Here is an interview with Sydney artist Emma Kidd speaking about her art practice. More of Emma’s work can be viewed on her website at www.benconservato.com.

Have you always drawn?

It seems so, from what I hear. I had a moment around 18 – 20 where I thought I couldn’t, but all that is just psychological. Everyone can. I love outsider art and art brut for that reason.

Where did the inspiration come from for your series of monsters?

I think, it was my anti-serious side that started the monsters. I’d had it trying to have some deep, conceptual meaning with every piece or series of work I did. Monsters were born!

Do you seperate your drawing practice from your photography? How do they relate?

Yes, they tend to live separately. These days I like to play more with photography and film. I think I get / got what I want and wanted from photography when I used to do a lot of photography etching. (that is the work I mentioned being a little too serious). I take blurry, multiple exposure, light leaking photos these days, and draw strange animals. Perhaps they are linked after all?

Do you differentiate between art and illustration or is it the same thing to you?

It isn’t the same, and I tend to tell people I do more “illustrative work” these days. Although I don’t class myself as anything less than an “artist”. I hear a very important person / artist who was around when I was finding my way telling me that it was fine to do graphic design or illustration for your day job as long as it doesn’t kill your “artwork” nearly every day, yet, I am slightly worried I have let it, but I was never very conceptual enough to pull that serious art caper off.

Do you have any exhibitions or projects coming up that you would like to mention?

I don’t have anything concrete actually. I am just trying to stretch myself, do something harder, trying again to do something bigger. Bigger is not comfortable for me.

Interview and article by Daniel Smith