Aboard The Good Ship Nicholas
The Age
Saturday March 25, 2006
Three very different artists share a studio space and a commitment to their work, writes Frances Atkinson.
THEY HAVE THE BEST OF corporate views. To the left is Federation Square, directly in front is the facade of Flinders Street Station, so close you can almost read the time on the clocks.But Trudy White, Elke Varga and Ilka White are artists who share a studio in the Nicholas Building - a place that defiantly exudes an air of faded glamour. It was built in 1925, and White says the plumbing is "not great" - a polite way of saying they bring a bucket of water to help flush the loo because there's no running water. But you get the impression they wouldn't change a thing.The studio is divided into three sections; one side is Ilka White's space, the middle is Varga's and the right-hand corner belongs to Trudy White. Trudy White is a writer and illustrator. As a child she drew dogs and then modelled them in plasticine. "To me they had real personalities. I remember showing my dad and saying 'this one really looks like Uncle Ray'."She left school early to study art. Whenever she doubts the decision, she thinks about the "People who work for 50 years to buy a house, like it's a big reward. Well, my reward is making things every day, and I love my work."Right now she's writing another book. Her first, a collection of whimsical stories, which she illustrated, The Table of Everything, was published in 2000. Trudy recently illustrated The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. She is also working on an exhibition of paintings that reflect the "imaginary world that I go to to make these pictures"."I like drawing things in thought, before they become solid - as if they're still forming - not one thing or another."Around the walls are the books that inspire her - such as The Life of the Bee, by Maurice Maeterlinck, and 101 Experiments in the Philosophy of Everyday Life, by Roger-Pol Droit.Apart from paints, laptop, paper, pens and pencils, Trudy keeps a pair of binoculars handy. "I don't make a habit of using them but one day I spotted this yellow thing dancing around Federation Square. It was a cross between a duck and a dinosaur. There's something crazy about a person in an animal suit. I love watching them."When they're gripped by individual projects, the trio often forget to eat. "Usually it gets to about 3pm and one of us will yell out 'lunch!' "Ilka White's wooden loom dominates the left side of the room. High shelves hold reels of coloured cotton, bolts of fabric and an extensive library of textiles books. It's an organised clutter of colour. "I was something of a bowerbird as a child. I spent a lot of time creating miniature places out of twigs and leaves." She continues to be inspired by nature and continues to "pick up more things that I shed".On the loom Ilka creates a variety of textiles from wearable pieces to sculpture to stunning pieces that evoke the natural world. "I must admit, sometimes I think I chose weaving because the tools are just so beautiful to work with . . . The loom feels more like an instrument than a machine."Ilka says the Nicholas Building is vast and inspiring. "It's great getting in the lift with half a dozen people who do similar work but in different mediums." She has been putting in long hours preparing for six exhibitions, along with applying for funding. "I like to juggle my work, it's a way of keeping each project fresh."At school, Elke Varga's best subject was art, so in high school, when she had the chance to study as an exchange student in Norway, she continued the subject. It was an experience that had a big impact on her future work as a painter. "Just being able to travel around Europe and see art that most people only see in picture books, was amazing." A visual artist, Elke also teaches yoga. For her, the studio helps provide a place to focus on her paintings. Now using watercolours, in the past she has used more unconventional materials, such as mirrors to explore how light is reflected and captured by different mediums on various surfaces. The effect is slightly scientific, because "you can almost see how the light travels through the atmosphere".Elke's latest pieces are a series of grid-like images in which she is striving for a more "balanced and mechanical feel". She says she enjoys sharing the space with two other artists but admits that occasionally "it would be nice to shut the door and turn up the music".Artistically they might be poles apart but philosophically they share a disciplined approach to their practice. "Coming to the Nicholas Building each day is like boarding a ship," says Trudy. "It takes us away from everything."Ilka White is exhibiting at Medalling: 8 designers on a quest runs until April 30. RMIT Gallery, 344 Swanston Street. www.rmit.edu.au/rmitgallery
© 2006 The Age