Sebastian ‘Seb’ Meyers
Australian, 1976-2020
Study of a Tame Vulture
1996, Oil on canvas
Born in a rural suburb of Melbourne, Seb Meyers grew up close to his only parent and mother Melissa. He was homeschooled until high school but frequently attended free community classes.
He demonstrated early artistic potential at these classes and was encouraged to pursue painting and drawing seriously once he graduated high school. In 1988, his work was shown in a community exhibition and a local newspaper suggested Meyers: “… has the making of a wunderkind Australian artist”.
At high school, he achieved excellent marks in art and was showered with praise from his creative teachers. This favour isolated him from fellow students, who remember him as anxious and timid outside of studio art classes.
In 1995 he graduated and applied to the Melbourne Institute of Cultural Studies (MICS). Meyers refused to write the essay required for admission. His high school art teacher wrote a character reference describing Meyers as: “… an artist wise beyond his years and destined to blaze a unique trail”. Meyers argued he should be solely assessed on his artworks. He submitted Study of a Tame Vulture to prove his point and in protest of MICS admission standards.
This was their only response: “For 97 years, the Melbourne Institute of Cultural Studies has played a significant role in the development of Australian art. We understand the temperament of the typical, young artist. However, standards exist by which everyone must be held accountable. Every individual who becomes a part of this university is a reflection upon our founding beliefs and practices. Regardless of the quality of your work, which is indeed fine, this institution has always maintained its beliefs above reproach. If this institution compromises itself for you then it may as well simply not have any standards whatsoever. A cracked dam ceases to hold back floodwater. We will not be accepting the submission of Sebastian Meyers for the foreseeable future”- Professor Noreen Bodna, 1995.
Meyers’s rejection catapulted him into a decade-long depressive episode, worsened by his anti-social behaviour and developing alcoholism. His declining mental health made applications and interviews at other universities impossible. As he got older, Meyers refused to leave home and spent most of his time working odd-jobs and drinking. At some point during this time, Meyers began painting again in secret.
“We never spoke about art or anything like that but he was a very smart guy. We worked together as cleaners. I was studying at the time and after work asked him why he doesn't just go back to school or something. Seb said he had to look after his mother and that he would only ever end up disappointing himself” - John Clarke, colleague and acquaintance of Meyers.
His mother’s death from lung cancer in 2001 worsened Meyer’s issues. He struggled with alcoholism, resulting in memory loss and depression, something he obsessed over in personal diaries. Already unhealthy from poor diet and alcoholism, Seb Meyers died suddenly in 2020.
Seb Meyer’s large collection of artworks was discovered posthumously and became popular online. His abstract, colorful style and difficult personal life resonates with young, modern audiences. He has also received some positive critical reviews for his 2007 work, Self Portrait. This November, a collection of Meyer’s self-portraits will be exhibited in his local gallery.
N.H. Van Der Haar is a neurodivergent Australian writer currently completing a Masters at the University of Melbourne. They were previously a freelance stage manager. Previous work can be read at Antithesis Magazine, Otoliths Magazine, Trash to Treasure Literature and Aniko Press.