Garages are prime real estate in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Parking is the obvious use. But some residents have gone as far as converting them into home gyms, offices and even underground bars. For artist Tan Arlidge, what’s hidden behind a roller door in the backstreets of Bondi is a creative oasis.
“Having my studio space is a career high,” she tells Broadsheet. “I used to create out of my home but having the separation is really important.”
After more than a decade working as a set designer, visual merchandiser and stylist in the fashion industry, Arlidge took the leap into being a full-time artist in 2020. “When Covid hit, it was basically impossible to keep doing set design work. I’d also had my second son and it felt like the right time to take the leap into focusing solely on my own art practice.”
Arlidge creates unique polymer sculptures. Depending on the size of the piece, she uses a furnace or heat gun to “melt” polymer, manipulating the solid forms to create the illusion of movement.
“It softens under high heat and turns into a fabric of sorts,” she says. “But I only have about a minute once it’s out of the furnace to work on the shape before it starts to set. And if I press it too hard, it cracks. It’s a little bit stressful but at the same time I enjoy the intuition that comes with that.”
She uses a grinder to reshape edges and take away any parts of the form that don’t feel quite right. Most pieces are designed to be hung on walls, but some are made to be displayed on plinths or tables.
Playful series names like “Reverie”, “Bon Bons”, “Roll Ups” and “Waves”, clearly establish the vibe of Arlidge’s work. And while form is the core of her art, the artist also uses different colours and finishes to add personality.
“I find colour a little challenging, but I’ve definitely developed a competence in that now and use a few different tools to help. I really like neutrals and that’s inspired by my surroundings: the sand, the sky,” she says. Light blue and sand are two of her most-used hues.
Each piece is finished in matte or gloss and Arlidge plays with stripes and gradients so that each sculpture takes on its own energy when warped and wrapped. She’s also experimenting with including timber.
“It’s very new to me. I’m not a woodworker. I’m not skilled in that. But I’m just quietly going about my work and trusting my gut.”
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