Mimi Dennett NSW – Measuring the Sky
What’s your favourite aspect of being an artist?
Being able to produce what is in my mind and look at it in 3D form. It’s another way to communicate.
Do you have a favourite material you like to work with?
I love all materials.
Would you rather share an Uber with Barbara Hepworth or Cornelia Parker or Antony Gormley?
I want to share a cab with Cornelia Parker and Anthony Gormley – their conversation would be very interesting.
If you could meet any artist (from the past or present) who would it be?
Artemisia Gentileschi.
What are you most excited for about SWELL?
This year, it might be a joyous occasion, if people are out of social isolation – I imagine they will be ready for art. It will be a powerful symbol.
A world without art would be…
Very grey, art is everywhere, animals make art, people make art every time they look at a cloud. Science is art. It would be an impossible world to live in.
If you could pick a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) to describe your style what would it be?
Orange flavoured lemonade.
Beach goer or city slicker or outback lover?
All three – multiple personalities within demand different environments.
Do you find making art a therapeutic or chaotic process?
These questions are so difficult- making art is very chaotic because first you make the chaos and then you make order – it’s like unravelling a mystery. I have found art making to be very therapeutic as well- after my mothers death- I made one object a day for a year. Words are not enough and sometimes it’s easier to process life when your hands are moving.
Where/how were you inspired to create your SWELL 2020 piece?
The sculpture has evolved from a sculpture used to express the different colours of the clear sky. During the bushfires, the photos of orange skies were so incredible, beautiful but terrifying. I adapted the sculpture to show all the hues of the sky during the bushfire.
What do you want the public to see through your current artwork?
It’s a kind of memorial, I want people to remember the bushfires. To look at the sky and see it’s beauty, to note the changing hues and to think about how we can ensure the planet’s survival. Especially after everything that’s happened in 2020, watching the air clear during lockdown, animals returning to waterways. We have a chance to point at this time and say, we don’t want smoggy skies, we want clean air, we can do this thing.
Was the location of SWELL a contributing factor towards the inspiration of your piece?
The skies are beautiful on that stretch of Currumbin beach.
Shelby Nelson is confident but still growing as a university student. Studying Public Relations and Business she has found a strong passion for all things events, especially when it comes to the arts industry. Growing up on the Gold Coast she lives and breathes the beachside lifestyle and aims to help showcase people with amazing talents, giving the community not only a chance to appreciate them but have an amazing experience whilst doing so.
Follow her on Instagram @shelbynelson1