MEET MONTE LUPO COLLABORATIVE STUDIO
What was the inspiration behind your piece for SWELL Sculpture Festival 2022?
Monte Lupo is a collaborative studio that employs people with disabilities. Our supported employees get excited to share their dreams with each other, thus the inspiration of “The Dreamers”.
What does exhibiting in the 20th year of SWELL Sculpture Festival mean to you?
The amount of works that comes through SWELL is world class and it’s an honour to be a part of it. Seeing SWELL growing every year and reaching the 20 year milestone is brilliant and the organisers should be very proud of what they have accomplished. Everyone here at the studio always looks forward to being a part of it, and gets so excited about set up day. We look forward to the next 20 years.
What are the three art mediums you couldn’t live without?
Ceramics, metalsmithing and woodworking.
What is the best piece of advice that you’ve ever received?
If you don’t have time for something now, you will never find time for it later. In other words, don’t put things off.
If you could wake up tomorrow in the body of another artist, who would you pick and what would you do?
Gustav Klimt, paint with gold.
What is the best compliment for an artist to receive?
Your work makes people feel.
Do you believe in ghosts or have any good unexplainable stories?
I think there are many levels of the “spiritual” world that live around us. Some dead, and even some living people can be ghosts.
If you had to get a tattoo of a famous artwork, what would it be?
One of the staff here in the studio has a beautiful Starry Night tattoo on her leg. She hopes to get a matching “The Scream” tattoo other leg in the future.
Do you believe pineapple belongs on a pizza?
Only if it has black olives on the pizza as well.
Do you have a power outfit that you wear while creating?
We encourage everyone in the studio to wear their most comfortable clothes. One young man in the studio wears his elephant socks when he is asked to sculpt elephants. He said it inspires him.
If you could travel back to any point in time, when and where would you go and why?
I’d go back and make sure Hitler didn’t go into power.
Is a connection to place important for you and your work?
Absolutely. I’m an avid hiker and I find great inspiration in the the rainforests. Anywhere from the tiniest of spider, to the magnificent Strangler figs that are centuries old.
The Author
Joss Smith is an emerging graphic designer based in Tweed Heads, loving everything visual and immersive. Her passion for the creative arts has led her to study a Bachelor of Visual Communication and Graphics. She hopes to balance her love for the arts, culture and nature with her strengths in communication and management to create wicked designs with wicked people.