Rochelle’s studio – nestled in the stunning grounds of Monsalvat. “There’s such history and passion here, and you can FEEL the heartbeat of the earth here underneath your feet and in the walls around you.”
“The whole room had been made from natural materials – mudbrick, wood, etc – built by the hands of artists.”
“It is the ‘place-came-real-from-my-dreams’ where the ideas swirling around in my head get made into tangible artworks, mostly contemporary collage art pieces.”
Rochelle is a multi-disciplined artist who is passionate about producing contemporary collage that pulls together different mediums, such as her photography, embroidery, writing (poetry/prose) and music. “The common thread here is STORIES and all the different ways in which we can share them most effectively.”
“Being in here, is like climbing into the favourite parts of myself and taking a grand tour whilst coming up with ideas of bringing more of that into the world.”
“There’s a pool all along the length of this room, the water’s reflection dances on my walls at certain times of the day. Water is essential to the very yang, fiery part of the way I’m wired.”
“I feel a bit like a Sangoma (Traditional African Healer) sourcing all the images and throwing them out in front of me as I move into flow-state, arranging them all onto a canvas so that slowly, the textured layers begin to make sense of all the gazillion movies looping in my psyche.”
“When I’m not deconstructing and reconstructing old things into new things or shooting or editing anything, I either write, have other artists or visitors over for coffee or a chat, or dream on my daybed.”
Rochelle’s favourite piece – The black and white photo she took of her then six year old twins on the bridge over the Yarra in the Melbourne CBD. “We all relate to what this photo emanates: hope, nostalgia, taking in everyday ordinary moments as extraordinary. We constantly need reminders of that. And it reminds me to trust my intuition.”
“I feel I can finally SEE the FULL ME in here. The fact that I’ve ALLOWED myself to occupy this space, is MORE than sacred – it’s a miracle. Nothing this room contains, is by coincidence and would ever be taken for granted.”
1. What’s the room and who uses it?
It is the place-came-real-from-my-dreams where the ideas swirling around in my head get made into tangible artworks, mostly contemporary collage art pieces. You could say it’s an art studio, but it’s also a Medicine Room. A lot of rejuvenation takes place in here in various ways, where when you leave, you feel full and inspired.
2. What do you do for a crust?
I am a very left and right brain person who needs a trillion-million things to keep my curious mind occupied and well-fed, so for almost 1.5 decades, I’ve been a Specialist English Examiner, Coach & Mentor for Speaking purposes. However, I am also a multi-disciplined artist who is obsessed with contemporary collage that pulls together different mediums, such as my photography, embroidery, writing (poetry/prose) and music. People also like to pay me to photograph all sorts of moments and situations. The common thread here is STORIES and all the different ways in which we can share them most effectively.
3. What goes on in the room?
I’m BIG on ritual and mood. So, first, NOTHING can happen here WITHOUT some sort of flame lit – be it one of my candles, or room diffuser, which is ALWAYS burning some sort of certified organic aromatherapy oil(s) grown, distilled and packaged on our family farm in the heart of Zululand, South Africa. Then, the kettle is boiled. A FULL one, in case someone wants to pop over for some collab or chat or just to be. Like I’ve said, this space is like medicine for the soul. Then, SOUND. What is life without music (unless nature or real-life chats provide enough) or some sort of fascinating podcast where I can just learn more and more about intriguing stuff. So, once I have fire, sound & boiling water in my thermos, I get down to business… or play! But all play is business for me, because every bit that happens in that room, contributes to stories. I’d either cut up vintage children’s books, encyclopaedias, children’s Bibles, National Geographics, old greeting cards and magazines to form a story around one of my fine art photographs. I feel a bit like a Sangoma (Traditional African Healer) sourcing all the images and throwing them out in front of me as I move into flow-state, arranging them all onto a canvas so that slowly, the textured layers begin to make sense of all the gazillion movies looping in my psyche. When I’ve done a photoshoot, this is also where I’d edit my photos, most of them which have been shot in this very room, or on the historic Montsalvat grounds surrounding me. When I’m not deconstructing and reconstructing old things into new things or shooting or editing anything, I either write, have other artists or visitors over for coffee or a chat, or dream on my daybed.
4. Favourite piece in the room and why?
This massive grainy, black and white photo of my then-six-year-old twins on the bridge over the Yarra between Flinders St Station & The NGV in the Melbourne CBD – a lot of our favourite places reminisced in one moment. We had just returned from another exploring session at the NGV (they always have a wonderful, interactive kids section there related to whatever the featured exhibition is at the moment, and also loads of play and running spaces in their “back garden”). As kids do, they dressed up, this time in vintage family hand-me-down superhero costumes (Batman & Superman). As we were walking back to the station to head home, they did what they still do today: literally leaning in to observe the world around them with great enthusiasm, wonder and deep curiosity. I was still a rookie photographer back then, so took this photo on my old phone. Somehow, I managed to convince a very reluctant newbie worker at Officeworks to blow up the entire picture onto a stretched canvas and create a white space around the whole thing. He kept trying to tell me it’s going to pixelate and go all grainy on me, which could cost me, but I kept pushing for this, as intuitively, I needed it done JUST SO. And it turned out the way it did and it’s the very first thing people see and comment on when they enter this room. You see, we all relate to what this photo emanates: hope, nostalgia, taking in everyday ordinary moments as extraordinary. We constantly need reminders of that. And it reminds me to trust my intuition. I am hoping that inquisitive spirit stays with my boys forever, because once we lose it, we’re done and dead in living bodies. They’re a few months shy of becoming actual teenagers (13yrs old) so I am involving them in this room more and more so this all seeps in.
5. Anything on your wish list that you would love to add to the space?
MORE new contemporary collages I’ve made! The only way is to let more of what I’ve already made, go, to make space for the new. It’s like letting your precious children go. It’s incredibly difficult, but necessary. That’s why I also make sure I have archived my work as limited-edition prints so I will always have a bit of my soul with me, as the real-life versions now live in other people’s hopefully-favourite rooms as little muses of hope.
6. Describe the room in three words.
Magic. Healing. Light.
7. Why do you love this room?
The fact that I feel 100% safe here. Because guess what, it’s an embodiment of my soul, and through this room, I’m allowing it to be SEEN, to be shared. The whole room had been made from natural materials – mudbrick, wood, etc – built by the hands of artists. There’s such history and passion here, and you can FEEL the heartbeat of the earth here underneath your feet and in the walls around you – something I was longing for so deeply when I lived in other parts of Melbourne. This connection to the earth here has helped ease my homesickness for South Africa, where the land is so beautifully raw and alive. Just like my motherland, there’s a tribal energy pulsing through the grounds on which this room rests, which is the grounds of Montsalvat, an old artist commune. Also, because there’s a pool all along the length of this room, the water’s reflection dances on my walls at certain times of the day. Water is essential to the very yang, fiery part of the way I’m wired. I feel I can finally SEE the FULL ME in here. For a long time in my life, I wasn’t able to do that. I couldn’t let my light shine so bright, as I wasn’t safe to do so (nothing to do with my motherland). The fact that I’ve ALLOWED myself to occupy this space, is MORE than sacred – it’s a miracle. Nothing this room contains, is by coincidence and would ever be taken for granted. Now when I enter into this room, it’s a living reminder of trusting the intuitive process more and standing up for my rights. Being in here, is like climbing into the favourite parts of myself and taking a grand tour whilst coming up with ideas of bringing more of that into the world. Like I said, this room is medicine.
8. What’s one lovely memory you have whilst being in the room?
The very first day when my lease started. It was the 3rd of February 2022, a warm summer’s evening. I remember unlocking it and walking in that morning and just ballet dancing around the still-empty space, letting its energy and mine become one. It was totally surreal and a deeply spiritual experience. I was the room and the room was me. The memory reached a beautiful crescendo as my three boys (husband & twins) came over at the end of the day to join me for sparkly drinks and takeaway pizza as we sat next to the pool and watched the sky turn golden above my room. Like I said, it’s medicine.
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What a lovely studio you’ve got there! No wonder your ideas flow easily.
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