some of your previous shows, and what they entailed and how you believe they were received?

The ‘UnwellBunny’ thing was a great time, although when the idea had walked its path, it was time to stop. It sold well when it was off the streets, although it was never really meant for gallery walls, I don’t have anything kicking around the studio pre-2007. This new stuff is personal, it’s another idea, another direction, I hope people enjoy it, or find it an out let. But it’s personal so I’m happy regardless.

Speaking of your upcoming show, ‘Fast Forward’, it looks at rampant consumption, commercial culture and, I guess what you’d call ‘the disconnect’ it causes. In saying that, are your works merely representational, or are you making a statement?

It’s just a highlighter going over the words really – I don’t know if we want to do it differently – we seem pretty wrapped up in it all.

In the show you look at “day to day objects that make up the intimate experience.” Can you elaborate a little on what you mean?

I’ve got some drawings in this show that delve a bit deeper into all of that, we all seem to rush around chasing those big crumbs, its what happens in the time you have to yourself that makes you who you really are. At the end of the day your toothbrush knows you better than your boss.

What mediums do you readily use? I see a focus on colour in your last few exhibits although your black and white images are unreal! Which do you prefer?

I’m using resin a bit, and varnish, the enamel paint that I’ve been applying has a really loose quality, so I’ve been ‘locking it up’, so the scenario feels encased and trapped. It also gives the piece a finish that offsets the fluidity of the paint style. I’ve been doing a lot of studies, and drawing is a lot quicker than painting. Better for getting ideas out.

How would you describe your own work? You seem to maintain a fairly high level of impressionistic work – there must be some fairly strong influences there as well?

My work I guess is quite satiric, I’m having fun with what could be seen as more serious issues. I’m trying to be entertaining even when it all seems a bit much, a bit gloomy, a bit over whelming. The colour is a contrast to the meaning in many cases. A sea of taxis might be daunting to the deadline driven commuter, but a giant bottle of Bulmers trickling through the cracks of King street’s over crowded suburban sprawl, hey that could be just what Dan Murphy’s ordered.

What’s your opinion on the now transcendent nature of  ‘urban’ or ‘street’ art?  It’s not just something you see on the street anymore; galleries are hankering for it – what’s your take?

I guess it’s a sign of the times – the rebel idealists are just as culturally important. The street artist is talking about things society sometimes doesn’t want to hear, when everything is so politically correct, why not say it in a different way in a space it can be heard. Does it matter that people are buying it now? If money were a measure, then use it for good I’d say.

What’s next in store for Ed Bechervaise?

More painting, and a calmer moniker …

Check out Eds website for lots more info on the artist himself, and check here for more details on his upcoming show, Fast Forward …