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[title]Collecting art is no cheap hobby, and if you’ve got your heart set on a coveted piece from a well-known artist, it could cost you a pretty penny. In times like these with record-high inflation, that’s probably a luxury you’ve cut from your budget – but that doesn’t have to be the case. While you save up for an original piece on canvas, you can continue to enjoy your favourite artist’s work via a more affordable medium – like perfume, in the case of Australian artist David Bromley.
The British-born painter and sculptor, whose career now spans more than three decades, is among the most recognisable Australian artists of our day and is best known for his bold, large-scale works. And now, Bromley has partnered with Bondi Perfume Company to make three bespoke perfumes adorned with some of his famed female nude portraits.
If a perfume partnership seems a bit out of left field, you may not be familiar with Bromley’s penchant for unusual collaborations; he’s previously teamed up with Vegemite to design one of its labels.
“Someone from the Financial Review asked me what made me say yes to Vegemite, and I’m like, is that even a question? It’s Vegemite!” says Bromley. “It’s the giant of [Australia’s] world, and to think that you’d be the person doing one of its labels… it was pretty exceptional, actually.”
What does it take to pique Bromley’s interest in a project? Well, Bromley is a self-described packaging nut, so any opportunity to work on interesting containers and labels will capture his attention.
“I believe that you can judge a book by its cover,” says Bromley. And if for some reason the book is crap and the cover is great, I still think it’s a win because it looks good on the bookshelf.”
Bromley is also drawn to opportunities to work across genres and industries that he hasn’t worked with before; in this case, the beauty industry. His work has graced everything from buildings and apparel, and now it can sit pretty atop someone’s set of drawers, living on as art even after the bottle has sprayed its last drop.
And finally, but perhaps most importantly, Bromley is keen to make his artwork more attainable and affordable. At just $70 a bottle at Chemist Warehouse, the eau de toilette fragrances come in at just a fraction of the price of Bromley’s full-scale artworks.
“I remember when I got into the major art galleries throughout Australia, certain people said that the calibre of the people collecting my work now was ‘much better’ than before,” says Bromley. “I thought, ‘What? In what way?’ Things like that get said, and I think it’s a crock.”
“I open myself up to immense criticism by doing things like [this collaboration], and I have a care factor of zero. You know, whether the collaborator is Chemist Warehouse or the Guggenheim, [the end result] is a piece of design.”
To get your hands on Bromley’s perfume collaboration with Bondi Perfume Company, head to your nearest Chemist Warehouse or order online.