This month, we're chatting with Thursday student Guy Fredericks as a part of our student profile series. 

Guy, what brought you to Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School in 2023?

Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School first saw my papier-mâché sculptures from Studio A, and offered me a scholarship to attend. I have loved it ever since, with the community, and the whole process of working with the clay and plaster.

What do you do when you’re not at TBSSS?

I’m an artist at Studio A, a place for professional artists with intellectual disabilities. At Studio A I do drawing, painting, and papier-mâché sculptures of animals. I also like paintings and drawings of botanical subjects. Also once a week, I’m in a band called The Swamp Dogs, and we write original songs about dogs. The music is punk rock themed with original songs.

Are there any artists or sculptures that have particularly inspired you?

Michelangelo is one of the main sculptor/painters I am familiar with, with his realism paintings and sculptures of people, as I do mainly animal sculptures with a little bit of realism, but mainly trying to show personality. One of the Tom Bass students made a realistic dog lying down—I found it very inspiring.

What have been some of your favourite artworks that you've made, and what was the background behind them?

Some of my favourite sculptures I’ve made at TBSSS and Studio A are My Dog Tilly in both plaster and paper mâché forms; Lady Blue Octopus (pictured top right) which was on display at the Calyx at the Royal Botanic Garden for a year, as well as at North Sydney Window Gallery, Byron Bay and the Marine Conservation Exhibition at Carriageworks; Bear Mountain (pictured top left) I made at home during Covid and is now at the Museum of Futures; I had an exhibition at Manly Gallery called Bleeding Hearts and Morning Glory which also showed at Lismore earlier this year; and at Tom Bass I made a lot of sculptures and my favourites are Standing Bear (pictured bottom left) and Dairy Cow.

Finally, tell us about what you’re working on currently…

At TBSSS I am currently working on a sculpture of a howling wolf (pictured bottom right). At Studio A, I am currently working on a painting of an Australian native groundcover called Hardenbergia (pictured bottom middle), on a round wooden board circle. I am working from one of the photos I took around my neighbourhood while walking my dog Tilly.

Thanks for chatting with us Guy! Our student profiles have been great way to learn more about everyone's inspirations, backgrounds, and works, so please get in touch if you'd like to be featured!