CULTURE
INTERVIEW: ISAAC LYTHGOE
Isaac Lythgoe was born in Guernsey in 1989 and is now based in London. So far his education has seen him study first a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at the University College Falmouth, after which he completed a BA Hons in Fine Art: Painting, before seeing him entering the final stages of his Masters at the Royal College of Art’s painting programme in 2014.
Guernsey Arts Commiss ion presents at
the greenhous e at Candie Paintings by Isaac Lythgoe
EXHIBITION RUN S FROM 14TH FEBRUARY UNTIL 6TH APRIL 2014 Opening hours: Until 29th March 2014 Mon to Sun 10.00am – 4.00pm From 30th March 2014 Mon to Sun 10.00am – 5.00pm
0043
H
is talent has been recognised locally by the Guernsey Arts Commission who have recently commissioned him to produce an exhibition of four new paintings, which have been made specifically for the greenhouse’s new space at Candie Museum. The exhibition Foyer Gras runs from 14th February until 6th April. Despite being in the middle of putting together his final degree show, which will see him complete his Masters in the next few months, Isaac was able to spare us some time to talk about what inspires his work and his love for the island he grew up in. You’re about to graduate from The Royal College of Art’s MA painting programme, how have you found the course? It’s been great. There has been a real focus on cultural currency, from the start the emphasis has been on searching out some relevance in artistic production. For many artists the laptop and smart phone are their primary production sites - the traditional studio has been bypassed somewhat. I’m still very curious about the functions of paintings. Are the paintings you’re producing for Foyer Gras your first commission? Yes. What’s inspired the paintings you’re producing? Lots. Big marbled sky-scraper foyers, Greek mythology, tribal tattoos, Eileen Gray, sunrise and sunsets, ventilation ducts in sci-fi movies. How would you describe your work? Often big and shiny.
46
What mediums do you use and why? I work with a lot of materials. Recently I’ve been working with some very seductive pigments; phosphorescents, fluorescents, metallics. There is a rather otherly effect produced by some of these. The visual language is shifted to precious stone, to industrial process, to sci-fi set.. As well as this I’ve been working with posters and digital prints, some video, and looking at conceptual potentials for the exhibition format. Are there any artists that have inspired you? Hundreds. From pre-renaissance to a show I saw last night. I’m always looking at art. Has growing up in the beautiful island of Guernsey inspired your work? I shot some video on the cliffs over Christmas, this is finding its way into some work at the moment. As we know you’re set to graduate this year, what projects do you have planned for the future? There’s lots of things being discussed at the moment, some collaborative work for sure. Hopefully I’ll do some travelling in the next year. Residencies in Berlin or Brazil would be great, they’re both in their own ways very exciting sites for artistic production at the moment. Does Guernsey feature in your plans? If I didn’t have at least one swim a year in the Guernsey sea it wouldn’t feel quite right. Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring artists in the island? You can always make more, always get better.
GUERNSEY’S STYLE MAGAZINE