Fiona Roderick
Fiona Roderick
Fiona Roderick is a printmaker based in Sydney. The pandemic lockdown didn’t affect Fiona so much since she was able to maintain most of her work and home routine. Her journal is a vivid representation of her creative research and fragments of social life. Combining texts, sketches, and collages, Fiona has created a vibrant documentation on her observation and interpretation during the lock down period.
“Through all of this, at least nature is ok…I walk up King Street, it’s so quiet. Cafes open for take-away, bins overflowing with cups. I notice all the funny little COVID-19 signs in doorways. A friend’s shop is closing, the street and community is changing.”
We asked Fiona three questions about her experience of isolation, completing this journal and her hope for the future. These are her responses:
Describe the experience of the period of isolation for you.
The period of isolation didn't really change for me. I still walked to the studio, though it was quite isolating, as it was very quiet. I felt I was the only person out, walking through the industrial streets of Marrickville.
What does your book represent and how did you approach the challenge?
The book represents the world around me through my eyes. Newtown is an interesting area to live in but it had changed with the time. I took photos while I was walking to document what I was seeing.
What do you hope will change in Australia as a result of the pandemic?
My hopes for Australia post pandemic, is that we will not take our world for granted and be kinder to it and to each other.
Fiona Roderick was born in South Wales and spent much of the childhood riding her horse along the Welsh cliffs, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Welsh coastline. This environment helped to shape Fiona’s future artistic vision.
Fiona started her career as a Visual Merchandiser, working for major stores in London. In 1985 she moved to Sydney with her partner, where she worked as a Graphic Designer and developed her love of printmaking. Fiona’s current work reflects her love of the natural world. Fiona’s inspiration is driven by the organic forms and textures evident in nature and also from the urban environment around her home in Sydney's inner west and Sydney Harbour. Fiona’s strong link to her coastal home in Wales is played out in her work, here in Australia.
View Fiona Roderick's journal here:
Image: Fiona Roderick, Design/Isolate Journal (detail), 2020.