On the Couch with Amy Barrett-Lennard

Amy Barrett-Lennard AAR On the CouchWho is Amy Barrett-Lennard?
Director of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).

What would you do differently to what you do now?
I would be loathe to do anything differently to what I am doing now… but perhaps in another life I would be a forensic scientist, something I thought seriously about at one point when I was at school, long before it became fashionable through TV dramas.

Who inspires you and why?
Artists! They are driven, passionate and amazingly insightful examiners of all we know or do not know about the world.

What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Eliminate intolerance.

Favourite holiday destination and why?
Buenos Aires. My partner and I have been there many times. We love the food, the people, the lifestyle, the chaotic history, the literature and the great design sense.

When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
PICA of course – for a taste of contemporary art and performance – WA style. And then a stroll through the streets of lively, nearby Northbridge where you can stop at pretty much anytime for yum-cha, roast duck, coffee, vino or ice-cream and wander into kooky clothing and gift stores.

What are you currently reading?
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan, a beautiful novel set in Brooklyn during the Great Depression and WWII. It’s wonderfully evocative of life on and around the docks, the pervasive mobster influences of the time and the persistence of a young woman determined to enter a man’s world.

What are you currently listening to?
Martha Wainwright and Alice Ivy.

Happiness is?
Travelling, swimming, spending time in the garden, and hanging out with my beloved and our three naughty cats.

What does the future hold for you?
More adventure!

Amy is Director of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) – who will be presenting Hatched National Graduate Show: 19 May – 15 July 2018. For more information, visit: www.pica.org.au for details.

Image: Amy Barrett-Lennard (supplied)