Del Kathryn Barton, the highly successful Australian artist and two-time Archibald Prize winner, has developed a unique creative rhythm that drives her artistic success. The 52-year-old artist maximizes her productivity by compressing her best work into intense three-day cycles, beginning each week at 6 a.m. on Sunday mornings in her Paddington studio located in Sydney's inner east.
"I'm a morning person from being a working mom, and if I can get to the studio by six, I don't eat anything until 11, so I'm just absolutely buzzing on caffeine... and I'm just f---ing going for it," Barton explains about her manic morning routine. She describes how her energy naturally fluctuates throughout the day, with initial intensity giving way to calmer, more reflective periods. "And then the energy drops. I crash a little bit in the middle of the day. But then there's just a lot to move more slowly with, and there's a great sense of calm that comes over me at that point, because I've gone out hard."
This carefully orchestrated workflow - featuring manic mornings followed by deep-thinking afternoons, then transitioning to days dedicated to collaboration and administrative tasks - has proven highly effective for Barton's career. Her distinctive artistic style, which combines otherworldly expressions of femininity, fertility, and fragility with maximalism and intricate detail work, has made her pieces highly sought after by collectors worldwide.
Barton's commercial success has reached remarkable heights in recent years. In 2023, her painting "of pink planets" from 2014 sold for $527,727, setting a record as the highest sale price achieved by a living Australian female artist. This milestone demonstrates the significant market value her work commands among collectors and art enthusiasts.
The momentum continues with an upcoming major auction. On November 27, prestigious auction house Menzies will offer "the heart land," a massive five-panel work by Barton, with an estimated guide price ranging from $1.2 to $1.6 million. This substantial valuation reflects the continued strong demand for her artwork in the international market.
Barton's international presence has also expanded significantly, particularly in the competitive American art market. Just over a week ago, she opened "the more than human world," a sold-out commercial exhibition at Albertz Benda gallery in New York. This marks her fourth show in the United States, establishing her as one of the rare Australian contemporary artists to successfully resonate with audiences in the world's most lucrative art market, despite current sluggish conditions in the sector.
However, Barton's professional success coincides with personal challenges that many high-achieving women face. Like numerous career-focused women at the peak of their professional mastery, she finds that menopause creates unexpected disruptions to her finely-tuned work habits and productivity patterns. "Menopause hits you like a sledgehammer, and how can you be the best iteration of a leader while your body is doing things that you have no control over," she says, her voice filled with frustration. "The changes are quite diminishing and challenging."
In response to these physical and emotional changes, Barton is actively working to adapt her lifestyle and work environment. She has prioritized improving her physical health, spending more time in the ocean and sunshine, and is currently building a dream studio in Whale Beach. This new space is designed to provide an escape from the city's hustle and bustle, allowing her to work at a slower, more soothing pace that better accommodates her body's changing needs.
Despite the significant challenges posed by menopause, Barton maintains an optimistic outlook about her artistic future. The irony of her situation is that while she faces these immense personal challenges, she simultaneously feels like she's entering an exciting new chapter in her artistic career, suggesting that her best work may still lie ahead.
