He is an abstract expressionist who works primarily on large scale artworks. Newcombe attended the Tasmanian School of Art in the 70’s, when performance and process art were part of the avant garde. Dramatic theatre has equally influenced Newcombe’s artistic oeuvre. After art school, Newcombe worked in performance and set design in performance theatre with groups such as La Mama, Chamber Made Opera, Handspan and Black Hole Theatre. Out of this arose exhibitions bridging art and performance together, such as 4 x 45 and 100 paintings x 100 hours, where Newcombe painted in a shopfront in Fitzroy. Projection is a new art form for Newcombe.