Yellowtrace interview with Sydney artist Natasha Frisch.

 

Sydney-based artist Natasha Frisch creates elegant and meticulous paper sculptures that challenge our perception of the built environment. Many of her works posses a chameleon-like quality, effortlessly camouflaging themselves into their immediate environment.

Natasha completed her Bachelor of Arts (Media Arts) at RMIT University, and since then has presented in several solo exhibitions both in Australia and overseas. A veteran in taking part in artist-in-residence programs, Natasha was a recent recipient of the Woollahra residency, where she will be creating her plant works for a community project. At the end of the year she will be travelling to NYC for a 3-month residency at NARS .

Featured Project // Natasha’s precise replicas of everyday objects, made by hand using tracing paper and tape.

Why It Rocks // Even though each piece requires a significant amount of work and skill, her sculptures never scream for attention – they are delicate, quiet and subtle.

Below is a little Q&A with the artist. (She can be contacted here.)

 

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch, It Was Never Meant To Be This Way 2006.

Natasha Frisch, It Was Never Meant To Be This Way 2006.
Tracing Paper, Double Sided Tape, Fishing Line.
139cm L x 95cm W x 108cm H.

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch, It Was Never Meant To Be This Way (detail), 2006.

Natasha Frisch, It Was Never Meant To Be This Way (detail), 2006.
Tracing Paper, Double Sided Tape, Fishing Line.
139cm L x 95cm W x 108cm H.

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch, Baby…Don’t Cry 2005.

Natasha Frisch, Baby…Don’t Cry 2005.
Tracing Paper, Glue, Balsa Wood, Fishing line.
4.8cm L x 3.9cm W x 0.6cm H.

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch working in her New York studio.

Natasha Frisch, burning the midnight oil in her studio in New York.

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch. Left - Since I met you #2, 2010. Right - Since I met you #1, 2010.

Natasha Frisch, Left – Since I met you #2 2010. Right – Since I met you #1 2010.
Type C Photograph (b0th).
39cm W x 60cm H (both).

 

+ What are you seeking to portray in your work? What is fundamental to your practice – your philosophy and your process?

I mainly work with modest materials such as tracing paper, double-sided tape and fishing line to construct models and installations that closely approximate everyday objects and sites. The fragile and impermanent nature of the materials I use ensures that the work cannot be easily transported or translated to another site. The temporary constructions exist only for the lifetime of the exhibition and upon de-installation the work is documented and then destroyed. If the work is to be shown again it must be re-made and all that remains of each piece is photographic or video evidence. My installations document the situations where human behaviour has altered the physical or emotional for better or worse and via stillness and spatial displacement allow for a slippage between the real and the unreal.

 

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch, Somebody else's shadow (NY), 2012.

Natasha Frisch, Somebody else’s shadow (NY) 2012.
Still from Stop-motion animation.
[work in progress].

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch, Us [working title].

Natasha Frisch, Us [working title].
Type C Photograph, From the Murray’s Cottage series.
[work in progress].

 

+ What has been your favourite project so far?

It may be yet to come… I was recently awarded a 3 month residency at The New York Art Residency and Studios (NARS) Foundation in Brooklyn for late 2013.

+ What was one of your biggest lessons learned since starting out?

Persistence is everything.

+ Any interesting/ funny/ quirky facts about your work that you could share with us?

Nobody ever believes that the work is made from paper so they have to touch it to make sure it is. The first time I exhibited ‘Somewhere In Between’ somebody actually sat on them because they thought they were real. See blog post and photos that prove this.

 

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch, Somewhere In Between 2010.
Natasha Frisch, Somewhere In Between 2010.
Tracing Paper, Double Sided Tape.
Chairs: 38cm L x 36cm W x 95cm H.

 

+ Best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Be true to yourself.

+ If you were not an artist, what would you be?

Possibly an architect or industrial designer.

+ Nothing inspires me like…

Forgotten architecture, overheard conversations, and weeds.

 

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch,Nasty Little Piece of Work 2004

Natasha Frisch, Nasty Little Piece of Work (detail), 2004.
Tracing Paper, Glue, L.E.D.
Dumpster: 18cm L x 13.9 cm W x 12.5 cm H.

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch, It’s Nothing…Really 2006.

Natasha Frisch, It’s Nothing… Really 2006. 
Still from Single Channel Video.
59cm L x 42cm W.

 

+ I am really good at…

Cutting, folding and sticking paper.

+ Most people don’t know that I…

Make all of my paper work by hand.

 

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch, Nowhere Near Here (detail), 2008

Natasha Frisch, Nowhere Near Here (detail) 2008.
Tracing Paper, Glue Dots.
Grass: 10-15cm H, Dimensions Variable.

Yellowtrace interview // Natasha Frisch, Nowhere Near Here, 2008.

Natasha Frisch, Nowhere Near Here 2008.
Tracing Paper, Glue Dots.
Grass: 10-15cm H, Dimensions Variable.


[Images courtesy of the artist.]

 



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