Laurie Burgess: A life on the road with art
Laurie Burgess isn’t your typical courier. About 20 years ago, he made a bold decision: to move only art across the vast landscapes of Australia. The back of his van is a rolling gallery, packed with paintings, drawings, sculptures and ceramics that he ferries to galleries, buyers, and art competitions from Perth to Hobart and along the eastern seaboard. Every four years, he clocks up about 1 million kilometres, working 16-hour days and turning long hauls into a mobile art tour that keeps Australia’s contemporary art scene circulating.
The logistics of a mobile art empire
His life on wheels is driven by purpose and proximity. He seldom stops at hotels or rest stops; instead, he sleeps in a specially designed section of his van to save time and money. A comfortable mattress, doonas and electric blankets ensure rest comes quickly after long hours on the road. This efficiency matters when the work demands constant travel—from Perth and Hobart to the east coast as far north as Noosa—almost without a pause aside from January and Easter breaks.
Keeping the market alive
Along the way, Burgess has built an intimate knowledge of Australia’s art world—knowledge that gallery owners and artists increasingly rely on. “There’s a lot of emotion in art. A lot of artists can be anxious at times, and you’ve got to help them keep their spirits up,” he says. His role goes beyond transportation; he’s a conduit for dialogue, trends and opportunities in contemporary art. When local galleries or entrants in interstate prizes seek insights or connections, Burgess is often their first call.
Art during a challenging time
The pandemic underscored the importance of cross-state art movement. Industry players feared sales would dip if artworks couldn’t travel. Allanah Dopson, owner of Handmark Gallery in Hobart, highlighted Burgess as essential for artists to gain interstate exposure. “It’s really good for artists to enter interstate prizes and to get recognition and get their art out there. So, Laurie fills that void really well,” she notes. Burgess’s work ensured art continued to flow despite restrictions, stitching together a national network that supported artists and galleries alike.
What he loves about the collection
Despite the demanding schedule, Burgess’s appreciation for art has grown with every mile. He’s not chasing a single genre; he gravitates toward pieces with primary colors, movement, and a sense of vitality—whether a glass piece, ceramics, paintings, pastels, or even pencil and coloured-pen drawings from emerging artists. “I’m all primary colours, bright colours, movement,” he explains, describing the taste that now shapes his own growing collection. A couple of small drawings from an emerging artist in Robe, South Australia, have become kitchen-table favourites, proofs that the road can foster intimate, personal connections with art.
A growing collection, a longer road home
Yet the accumulation of artwork has extended Burgess’s eventual retirement timeline. He jokes that his dream of home ownership is being stretched by rising property prices and a steadily enlarging art archive. Right now, the collection sits in storage whenever he’s on the move, awaiting the moment he can pause long enough to enjoy it—perhaps finally to settle, rest, and reflect on a career built across Australia’s highways and art venues. His story underscores a broader truth about contemporary art in Australia: a thriving, mobile ecosystem that thrives on trust, timing and travel.
Looking ahead
As Burgess continues his itinerant curve—from west to east and back again—gallery owners, artists and collectors watch closely for the next wave of works that will travel with him. His unique model—combining logistics, emotional support for artists, and a passion for art in motion—illustrates how a single courier can help sustain a nationwide art community. For now, the road remains his studio, the van his gallery, and the next arrival a potential break in a long, ongoing journey.
