THIS week we speak with visual artist Melanie Thoren.<\/p>\n
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What initially motivated you to become an artist?<\/strong><\/p>\n I have always had a creative mind. I remember drawing lots as a child. I had a special clipboard where I would keep my paper, and a huge roll of textas, and I would draw for hours. My family has always been creative in their own ways too. My mum is a published author, and my dad is a very talented woodturner. My Nan was always engaged in community craft activities with the YWCA, like quilting, and I loved watching her work, so there have always been adults in my life with some form of creative outlet, and I think it became a necessity for me to have that as well.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n How would you describe your style? How did you develop it?<\/strong><\/p>\n I would describe my style as feminist and surrealist, with elements of retro-futurism. I like working with bold lines and bright colours. There is something about bright colours that is completely unapologetic, and I really enjoy that for my work, as I am a bit of a shy person in social circles, so my work gives me a kind of voice to share my opinions but in a visual way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are there any particular themes you like to feature in your work? What draws you to these themes?<\/strong><\/p>\n I really enjoy exploring themes of identity, especially feminine identity, which I feel is a bit underrepresented in Australian art. My work also has a bit of a satirical streak. Sometimes when people see my work they laugh, whereas others take the themes very seriously, so it is always interesting to gauge an audience reaction, especially from male-identifying audiences. I also have recently been trying to include science-fiction elements into my work, or retro-futurism, where we look at the future from the perspective of the past, as I have always been a fan of the old-fashioned sci-fi shows like Doctor Who<\/em> and Star Trek<\/em> from the 1960s.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How can people check out your amazing work?<\/strong><\/p>\n I have multiple platforms! You can check me out on instagram at @melanie.t.creative, which is my primary platform. Otherwise, I have a facebook page, Melanie Thoren – Artist, and my website, melaniethorenartist.com<\/strong>.<\/p>\n