ARE YOU AN ARTIST TWO? Performed at Montsalvat Art Festival, 2018

Video length 1.25
Amber Stokie 2018.


I was invited to perform my work “Are you an artist too?” (alternative version to “Are you an artist two”) at the Montsalvat Art Festival in 2018 as part of their performance themed program. It was an honour to talk and perform this work in front of an engaged audience. Montsalvat is an artist colony in Eltham, Victoria, Australia, established by Justus Jörgensen in 1934. It is home to over a dozen buildings, houses and halls set amongst richly established gardens. Read more .

This wall painting with corresponding digital projection not only asks a question but also provides an answer in the form of a statement. The question was generated from an activity where I asked my sister to write down questions that are often asked in relation to have a sister who looks identical. One of the question's she wrote was "Are you an artist too? (referring to me). It was a moment where the truth of having someone else born at the same time, who looks the same, and all that carries with it, the comparisons, the replica, the idea that you are/should be the same as someone else, and if not? Who represents the ideal version? Why do I always have to be compared to another? 

Left hand represents me (I'm left handed) and the right represent my sister who is right handed.

Both modes of writing, left and right handed were difficult however after only a couple of attempts I found the writing became quite easy. They supported each other in making the other more coherent.