David Booth, who also works under the pseudonym ghostpatrol, is a Lutruwita-born, Naarm-based artist whose practice shifts between studio works, site-specific installations, commissioned murals and commercial design. His work has been exhibited at and acquired by several leading institutions, including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Museum and Parliament House Art Collection.

Vault Editions joined David for a chat about his journey as a professional artist over the last 20 years, how the natural environment of his native Australia influences his art, and his work in schools helping young people connect with their creativity. Let's go!

1. What's a creative risk you've taken that really paid off, or taught you something valuable?

Good question. I can’t really recall a specific risk, but after 20 years of freelance life, it feels like it’s all risks. Continuing to learn and take different types of risks is the main part of my creative life. I’m lucky to have a mix of projects with different types of risk. I like to bend the measure of outcomes of my projects. Some kick my ass and teach me something. I’m so lucky to be flexible to work on projects with less financial payment and more reward for my soul or ability to learn and collaborate. 

David Booth in the studio by Marie-Luise Skibbe

2. Your work has a thread of joy and play running through it, what's something that's been bringing you joy lately, inside or outside the studio?

I’ve been enjoying getting back into stickers in the past few years. I’ve been hand drawing stickers with markers the same way I did more than 20 years ago. It’s fun to walk around putting them up and finding new spots. I hope they make people smile. 

Artwork by David Booth / ghostpatrol, photograph by Tatanja Ross

3. What's the last thing you drew just for fun or as an experiment?

In the studio I’ve been making and experimenting with stamps as a form of weird printmaking. I’m not sure where it’s going, but it’s fun and I’ve been saving up ‘stamping’ as my play time reward. 

I was recently invited to submit an artwork for an 8-bit tribute exhibition in LA, so I used a piece of packing foam as a pixel stamp and gridded out a little Alex Kid in Miracle World piece of fan art. It was fun and feels like playtime.

'The Kaboodle Room in my Mind' by David Booth / ghostpatrol 

4. In the description for your work 'Draw Your Dreams', you mention that you've "enjoyed drawing on screens since I first met MS Paint.exe on Windows 3.1 in 1991." (That really unlocked a core memory for me!) What's one piece of advice or encouragement you've received over the years that's stuck with you, something that's inspired you to keep going and draw your dreams?

In 2016 I made an exhibition called ‘Matisse Fan Club’. At that point, I’d been living as an artist for 10 years and was looking forward and thinking about what the life of an independent artist feels like. I was inspired by Matisse drawing on the walls of his house with amazing joy as he lay sick and dying in his bed. For some reason, that seemed appealing. I wanted to feel good about the future. I learnt of the life long journey for him to create the best most joyous, inventive and free work of his life’s work. 

I want to believe that it gets better, and the hard work of navigating life as an artist is worthy of the deep efforts and tradeoffs. I work really hard to protect my ability to draw with joy and enthusiasm. The older I get, the more work I do to try and not lose connection to my sense of play and simple enjoyment of making stuff. 

Artwork by David Booth / ghostpatrol

5. Your work has such a distinct visual identity; it feels very Australian, especially in the way it draws from the natural world. You're based in Naarm (editor's note: the traditional Aboriginal name for Melbourne), which is known worldwide for its creative scene. What do you think is special about the creative community there? 

About 15 years ago I made a conscious change to look more towards Australia and make art about my home and my experiences here. I wanted to connect more to my home. I was wading out of an odd bubble of visual language dominated by northern hemisphere centred twee nostalgia of deer antlers and foxes. For me it’s been nice to focus on what I love. Australian ecosystems need all the attention and love we can manage. I was born in 1981 and grew up in Lutruwita, so one of the artists I loved the most growing up is Alex Stitt. His work is so positive and fun. He definitely inspired me to use drawing as a basis for collaboration and exportation through play with other mediums, outcomes and projects of scale and scope outside my gallery practice.

December this year (2025) marks moving to Naarm. I’m beyond lucky to have been a part of a really diverse and supportive creative ecosystem. I’ve observed an ever evolving culture of generosity and kindness and I try to pass that on in my own way. 

I’ve witnessed so many waves of people over the past few decades take the leap and move from smaller places and claim this place as home and join the community and it makes me really happy to feel that it’s still possible to do that. The newness and steady stream of visitors make it possible for good things to happen. 


Artwork by David Booth / ghostpatrol

6. You've worked with several schools, facilitating art projects as both an artist-in-residence and a guest visitor. It's clear that sharing space, ideas, and time with young artists is something you genuinely enjoy. What do you think it means for young people to have that kind of visibility and creative ownership in a public space? And what's it like for you, being part of making that happen?

I’m not a teacher so it’s a real honour to work alongside talented and inspiring teachers to create art as a group. It’s really fun to package up a project and go through a process together. I have a belief that drawing is magic, because when I was young I saw my dad’s drawings of bridges come to life and we walked on them. In the classroom it’s easy to point out that everything we can see from desks, l
ight fittings and our clothes had to be drawn first to exist. Bringing young people into the process of making a mural is pretty fun. I love being a witness to people relaxing into doing giant fills and chatting.

Combining forces as a group spreads the load of responsibility for it looking awesome but also creates a shared pride and ownership. Often as part of the process we reflect as a group about what you would do differently next time, which I love - it’s my favourite. By unlocking the simple but sometimes invisible process of making big or complicated things like painting a mural, you can allow for a space for young people to explore what they can do with their voice and ideas with this new powerful process.

David Booth / ghostpatrol, photograph by Amber Fletcher

7. In your video for ABC Australia about building resilience, you describe it as a kind of force field; something that can surround and protect you during challenging times. You also said, "It's the job of an artist to be brave and strong, to make the work you want to make," which I think will resonate with a lot of people. How has your journey as an artist helped you build your own resilience?

Eek, this kind of work is ongoing. I’m happy when the challenges shift. My force field is always undergoing upgrades and repairs, like everyone else. Drawing ‘force fields’ in my art has been a helpful brain exercise for determining what’s important to me, and what to set outside my forcefield boundary. 

Doing my best to maintain a supportive, safe and kind network around me to make space for me to bring my true to myself, to my art making. It is my ongoing quest. Being open to new friends and people who lift you up while minimising time with people who don’t add to the quest is ongoing work.

'I'm Just Out Here Getting Cuter' by David Booth / ghostpatrol 

8. Is there a project or idea sitting quietly in the background that you haven't had the chance to make yet; your dream 'one day' project?

The best projects for me have always been surprise collaboration opportunities. I’d love to have an excuse to make more music-based projects. I’ve definitely got a few of my own larger mural designs that I want to paint. I’ve painted a lot of murals over the past few years, but they have generally been for communities and schools. It’s so nice to work collaboratively and create a voice, message or image together. It would be nice to find more opportunities to paint my ideas.

Mural by David Booth / ghostpatrol, photograph by Michael Pham

9. Who are three artists or creatives whose work you keep returning to, or that you think more people should know about?

I only discovered Barbara Stauffacher Solomon’s work a few years ago, I love her graphic boldness and scale.

Garawan Waṉambi is one my favourite artists. I own a work of his that I stare at a lot. 

I was really lucky to meet a hero of my mine last year - Yucihi Yokoyama. He’s had a big impact on my work and I love his weirdness.

Mural by David Booth / ghostpatrol, photograph by Michael Pham

10. Is there a book, art-related or otherwise, that's had a lasting impact on you or your creative process?

I really enjoyed ‘Edge of Memory’ by Patrick Nunn. It opened up a great perspective shift in viewing time and human story telling. I think about it a lot. I’d also love to recommend my friend Santilla Chingaipe’s book ‘Black Convicts’ it’s a good piece of truth telling about African presence in Australian colonial history and is a really powerful and important read.

Thanks so much for your time today David! We're looking forward to seeing where your work goes next!

David Booth by ABC