Interview: Jane Connory, a champion for women in graphic design

In spring, tourists drive down Jane Connory’s street in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs to see the cherry blossoms bloom.

Inside her home, the walls are covered in art, including Guerrilla Girls' manifestos—an indication of Jane’s determination to increase visibility for women in Australian graphic design. On Jane’s desk sit treasured books about women in art and design such as Paula Sher and Guerrilla Girl Donna Kaz. From Jane’s uncluttered workspace she has views over tree-lined streets and neat rooftops.

Graphic design heroes

In addition to her role as the head of communications at the Design Institute of Australia (DIA), Jane interviews women in design for the program Broad Designs, broadcast on Joy FM, and is currently undertaking a Ph.D. at Monash University entitled, ‘Invisible: Women of Australian Graphic Design.’

In May 2017, at the Women in Design conference in Launceston, Jane launched the AfFEMation website to make her research available online. The website’s tag line—‘Making heroes of women in Australian graphic design’—states her intention to document the stories of women in design and highlight their contributions to the industry.

‘I am defining my conversation around not success, but significant contributions,’ said Jane. This means being recognised by industry peers but not necessarily having a large profile. Included in her research are interviews with designers including Jessie Stanley, Sue Allnutt, Kat Macleod and Chloe Quigley. Of particular note, Sue Allnutt has shown that women can run successful design businesses, have families and work nine to five. Fittingly, Sue is about to retire and hand the business over to her daughter.

Jane’s research highlights not only the work of women in design but also the importance of networking to sustain a thriving design practice within Australia. As shown on her website, all of the interviewees are in some way connected to one another. In such a small pool as Australia, the benefits of supporting one another instead of competing are evident.

A career in design

In the mid 1990s, Jane completed a graphic design degree at Monash and went straight into art direction in an ad agency. ‘The legacy of the “Madmen” era was still there,’ said Jane. With her strong belief in achieving success through merit and hard work, Jane was surprised to see that barriers still existed for women in advertising. ‘It was like hitting a brick wall,’ she said.

After working in agencies here in Australia, Jane worked in London and was frustrated to find a similar culture there. She found the expectations of long work hours incompatible with having a family, so she chose to redirect her career path. ‘I left and went into education as a career because I could schedule my time around pick ups and drop offs,’ she said.

Equipped with skills ranging from illustration to graphic design and branding, Jane worked in TAFE and higher education for nearly fifteen years. ‘It’s still a majority of women doing these design degrees and they still look to the industry and they still don’t see female mentors or role models. It was starting to weigh on my conscience,’ she said. Jane decided that she could contribute to changing the design industry culture and began her Ph.D. ‘I can do something about this and this is really important. These histories can’t just disappear,’ she said.

Jane has left her career in design education for the moment to focus on her role at the Design Institute of Australia whilst completing her PhD.

Jane Connory

Creating a legacy

Jane’s motivation in her work is to, as she explained, ‘Provide some sort of resource as a legacy for this next generation of women flooding the industry so they can figure out how they want to do it.’

With in-house design studios making a resurgence, Jane sees the value of design not purely for design itself, but as a way of thinking that can be applied across organisations to solve problems and innovate.

‘I think we have to be careful about how we define what a designer does because it shouldn’t be narrowed,’ said Jane. ‘Broadening that scope for women, especially, can leave those options a little bit more open about how you want to do it.’

In her previous role as a senior lecturer at Billy Blue College of Design, Jane would begin the first lecture by playing a recording of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘You Can Go Your Own Way,’ reminding new students that there are options within the design industry. ‘I always say to students, “What are your other passions in life? Is it music? Is it theatre? Look for in-house studios within those businesses.”’

Identifying mentors for young designers

Throughout Jane’s twenty-year career within design and education she has seen the importance of developing a framework to write inclusive history. She hopes that her research will help young designers find mentors and create networks to build their careers.

Jane’s advice to young women wanting to pursue a career in design is, 'Be resilient and stick at it if that’s what you want to do. It’s not easy. There are a lot of people doing it. Look for mentors; they’re out there. Find one and help them to help you up.’

For more about Jane’s work, visit affemation.com or follow her on Instagram (@invisibleinaus/)

Jenni Mazaraki is an artist, designer, writer and podcaster who helps women tell their stories. She is currently working on her first novel, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Deborah Cass Prize. You can see more of Jenni’s work at localstoryspace.com or on Instagram (@localstoryspace) or Facebook.

Photos by Jenni Mazaraki

Interviews with creative women: Mirranda Burton, visual artist and graphic novelist

Wattle trees in full bloom line the roadside on the drive to Mirranda’s home studio in Melbourne’s north east.

Mirranda is a visual artist who tells stories with printmaking, animation and graphic novels. She meets me by the gate and welcomes me into the compact house which has been her home and studio space for the past three years. The small home was once a worker’s hut used as accommodation during the construction of the West Gate bridge. After the bridge’s completion, the renovated fibro cottage was transported to the Nutfield property, where it sits amongst twenty acres of bushland.

Mirranda’s making space
 

A curved brick path leads to the entrance of Mirranda’s home. It is a sheltered spot facing views of wattles, gum trees and a broad expanse of bushland. Birds fly through the scrub, calling out to each other and frogs can be heard croaking from the nearby dam. The small home is immersed in the landscape, filled with the scents and sounds of the Australian bush.

A mix between 1970’s simplicity and light Scandinavian style, Mirranda’s space is filled with treasures she has gathered over the years. She has made the space her own, as a home and a studio. ‘It’s been a real gift for finding out who I am as an artist,’ said Mirranda.

A large marimba sits quietly in the corner of the room, a reminder of Mirranda’s abilities as a musician who also plays mandolin and piano. The wintery Melbourne sun gently streams through the north facing windows, creating moving patterns and shadows on the Persian rug.

A pin board displays carefully placed items which provide inspiration for Mirranda’s graphic novel; a large map, a picture of a wombat, an image of iconic sixties black framed glasses. A lightbox is on hand for tracing work. The expanse between the two windows features large bookcases filled with books. Mirranda’s favourites include Art Spiegelman, Marjane Satrapi, Nick Hayes and Sarah Glidden. The Russian expressionists, German printmakers and woodcut artists have also influenced her work.

Treasured LP’s including David Bowie’s Heroes and Duke Ellington’s Jump for Joy sit ready to be played in front of the turntable. Mirranda is inspired by something that Bowie once said in an interview, ‘When you’re in a slightly uncomfortable place in your creative practice, you’re actually in a very exciting place to discover and to make something really interesting,’ said Mirranda. ‘It comes back to that notion of life beginning outside your comfort zone.’

Printmaking as a response to the native environment

Mirranda’s latest linocut series has been created as a direct response to her immediate environment and her place in it. Using the fox as metaphor, she examines the notion of humans being an introduced species in the native Australian environment, drawing parallels through her art to examine the conflicts and impacts. ‘I feel like it’s an opportunity to self-reflect even more about our own impact’

The fox linocut series was developed during her recent two-year artist residency at Dunmoochin. ‘Dunmoochin was a huge turning point for me in my art practice and it was a point in my life where I really decided to fully commit to my art practice as best as I could,’ she said. Turning forty and being in a creative environment with other artists helped propel Mirranda. ‘It was time to really do the work that I’ve truly believed in.’

Mirranda’s printmaking work focuses on crisp black and white lino prints. She works on her designs in her studio, cutting the lino on her brightly lit desk and then prints the work at Baldessin Press. ‘I’m particularly fussy about getting very strong blacks and very strong whites in my prints.’

Graphic novel
 

Mirranda is currently working on her graphic novel, which is due for publication with Allen and Unwin in three years’s time.

A recent trip to Vietnam provided Mirranda with research material for her graphic novel. It explores historical events around conscription in Australia during the time of the Vietnam war and includes stories which she has gathered by interviewing people in Australia and Vietnam. The novel will include ink illustrations that capture the style and fashions of Melbourne in the 1960’s. A wombat also plays a major part in the story.

Connecting with other artists
 

‘I love working on my own, but I’m always connecting with people in the area who are also practising artists.’ There is strong community of artists making graphic novels and comics in Melbourne. ‘I feel like a have a very supportive network around me.’

In October 2017, Mirranda will take part in the Melbourne Comics Workshop in Yogyakarta, Indonesia with a group of comic artists to work on their projects. As a result of previous workshops, published work has been produced by group participants. ‘Because we’re all working in very solitary spaces to create what we do, it’s very exciting when we come together and sort of fuel each other in our work.’

Sustaining a creative practice
 

Mirranda works in roles that nurture creativity in the community. Balancing her creative practice with other work, Mirranda also facilitates an art program at a local disability support service. Together with artists Ixia Black and Melissa Haslam, she is also one of the founders of Cube Z art gallery that has recently exhibited the work of artist Sam Beke who attends her facilitated art group.

In addition to working on her lino prints and graphic novels, Mirranda also freelances as an animator and an illustrator, undertaking residencies in schools and teaching workshops. ‘I’m doing quite a number of things to help support my art practice,’ said Mirranda.

On pursuing creativity, Mirranda said, ‘Being creative can be a really challenging thing. Sometimes we’re really daunted by the prospect of being creative, but embrace the discomfort and I think, wonderful things happen.’

Website / Facebook / Comic Art Workshop

Jenni Mazaraki is an artist, designer, writer and podcaster who helps women tell their stories. She is particularly interested in the ways that women make time and space for creativity. You can see more of Jenni’s work at www.localstoryspace.com or on Instagram @localstoryspace or Facebook.

Photos and video production by Jenni Mazaraki

Georgina Proud, Ceramic Artist

Ceramic artist Georgina Proud creates work that looks like fire and snow all at the same time. Georgina's natural affinity for the Australian landscape is apparent in her ceramic pieces which are gently curved and naturalistic in appearance. The earthy colours of the clay show through matt and glossy glazes, creating pottery with a tactile quality. 'They're made to be enjoyed and held in your hands,' said Georgina.

Georgina's making space

Outside, it is a chilly Melbourne morning. The only sound in Georgina's North Melbourne studio is the whir of her pottery wheel. The studio space where Georgina creates her ceramics is small and neat. The walls are mainly bare, with only a few chosen postcards stuck on the wall above her desk as inspiration. She is also inspired by Japanese pottery and the work of other potters including Bridget Bodenham.

Georgina has set up her studio space simply, with shelving, her wheel and a raw timber table, 'Having the right equipment is really important,' said Georgina. On the studio shelves sit finished ceramic pieces. Georgina shows me a round pot which she has glazed with a traditional Japanese Shino treatment. With its rusty red hues, mottled whites and multiple specks, Georgina describes the Shino glazes' intention is to appear to be like 'snow falling on the ground.'

Georgina creates her own stoneware clays using a mix of dark and light clays. She has also been experimenting with developing her own glazes. 'I use wood ash in some of my glazes, usually red gum ash and that will put a speckle through it.'

The tea pot sitting in pride of place in her studio is a piece that Georgina is most proud of. It's one of her pieces that have been fired in a wood fired kiln. 'It was just the most amazing experience. You were so much more involved in the firing process. You kind of went on the journey with the pots.' The process of wood firing was very different to using her electric kiln. 'We looked in the kiln and you can see the flames travelling around the pots. So that one (the tea pot) is super special to me.'

All of Georgina's pieces are functional, fired at stoneware temperature for durability. Whilst it may be tempting to keep her work on display, they are designed to be used. 'If someone has bought something and they tell me a year or two later that, 'Oh that's my favourite mug and I use it every day,' that's the most lovely thing that I could hear.'

From hobby to business

Georgina's practice has grown from a hobby to a small business in a short space of time. Having worked with clay in high school, she rediscovered her love of pottery in the last couple of years. 'I really just loved it from the moment I started doing it and so just kept wanting to do it more and more.' Initially setting up her wheel at home, Georgina now works in her North Melbourne studio where she comes in one day during the week and also on weekends. 

Her business grew organically. Selling her wares at markets has provided her with positive feedback and created demand for her work. As people began to ask her to make things, her confidence grew. 'People were really supportive and would comment and say, 'I love that' or 'Can I get one for my mum', so it just sort of started and I was like 'Oh, maybe this is a thing that I can actually have a little business out of.'

She finds the opportunity to discuss her work process with the other potters in the studio and the students at the School of Clay and Art invaluable. Georgina values the support of her friends, including artist Indigo O'Rourke. 'A lot of my friends are also creative women and so I find I get a lot of support from them.'

Work process

Whilst Georgina works she listens to podcasts, except when she is working on a complicated piece which requires her full attention without distraction. 'I find that I get really drawn in and I get into that state of flow.' She currently balances her art practice with her job as a project officer at WIRE Women's Information. She also takes pottery classes at the School of Clay and Art. Recognising the need for self-care with her competing demands, Georgina said, 'I have to make sure I give myself a break as well.'

As wheel work can be physically demanding, Georgina ensures that she takes breaks which not only helps her body but also her concentration. 'I think you gradually build up the muscles so it's not too bad, but you have to remember to stop every now and then and maybe walk around.'

Georgina's advice

Georgina's advice to other women thinking about pursuing their art practice is simple. 'Don't be afraid to say yes to opportunities, you never know where they'll lead.' She is inspired by Amy Poehler who said, 'Do things before you're ready.' Georgina cautions against waiting for the right time, 'You've got to just do it and see what happens, if it doesn't work, what's the biggest thing that will happen? You know, you just keep trying.'

Georgina will be part of the new Melbourne Ceramics Market on August 6 at Workshop Melbourne.

Find out more:

Website /  Instagram / Melbourne Ceramics Market/ School of Clay and Art

Jenni Mazaraki is an artist, designer, writer and podcaster who helps women tell their stories. She is particularly interested in the ways that women make time and space for creativity. You can see more of Jenni's work at www.localstoryspace.com or on Instagram @localstoryspace or Facebook

Photos and video production by Jenni Mazaraki.

Interview with Dawn Tan, illustrator and teacher

One of the greatest gifts that illustrator, teacher, and soapmaker Dawn Tan gives her students is the permission to make mistakes. Having taught art since she was seventeen, as well as working as an illustrator, Dawn embraces the art process as changeable. “If you make a mistake, just go for it,” she said. “Change it up a bit. See how you can do something new out of that mistake that you’ve made.”

Dawn’s “Making Space” Dawn welcomes me into her Yarraville home in Melbourne’s inner west. We can feel it is going to be a warm day, but for the moment we are both thankful for the coolness of her kitchen and dining room.

Dawn’s studio space has a gentle filtered light. The Victorian terrace she shares with her husband, Darren, is filled with art by friends and by artists she admires—such as good friend Madeline Stamer—as well as objects collected on the couple’s travels. A recent trip to the U.S. and India has prompted new designs featuring images and patterns inspired by the American desert and India’s magical colours and spices.

The long wooden table in her dining room is where Dawn creates her illustrations. On the day I visit, the table is neatly arranged with resources for a work in progress. The watercolour painting she shows me is of her client’s grandparent’s home, which Dawn carefully paints with fine detail as a precious memory for her client.

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A Creative Life Along with working as a freelance illustrator and having her work published by such clients as Frankie and Hooray magazines, Dawn teaches workshops for adults in her home, and for children as a school art teacher.

In the last six months, Dawn has also discovered a love of making handmade soaps—enticing in both looks and aroma. The packaging for her soaps bears Dawn’s signature watercolour drawings, and the scents include apple cider, Joshua tree cactus, and chai milk tea. “I started making soaps not only because I wanted soap for myself, but because I was going through quite a rough patch when I was teaching and working in my previous school,” she explained. “I found that I needed a way to relax and not think about anything else, to do something different for a change.”

In high school, Dawn had great support from teachers who recognised her natural artistic ability and encouraged her to pursue an artistic career. Her friends and family have also encouraged her to keep going with her art, in part by ordering prints and custom house portraits, buying soaps, and sharing her posts on social media. “A lot of my colleagues were amazing, super troopers, cheering me on,” said Dawn.

DawnTaninLivingRoom

The Little Art Yurt In June 2017, Dawn will fulfill her dream of opening her very own art school: The Little Art Yurt. “I’ve always known that I wanted to teach,” she said.

As Dawn awaits delivery of a large round tent, which will fill the entire outdoor space in her courtyard, she prepares for the school—planning, designing brochures, and adding students’ names to the ever-growing waitlist. She already has the most elegantly made aprons ready and waiting for the first class, hung on a plywood rack made by her father-in-law. The Hedley & Bennett aprons are examples of Dawn’s attention to detail: she is sensitive not only to the ways children engage with art, but also to how they feel physically while creating art. The aprons let children move freely without being hampered by stiff, bulky art smocks.

Dawn possesses a true joy of teaching, describing it as something that feeds her creativity. “I find that, especially working with children, they have this sort of crazy, fun energy about them. It makes you learn how to let go and just relax,” she said. “I see it as an exchange of knowledge. I see kids as teachers as well.”

Dawn comes from a family of teachers. “Being able to share what I love—which is art—helps me be inspired. I enjoy having conversations with people, sharing experiences, food, laughs. All these things help me create better as a maker.”

Being an Artist At the end of each day, Dawn makes a deliberate effort to pack all of her work away onto her shelves, a method she has recently adopted. “I used to leave everything out lying on the table,” she said. “I used to have a separate table in a little corner, but then we bought this bigger table and I realised that having this big kitchen table forces me to put everything away. It actually helps me think better and work better because every day is a new fresh start.”

Dawn’s watercolour illustrations are distinctive, with their use of fineliner and watercolour. Layers of watercolour in elegant tones capture doughnuts, cakes, food, plants, houses, and packaged goods. Dawn decided a while ago that drawing people was not for her, preferring to draw inanimate objects. Her style brings the subjects she paints to life, as if we are experiencing them through her eyes. “One word that’s kept coming up over the years is ‘raw’: how my work is so raw, almost like reading through someone’s journal. I like that,” she said.

Dawn is open and honest in the way she shares her life and work online. “When you have a very personal voice—when you’re just you and when you don’t hide, when you don’t make it all look nice and fancy—I find that people actually appreciate it more,” she said. “I always wanted to be the sort of artist where there’s no hiding, so, yeah, I think I’ve achieved that.”

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Dawn’s Tip Dawn encourages women who want to start their own creative business, or who struggle to juggle their business with other demands, to believe in themselves. “Don’t doubt yourself,” she said. “I’ve learned over the years that if you’re going to sit there and hesitate and doubt yourself and think, ‘What if? What if?’ then it’s never going to happen. Just do it. If you fail, you fail. Dream big; go do it. If you don’t try, you’ll never know.”

To find out more about Dawn and her work, visit her website or follow her on Instagram (@handmadelove).

Photos and podcast audio production by Jenni Mazaraki

Jenni Mazaraki is an artist, designer, writer, and podcaster who helps women tell their stories. She is particularly interested in the ways women make time and space for creativity. You can see more of Jenni’s work at localstoryspace.com, on Instagram (@localstoryspace), or on Facebook.

Making space: Freya Bennett, co-director, Ramona magazine for girls

This interview features our very first CWC Making Spaces podcast - have a listen and let us know what you think!

Freya Bennett loves the smell of rainforests. So she’s captured the smell in terrariums, which live all around her house.

It is warm and sunny on the day I visit Freya, the co-director of Ramona magazine, at her new home in Melbourne’s north. As she gives me a tour of the house, her curious cat, Phoenix, follows us from room to room. The space is open, with polished wooden floors and crisp white walls. Freya’s favourite print, of Edward Hopper’s 1942 painting Nighthawks, sits on the floor waiting to be hung when she has a spare moment.

Freya’s piano sits in the corner of the room and has been in her family for generations. It is a place where Freya can play music and relax without an end goal. As a musician, Freya has performed locally as well as produced music in collaboration with other artists. In 2013, she released The Marvellous Reject Girl, and the album’s single was played on Triple J Unearthed.

When Freya speaks, she is calm with a strong sense of self, a role model to women and girls. As a speaker at last year’s Breakthrough conference, she spoke openly about growing up in a culture that commonly objectifies women and girls, and her desire to challenge it.

Ramona magazine

Freya runs Ramona from her home. Along with her co-director, Sophie Pellegrini, she has created a platform that celebrates diversity, where girls can see a range of perspectives. Assisting Freya and Sophie is a team of interns, Creative Writing Editor Stephanie Markidis, and Music Editor Rose Sejean. “The magazine is quite girly,” said Freya. “It reflects Sophie and I. You don’t have to not be girly to be super feminist and strong.”

Ramona is a safe space for girls to challenge what they see, to question and express their inner worlds and dialogues through art and writing. The print and online magazine has a gentle aesthetic but doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, as Freya is keen to bring to light issues that may be considered taboo. More than 500 writers from around the world contribute articles about, among other things, body image, periods, breakups, mental health, self-care, sexual assault, and miscarriage. Ramona encourages girls to develop healthy relationships with themselves, their bodies, and others.

Ramona eschews sections on beauty and fashion, focusing instead on interviews with inspiring girls and women. Its focus is to create a forum where girls can see lives that are real, relatable, and achievable.

Discovering a different perspective

Freya’s mum sounds like the kind of cool, progressive mum you see in movies. When Freya was young, her mum introduced her to New Moon magazine, opening her eyes to content with an empowering feminist perspective. Freya became aware early of the negative messaging she received because of her gender. “I had boys constantly telling me I couldn’t do things because I was a girl,” she said. New Moon encouraged her by showing her the lives of strong, intelligent girls.

When Freya was twelve and outgrew New Moon, all she found available to her were mainstream magazines focusing on looks and fashion. She noticed how the lack of diversity in the magazines excluded her and anyone who wasn’t a tall white girl. “I realised that it’s such a broken system,” she said. “It’s teaching us to hate ourselves and hate our bodies.”

Starting Ramona magazine

Two and a half years ago, Freya and Sophie started Ramona as an alternative to mainstream media for girls. “I started seeing sexual objectification all over the place,” she said. “And once you start noticing it, it’s just everywhere.”

Turning her feelings into action was key to Freya’s motivation. She hoped that by expressing her thoughts, she could help others feel less alone. “It came from a place of ‘I need to do something, because otherwise I’m going to feel so stressed and sick and angry,’” she said.

A space to create a magazine

Upstairs, the house is filled with light. The study is home to two wooden desks. A large poster of Tara Presnell’s front cover illustration from the latest issue of Ramona hangs in pride of place on the wall. Freya’s paints and brushes are out on her desk with a work in progress waiting to be finished. Hanging above the desk is a painting of a sweet girl, by illustrator Jordyn McGeachin, who contributed work to volume two of the magazine.

Against one wall sits a low bookshelf filled with books, photos, and artwork. Framed typography by Erandhi Mendis rests on the top shelf above a colourful floral box in which Freya keeps her treasured old copies of New Moon.

Though she mostly works on her own, Freya sometimes has a friend work alongside her, which she finds helps motivate her. At other times, she takes her laptop and works in the local café. Given that her work is largely online, her job is portable.

The future of Ramona

In December 2016, Ramona celebrated its second print edition with an artist market and performances from musicians Charm of Finches, Georgia Fields, and Sandy Hsu.

Freya is hopeful for the future of the magazine, with plans to branch out into more projects, including mentoring to girls.

Contributors are encouraged to submit their work, even if they are unsure whether it’s ready for publication. “We love hearing from people and everyone is welcome,” said Freya, “We often work with you, so if you’ve got an article that you’re not sure about, we can help you with it.”

Freya and Sophie currently invest their own money into the publication, but hope the magazine will grow and earn enough revenue to support itself.

For Freya, the magazine reminds her that she is brave. “I feel like I’ve got this force of five hundred girls and women behind me,” she said. “It feels really nice.”

Jenni Mazaraki is an artist, designer, and writer who helps women tell their stories. She is particularly interested in the ways that women make time and space for creativity.

Photos and podcast audio production by Jenni Mazaraki