Who is Mish Grigor?
Look I don’t really know, but I’ve been told that we look alike.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
I don’t think I want to do anything differently, I’m pretty happy with the way things are going now. However if I were able to clone myself and still live my current life in a Michael Keaton/Multiplicity style situation, I’d probably allocate one of my doubles the job of reading every book ever. There never seems to be enough time to read all the good literature, and people just keep writing more, which is really quite inconsiderate.
Who inspires you and why?
I think Matthew McConaughey said it best: “When I was 15 years old, I had a very important person in my life come to me and say “who’s your hero?” And I said, “I don’t know, I gotta think about that. Give me a couple of weeks.” I come back two weeks later, this person comes up and says “who’s your hero?” I said, “I thought about it. You know who it is? It’s me in 10 years.” So I turned 25. Ten years later, that same person comes to me and says, “So, are you a hero?” And I was like, “not even close. No, no, no.” She said, “Why?” I said, “Because my hero’s me at 35.” So you see every day, every week, every month and every year of my life, my hero’s always 10 years away. I’m never gonna be my hero. I’m not gonna attain that. I know I’m not, and that’s just fine with me because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.” I’m really glad that he exists in the world.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
If I were given the job of ‘boss of the world’ for the day, I’d probably do something like taking all the money from defence budgets and pouring it into education. I think access to decent and ongoing education would solve most of the world’s problems, but I guess guns and bombs are pretty good to have too.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Last July I had a pretty awesome trip to a little villa at a vineyard in Tuscany. I just lazed by a pool, rode bikes through medieval villages, and ate about a kilo of the best Gorgonzola I’ve ever found. I’m still carrying weight from that.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take then to, and why?
Well, I’m from Sydney, so you can’t go past Bridge Climb. Not only do you get terrific views but you get to hang out in prison chic grey coveralls. I’d pay three hundred dollars for that any day.
What are you currently reading?
I just finished Holly Childs’ book No Limit. She is a genius!
What are you currently listening to?
Well I’m in a park and I just overheard a young child ask his mother “Mum is it just Jesus that gets nailed to a cross or does it happen to other people…?” – so that’s hilarious and terrifying. But if you mean music, I have been listening to Lucy Cliché’s new EP a lot.
Happiness is?
A really good movie, I love Todd Solondz.
What does the future hold for you?
Well I get to die about a thousand times in May with the upcoming season of Oedipus Schmoedipus at Arts House. As well as that Posties are headed to the desert in South Australia to make our new show in which we will invent our own internet. I’m also developing a project with Punctum in Castlemaine, and presenting my new show The Talk with Field Theory in September. Aside from all that I’ve just started watching EMPIRE which could be the worst/best thing ever made, so I’m really going to spend most of this…!
Mish Grigor is an artist based in Sydney. She is one third of the performance group POST, whose work has been seen around Australia. Their shows include Oedipus Schmoedipus, Who’s the Best?, Shamelessly Glitzy Work, and Gifted and Talented. In 2014 POST toured to the UK and began development of The Post Internet with residencies at In Between Time Festival, Bristol and The Junction, Cambridge.
Mish’s solo and other collaborative works have been presented at Next Wave, Perth Institute for Contemporary Arts and Lismore Regional Gallery, amongst others. In 2014 she presented Man O Man at Festival of Live Art, Melbourne, and at Vital Statistix, Adelaide. In 2015 she will debut The Talk in Melbourne through Field Theory. Mish is working with UK/Belgian company Reckless Sleepers to devise their new piece EMPIRE.
Oedipus Schmoedipus plays at Arts House – North Melbourne Town Hall: 6 – 10 May 2015. For more information, visit: www.artshouse.com.au for details.
Image: Mish Grigor