Studio Visit with Isobella Grist (Photos by Imogen Grist, words by Isobella Grist)

Last week we got a new vacuum cleaner. It was a super exciting day, especially for my house mates who've had to put up with the annoying little pieces of paper and foil, and the mountains of magazines and books scattered around the the kitchen, AND hallway, AND living room which I call my 'studio'. Collaging allows me to bring together my creative side with my love of collecting. I'm constantly picking up trinkets and furniture left on the side of the road, old film cameras, clothes from Vinnies (TOO MANY) but mostly vintage magazines, gardening manuals and outdated cook books from when fondue and condensed milk reigned supreme. I could sit for hours flicking through National Geographics hunting for that perfect picture to add to a collage. I find myself in a trance from image-overload or have to stop because one of my feet has pins and needles. Our pet cat Banoffee insists on interfering with the process, splaying out over the cut outs (there are definitely some cat hairs hiding in the collages). It's cool to see how putting different images together can create a funny or strange (and sometimes crude) final image. It's exciting to redefine these forgotten images by placing them into a new context. Over the last couple of years, I've tried to experiment more and more with photography. I aim to capture both my city life and what it's like back home on the farm near Orange. It's interesting to see the conversation that forms between the two environments. I love shooting film and working in the darkroom - you just can't get the same results with a digital camera. This series depicts the little disruptions in everyday life and the contrasting colours and textures surrounding me.

Words by Isobella Grist

studio visitMadeline Young6 September 2015isobella grist, collage, studio, sydney artist, photography2 Comments