IS BOOGAERDT
On ART:
When my family first got a DSLR camera it hell interested me because I really liked the idea of capturing things as well as the difference between what we see compared to what a camera can capture.
"Funny story: when I first started doing film photography I used disposables to try to capture sunsets. Unfortunately the two don't work very well together; it was such a waste of money and time."
I also do quite a bit of writing, poetry and opinion pieces.
I doodle a lot, especially circles - don’t ask, it's really strange.
It's super cliché but my inspiration most definitely comes from nature and music. In the summer break between year 11 and 12, I would go for hour-long walks and just take in my surroundings. I love Australian nature; the iconic bird sounds, the flora and the freshness of the air.
In regards to films I make, I usually draw inspiration from a song before filming. I also try and use Perth artists for my audio tracks because I feel as though there are so many talented upcoming Perth artists!
On FEMINISM:
It's 2017 now, and I find it ridiculous that it still has to be a thing.
Feminism has been a process for me because I admit that at first I would be described as a ‘white feminism’; i.e. I definitely focused on how the patriarchy affects those in Western society e.g. over-sexualisation. But after interacting with others and researching, I've begun to understand the depth and broadness of feminism. I've realised that no one is born to explain their oppression: females, people of colour, people with mental illnesses and so on. It's not their job to be a ‘human Google’ and I think this is incredibly important for people to acknowledge.
I’m sure I still make a lot of mistakes, but I hope that I have more of an understanding than I used to.
"I've realised no one is born to explain their oppression."
On EDUCATION:
The idea of private schools probably seemed like a good one, but it's misconstrued to think that just because someone of the opposite sex is in a child’s presence, that their education is going to suffer. Also, being gender diverse or non-binary in private schools is not accepted and frankly, I think that’s seriously appalling.
Sure, the issues that develop inside these schools are not exclusive to them but I’d definitely argue that they manifest more often within private schools for various reasons. I mean, when your parents spend thousands of dollars on a ‘good’ school and the school focuses so much on how it appears to the public, of course you’re going to get loads of students struggling with perfectionism and body image.
Saying that, I feel as though the education system in general has a lot of flaws. As a kid, I was someone who loved learning, but going to high school - especially in years 11 and 12 – school had become about learning what's on the syllabus and to get good marks. This totally removed any kind of intrinsic motivation I had left.
"When you're so consumed mentally by school, you have no energy to do anything artistic."
On VEGANISM:
I was vegetarian at first, but then I watched a French video with English subtitles, about a calf being stripped away from their mother – as the mother was going to be milked so wasn’t allowed to provide for her child – and the maternal instincts inside of me made my heart ache.
Our willingness to kill billions of animals is absolutely terrifying. I remember clearly this one time at school where there was this group of guys who started posing these ridiculous ultimatums and they just started shouting at me, so I just started laughing and didn’t answer any of them. I was just like: "mate, I’m reducing carbon emissions and saving innocent lives, what about you?"
I was just like: "mate, I’m reducing carbon emissions and saving innocent lives, what about you?"
On MENTAL ILLNESS:
I feel like everything I’m about to say is so trite. But, we definitely underestimate the impact of our emotional health. People are still so ashamed to seek help, which is so so dangerous.
I don't think you can compare yourself to the images in the media of what mental illness looks like; everyone's different.
It’s undeniably important that you know the signs so you’re able to notice symptoms of various illnesses in other people and you can encourage them get help.
"I think we underestimate the impact of our emotional health."
It’s not trendy to have a mental illness, as depicted in so many TV shows.
I find that people seem to like identifying with the ‘nice’ mental illnesses, you know? Neurotypicals are so quick to say “oh yeah I have anxiety”, firstly not understanding that there are so many kinds of anxiety disorders and secondly when do you ever hear someone falsely claiming they struggle with borderline personality disorder or schizophrenia?
In reality, so many people suffer and it's not pretty at all. I haven’t even seen the worst of the worst, but from what I have seen, having a mental illness is definitely not something to aspire to.
interview by: ella wylynko