Portarlington artist Amanda Firenze’s latest artwork Paper Women is on show at the Geelong Library. She spoke to Ash Bolt about why she loves living on the Bellarine and her next project.
What’s your connection to the Greater Geelong region?
We moved to Portarlington in 2017 and we have since bought a house here. My husband is from Ocean Grove originally and I have lived on and off in Geelong and the surrounds over the years, but since moving back from our last interstate stint of 10 years, we worked out pretty quickly that Portarlington was where we wanted to permanently settle.
What do you like about where you live?
Portarlington still has that lovely laidback coastal feel that I associate with the Bellarine from when I used to come here for holidays as a kid. The locals are friendly and the town is quirky and cute – you don’t have to walk far to see things that make you want to know more. For example when we got here I spotted an old sign on Newcombe Street that was just an empty, ornate frame. Not long after, someone then filled it in, but I’ve never seen anything written in the frame – it just sits there blank, and has done for years. It makes me smile every time I walk past it … and it makes me want to put one of my artworks up in it just to see what happens!
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
Development is always a contentious issue –I understand it is necessary and needed in some ways, but I am always hopeful that it will be well done with minimal impacts where possible. For example I understand why the new Panorama estate is going in, but I will miss seeing those olive trees every day.
Where is your favourite local place to spend time?
Probably not a surprise to say that my favourite local place is the beach. But my second favourite has to be sitting somewhere close to the beach, with a hot jam donut in one hand and a coffee in the other … pure bliss!
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you…
This question really has me stumped! I am such an open person and I tend to work a lot of personal stuff into my artworks, so I am not sure there are too many surprises left for the people that know me. One thing that is slightly odd I guess is that I have moved house a ridiculous amount of times – 33 so far. Which is probably why I am so determined to stay where I am now, and why I am also excellent at throwing things away… makes moving a whole lot easier!
What project are you working on now?
My artwork Paper Women is still on exhibition at the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre, but I am also just about to start working on my next project – an interactive street artwork called The Privilege-O-Meter. Luckily I have received a grant from the Geelong Arts Centre through their Creative Engine program, so I will be spending the next couple of months researching the best way to get the artwork out of my head and onto walls hopefully around Geelong.
Details: printchange.wordpress.com
