Tim Ross

Constant is a podcast series presented by design enthusiast Tim Ross. Ross dives into the formative power of art, exploring its role as a silent influencer and its undeniable constant presence in life.

Ross developed his passion for art at a young age through the book Australian Painters of the 70s – published in 1975 and edited by Mervyn Horton – which is also the inspiration behind the series.

“Dad gave it to Mum as a Mother’s Day gift in 1975 and that little book with its bold graphics and John Coburn painting on the cover somehow struck a chord with me," Ross says. "Reading it today, it’s impossible to miss the connections I have made with the artists and their work, how art has become a constant by osmosis. My love of that book has incubated this project. From the pages come the stories of how art connects and signposts moments in our lives and in the process, highlights the importance of art and its contribution to our national identity.”

In this five-part series, Ross looks into some of Australia’s most famous and lesser-known artists. These include Ben Quilty talking about Margaret Olley, a trip down memory lane inspired by Leonard French, a discussion about Sidney Nolan with filmmaker Sally Aitken, a digital project inspired by a 1975 collaboration between artist Syd Ball and Split Enz, and a conversation with artist Vivienne Binns, part of the Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now exhibition, about the struggles of being a female painter in the 1970s.