Andy Firth is a self-taught Australian artist known for his signature canvas: the human skull. Since 2013, he has remained widely anonymous under the title ‘Jack of The Dust’- until finally coming forward in 2022. Releasing 4-6 works per year, each of Firth’s highly in-demand handmade skulls is constructed by manipulating acrylic, clay and cinema-grade urethane resin. Firth has grown a full-time crew of 15 and operates from two Burleigh Heads warehouses on Australia’s Gold Coast. Learn more about Andy Firth and his unique collectible artworks in this week’s Maker Monday.
“Death of Liberty”; The subject of Andy’s artwork revives the building blocks that connect humanity: our very skull and bones.
Andrew Joseph: What’s the weirdest thing a client has ever asked you?
Andy Firth: I was once asked to create a skull urn, so my client could keep a loved one’s ashes in there. Storing a person’s remains inside the hollow of a replica human skull is a pretty weird yet kind of cool request and concept.
AJ: What was your first job?
AF: Trolley pushing at my local supermarket. I lost count of how many times I ran down the hill with the fear of god in me, chasing trolleys before they crashed into customers’ cars. Let’s just say I was mostly successful at making it in time. I also remember the love notes I’d find in the trolleys from girls at school for me haha. One time I even found a couple of hundred dollars on the ground on a random trolley run! Good times.
“Beehive”; “When we die, it all gets stripped down to the bone. As an artist, it is my mission to breathe life back into those bones,” says Andy.
AJ: How would you describe your personal style?
AF: “Surprise and delight”. I always find myself investigating new formats and styles for displaying my artwork. Always in a state of change, trying to outdo myself with every new piece I bring to the public. I try to keep a bright outlook on what can sometimes be confused with a dark topic.
AJ: Are you a pet person? Why either way? Dogs or cats?
AF: Yup, currently I’m a dog person. I have 2 dogs that I got from the pound. A staffy named Ollie and a mix named Jasper (who looks like a real fox). After a DNA test, we found out that Jasper is part, Maltese, Chihuahua, Australian Kelpie, Pomeranian, Welsh Corgi and American Shepard! And he is as cute as a button.
AJ: What is the last book you read?
AF: Surprisingly I’ve never read a book from start to finish, perhaps it’s the lack of interest, or maybe I just haven’t found the right book yet!
“Pharaoh Killer”; During the creation process, Andy’s original sculptures are destroyed, with master casts kept from then on. An ironic ode to the second life of his subjects.
AJ: Do you get your eight hours a night? What is your schedule like?
AF: I do! I believe that getting enough shuteye is a very important part of keeping a healthy mind and lifestyle. My schedule for my artwork is 8am – 4:30 Monday to Friday like clockwork. Some people wonder why I assign myself a 9-5 schedule when I could work any hours I please. But it works for me. Thank you very much. Exercise is also very important to me, so I play basketball twice a week and hit circuit training 2-3 times a week.
AJ: What are you most proud of?
AF: Defying the odds. The cliché of being a starving artist is all too common, so I’m extremely proud and grateful for where I am in my art career. Those starving days weren’t fun.
About the Maker | Established in a home garage in 2013, Andy Firth’s alluring namesake “Jack of the Dust” is an 1800s Royal Navy term that represents Firth’s revival of characters, cultures and the stories that surround them.
Each of his remarkably original pieces is hand-made in Australia by manipulating mixed media such as acrylic, clay and cinema-grade urethane resin imported from the U.S. to resemble skin, steel, stone and bone. Firth’s imagination-fuelled surprise-and-delight approach to subjects and styles serves to ignite wonder, nostalgia and belonging.
Due to overwhelming demand, Firth’s artwork is now only attainable through 4-6 public releases per year, delivered globally. As he believes feel-good art should be accessible to everyone, although the creative process takes 4 months, pieces remain at an accessible price point.
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