5 Questions with......Damedismember

When I first started to trapse around the Inner West in my quest for streetart, I noticed the most peculiar yet incredibly fascinating paste up of what appeared to be a dog screaming like a banshee.

As I continued my street pounding, this image kept coming back to me and I pondered over it (almost to the point of obsession) wondering what type of person had the creativity within to produce such a piece.

Here are my 5 questions with the artist  in question: Damedismember

What is the genesis behind your streetname?

The name sprung from the act of pulling pictures apart.  Dismembering them in a sense. I wanted a name that was a visceral word to match the violent nature of my work. I liked the idea of combining a feminine title with a very masculine word.

I toyed with other names, like MzMorph or Jackie the Ripperette, but they lacked the punch of the word "Dismember"

Who or what inspires your creativity?

Music plays a role, specifically electronic music, which I think is assemblage music. Power electronics for the most part.  I like the formless grubby nature of artists like Brighter Death Now & Whitehouse.  

I love the work of Francis Bacon, Chet Zar, Gottfried Helnwein, Chris Mars & Suzan Blac to name a few.

I'm not sure they influence my art directly but I do think they inspire my need to create images.

True crime docos, industrial textures, David Lynch films.  Life in general.

Your images are quite complex, at times confronting, yet hauntingly beautiful.  Can you explain the process of achieving these images?

I usually go through loads of magazines to find a face that grabs me.  Something like the texture of the skin or the way the mouth is open to expose teeth.

Old photography magazines are a definite favourite.  I never have a set idea of how a portrait will look.  It's always a surprise to see the end result.

From the first snip to the last cut: it's a mystery.  I honestly don't know where it comes from.

You do have a day job because obviously the rent needs to be paid.  How frustrating does this become & does it interfere with your creativity?

Works supports my art habit I suppose.  I find work take a lot of energy, dealing with the public, the commute etc.  So the biggest problem would be fatigue.  

I do get the best ideas from the ennui of work, but when I get home it is hard to get the scissors and glue out.

But as I said, it supports my art habit.

How would you describe your art in 5 words

Image, scalpel, scissors, glue, paste-up (I'll leave the rest up to the observer of my images)

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A massive thank you to Damedismember for sharing a bit of her world with the mine and yours.


For a bit more insight in to this amazing artist's works, swing by 2095 StreetArt Collective "here"

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