Cara Coombe is a Fine Art Photographer based in Brisbane, Australia. Coombe’s practice sits within a biographical framework, exploring the concepts of gender, sexuality, mental health, and personal, family and socio-cultural identities. Coombe currently holds a Bachelors and Honours degree in Photography from the Queensland College of Art.
Who or what are the biggest influences to your work?
Artistically, I’ve always sought out female artists to influence my practice. Ever since I was a small child I’ve been infatuated with Frida Kahlo and her practice. I believe Kahlo’s biographic nature in her work inspired my early practice and allowed myself to be more vulnerable with my own work. As I first began to explore photography at the age of 17, I was especially drawn to Francesca Woodman’s practice. This time in my life was very difficult for me as I battled with the decline of my mental health and Woodman was unabashed by her own mental health when constructing her imagery.
On a personal note, my family influences my practice in a major sense. I don’t think we can escape our families, whether we want to or not! In essence we are an amalgamation of them, all of their successes and downfalls, it all comes back to us, and I’m incredibly close with my family so it would be impossible to steer away from that.
How does where you grew up, or where you live now affect your art?
I was originally born in Bristol, England, and moved to Brisbane when I was 8 years old. Even though my father was Australian, we never had any family in Australia, other than my grandparents at the time who we would not see often due to location. My grandparents are gone now so it is ultimately just myself, my brother and parents, and I’ve always found that hard. I often feel like an outcast, like I don’t really belong here and I’m very honest about that. I think that lends itself to my practice as I aspire to produce universal imagery, images that regardless of personal differences people can connect with.
How do you keep your creative juices flowing? How do you push past creative block?
This is something I’ve always struggled with, especially this year. Like many other people, 2020 couldn’t have been more different from what I had planned. I always have this crude saying in the back of my mind - feel free to remove it from the article if you like! But, if you have to force a fart, it’s probably shit. You can’t force yourself to be creative or to produce masterpieces when the world is falling apart or if you just don’t feel like it. Make for the sake of making, sometimes I won’t pick up my camera for a month, but I’ll draw or paint because it is something I feel no pressure to be ‘good’ at and I’ll just enjoy the process of making. Then, one day life will throw something my way, good or bad, and it’s almost like a little timer that goes off in my head and I’m back! My ideas are racing a million a moment and no one or nothing can interrupt that flow.
If you could go on an Artist’s Residency anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?
In July this year, I was accepted into a residency in Paris, France, with L’AiR Arts. That is where I would love to be right now, however, the world needs to heal and I know Paris will be waiting for me once it does.
What’s next for you after your time at Brunswick Street Gallery? What upcoming projects are you working on now?
As I mentioned previously, 2020 has definitely stunted my practice creatively. However, I’m currently in the process of acknowledging and seeking treatment for chronic pain I’ve had for several years now. This has inspired me creatively as it has occupied a significant amount of my time and energy lately. The concept of autonomy over our own bodies is fascinating to me and now that I am directly affected by it, even on such a minor scale, I feel as though I have a story to share and a voice to be heard, and I want to explore that.
Human(e) by Cara Coombe is current until 1 December 2020.