How did your creative journey begin?
As a kid I was always drawing and building treehouses. I was alone a lot so would imagine elaborate worlds filled with all kinds of characters then try and create them through whatever I could get my hands on.
What sources do you draw inspiration from?
Watching and listening to people, the habits and structures of organic things, lived experiences, cultural customs, religions, sci-fi books and films.
What feelings, emotions and states do you find you cultivte within yourself and for others when you create and show art?
In myself: The Full Spectrum. I find painting very sensual and at times ecstatic. Making installations and costumes calls for a lot of problem solving so I go to a very different place with that. It’s exhilarating to watch something come to life as I work on it. I find the process of creating helps me answer questions and explore.
Of all the mediums you work with (sculpture, paintings, fabric for clothing, vidoes and drawing) do you find one more enjoyable or fulfilling compared to the others?
I tend to use one medium as a method of procrastination for another medium. They are all different ways of articulating the many facets of my internal world and so some work better than others for particular ideas, but all the outlets link back to each other and the skills sets all compliment each other.
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Coming from living off-grid in New Zealand to the city lifestyle in Melbourne, how has this influenced your art and creative process?
Living in Melbourne has enabled me to identify as an artist. Once I did that doors began to open and that gave more purpose to my work. I am a lot more stressed now but I am constantly engaged in creating something new. There is so much to be inspired by in both the forest and the city but humans are what I find most fascinating right now.
What is something that appeals to you about the Melbourne visual scene? How is it different and/or similar to the scene in New Zealand?
I love that Melbourne is big enough to find a real eclectic range of people from different backgrounds yet small enough for scenes to merge and have lots of crossover. The wages/cost of living balance is comfy enough for people to be able to afford to make art and there's a very supportive community that self sufficiently helps artists fund more experimental projects. I was doing art in a very different way in NZ and did not live in a city for as long as I’ve lived in Melbourne so do not have many first hand experiences of a scene there.
It’s exhilarating to watch something come to life as I work on it. I find the process of creating helps me answer questions and explore.
Do you have a smiliar process everytime you produce art, or does the process vary?
It varies so much! I think how I begin the process depends mostly on why I’m creating that particular thing.
What are you hoping to bring to Tessellate Movement?
I want to play with the kinds of movement we perceive in altered states. The kind that is superimposed by our eyes onto static things.
What are your thoughts on visual art and sound in the same space?
It makes so much sense! It helps immerse the person experiencing it all so much deeper, giving them a greater opportunity to really feel and think.
What is planned for the rest of 2020?
I'm currently working on The Dispensary - an immersive installation for The Town festival in May. After that I'm looking at two solo shows and some travel.