INTERVIEW: 

Bekii: Can you introduce yourself and your art-style?

 

Katie: I’m Katie Grey, I do mostly line work at the moment and pairing it with my poetry and writing.

 

Bekii: When did you start doing art?

 

Katie: Forever. It’s just been my thing since kindergarten all the way through to now.

 

Bekii: Could you tell us a bit about the pieces that were at GirlHood?

 

Katie: These two? They are revolved around feminism; they are just certain things that I’ve responded to and having to face in everyday life. The “I won’t smile for you”, so many times I’ve been told because I don’t smile very often that “you would look prettier if you smiled” or “you’re a female you should smile more” it doesn’t really make sense. But they’re just responses to that, challenging it.

 

Bekii: How did you get involved in the Melbourne art community?

 

Katie: Through people I met at uni, she was friends with someone who curates a lot of art exhibitions and we became friends. So now I contact her if I want to be involved in any exhibitions she’s got going on. I get to get involved in a lot more Melbourne exhibitions which is exciting.

 

Bekii: Did you go to art school or are you in art school?

 

Katie: I started studying at Monash, but it’s very contemporary at the moment. I like illustrating and actually drawing not installation work so I’m looking into going to a different school but at the moment I’m not studying.

 

Bekii: How important is art to you?

 

Katie: Really important. I think it’s a really good way for anyone to express themselves in any sort of art form. I think that’s really essential for making connections with people and expressing yourself emotionally. So I think it’s really important.

 

Bekii: Why do you do art, why is art important to you?

 

Katie: It’s how I understand the world around me and how I express my voice. As you can see I’m not very good at talking or communicating, it’s much easier to communicate what I’m feeling. It sort of brings a sense of inner resolve being able to express myself in a way that other people relate to and other people can see.

 

Bekii: How important do you think art is to society and to those outside the art circles?

 

Katie: I think it’s really important. At one stage I wanted to be an art therapist, which has to do with art being able to help psychologically. I think it is important for all people whether they’re creating it or just being involved in it.

 

Bekii: How would you describe the art scene in Melbourne in your experience?

 

Katie: I suppose the art scene sort of varies. On a very wide scale, it depends on what area; it’s hard to answer because there is such diversity nowadays with different styles of art. It ranges from illustrators to installation to “what is art?” to actually drawing.

 

Bekii: How long do you usually spend doing art every week?

 

Katie: As much time as I can. As soon as I get an idea I’m always scribbling it down to redo later, and constantly building my collection of artworks.

 

Bekii: What do your friends and family think about your art? Are they supportive?

 

Katie: Yeah, my Dad is, that’s a positive. He’s always interested in what exhibitions I have coming up and always helping me fund it, because it’s quite expensive, especially if you’re not earning much.

 

Bekii: Do you have a job to supplement your art practice?

 

Katie: At the moment no, so it’s really difficult but I’m looking into getting part-time work or just something to fund it.

 

Bekii: So how do you think drawing differs from other sorts of art in the way people react to it?

 

Katie: Its becoming more prominent now. The culture of illustrating is becoming more popular and more relatable, so I think you can work with it quite well because you can do a lot with drawing. You can say so much with just an illustration.

 

Bekii: How do you keep connected to other artists?

 

Katie: Facebook I mainly use to contact people. Instagram is mainly where I post a lot of my art and promote it as such, and also making other art connections other than just Melbourne because you can get in touch with so many people through Instagram. Facebook is mainly for events and exhibitions because it’s an easy way to contact people.

 

Bekii: Do you have any art career aspirations, where would you like to be in 5 – 10 years with your art?

 

Katie: Just be able to live off it comfortably, just off my art would be amazing. Which is really hard for an artist, because there are so many artists trying to do that. Not having to have an extra job along with doing art would be awesome.

 

Bekii: What advice would you give to someone in high-school that wants to do art but they’re not sure?

 

Katie: Really, really research into what sort of Uni you want to go to. I wound up in Uni because Monash has a good name, but the art classes we not custom to what my art practice is, so it really was essentially pointless going. I would suggest researching more deeply into your Uni, and get involved in as many things as you can outside class as well as that always helps build your confidence in your art practice and getting your name out there.

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Interviewed by Bekii Bialocki

Written by Patrick Lunney(2016)

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