Tell us about your creative process, what drives your practice?

My printmaking practice is mainly driven by experimenting. Printmaking provides such a variety of mediums and processes that I am drawn to picking apart an idea from different angles. My preoccupation with monotypes stems from the accessibility of the medium, but also how difficult it is to perfect. I often find I’m more preoccupied by the process of printing than I am thinking ahead to the end result. 

This extends into my drawings and other projects, I love hopping between mediums to see how I can best express an idea. 

The compositions and imagery you use in your works are quite haunting and bodily. Tell us a bit more about how these qualities and your ambiguous subject matter contribute to your exploration of fear and anxiety surrounding the body and self?

The anxiety between body and self is a central theme I’m drawn to. In my work the body is in a constant state of becoming; a progressive form. The anxiety I look to is in the slight but important dislocation between body and self. I mainly think of not being in full understanding or control of one’s body, like skin tags or mysterious pains. In such a personal context the fear of the unknown becomes harrowing. This is why I feel ambiguity is apt to explore how confusing, weird and sometimes downright horrible it is to have a body. I make these ambiguous forms to call to this, the sort of weird spot where you know something’s wrong but can’t quite make it out. 

You work primarily with monotypes - a unique state print. What draws you towards this singular-print-method, over a process like lithography or etching where you can reproduce an image into an edition?

The singular nature of monoprints isn’t something I’ve fully considered. When I began with monoprints I sort of saw it as a form of sketching or preparing for an edition. But after realising the versatility and potential of the monoprint process, the importance of editioning seemed secondary to the results I was getting. 

I think my interest in monotypes stems from the speed and particular physicality required in the process. The way I produce monotypes is sort of a backwards process, where I will cover the plate completely and then pull back the ink to produce lines. The ink may dry if I leave it for too long, usually a few hours to a day depending on the ink, so I try to move quickly. This time constraint is oddly freeing. When working in etching and lithography I tend to overthink and make very stiff prints. I also like that this process lends itself to unpredictability. When I arrange a composition beforehand I will find that working onto the plate creates wildly different textures and depth that I do not really see until it has been through the press. It’s just so fun. 

Are there any female printmakers | artists that influence you?

Recently I have been looking to Annika Romeyn’s work for inspiration. Romeyn is currently based in Canberra and predominantly works with landscapes. Her work is really amazing, I’m particularly interested in Romeyn’s large scale monoprints with watercolour. I’m fascinated by her use of gridding to create the larger image, especially when it’s coupled with such dense and intricate linework. 

I’ve also been looking at Alina Szapocznikow, a polish sculptor whose work is haunting and provocative. Her sculptures and drawings speak to an indescribable post-war horror. Szapocznikow’s body of work warps the human figure, often combining everyday objects and deconstructing bodily forms. 

Other artists that come to mind are Leah Bullen and Kathë Kollwitz. 

Finally, what exciting projects are you working on at the moment?

Currently I’m finishing up my works for the NAS graduate exhibition coming up. It’s an exciting time to be finishing up and moving to a different chapter in my life. I have no idea what I’ll be doing next year, just that I hope to continue making and trying out different things. I hope to engage more with digital projects and working with video when I have some more time for it.