Sparks, Sets and Scallywags: An Interview with Sara Elizabeth Joyce
/Sara Elizabeth Joyce is a resin artist, writer,
hacker turned cyber security expert,
filmmaker, and political dabbler based at Nauti Studios in the Blue Mountains.
We asked Sara some red hot Qs to get a behind the scenes look at the world,
and inspirations behind their amazing work.
Sara Elizabeth Joyce, repping Nauti Studios <3
Tea or coffee?
Coffee is the spark, that will light the fire that will burn the First Order down.
Sunrise or sunset?
The one that has more cyber techno vampires in it.
What scares you?
The irrevocable corruption and unaccountability of government at a local, state, and federal level. Whilst I think it’s been important to follow the rules around things like Covid, there’s still so much they get away with and it takes a great deal of effort to hold these institutions and people to account.
One of Sara’s resin works in progress in her studio at Nauti Studios.
When did you start working with resin?
I actually started working with resin whilst I was working for a Union fighting to properly fund education in Australia. I helped out at a props studio where I learned how to work with resin and build props and sets. This led to me working on some Hollywood feature films in the art department and ultimately led me to work with resin as a presentable form of art.
What inspires you and your work?
There are moments where I am highly tuned in and think about the way resin flows and how pigment moves in its various forms and I challenge myself to think about what outcomes they can produce. It helps to live in a part of the world that is inspiring itself and so any little experience I have can serve as a platform for a new idea. The organic red wine sometimes helps too.
What’s your fave thing about Nauti?
It's a great space but hands down it's the people, getting to see familiar faces, having the occasional lunch with the crew of the ship, and learning from each other is invaluable. I often imagine we are a bunch of scallywags on a ship in the pacific where people sometimes swim to shore for more supplies to do whatever it is they do.
Some up-close details of one of Sara’s resin artworks.
Some up-close details of one of Sara’s resin artworks.
What is the piece of work you are most proud of?
The next one I make and then the one after that.
What are you working on at the moment?
I'm trying to get enough pieces together for an exhibition of other worlds, selling pieces is a double-edged sword because it's great when the art form pays for itself, however, it means I have to make more for exhibition. I'm always trying to break the boundaries of what resin can do so there's continually a lot of experimentation going on.
If you weren't a resin artist, what would you be?
That's really difficult to answer, what I can say is that I am a writer, I work in cyber security which helps pay for this expensive art form, I've worked on a lot of films, been in politics, and had such privileged experiences all round, especially the challenges in my life which I feel have made me as resilient as I am, and not to second-guess myself so much.
A recent work in progress in Sara Elizabeth Joyce’s studio.
Have any artists changed the way you see the world?
Yeah, many, I think back on my formative years and there was one Italian painter who inspired me deeply with his abundant use of pink clouds and naked ladies. My Aunty Linda Joyce is an extraordinary artist who has inspired me my whole life, and there are so many artists I follow via Instagram for whom I just love their works. Too many to name names, just go to my Instagram and see who I follow.
Behind the scenes, in Sara’s studio at Nauti Studios in the Blue Mountains.
