Rebeccah Dent

Every series of Urban Walkabout Guides is unique and visualised by a local artist whose illustrations grace the covers. Their expressions work with ours to bring you Sydney precincts in all their colours. There’s always a story behind their practice and outputs, so here we give a little more on The Artists. Meet Rebeccah Dent, painter, illustrator, photographer and more. Her artwork "The Call", based on a photograph of her mother from 1979, featured on the December 2010 edition of the Urban Walkabout Redfern/Waterloo Guide.

How did your journey start?
The Journey started in childhood with very creative parents. My dad was a naturally talented draftsman and I recollect sitting on his knee with a pencil and paper asking him to draw stuff over and over, I was enthralled by this magically ability. My mum was creative in all things, her impeccable sense of style, her cooking (this makes me laugh, she loved making desserts and not much else). Mum was always organizing some fabulous craft activity that my younger sister and I could revel in, often with Kate Bush tracking on the record player in the background.

What have been your biggest challenges?
My biggest challenge has been my biggest realization! That if you follow your passion you have found your life’s purpose. I’ve spent years trying to make art fit into my life instead of making art my life, this was a revelation!

What keeps you motivated to continue creating?
Curiosity!

Who or what inspires you?
People who embrace their passion with purpose and conviction and through this become an inspiration for generations. Those who remain real, positive and inspirational in the face of adversity.

What is Sydney’s best-kept secret?
I love Carriageworks in Redfern, it's an amazing space. The architecture is stunning and I love the concept of housing a facility for the arts in this environment. There’s always something exciting happening there and it draws a great arty crowd, including families.

What's the story behind the artwork that features on the cover of the Urban Walkabout Redfern/Waterloo guide?
This painting titled “ The Call 1979”, was inspired by a photo of my mum taken in 1979. The red analogue phone, the strapless sundress, hair, makeup and glossy red lipstick are all part of a stream of memories from this time. Mum was always on the phone, people talked to each other then, often for hours over a cuppa and a ciggy. These images bind a generation.

Whose artwork have you collected or would you like to collect for your home?
My favorite piece is a photo of Jeff Buckley conducting an interview on an old analogue phone, in a hotel room in the wee hours of the morning. It’s by Merri Cyr and I purchased it from Blender Gallery in Paddington. Another favorite is some stencil art of Louise Brooks on a piece of cardboard that I purchased from a street artist at Carriageworks for $5, it’s a beautiful reminder of how priceless the joy of art can be regardless of the price.

Tell us about your latest project?
I always have a few on the go at once.I ‘m really sinking my teeth into my “Ghost Project” is a series of works about “Living with the Dead”. I interview a variety of hand selected subjects and discuss the notion of how they live with concepts of death and the dead, whether its someone close, the concept of dieing etc in order to address how to live better and with more sensitivity to the reality that we all die. It’s a huge concept and the reactions are varied. It will encompass a lot of different media, painting, photography, assemblage, moving image. I will exhibiting “The Ghost Project” in May 2011, location to be announced.