TESS EDWARDS
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BIOGRAPHY
Tess Edwards was born in Alexandra, Victoria, and studied fine art at RMIT. After the death of her husband, George Baldessin, in 1978, Tess spent many years living in France. She returned to St Andrews in 2001 to establish the Baldessin Press & Studio in George’s memory. Tess’ small-scale works on printed documents have sustained and obsessed her for decades. She continues to produce work at Baldessin Studio, but no longer exhibits regularly.
CONNECTION TO BALDESSIN STUDIO
She is always collaborative in making plans and seeks the opinion and expertise of those around her in her way of developing the studio. She carries an ethos of warmth, respect and generosity of spirit towards other artists.
She leads by example, always providing home-made food, often picked from the garden.
She fosters a sense of community and balance with the gentle structures of a shared lunch at 1pm, when many of us wouldn’t even think to stop work to talk and share food.
Tess has made her place available, with the help of the core group, the buildings have been extended and adapted to growing needs for workshops and studio time.
As an artist herself, she understands very deeply what it takes to make art.
Working at Baldessin Studio has been a highlight of my life, as a trajectory of healing, friendship, learning, and dealing with all that a busy studio demands. It is a constant joy to be part of this creative community, as each day looks different and exciting, depending on who is doing what! Silvi Glattauer is my ever-present complementary partner in all the above, and I owe her a great deal. - Tess Edwards
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
The Metaphysical Fishing series on old printed documents (including pages from French prayer books and Mrs Beeton’s Cookbook) is an experiment, an exercise in stream-of-consciousness. The aim is to bypass the artist’s conscious mind and surrender to the unknown creative domain of the unconscious. The text on the page ‘speaks’ in some way, setting up a dialogue with the artist.
This can be a response to words and meaning, images or abstract shapes upon the page, which cause a reaction of any kind at all in the artist. It is important to honour the unconscious: it can provide a key to open a glimpse into the inner self.
