1: Fred Braat (Gudu)
In this episode of A Living Field, I visit the cosy Wedderburn studio of Fred Braat—my neighbour, dear friend and long-time collaborator, whom I affectionately call Gudu.
Fred reflects on more than six decades of artmaking: from the early Widden Weddin artists’ community and the beginnings of Campbelltown Arts Centre to sculpture, performance, printmaking, handmade books and digital experimentation. We speak about play, consciousness, artistic obsession and the unexpected ways that collaboration can loosen ego and teach us to see differently.
At the centre of our conversation is Fred’s sculpture The Butcher Shop, held in the Wollongong Art Gallery collection. Fred describes finding pieces of fallen timber that resembled cuts of meat and transforming them into a butcher-shop display—a work that draws a provocative connection between the harvesting of animals and the harvesting of trees.
We also discuss our collaborative paintings, Fred’s earlier exchange with artist Margaret Turner, the emergence of shared visual languages, and our evolving relationships with artificial intelligence. Throughout the conversation, Fred’s humour, ethical curiosity and enduring willingness to experiment reveal an artistic practice that remains deeply alive.