BIOGRAPHY
Born in Morocco in 1973, Anthony Guilbert then grew up on the Riviera in the South of France. Anthony's earliest memory of art is learning to paint traditional Vietnamese paintings with his mother. His natural flair for art won him various art prizes in his youth and he spent his teenage years drawing, constructing elaborate collages and experimenting with photography. Amongst his multiple artistic hobbies was music. Anthony has been a professional drummer since his early teens playing with bands in Europe and Australia. His dream was somehow to marry the worlds of visual art and music to create something unique that he has not yet experienced in the art world to date.
After migrating to Australia in 1992, Anthony spent much time involved with the early movement of outdoor trance techno parties in New South Wales. He also worked in Byron Bay as a scuba diving instructor. An unfortunate turn of events led to a bout of pneumonia, which then led to mononucleosis, forcing him to surrender his work as a diver and his involvement in the techno scene to rest for recovery. During his 4 year convalescence his passion for art was rekindled and he worked feverishly as both a form of therapy and a pure desire to create.
During this time he began to discover his natural inclination towards a more abstract form of expression and gradually moved away from his original figurative styles. Gradually the 'drumming paintings' began to take shape. With much experimentation and contemplation using music and oil paint, Anthony finally found a technique of drumming and painting that to his mind satisfied a long felt desire to combine the two. He uses a 4x4 rhythm, brushes, and richly textured oil paint. Finding techno music to still be the most effective, he takes his time to experience an expansive, focused and meditative state before commencing drumming on the canvas. During the creation, Anthony often experiences an increasing trancelike state due to the repetition of the rhythm, the graceful consistency of the movements, and the intensity of the colours. He has named these works his 'BPM SERIES' (beats per minute).
In 2000 (while he was studying photography with renowned photographer John de Lombardo) Anthony had his first solo show at 6 Degrees Gallery in Byron Bay under his pseudonym Monoman. It was a huge success and he has since gone on to exhibiting work in Nice, France; Calgarie, Canada; Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney. Many group and solo shows followed in various galleries around the world including The Carmichael Gallery in Sydney, Galerie Marlyse Calame, Vence France, and the Byron Fine Art Gallery. Interestingly enough the buyers and collectors vary from therapy and yoga centres to music studios. His work is amongst the private collection of world famous US rock band System Of A Down, and the corporate collection of the Australian Stock Exchange, Sydney. Anthony also owned and managed the well known Tub Art Gallery in Byron Bay for 4 years, curating large shows and exhibiting the work of local and international artists.
Since early 2006, Anthony Guilbert AKA Monoman has been concentrating on filmmaking.
