EVE ARMSTRONG
Author of ‘Nervous Friends’
Eve Armstrong is an artist who lives and works in Wellington. She creates sculptures, installations, collages, and performances, often using discarded objects and materials.
Eve likes looking at and writing about bananas in art. However, she is fussy about consuming bananas and will NOT eat overripe or bruised bananas, much to the annoyance of her family.
When I was about eleven, I remember reading a book called A Begonia for Miss Applebaum by Paul Zindel, about two students who discover their teacher is terminally ill. I enjoyed books about people overcoming adversity. I furiously read every Judy Blume book I could find. They were honest and humorous stories. It was refreshing to read books about real-life problems for people my age.
I was also fascinated by non-fiction books about Helen Keller. I could not fathom how someone could overcome the limitations of being deaf and blind. I admired her courage, optimism, and ambition.
I heard a song called ‘Close to me’ by The Cure played outdoors over the loudspeakers at a skate park in Paraparaumu. It is still one of my favourite songs. The song struck me because of its unexpected combinations. The lyrics and singer Robert Smith’s voice sound melancholy, but the song is also strangely melodic. It seems to feature many instruments such as a keyboard, horns, a xylophone, and a flute. I’m still not sure if ‘Close to me’ is supposed to be a sad or happy song, but my heart lifts when I hear it.
I was inspired by the artists Hundertwasser and Gustav Klimt because of the way they used pattern and line. I used to make my own Hundertwasser-like drawings using crayon and dye. Interestingly, both artists are from Austria.