I ask Madi (as she is fondly known) about Noise and what we can expect. Her answers should give us some insight before opening night!
KY :: What direction would you like the gallery to be heading in the next 5 years? (I hope you can fortune tell Madi?)
MY :: I just want it to be always interesting and varied. It’s not all about your ‘qualifications’ as long as it [the works] interests me. It’s going to be different. It’s going to be filled with ‘tidy’ [no hastle] workshops, craft parties, hen’s nights.... I love a party!
KY:: Who would you say has been the most influential to have led you on this creative path?
MY :: Does it have to be a person? Um… I don’t know, I think if I didn’t get the job at Kinross I would have been somewhere completely different now. I was on government money; doing odd jobs here and there, and there wasn’t much money in this ‘artist career’. When I got it [the position at Kinross] I got back into it, you know. Family has obviously been very supportive about it all. They never didn’t believe [in me] and all the friends and loyal attendees that come to the gallery.
KY :: Ok cool… so you’ve had some really talented artists come through TCSG up until this point. What can we expect in the line-up of exhibitions for 2015?
MY :: It’s going to be varied again. 6 local artists and 2 non local, lots of different art forms and mediums, ages, groups and styles… some experienced artists and some new to the art world. One is a chef and she paints for fun. There’s a couple of young, exciting people representing Orange. Some strange mediums… glass blowing is involved, who’d ever think you’d see glass blowing in the art gallery? (laughs in between) Then there will be an artist that paints on walls and does really crude things… Yeah.
KY :: Wow! and finally, do you have any words of advice that you would like to pass onto fellow artists and the like-minded?
MY :: Just don’t be too precious about ‘it’ [mid sentence, she begins to rattle around in the pantry - ‘is Woystershire sauce weird with Asian stuff?’ she asks twice, whilst Erick begins cooking in the background….] I think if you’re doing the work you have to have faith in yourself. Everybody had more faith in me than I did, and everyone else’s faith and reassurance helped that [the Gallery / being a creative] along. I saw this drive in my dad. He’s a f#@!ng hard worker and Erick of course, people love him. He’s so great, he’s a great chef…he makes good things. Is that enough for you?
KY :: Thank you so much for your time Madi. We all look ever so forward to celebrating alongside and giving you the big noise.
Words and photos by Kieth Yap - Friend, Visual Artist and Art Teacher.
