DAN BARKER
by Graeme Olsen
Some people would say that a lawyer
and an artist is an unlikely combination. Let's
meet a guy who fit's that description, and find
out how to get hold of some of his work.
| Dan's a south west boy at heart.
He was born in Perth, but moved to Bunbury
with his folks when he was a teenager. He
wasn't really into art all that much at that
stage, and after school made the decision
to take up law after talking to a local lawyer,
the father of one of his mates.
Like most lawyers in training, Dan made
the move to Perth to finish his articles
and restricted year of practice. It was
during his time there that he started the
journey that eventually led him to discover
his artistic side.
Looking for something different to do for
a while, Dan enrolled in a photography course,
and part of that involved using computers
to edit and touch up photographs. While
doing this, Dan was impressed by the huge
range of colours offered by digital media,
and the control you have over the art. He
quickly discovered that he enjoyed this
kind of artistic expression - and he's not
bad at it either.
But Dan's artistic talents don't just stop
at digital art. He paints too. He's also
written over 100 poems, and is currently
seeking a publisher. He even dabbles in
music, telling me he's just
|
|
Ascension |
| written his first song on his
guitar, but is too shy to sing it to anyone
yet. Maybe one day soon we'll hear the new
release from the singing lawyer-artist. |
Dan moved back to Bunbury two years
ago, and quickly settled back into the place where
he says he feels most comfortable. "I love
Bunbury", he says, "It's a gateway to
the south west, having all the facilities and conveniences
of a big city, but without the intensity of a big
city lifestyle."
Working most of the week for a legal
firm, Dan get's less time than he'd like to work
on his art and promote it. However, his work has
recently been in some local exhibitions, and he
has also been more than willing to provide his artwork
to local businesses to display in their shops on
a "for sale" basis.
Two such businesses that have taken
him up on the offer are Mojo's Cafe in Victoria
Street Bunbury (near the Cinema) and Cafe Koombana
in Koombana Court, Bunbury. Take a wander into either
of those places and you'll see some of Dan's work
on the wall. It not only offers the businesses some
great artwork for their public areas, but also gives
Dan a bit more profile at the same time.
Dan has a large range of artwork available
for viewing. If you want a demo CD of his work,
or if you're a business owner who wants to display
his work on a "for sale" basis, then he
can be contacted at barkerdan@hotmail.com.
You can also try his mobile on 0438 701 750, but
there's a good chance he'll be in court at the time
and you'll have to leave a message. There's just
some things about lawyers that you can't change
- even if they do have an artistic side.
Jabeeg |
|
Conception |
August 2002
