BAXTER
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
Hey, I’m Baxter. I’m a multi-disciplinary artist born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, and now residing in Melbourne, Australia.
Having always aspired to be a large-scale muralist, my drive is to construct a unique style that not only reflects my capabilities but also my inspirations and values as an artist. I am self-taught, and a lot of my skill set derives from my 10+ years of experience in urban graffiti painting. Tackling a diverse range of briefs and surfaces has informed my practice and given me the ability to work within restraints, as well as a unique outlook on problem solving.
What distinguishes me from other artists is my constant need to progress and push boundaries. I’m constantly innovating and trying to be as unique as possible while also staying relevant to the times and current art trends.
I came to Melbourne to network within a thriving street art and graffiti scene. I've been here for 5 years now, and I'm not in a rush to leave. Living in Melbourne is unbelievably stimulating as an artist. The city is so active with shows and graffiti that it never fails to inspire me and keep me creating work.
When people look at my art, I want them to feel something new, something they have never seen or experienced before. This new body of work takes a lot of inspiration from the post-Vandalism movement, which I don't see a lot of in Melbourne. I'm also heavily inspired by innovative graffiti artists like Roid, Sawe, and Saeio, who break conventional graffiti norms, innovate, and propel the art form.
I currently work freelance as a designer, illustrator, and muralist. I have collaborated with big Australian brands such as MilkLab, BWS, and Country Road. I have taken part in many group shows with the likes of Fortheart Co. and Outre Gallery. I have multiple public-facing murals around Brunswick and in Fitzroy. My most notable was a large commission I did for the Sydney Road Association, which was a 15x5m mural depicting imagery and inspiration taken from the local community. Ever since then, the commissions have been coming in regularly; this was my wall that broke me into the scene. I've also taken part in The Big Picture Festival in Frankston, where I conducted several workshops with a local school and then painted a mural with the pupils. This was a great opportunity to meet a lot of the heavy hitters in the Melbourne scene and create friendships for the rest of my life.
Last year, I created my first joint show at Unassigned Gallery in Brunswick with my good friend Shaun Devenny. It was one of our first attempts at something like this and a massive curve. Taking the leap from walls to canvas was a lot trickier than I anticipated. I’m now broadening my practice and learning new skill sets to be able to produce both.
Photography: Courtesy of the Artist