Gavin Barbey

Gav Barbey is a Melbourne-based interdisciplinary artist renowned for his dynamic and immersive creative practice. Born in 1966, Barbey's artistic journey began with a background in graphic design, scriptwriting, and set design, leading him to work across film, television, and theatre. In 1999, he transitioned into visual arts with his first solo exhibition, introducing his innovative 'Ice Works'—a process where frozen blocks of paint are allowed to melt onto canvas, creating spontaneous and evolving artworks.

Barbey's work spans painting, performance, installation, and film, often incorporating elements of nature and spirituality.He is particularly noted for his large-scale, gestural paintings of native Australian birds, created through expressive techniques such as pouring, dripping, and throwing paint. His 'Ice Works' series exemplifies his interest in transformation and the natural world, with ice blocks melting to reveal intricate patterns and forms.

Beyond his visual art, Barbey is a somatic educator and facilitator, leading workshops that blend creative play, movement, and meditation to foster connection and well-being . His multidisciplinary approach and commitment to immersive, participatory experiences have established him as a significant figure in contemporary Australian art.

Over the 2024 Australia Day weekend Gav Barbey created a series of performance and physical art pieces in Sorrento and in gallery 1 at & Gallery Australia…

Full Catalogue Here

Ice Melt Street Activation

On Friday 26 January 2024 Interdisciplinary artist Gav Barbey froze colours (natural pigment and natural elements) into 130 lt blocks of ice that were positioned around the Sorrento village to slowly melt over Australia day.

The colours/flowers were frozen in water to create multiple colours that lay static, frozen in time.

Ice melted and colour flowed to reveal an inner world, forming patterns, rivers, expressions which eventually evaporated and dried, a process of transformation within the water’s hydrologic cycles.