FRANKIE NICOLA ROUSE

The No. 8 Wire poses a batch of questions...
A creative person answers...


What cities/towns have you lived in (or spent more than a few months in), beginning with your place of birth.

I was born in Coventry, England but have lived in Wellington most of life.

What are the earliest stories you remember hearing?

The earliest stories I remember hearing are from my father who use to tell me that if I ate the pips in my water melon I would grow water melons out of my ears and that I should eat my bread crusts because it will put hairs on my chest. Ironically I am girl and I still can not see why he though this would encourage me to eat my crusts.

What music was present and still memorable from your youth/adolescence?

Embarrassingly I was brought up during the MC Hammer, Tiffany and Kylie Monogue era. I am not sure if I want to remember this stage in my life.

For you as a creative person, who are three influential artists or thinkers?

I am really influenced by what I see around me. Particularly, other individuals/artists that have interesting and original ideas. You can really learn a lot by associating yourself with others.

What is your dream of happiness?

Contentment.

Who are your favourite or most admired figures from history?

There are so many important people in history where do you start….?

Name three films that you consider profound, moving, or extraordinary.

In the Name of the Father
Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile

All of which are a bit morbid I know, however they are really moving.

What was your first real job? second? third?

An usher at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington.
Spent many years working in retail while studying.
Also worked for a Wellington based Design company while studying doing various odd jobs.

If you had to eat the same meal every day, what would it be?

Egg’s Benedict with Salmon – Yum Yum Yum.

Name a few books that you couldn't put down, would read again, haunt you still.

The Harry Potter Series – J K Rowling
Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt
Solomon’s Song (The sequel to The Potato Family) – Bryce Courtney
Jessica – Bryce Courtney

What have you done, seen, experienced, or produced that was a disappointment to you?

I can’t really think of anything!!!

What was the most recent live performance you attended, and where was it presented?

The Beat Girls at the Botanical Gardens in Wellington during the Summer Festival. That was heaps of fun.

In one sentence, can you define art?

No.

What word of advice would you offer an aspiring artist in your field?

Stick with it and stay true to yourself and what you want to achieve with your work.

Where would you like to live, but have yet to?

I really like it here in Wellington the Creative Capital. Although I would like to retire in Martinbough (so I can be close to the Vineyards - Yum Yum Yum).

What would you like to do, but have yet to?

Travel the world. There are many places I would like to visit such as Greece, Italy and France to name a few.

Briefly describe a project you are planning for the future.

I am currently working on several projects at the moment but generally these projects fall into two categories. Firstly, Art-based photographic works combining photography with other media and secondly, research-based photography exploring creativity and the creative process photographically.

What one question would you add to this Query?

None. This was fun.



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Frankie Nicola Rouse – MDes, BDes (1st Class Hons) Photography, Cert VCD

Frankie Rouse studied Photography and Design at Massey University in Wellington where she developed a particular interest in combining still photography with sound. Her undergraduate research sparked an everlasting interest in the study of creativity and the creative process. For examples of this work: http://www.originonline.co.nz/originart/frankie_rouse/

This interest then stemmed further into her Masters degree which she has recently completed. In addition to this Frankie has been experimenting with combining photographic images with other art-based media.

Memoir is the most recent example of this work. This series of work depicts early colonisation in the form of pages from a fictional travel journal. Historical family photographs and travel documents from the late 1800’s are ‘fused’ with found objects to create a personal impression of a memoir of time, but with a contemporary twist.