Seafood Towers, Lock-Ins, and Dive Bars: Allie Webb Captures Nightlife In Lino Cuts

This article is supported by Baron Samedi Spiced. In this series, Dark Arts, we profile artists who celebrate the night in their practice.

Chipping away at blocks of lino, Sydney-based artist Allie Webb recreates night-time visions so full of fever that they're likely to give you fomo. From the vantage point of co-running some of Sydney's best eating and drinking spots with her husband, she puts up the kick of a good night out in heavily contrasted black and white.

Food and drinks crowd the scene, characters sit in close conversation or solitary contemplation, while things like smoke and coffee and tabletop woodgrain mimic the hour's whirl of confusion and passion.

Riddled with intricate detail, Webb's skill lies in the way she invites her viewers to piece the story together—bouncing from one mini scene to another, like making sense of the hazy patchwork of a morning after. She captures the night's vividness, without once relying on explicit colour.

VICE: Hey Allie, when did you first know you were an artist?
Allie Webb: I think when I kept winning drawing competitions in Year 3. I remember feeling triumphant when my older sister Katie didn’t believe that I did this one drawing of a cowboy complete with horse skulls and spurs on his boots.

When were you brave enough to introduce yourself as an artist when meeting new people out?
Ha, I still don’t. Usually I mumble something about being a printmaker, then I change the subject.

Your main practice is linocuts, for me this is crazy because I always injured myself doing it in high school.
Yeah, I’ve sliced some goodies on my thumb a few times! It’s all about the temperature of the plate and understanding the correct pressure. It’s made of wood flour, cork, and linseed oil, so it becomes much easier to slice when warm.

Has it always been your medium?
Nah, I first learned to paint tonally, like Max Meldrum style. I think at RMIT I found it just suited the boldness of my drawings. I picked it up again when I designed books at Lantern, Penguin.

What I love about your work is that it makes me think of social settings really fondly. Are you good at being social or do you go out and dream of Netflix?
[Laughs] I just asked Anton my husband if I’m good at being social. He furrowed his brow and still hasn’t responded. I like a mix of spending quality time by myself, but definitely love meeting new people and dining out.

Are the scenes in your works inspired by actual events in your life, or are they fantasies of dream nights out?
Yes, the majority of the work is based on something I’ve seen while I’m out. It could just be a fleeting gesture between a couple, or a crazy seafood tower at a fancy restaurant.

What's your process like—do you work from photographs or are you sketching?
Lots of sketching. Sometimes black and white scenes from old movies are helpful. I love Humphrey Bogart films. I find that if I draw straight on the lino without a reference sketch, it ends in disaster. I think because of the high contrasts, if you make a mistake, it’s glaringly obvious.

Is there a spot in Sydney that you like to sit and watch the night unfold?
I like walking through bustling Chinatown late at night or Restaurant Hubert at aperitif hour. Watching moguls lunch at Fratelli Paradiso is also excellent people watching.

Do you often come home and work after a long night?
Never. You don’t want to be a couple of drinks in, using sharp tools.

You and your partner are behind some of the best eating and drinking venues in Sydney. I'm starting to feel a little bit jealous of your night-time motivation. What's so good about the dark hours?
People are relaxing, or celebrating. They're blowing off steam after a shitty day. People let loose, it gets sexy.

So your involvement in hospitality informs you art?
Yes, they go hand in hand. I know quite a bit about behind the scenes of bars and restaurants through Anton. He is very passionate about the industry. Most of our friends have something to do with hospitality, so we go out most nights.

When you're getting ready to go out, what are you listening to?
Waylon Jennings!

And when you're making art, what's playing?
Usually a crime podcast.

When you're hosting people at home, what's your signature menu?
I’m a bit off cooking at the moment. Anton will usually do some sort of braise. Osso Bucco with a bitter leaf salad or lasagne with hand made pasta. We usually fleece Hubert for meats and cheese.

Allie Webb is represented by China Heights Gallery.

This article is supported by Baron Samedi Spiced, made with Caribbean Rum, spices, and natural flavours. You can find out more about it here. Drink responsibly.