Natasha Manners grew up in Scotland but has lived in Melbourne for over 10 years. In her art practice, Natasha uses video, crochet and drawing to create works that reflect on peoples’ inhabitation of spaces. Often seeking to capture the depth and poignancy in the connections people form with specific places and the narratives surrounding them.
Imagery by Natasha Manners natashamanners.com
Approach to video and art making…
I prefer to wait for something to come into my life that I connect strongly enough with that I feel it’s necessary to make some kind of response to. When I try to force something, I often get the feeling of producing clutter and excess regardless of whether it’s physical or digital. That said, this approach definitely means I don’t produce as much work as I would like. I’m continuing to try and find a better balance for myself.
I also need to alternate between different types of work. Once I've spent a lot of time creating a digital work like a video, I immediately crave the physicality of wool or fabric, or the act of painting and drawing.
Where she draws inspiration from…
Domestic architecture, furniture, stories linked to particular places, and the body in relation to the house.
The idea of inhabiting space is what continues to capture my attention again and again. Particularly the narratives formed within the interior spaces of people's homes and the ways in which people's lives are reflected in these spaces.
Rituals for creaivity & inspiration…
I take handwritten notes from books I’m reading, podcasts, conversations, things I see in the car or out walking. Intentionally writing these points out and forming an opinion or narrative around then will sometimes trigger something that I feel compelled to make a work about. When I’m seeking out some inspiration I go back through these notes and photographs and usually find something I have forgotten about there.
I always forget this one, but seeing live music also often puts my brain in a really specific creative space that is very helpful.
On her daily rituals…
I can find it hard to wake up in the morning, so I like to spend some time reading in bed. A cup of tea once I’m up. Then it's just simple things throughout the day like skin care, a walk sometime during the day, eating slowly, taking time when I'm brushing my teeth.
Rituals to rejuvenate…
Spending time outside going for walks is what I find most restorative. Mostly that's just locally near my house but when I can take trips out of Melbourne to national parks it's a more effective reset.
Carrying out certain household tasks like cleaning the leaves on the house plants and taking time over the act of watering them.
Rituals for productivity & organisation…
Writing lists in my diary and making sure important things are in there is really necessary for me to clear my head and avoid a lingering sense of something forgotten.
During the last year I have tried to go for a morning run a couple of times a week. That and the shower afterwards has really helped to put me in a focused mental space.
