November 24th, 2024Artists of the Central Highlands
With Eve Lamb
The large-scale sculptures that Jannie Alday make are sophisticated works of beauty as much as they are fully functional one-offs, designed to appeal to the connoisseur. Middle-eastern architecture is among the influences that ignited this talented creative’s passion for simple elegant form and fluidity of line. Alday deploys traditional fabrication methods, welding and rendering, alongside modern technology to make sculptures that are sensual, tactile and alluring. Right now she is preparing to celebrate the launch of her new Newlyn studio.
Eve: Jannie, your new studio here at Newlyn would be the envy of many an artist. How high is that ceiling?
Jannie: It’s about five metres. I need it to be that high to fit the the lifting equipment. This studio developed over COVID lockdown and now I’m ready to open it. My studio is rendered with a product made from recycled glass… Before, I had been building my sculptures in the re-purposed Railway Goods Shed in Creswick. But that was a short term solution. I needed a crane to move my work so I decided to build this purpose-built studio here.
Eve: Well, while we’re on the subject, we should take a look at why you need that lifting equipment. Your sculptural work is clearly large-scale.
Jannie: Yes all my sculptural work is functional as well. So that bathing sculpture you can see taking shape will be fully functional, as will the pool of reflection.
Eve: Your work is incredibly imposing.
Jannie: My work is for the right setting only. I’m really fussy about where they go. What I do isn’t for everybody. It’s for aesthetes, people who really invest in the environment they live in.
Eve: What materials do you use to make these imposing pieces?
Jannie: I use stainless steel, marine grade steel, mild steel for my armiture. All my fittings are marine grade stainless steel and it’s got to be absolutely bullet proof. Burnished marble, cement fondue… The armature for everything is hot-dipped galvanised which means there can never be any rust. With my materials I’m always trialing different products. At the moment I’m trialing silica sands.
Eve: Have you always worked in the arts sector, or do you have another background as well?
Jannie: I used to work in the health sector and in project management, but when my father died about ten years ago I decided it was time to get serious about my work. My father, Max, has been a major inspiration and influence. He was a fitter and turner and had a natural talent for all things engineering. When he died about ten years ago I realised the time had arrived for me to focus on my sculpture.
Eve: These pieces look incredibly complex. How much time goes into making them?
Jannie: The complexity is in the design and the research and development. Easily a month of design, and then the making-of and fabricating elements are probably an eight-month process. They’re all one-offs… A lot of problem-solving goes into them and there’s a lot of complexity that people don’t see, like the internal plumbing. It’s got to be absolutely bulletproof.
Eve: Who, or what, are your influences?
Jannie: I was captivated with renaissance drapery back in art class, the dramatic shadows created between the folds I found mesmerizing… Rembrandt and Leonardo’s use of chiaroscuro technique created a sensual intrigue… Middle Eastern architecture ignited my love of simple elegant form and fluidity of line. I am also fascinated by the qualities of water, the way it moves and flows.
I’ve come to realise my grandmother has been an enormous influence too. She was a potter with a wonderful sense of colour and form and worked frm a tiny studio in her garden… And my father taught me so many skills… I turned my hand to wood carving, furniture making, welding, building, painting, sculpture and drawing…
At the rubbish tip one day I found a section of a burnt out mannequin. I was excited and inspired. I knew I could use it to form part of the internal structure for a sculpture I had designed. Using my partner as a model I built my first serious sculpture ‘Arlechino’ (which became the Palais centrepiece during a Daylesford ChillOut Festival).
Eve: Do you have any special events coming up?
Jannie: Yes. I’m having a private showing here at my new studio in December.
Eve: Beyond that how can people see your work?
Jannie: By private appointment. People can reach me at jannie.alday@gmail.com
