Brett and Melissa founded Digital Art Directory in 2000. Today Melissa still runs the business. She has learnt the digitising, proofing and printing processes, and has developed good working relationships with the artists they represent, estates, cultural heritage institutions, clients and resellers.
Melissa is also skilled in the delicate work of handling, archiving and presenting artworks, in particular works on paper. She has always been responsible for the hand finishing and overseeing the despatch of the fine art reproductions, ensuring they arrive safely with customers beautifully presented.
Prior to joining the art world Melissa worked for nearly two decades with financial institutions in Australia, England and America. She spent over five years doing marketing with Government officials and Central Banks. Before starting Digital Art Directory she worked for the Australian chief executive of Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
Since 1999 Melissa and Brett have worked together creating and maintaining a marketplace for their fine art reproductions.
“Our fine art publishing business continues to prosper and that Brett took me on part of his life journey, remains a great privilege.”
Melissa Lock, March 2023.
Melissa preparing limited editions
Some treasured memories from Brett’s career (hover bottom left for more detail)
This specialised arts business has grown out of Brett Lichtenstein’s career as a master water-gilder.
Brett’s handcrafted water gilded frames were sought after by some of Australia’s finest, and most transformative 20th Century artist’s.
Some of those artists were; Charles Blackman, Arthur Boyd, Lloyd Rees, John Olsen, John Firth-Smith, John Percieval, Jeffrey Smart, Tim Storrier and Brett Whiteley amongst others.
Painter’s invited Brett to create individual, handcrafted frames for their artworks.
He was highly regarded in the industry for his high standards, quality craftmanship and attention to detail. We have taken these traits into our fine art publishing business.
Brett started framing in 1976 at age 20. He worked for more than four decades at the cutting edge of the Australian art scene. He was well known for his handcrafted, 23 carat gold, agate burnished water-gilding, historic frame replicas and painted finishes.
Constantly striving to refine his craft, Brett’s career progression saw him move from a journeyman to a master water-gilder, and today, his frames adorn countless pieces by these Australian masters in public and private collections around Australian and overseas.
Brett’s sudden death in September 2020 shocked the Australian art world and was a great loss.
