Have you ever felt an exciting burst of inspiration at undertaking a new project, only to have it fizzle out a day later? It doesn't matter what your passion is, everyone has experienced that familiar enthusiasm of creation (I can write and publish my own zine, and charge heaps of money, and be rich!) only to find that when the time comes to actually do something about it, the idea has melted away like a Paddle Pop on a warm footpath (Hmm, how do I print it? Maybe I’ll just watch “Entourage instead). Young Melbourne based artist Polly Dedman fortunately does not suffer from this ailment.
Polly has had her illustrations featured in group shows by both Lenko and Fat, contributed to international projects such as “Greetings From..” in Tokyo, featured in magazines like Yen, drawn illustrations for Sportsgirl and even created a animation exploring the reality of human trafficking in Australia, which as part of a Project Respect digital media presentation, won a UN Peace Media award. Phew! As if she didn’t have enough on her highly decorated plate, Polly has now started a website “tell no tales” (www.tellnotales.net ) in which she posts a different pencil drawing EVERY DAY. This clever lady admits that she is inspired by “people who do things, rather than talk about doing things” and there is no doubt that her talent coupled with her creative vigor, has inspired many others to follow Mr. Nike’s advice and Just Do It. I interviewed Polly recently to discover how a thinker can become a doer.
How did you get into the world of illustration and design?
I had the luck of knowing someone who knew someone, who worked for a company that wanted a lady to make some pictures for them. Until then I could’ve ho-hummed about illustration until the cows came home, so I guess my friends kicked me in the seat of the pants and I moved forward. I always loved designing things and making stuff for myself. I always loved drawing. I never knew I could design drawings for a living. What a swell thing.
What inspires your work (people, places, music, film, etc.)?
All of the above. Learning. Colours. Words. People who love people. People who love words. Forgotten things and forgettable photographs.
What is your favourite mode of expression, animation, sketches, etc. and why?
Animation, If only it wasn’t so time consuming. You can bring to life anything you could imagine. There are very few limitations. Except for time and personal energy. It’s also a more immersive and approachable medium for an audience. People like moving pictures. There is also the possibilities associated with sound and music, you forget how important those things are in terms of emotional response. Yep, animation. The love-hate passion.
Your work is really arresting and original; it's a mesh of modern concepts (cassettes, amps, etc.) drawn in a sort of gothic Victorian way, it reminded me a bit of "The Secret Garden", but instead of being cutsie there seems to be some melancholy in there too. How do you combine all these elements to make such complex and original pictures?
I don’t know. I just draw what I want to see. Things always turn out creepier than I intended them to be. I guess I am just a little creepy. And often melancholy.
Do you think that Melbourne as a city is particularly encouraging of young artists?
Absolutely. Yes, yes, yes. We have a culture that encourages us to follow our heart rather than our wallets. I don’t know many Melbourne kids who don’t follow their passion, whether it is through their work or in their time out of work. They make time to put on shows, play music, make art, and write blogs. I am so proud of the people I know and the things they achieve, it would be so easy to go home and watch TV or block out our hearts and hours with less taxing activities. Melbourne has always impressed me in that way, much more than many so-called international arts-hubs.
Alive or dead, name three people would want to be stranded on a desert island with. You probably would have to eat of them to survive.
Kurt Vonnegut - he would remind me why I love humans, and why I hate them. Bill Murray- because I have wanted to make babies with him since the age of 10 and he warms my heart. Werner Herzog- he would have the most amazing stories, stories to last 100 lifetimes, and the accent, the turn of phrase. I would like to consider a musician too but I’m sure at a stretch I could beat a mean coconut rhythm on my own.
http://www.pollydedman.com/