Tell us a little
about yourself and what you do.
My
Grandmother was an amazing cook and textiles artist. Her passion for food was
instilled in my mum, which was her sole creative pursuit. As kids our lunch
boxes were full of osso bucco and duck a la orange while everyone else had
polony and sauce sandwiches. I grew up with good food, surrounded by beautiful
textiles and stunningly crafted wood pieces made by my grandfather. Yet living
over the other side of the country we never learnt their crafts and as I grew
older this manifested as a sense of loss. They had learnt their crafts from
their parents. Generations of knowledge had ended with them. The theme of
tradition lost often manifests in my work.
My
sister and I love to cook. This we did inherit. The family is spread all over
Australia and our love of food is what connects us, we share recipes and
describe flavours over the phone. At the moment there are many conference calls
as we all plan the Christmas menu. When we are together, like so many families,
it is the kitchen that is the heart.
Lifesavers 2009 fibreglass at Sculpture by the Sea
I
used to work as a cook and I tend to think of my visual arts practice as
cooking, combining different materials to create different ideas, textures and
flavours. I am currently living in Canberra and finishing a PhD with ECU in WA.
I
have a 3D practice that encompasses a wide range of materials but the central
focus is on glass.
Glass
is a highly addictive substance and I got bitten as an undergraduate. I take a
post-technical approach with a focus on materiality, what the material brings
to the meaning of the art work and how the viewer then interacts with the
work. Glass is rich in its possibilities
and can be manipulated to create desire or invoke fear. It carries with it an
amazing history from the decorative to the utilitarian and all this can be used
to enliven a work.
Who (or what)
inspires you to do what you love in your own creative business?
I’ve
always been a maker. It’s a central part of who I am, part of my genetic map, I
feel very centred when I’m making, be it in the studio or kitchen. I feel very
privileged to be able to do what I love and that keeps me going. I find
inspiration in people, family, tradition and experience.
Auto-ethnography
and the lived body are at the heart of my practice. The stories and lived
experience of family, how we navigate through life.
Sand cast glass auto paint MDF LED lighting
What are the five words
that people who know you would use to describe you?
I
like to imagine myself as easy going. The truth is I’m not. I’ve been told I’m
intense.
Tell us about your
very first job and what path have you taken since then?
It
was in retail at the UWA Guild Shop working for a curious 50 year old woman who
was still breastfeeding her 6 year old son. This was quite confronting the
first few times I had to pass through her office into the store room.
After
that I started working as a cook in mining exploration and in mining camps,
prawn trawlers, remote towns. Then went overseas where I either worked in retail,
as a cook or in hospitality, I ran a chain of backpackers in Canada for quite a
few years. When I arrived back in Australia I felt quite lost and a good friend
said ‘Why don’t you go back to art school?’
So I did!
Sand cast glass auto paint MDF LED lighting
600mm x 40mm
Describe a typical
day in your studio space?
I’m in the studio by 8am. Large amounts of
time are spent elbow deep in plaster. Packing moulds, shaping the wood and
constructing the frame work that supports the individual glass pieces. When I’m
not in my studio I’m in the hot shop (glass studio) casting. I spend time in
the vege patch to clear the head and a lot of time cooking which I see as
fundamental to my practice. At the moment the majority of time is spent in
front of the computer finishing the PhD.
As an Artist, what
is your biggest frustration?
Lack
of funding and I’d really like to see the visual arts reach a broader audience.
I think funding could play an important role in aiding this. And of course more
grants for artists would be wonderful.
Tell us about how
you prioritise your work.
I
tend to work towards exhibitions, so depending on what’s coming up depends upon
what I’m working on. At the moment I’m finishing the PhD exegesis so most of my
time is spent tapping away on the key board.
Can you please
tell us about how do you connect with other artists, and your customers?
I’ve
done so little lately I’ve forgotten how! Having a peer group is so important
and moving around the country like I do (my partner is in defence and we get
moved around a lot) can make it hard. Luckily I have artists that I keep in
touch with all over the country. Group shows are a great way to meet new
artists and make contacts.
I
keep a data base of all my customers, their phone numbers, email, etc, and
notify them when shows are on.
What advice can
you offer other creative people who are just starting out and following their
passions?
You
have to approach it like a job. I enter my studio at 8 and leave at 5. There
are days when I don’t leave until late but I’m a morning person and this
structure works well for me. Be prepared to work hard and live hand to mouth –
it’s a labour of passion. Document everything you do, looking back at old ideas
can be a wonderful well of inspiration when things stagnate. And finally, find
a temple outside of your making, for me it’s the vege patch where I can find my
centre and escape when the stress hits, which it does.
What dreams do you
still want to achieve or fulfil in your life?
My
partner and I are working towards a semi-rural existence where we can be as
self sufficient as possible. One day there will be a slow food kitchen were
everything served was either grown or raised on the property or very close by
and customers will be able to sit amongst the art and enjoy the food.
What is your
proudest moment so far?
I
can’t really pick one. There have been many moments that have made my heart
swell.
Who do you most
want to meet and why?
Can
I pick two? Louise Bourgeois. She has had the most amazing career and her use
of materials is fantastic. And Kikki Smith, again I love her use of materials
but also her diversity in practice, it so easy to become boxed in by what you
do and these women have both defied that.
What is the most
important lesson in life that you have learned?
Don’t
take yourself too seriously.
What book are you
reading right now, and do you have a book you would like to recommend?
I
recommend Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, it’s a brilliantly researched and
written, the characters are so richly constructed. It won the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 2003. I’ve just finished Vibrator by Mari Akasaka, a Japanese
writer which is also worth a look.
Where do we find
you and your products?
www.brookezeligman.com (it’s still
under construction)
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