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To celebrate Jeff Raglus' sixth solo exhibition with Boom - Free Jazz, our Exhibitions Manager and Curator Dylan asked Jeff some questions about his incredible career.

Boom: How did your painting career begin?

Jeff: I got into painting mostly through being in a band called ‘The Bachelors From Prague’. They had a strong artistic style and look, their posters were way cool before I even joined. This style mostly came from the band leader Henri Maas. Henri started the Black Cat cafe in Brunswick St. Fitzroy. I would even dare to venture that he started that part of Fitzroy being cool!

He convinced me to start painting after we worked on backdrops and posters together. My first ever exhibition was a group show organised by Henri in 1987. He rented an old shop for 2 weeks in Brunswick St near The Black Cat and it was successful! People bought my paintings! I was totally blown away and that was it. It really took off from there.

Boom: What does a typical day look like in your studio? 

Jeff: I paint a lot! Nearly every day in fact. The average day starts about 8.30am and ends around 4 or 5pm. I do listen to music but I’m very particular about which stages. When I start a painting (which always starts with a pencil sketch), I really concentrate on that part and usually don’t have music at all…But once I’m in the flow, then yes I do listen, but it’s mostly mellow stuff, a lot of ambient music and dub, reggae etc. Funnily enough, especially towards the end of a painting, I usually go back to no music!

Boom: Tell me one fun fact about you.

Jeff: I failed art in High school! The art teacher said it was just cartoon rubbish. I was shocked! Ha! It was kinda sad because I really loved art and it sorta put me off. So, as a result I really am a self taught artist.

Boom: Your artwork incorporates painting, assemblage, sculpture and using found objects. Can you give us some insight into your process? 

Jeff: I think about art and new ideas a lot! Often It’s when I first wake up, this might sound a bit weird but sitting in the dark as the day gets slowly lighter, that’s when I get most of my ideas! I don’t really find objects that inspire me, more the other way round, although some found driftwood pieces suggests shapes, but mostly everything starts from my imagination and sketches, many sketches! I also look back at my favourite paintings and sculptures from previous shows and look to see what I can develop further.

Boom: In addition to being an artist, you are also an incredible musician. These two aspects of your career seem to work in harmony, but is it hard to balance this creatively and logistically?

Jeff: It actually is mostly a good thing. I recently read an interview with Reg Mombassa who like me is a musician and visual artist, and he said he really feels one aspect fall as you concentrate on the other. I feel that as well. Definitely if I paint everyday and don’t practice my trumpet at all, it is scary how quickly you lose your musical edge. Luckily we play most weekends and that is just enough to keep my musical side going. Its interesting when we record an album I usually stop painting and really concentrate on the music but I find I can get back into my art relatively easily. Often my paintings have the same titles as songs we write!

Looking back I came to art directly through music. Doing posters for gigs, screen printing T-Shirts, designing album covers etc.. So yeah, they are very connected, and also visually I’ve been told my paintings do have a musical rhythm to them. I agree with that.

Boom: You are a very prolific artist, often exhibiting in several shows across different spaces each year. How do you maintain the creative energy, ideas and momentum to keep making new work?

Jeff: I can’t help myself. I probably say yes to way too many things at once. If they sound good, I want to do it all, and set out to do so. I really paint and play music even in small amounts at the oddest times. I don't really go on holidays, I usually do a tour of an interstate exhibition and add musical gigs to that. That’s my version of a holiday! Having said that, this year I’m making a conscious decision to not book too may things at once.

Boom: Your artwork is so recognisable and uniquely you. You have your own sort of visual language with your linework but even more so with the symbols and iconography that appear across multiple works. Can you talk a bit about this? 

Jeff: I would describe my style (especially early on) as a mixture of Warner Bros and UPA Cartoons mixed with mid century artist like Paul Klee, Picasso and Miro. I mixed these all together and then had to try to forget all that, and develop my own style. I often do these particular shapes in surreal landscapes that are part humanoid, part boulder and part plant. These shapes also can be turned into sculptures, in fact I can see a lot of things from my paintings that can become sculptures. I’m also quite obsessed with city scapes and just lately I’ve been trying to do more abstract pieces, which I’d love to get more into.

But there are no rules, I often jump back to older styles. There is a term in the USA called ‘Low Brow Pop Surrealism’ I think that just about covers my style well.

Boom: You are well known for working with some big brands and organisations (like Mambo or Queenscliff Music Festival for example). How does commercial Illustration work differ from creating pieces for an exhibition (or just art for arts sake)?

Jeff: Commercial and graphic work is so different from free style painting. I hardly do graphic work anymore - 2 reasons… I don’t really like being told what to do, and also the rise of Computer and Ai graphics. Working for Mambo was a dream come true because there was complete freedom! No rules at all. It also led to lots of other fantastic jobs such as designing The Sydney 2000 Swatch Watch.

It had a huge affect on my painting style, almost too much. I worked for Mambo from 1991 till 1999. When it was over it took me about 5 years to shake that look out of my paintings! True!

Boom: Free Jazz is your sixth solo exhibition with Boom and is currently showing until May 16. Do you have a favourite work in the show?

Thats really hard. Like asking to pick your favourite child! Ha! I Love them all!

Thanks so much Jeff for the lovely, insightful and fun Q&A! 


Free Jazz runs until May 16, or you can have a look online here.