Monty Webber hails from a renowned artistic family - both parents Diane and John Webber were sculptors, aunts and uncles were all photographers or artists. So it is not surprising that he has finally rekindled his own talent for the pen and brush after many years with an exhibition ‘Glitching Out’ opening at The Old Kirk, Yamba Museum, 5:30pm Friday 10th January, 2025.

 

After winning the end-of-year photography and painting prizes at Cranbrook High School in 1978, Monty attended East Sydney Technical College in 1979, receiving his Diploma in Art in 1981. He completed his post-certificate and won the ESTC Sculpture Prize in 1982. In that year, he also received an Apprenticeship Grant from the Visual Arts Board to work with sculptor Michael Snape for six months.

 

Between 1983 and 1987, Monty’s drawings, paintings and sculptures were included in many group art exhibitions, including the Rex Irwin Gallery, Art, Empire, and Industry, and the Bondi Pavilion Gallery. In 1986 he held his one and only solo exhibition of sculptures in the rear courtyard of the Australian Centre for Photography.

 

Over the next four decades, Monty focused his creative energies on surf filmmaking and writing for Tracks surfing magazine. During this time, he won both national and international awards for his filmmaking and self-published 12 books, including short story collections, novellas, a trilogy of novels, and his autobiography.

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Now, as an empty nester, he has the time to dedicate to his first passion - abstract drawing and painting. This series is primarily black and white (framed and unframed) culminating in twelve months work.

 

Asked about his greatest influence he responded: “As a primary school pupil at Rose Bay the headmaster had unveiled a print of Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ which was in black and white and so dramatic it left a lifelong impression.”

 

Also on display and available at the January exhibition will be Monty’s new book ‘Glitching Out’ which is a collection of 13 science fiction stories.

 

Adam Courtenay (son of writer Bryce) said this of the new release: “I'm in love with the crazy, incredible worlds he creates. Of the many short stories he’s written, these are my favourites.  I liked them so much I wondered if it was just me - so I gave my very discerning literary type wife the first short story - and she said she absolutely loved it. If he can get my wife on board (trust me, not easy), then he must be doing something right. I don’t know where he gets the ideas for these tales, but a weirder, wackier or more outlandish bunch of stories I have not read for years. I loved all the apocalyptic visions he conjured, and the way he uses the near future to give the story an immediacy. It’s Twilight Zone meets Lost in Space with a dash of Kurt Vonnegut.”