Julie Haseler Reilly's new exhibition "FAT and the SHOW GIRL"
is now showing at Richard Martin Art until May 2.
We caught up with Julie for a chat and to find out what inspires and what
makes her tick.
Can
you give us some background to how you became a visual artist?I have always
been able to make things. My dolls had elaborate cardboard sets. As a child, I
made Barbie gowns from sample upholstery and curtain material, begged off local
stores and by the age of 12, I could cut patterns for my clothes and large soft
toys. As an adult I have made costumes
and hats and props for the theatre.
My father was a
dental technician and would give me lumps of wax to play with while waiting for
a lift home after school. I became aware of the lost wax process in his
laboratory and probably subconsciously avoided anything to do with such a
tedious and laborious occupation. Teeth were the only by-products.
When
did you start, why did you start?I had satisfied
my desire to be a creative person, with acting, singing, writing and dancing. Sculpture
just hadn’t occurred to me till late in life. I made portrait busts of my two
daughters in 2000 and bronzed them in 2001. I loved them so much I wanted to
immortalise them as the 8 and 9 year old girls they were at the time. The
process surprised me and made me curious about what else I could do to express
myself in the medium. I loved working in clay and wax.
Where
do you get your inspiration for each work?Watching the news
and reading the paper, which I try to avoid as much as possible, is the
inspiration for creating my ‘optimistic ‘bodies of work’. Like the Venus of
Willendorff, they are a totem of hope for my tribe in our time.
‘Beulah’ - I was trying to create a pear
shaped female form and the character of ‘Beulah’
emerged as the improbable athlete and became my signature form.
‘The Pedicure’ began as an extension of
Beulah but morphed into her own self. She evolved as I played with the clay.
This seems to be my process unless I am doing a life study.
‘Flying Muses’-I am playing with smaller
versions of ‘Beulah’ my signature piece.
‘Trapeze’ - Another expression of
‘Beulah.’
‘Euro’- another pear shaped form who
emerged as an innocent protecting the last Euro.
‘Fat Tango’ and ‘Big Fat Tango’- I was interested in capturing the passion of the
tango and the impact and movement and balance of two large people slamming
together. I have been a dancer and am fascinated by small gestures and moments
of drama captured in the dance.
‘Beatrice Bush’ - Marquette for street
sculpture of famous paper seller in Balmain area.
‘Abundance’ and ‘Prosperity’ - are totems dedicated to engendering the qualities
their titles imply. They are Idols of Hope in a world of fear and loathing.
‘Proserpine Says Yes’ - is my answer to
the Heroic Rape sculptures and in particular, Bernini’s the ‘Rape of Proserpina’.
I have immortalised her having a freely consenting good time as opposed to
being portrayed as the victim. (See attached).
‘Mum’s Watching’ emerged from a nude
life study as a figure of protection and watchfulness. I have memories of my
mother sitting in the sun like a Max Dupane photograph, ever watchful of her
brood in the water. She looks after us all.
‘Fandango’ and ‘Delores’ are both defiant expressions of joy, and fearlessness in
the face of reality. They are about confidence and hope.
‘Pole Dancers’ - I wanted to do
something clever by suspending bronze figures rather than the usual granite
base and thought pole dancers would be a good subject. They are a Marquette for
a large-scale work. My dream location
would be the fore court of St Marys Cathedral.
‘Ballet Girls’-Degas
‘Joy’ - I wanted to make a small figure
with a lot of movement and energy.
‘Ample’-Defying the notion of modern
beauty.
‘Dewi Kewpie’ - I have always admired
the Hindu/Animist religious practices of the Balinese people. Giving offerings
of flowers, food and incense and simple daily prayers. I am not religious but
felt a bit envious of the spiritual practice in my village and a little
fraudulent when I did participate at our temple. I decided to create my own
stone idol, a spiritual portal for the irreligious.
‘Serene’- Carving in stone is
challenging and I wanted to do a figure that was restricted by the size and
shape of the block.
‘Peel Me A Grape’- Wanted to make a
large reclining female figure in stone. I made a small clay Marquette first and chose
a block of stone that would suit the dimensions of the figure. I wanted an
improbably big bottom that would be exaggerated by the smallness of her torso.
Other
artists that inspire you? - Do they
change overtime/ year to year?
Bernini, Degas, Rodin,
Rubens, Henry Moore, Picasso Bret Whitely will always be inspirational. I try
not to look too much at other contemporary sculpture for fear of influence and
imitation but I like Henry Moore, Botero and Allan Somerville.
I find inspiration
from life, painting, photography and my imagination.
Rubens- Union of
Earth and Water (see images below).
Where
do you sculpt and what is your ideal routine/ daytime… or night owl
I usually work in
bursts where I go non-stop from about 10am till I collapse with dehydration and
exhaustion at dinnertime. I will do this for several days in a row till I have
finished with the clay then I will cover it and look at it again in a few days
when my head is clear and my eye refreshed so I can see the faults that I was
blind to in the honeymoon period of creativity. Then I ‘improve’ where
necessary until I am happy to make a mold.
How did you arrive at the title of
this current show - ‘Fat’ and ‘The
Showgirl’?
There have been a few pieces that people have suggested
express something of the ‘showgirl’ from my past career and FAT (Fabulous .
Abundant .Triumphant)was the title of my previous exhibition and some of that
work was represented in the current show, hence, ‘Fat and the Showgirl’.
What
is your sculpting process, movement and balance seems to be a key process, can
you tell us about this?
I have trained as
a dancer and my teacher, Keith Bane, focused our attention on the importance of
gesture. He developed my eye for balance and form and composition. Stillness is
just a brief moment between movements. There is always internal motion and
energy even when still. In my sculpture I try to give all my work an internal
energy. I also like trying to make heavy look light and creating the illusion
of moving weighty flesh in bronze.
The beginning of
my process is working with clay or wax.
I usually start with a rough idea but then let the work evolve and find
the character as I move the clay or wax about.
I may cast at this stage or make an armature for a larger version.
Life studies are
more prescriptive but can be adapted to a narrative later.
Rubens
Picasso
Brett Whitely
‘The Rape of Proserpina’
by Bernini
