How do you come up with an idea and what is your working method? What are the things which catch your attention?

I come up with idea’s by thinking deeply about the theme and then doing research, I like to read a lot about a topic first.  Often I also write to consolidate all my random ideas together into one form. I like to keep an eye out for how things fit together, or what they are related to. For example – with our iron instruments we started out by researching the work of Daphne Oram who was creating electronic music and building an electronic instrument, way back in the 40’s and 50’s. I had a look around at what other women were doing at that time, the stereotype of women in those decades was predominantly the image of the housewife. The iron is such an iconic symbol of women’s domestic labour so we decided to build our instruments within irons and ironing boards.

What do you hope to capture and convey in the pieces you create?

I like people to be a little surprised perhaps, or at least to have to look twice at the work to think about what is going on. I am interested in challenging the socialisation of gender in our society, bringing attention to how ridiculous some of it is when looked at closely. I also like to use irony and a sense of humour.

How has your work developed since you began and how do you see it evolving in the future? You are experimenting with different media…any favorite?

The original work is very performance and music based. Over the last years when covid stopped our gigs, it has been evolving into projection installation work. I really love playing with imagery and so I’m experimenting with video art and sound art that is different to what we perform onstage.

To what extent does the pandemic influence your depiction of art? Does it generate new inspiration?  

Originally when the pandemic hit and venues were closed I felt a sense of loss and frustration of not being able to work in the way we were use to. However, it has forced us to be flexible, try new environments to share the work, explore new media and think about the work from a different angle. I still love live shows, but I’m also enjoying this new way of working.

How do you feel about being involved in an online residency program? How important is it to stay connected with the international art community?

I live in a remote and regional town and having connection to the rest of the world is very important to my practice because I need to understand what is happening in the real world, with the themes and topics I am working within. I also find it important to connect with other people’s work and be encouraged by the arts community as a whole. Being involved with an online residency program allows me to continue meeting artists and having exposure to their work and their process.

What are your thoughts about the theme ‘artist on standby’? Tell us a bit more about your project…

Artist on standby resonates with me as a theme because it’s how I have felt over the recent years. When I realised it would be a long time before we could perform and tour again I was worried it would be the end of my arts practice. While it has allowed me to experiment with new media, there is also still a part of me waiting to get back out into the world. I think the arts as an industry really has been hit so hard, myself and many of my friends have had to find work elsewhere to try and keep afloat. I’m still thinking about what I will produce for this project but I do think the theme will sit within that feeling of isolation, and doing things alone, the question- it is really art, if no-one ever sees it? how can art sustain us through these difficult times? I do want to try a new style of media, something that utilises my film skills, but challenges me technically.

What do you want to achieve before things return to normal if it is to happen? Any future plans/projects?

I am really hoping to finish some of the work I have been creating these last two years and pull it into shape for a full exhibition for next year. I would really like to realise this and feel the sense of completion I experience when I show my work. I also have plans to start work on a new live performance show, now that venue’s are opening again and as we emerge from this pandemic phase.