What is your favourite film of all time?
I would have to go with either Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth or Ridley Scott’s 1987 classic, Blade Runner.
What music are you currently listening to and why?
At the moment I am listening to indie, rock, ambient, classical, electronica…. I’ve recently discovered a whole RANGE of new music thanks to friends, and am working my way through it all! Everything is good music for working to!
Which living artists do you most admire and why?
We have so many wonderful artists still alive and being productive in the present day. Though my final choice would be Jane Alexander, for remaining public-drama-free and successful; achieving all that she has, as a woman artist both in this country and internationally. Her work also has a very particular aesthetic that has gripped me from the moment I was introduced to it.
Which deceased artist do you most admire and why?
Forgive me the clichéd choice of Leonardo da Vinci. His technical skill was superb, but beyond that, his passionate work broke the aesthetic and intellectual mould of his time, an achievement which I admire greatly. His technical and mechanical drawings also heighten my appreciation for his talent and intellect. My father is a mechanical engineer and I grew up surrounded by these types of drawings, charts and half-built inventions.
Which exhibition that you have visited made the greatest impact on you and why?
When I was in grade 9, on a family trip to New York, USA, we happened to walk into a gallery which was hosting a William Kentridge exhibition. It had several of his animated shorts and a few drawings on show. It was the first time I had encountered his work. In fact, you could say that that was my first step into the contemporary art scene, as I had had no exposure to it before that day. I remember being shocked to see work of such quality originating from my own country, and the overwhelming strangeness of seeing it displaced, in such a far-flung location. The resonance it generated stayed with me for weeks afterwards. It opened up a whole new world of cultural context for both me and my artistic practice.
What is the question you get asked most frequently about your work and how do you answer it?
Q: “Where do you get the ideas for all this stuff? Do you draw it all out of your head?”
A: “Well some of it – If I really don’t know how to draw something, first I use references to teach myself how to draw it, and then eventually I can draw it off by heart. If it’s a really complicated composition, I will use references. As for inspiration, it comes from everywhere, anything from an old memory to eating a toasted sandwich to meeting someone new.”
What/ who inspired you to be an artist?
I don’t think it was a single person or event, I’ve always loved doing art, and since it brought me so much pleasure and satisfaction, not to mention encouragement from family, friends and teachers, I guess it was the logical career choice. Except that it took me three years of doing other things to realize this! I missed it too much. So I enrolled at Michaelis.
Can you tell us about where you make your art and what if any, the significance of this location is
I make it in my studio at class, on my desk at home, in coffee shops… really just anywhere where I feel like I have the space and drive to work. Having enough space is important; too much clutter makes me anxious and depressed, and prevents me from feeling confident enough to put something down on paper or canvas.
What do you like most about being an artist?
The ability to present, in a visual and accessible form, what is going on inside my tiny blonde noggin! I also love the people. Such an interesting crowd!
What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date?
I would consider graduating from The Michaelis School of Fine Art as my greatest achievement to date, when it happens. For now, I’ll settle for just having made it to 4th year there!
What are your plans for the coming year?
Well, apart from finishing my university degree, I have been doing some freelance work for overseas clients. Hopefully that marks the start of a successful career as an illustrator, something I am very passionate about. I am also a qualified Therapeutic Reflexologist, which is what I plan to do in order to make money to pay off my student loan, while I get my artistic career kick-started.