The Learning Curve: Georgina Mills
Georgina sculpting her first life size torso in 2017
We first got to know Georgina Mills and her sculpture through Instagram, a few years ago. Then in 2020 we got to see her sculpture in the flesh at the Finalists’ Exhibition of the Tom Bass Prize for Figurative Sculpture.
Recently, we were delighted to chat with Georgina about her sculpture practice including what it was like living and learning in Florence, Italy.
Tell us a bit about yourself:
I am from Adelaide, South Australia. I made my first figurative sculpture when I was 15 years old for a High School art class. As a child I was always building things and because art was one of the few subjects I received encouragement for in school. When I left high school I enrolled in a sculpture course at Adelaide Central School of Arts, Norwood. This further fuelled my love to build and create. From this I enrolled at AC Arts, Adelaide, majored in sculpture and in 2009 receive a Bachelor in Visual arts and Design. Then the reality of being an artist began and I had to get a job. From that point on life’s necessities dictated my time for extended periods. Sculpture however was always a reoccurring pursuit and whenever possible I would find time to create although never enough to exhibit. Then in 2013 I realised I was stuck, I had these sculptures in my head that I wanted to produce but did not possess the technical abilities or eye to do so. In my search to further my knowledge and skill level I discovered the Florence Academy of Art.
In 2015 I took a life gamble and applied to the Florence Academy of Art. I was accepted so I moved to Florence, Italy to start learning how to sculpt the figure. At first I told everyone I was only going for one year as this seemed to be a reasonable amount for time for others to mentally process and not challenge my life priorities. I knew from the beginning however that I would stay for the full three year program.
Which course did you attend at the Florence Academy of Art?
In September 2015, I began my training in traditional figurative sculpture at the Florence Academy of Art, Italy under Robert Bodem. The curriculum was derived from nineteenth century texts written by Édouard Lantéri. The Graduates of this program leave with a sound understanding of classical aesthetics, composition and human anatomy, as well as new technical abilities.
The Academy is an Atelier structured school with one on one critiques from a teacher per model session. In these critiques we would discuss the strengths and weaknesses of our project. Sometimes they felt brutal as when you are learning your project naturally has many weaknesses. The lecturers would modestly say they were just a fresh set of eyes however they were more than that. Through these daily critiques students learn to think objectively about their work and start pre-empting the problems by themselves.
Why did you choose the Academy?
The aforementioned description of the Academy is exactly what I desired from a sculpture program. The main reason however I choose the Florence Academy of Art was because when I looked at the instructors work I was speechless. Then when I looked at the graduating students work I realised the program was designed to teach figurative sculpting at a high intensive level. The high calibre of artists graduating from the Academy was no fluke it was the result of a well built program.
How was the program structured?
The program was a demanding, stressful, tiring bliss. As students we are required to sculpt for 3 hours a day, draw from life 3 hours a day, attend 2 hour evening drawing classes at least once a week (twice a week is better), attend anatomy lectures and/or écorché class weekly, art history lectures to end the week and portrait club on the weekend (optional), all of this as well as pursue your personal projects, usually a portrait. No one was pushing you except you and being amongst a community of likeminded people helped you through the highs and lows of grasping simple but not easy to execute concepts. I remember one distinctive conversation where a fellow peer of mine walked out their studio and sat down with tired eyes and asked ‘do you think it’s crazy I’ve been working on a deltoid transition for over 16 hours now?’ to which we all smiled and replied ‘no!?!’. Every one of my peers understood that it takes the time that it takes to create what we seek to create. Not many communities would support this joyous obsessive search for visual communication.
Were you able to keep creating sculpture during the COVID lockdown? How did you find that period?
I was fortunate enough to be able to work during some of the lock down period as I was isolated within my own studio. However during the height of the lockdown when the rules tightened I stayed home with the rest of Italy. To be honest some days/ weeks it was impossible to focus due the collective tension in the air so staying home was best for all. Fortunately I lived with two painting instructors from the Academy, so I started and still continue to paint.
The lock down also gave me time to stop rest and think. Something I had not really given myself permission to do in years as there was always something to finish, to cast, to study and with limited time to do it! It was nice to get lost in thoughts for hours contemplating new work, researching new techniques, examining life values, flowing with my thoughts both good and bad.
The times I was able to sculpt during the lock down I was unable to work with the model due to social distancing. This forced me to create the last 25 % of my life-size sculpture from my knowledge of anatomy. This was a real test and begs the question at what point should you stop relying on and start making choices independently from the model. This is a sculpture after all, not a copying exercise. I can answer this now… with a loose block in of arms and lower legs! That would have helped a lot! As it turns out you can work a lot earlier than you think without the model.
Georgina’s last sculpture after COVID lockdown.
Tell us about your creative process?
Up until now I have mostly worked from models however in my process I first start with an idea and then I sculpt a maquette from imagination. The maquette offers a chance to play with and unify the idea, pose and composition. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it’s just for me. It also serves as map for potential problems when working on a bigger scale. Then once I have posed a model I measure and build an armature with a strong wooden core and flexible wire elements. After which I pack tight with water base clay and start sculpting. Up until now I have made flexible silicone moulds of my sculptures and broken down the clay. This was fine in Italy as the materials were cheap. I am currently rethinking my process.
When working with a model I sculpt in 3 hour blocks however there is always time spent working in solitude without the model after the session. As i progress through a project the time spent working from life gets shorter. Once the majority of information is ‘up there’ it no longer becomes necessary to rely so much on life, if at all. Then as I near the end of my sculpture the time spent sculpting gets shorter as the contemplation of aesthetics takes priority; this is in regards to eliminating all distracting information. During this phase a fresh eye becomes paramount. Many times I have tried to convince myself that I have finished and I am happy with the sculpture. Then when I look at it with a fresh eye there is always more to do! This is where I spend the majority of my time sculpting the least, in the last 10 % of the sculpture.
What scale do you prefer?
Recently I finished my first life-size dynamic pose. This was quite challenging for a number of reasons the main being that I had never attempted anything on this scale and this complicated before. I am glad I endeavoured and completed this project as I now have a glimpse into what it takes to work on large complex sculpture. I feel however that a half to three quarter life-size scale is an ideal size to sculpt. It is big enough to be challenging, small enough to be manageable whilst still make an impact. That being said, even though it is somewhat impractical, sculpting a life-size is so much fun and I loved the challenge! I do wonder what a one and a half life-size figure would be like?
Where was your studio, did you share a space?
In the last year, my year as assistant écorché teacher, I was lucky enough to receive my own space on the campus at the Florence Academy of Art. This was special as it gave me a chance to work in solitude free from distraction. I believe as artists this is when artists do our best work. This is because it facilitates the ability to lose track of time in a dialogue between you and your sculpture. This isolation in time and a creative space is something important to me and something I am looking for in my new studio. Despite this desire to work in solitude I still feel it is very important to be social and invite people into your space, just not while you are working.
Which sculptors do you find most inspiring?
Giambologna a late renaissance sculptor, his serpentine composition is amazing. I had seen his work before going to Italy. I only really appreciated his genius however when I moved to Florence. Perhaps this is because of the ease of accessibility made it possible to examine up close in person.
As a teenager Rodin was a ‘gateway’ sculptor for me. The thinker was my first real exposure to figurative art. Rodin’s ability to push anatomy just beyond what is possible but maintain connection and rhythms throughout the figure is phenomenal. He continues to inspire me.
In Italy I discovered Medardo Rosso, Rodin’s Italian contemporary. Rosso worked in a post- impressionist style, experimenting with light and different materials. What I like most about Rosso work is his ability to capture a moment. His work is quiet and this is something I aspire to translate in my work.
There are a lot of contemporary living sculptors that inspire me however one of the most exciting I have seen is Grzegorz Gwiazda. He is really doing some interesting things and is worthy of an Instagram or google search, check him out!
What did you love about living in Italy?
There are so many things I love about Italy. First and foremost is the art, it is everywhere and inseparable from Italian culture. It’s very inspiring to be at a loose end or unable to focus, walk into town, sit down and sketch at Piazza della Signoria’s open air sculpture gallery. Second is the lifestyle, you can be poor and still live a good life in Italy which is perfect for a struggling artist.
Georgina’s life in Florence being shipped home to Australia in 5 cubic meters.
What are you looking forward to about living in Australia again?
Now that I am out of Quarantine I have given myself permission to relax for a week or two so I can reconnect with family and friends. I have only been free for 5 days however and already I selfishly feel the desire to find a space, set up a studio and self isolate. I realise the process of finding a space may take some time which is fine as the bulk of my studio arrives from Florence in November (I hope). Until then I can work intermittently out of my father’s shed keeping my idle hands busy through smaller projects, portrait sculpting and landscape painting.
In concern with my sculpture practice what I am looking forward to most is playing with clay again. Through play we experiment, take risks, discover and evolve. I am interested to see what being away from the unintentional influence of my Florentine peers will produce. I am also excited to see what my classical figurative training mixed with a contemporary Australian culture will produce. I foresee that this will be an inevitable clash or fusion of genres.
A big thank you to Georgina for taking the time to speak with us! We wish Georgina all the best for settling back into life in Australia and we look forward to seeing how her work evolves.
If you would like to see more of Georgina’s work you can visit her website here or follow her on IG here.
All images property and copyright of Georgina Mills. Used with permission.