VANESSA OTER

Everything is as it should be,

mixed media on canvas,

2010

 

 

 

 

What are you working on in your studio right now?

 

At the moment I am enjoying a large studio space to accommodate a huge series of works I have had on the go for over 2 years. The works are predominantly landscapes that incorporate my interest in recuperation and the "stitch". I bought a house in the depths of country Victoria last year to be able to get as close to the ever changing landscape as possible. It has had a powerful effect on my work and the processes so far. Since I work (sew) on my (dry) painting drop cloths I am able to fold them up and drive to any location and sew. I use various colours and cottons of a diverse texture to almost mimic the textures I see in the rolling hills etc. they have become almost 3 dimensional.

 

 

 

Can you describe your working routine?

 

I have a 5 year old little boy so my work routine has had to become quite scheduled, unlike the freedom of pre motherhood! I usually drop him at school then race home to do any chores etc/shopping...then head to studio to continue on with whatever i "feel" is needed.. i still love to paint so i have a body of traditional landscapes on the go too. My routine all depends on how I feeling towards any particular piece of work. There always a lot of works on the go. They all need their time to sit before i consider them finished. I can sometimes recycle old paintings too...works that have been idle for years even.....I am always observing...everything is a picture these days....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you describe your studio space and how, if at all, that affects your work?

My studio is my garage. I converted the entire space for my work after the previous owner of the house didn't put the doors in the right position for any car access so I had a wall built right down the middle with a door for access into both areas, one side is predominantly storage and where I put works to be free of flying paint etc. The other is where the action happens...lights...music.....I love it in there. Since I can do my work anywhere, my "studio" is the place the pieces get resolved and put together I guess. I always feel that if the studio is organised to some extent the work can breathe, I get messy, so sometimes its good to work out in the landscape too, it gives the work a whole fresh perspective.

 

 

 

 





Tell me about your process, where things begin, how they evolve etc.


This way of working, with the fabric and materials of choice all began when I had trouble fully painting when Luka was born. I decided to use cotton and I have always loved drop cloths and the randomness of the splattered marks etc. After my honours year at RMIT I was very involved with the idea of process itself and the documentation of the processes as art in themselves, as time went on I really wanted to make large-scale works and use paint and get away from constantly photographing. I wanted to create "paintings" without relying on only paint etc. so by using the sewing as a platform to create my own mark…they are evolving as such...I never fully know how they will look as the cotton and the stitches all bring the work into their own and "become" themselves but lately I see the landscape so much as I drive and walk the works are hugely inspired by it.

 

Wild dog valley,

Mixed media mounted on canvas

183 x 160cm

 

 

 

 

What are you having the most trouble resolving?

 

My pure painting landscapes, predominantly the large ones, I feel using stitching helps me to slow everything down and I can see the picture clearer as a piece of work. I don’t see my paintings like I used to, eventually I will chop them in half with an elaborately stitched drop cloth, difficult to explain....I find they eventually resolve with lots of perseverance.

 

 

 

Do you experiment with different materials a lot or do you prefer to work within certain parameters?

 

I have always enjoyed "playing" with various materials. It’s important for the ideas to evolve. Even with my, what I call "traditional" landscapes I base them in oils, but there is always a variety of under painting which consists of pencils, pens, spray paint, crayons, anything to create a history and layers. I am experimenting right now with fabrics and placement, whether I am experimenting enough is always a question artists need to ask themselves.....

 

 

What does the future hold for this work?

 

I am not sure but what to would like to happen is that I get decent gallery appreciation for these enquiries but I see it becoming more sculptural....its a very exciting evolution of work indeed!



 

 

 

Cats don't speak like dogs do,

mixed media on canvas,

153 x 153cm