Art Reveal Magazine no. 25

PARKER BEAUDOIN 4 LIA BOTTANELLI 10

GINA BROWN 16 MARCUS ESCRIBANO 22 VERONICA GUDMUNDSON 28 RACHEL HINDS 34 JANET IM A.K.A. MS JETOAPPLE 40

#25

MATTHEW KAY 46 KURTIS L PERRIGO 52 NATHAN MULLIS 58 LEAH OATES 66 EKATERINA POPOVA 72 LUCE RAGGI 78 TOM RODGERS 84 JACEK SIKORA 90 DIANE STANSFIELD 96 SHARON VAN STARKENBURG 102

Parker Beaudoin Palm Beach, Florida, USA My work expresses the simplistic things in life and modern culture and captures them in abstract form with a realistic touch of elegance. I convey a balance of uniformity between a complex arrangement with the use of colors and shapes, combined with the boldness of recognizable emblems.

Created with the application of acrylics, watercolors, and oils, I strive to involve the viewer with bright colors and a sense of familiarity to capture their attention and implement their mind.

Ever since I was able to hold a crayon, I was always involved in art. Through the multitude of struggles in life, art has always been there and given me hope.

From intriguing abstract works to realistic styles brought to life, my work is meant to be inspiring and enlightening to anyone who views it.

Parker Beaudoin

Parker Beaudoin was born in 1985 in West Palm Beach, Florida. From the very first time he was able to hold a crayon, his life changed and has been surrounded by art ever since. Through the multitude of struggles he has faced, art has always been there for him. It has been a way for him to escape, a way for him to express himself, and a way for him to give hope to others. From intriguing abstract works to a vibrant pop art style that everyone can relate to, Parker’s work is meant to be inspiring and enlightening to anyone who views it.

Parker spends anywhere from 2 to 8 hours a day in his studio painting and creating beautiful works of art. He is able to take his inner feelings and thoughts and transform them into a visual for all to see, as well as taking everyday factors that we as people encounter regularly. From the government and politics to sex and religion, Parker is able to capture issues and concepts in a form that is appealing to everyone.

Parker has become a represented and sponsored artist and has his work in numerous galleries. He has also done many exhibits and won copious awards for his art. Parker’s work has been published and recently has become an ambassador with Plaid Enterprises, Inc. Along with his many achievements, Parker has recently worked with the Mayor and city of West Palm Beach, Florida, also dedicated a painting that was accepted by the city and Mayor. This painting currently hangs in City Hall.

Parker wanted to be able to share his love and art with everyone. Galleries at times are higher priced for the average person and many have never collected art before. He wanted to make his art accessible and affordable to everyone so he created his own company, gallery, and trademarked brand entitled Spread Love With Art, Inc. This gave him a new way to create and make his work available to everyone and make art both affordable and of high quality. It offers art in all different prices, sizes, and styles but helps his vision come to life, to spread love with art.

Art is a way to bring happiness to others. Parker wants to make this world a more beautiful, brighter, and happier place for everybody one person at a time with the usage of art.

Parker will continue his work until it becomes a household name, and everyone in the world becomes influenced in some form by his art.

6

Art Reveal Magazine

When, how and why started your art practice?

I’ve been an artist since before I can remember. Ever since I was a child and picked up my first crayon, I have not stopped creating.

It was fun to make something out of nothing; to take a blank canvas and take my feelings, thoughts, ideas, and create something beautiful out of it. Art has been a way for me to speak and express myself without using words. Whether good times, bad times, happy times, or sad times, art has always been there for me, and now I am able to share my art with others so it can be with them during those times as well.

How has your work changed in the past years?

Throughout the years, my art has evolved.

I have used many different mediums to create with. At first, I used watercolor and spray paint and was very abstract with the use of bright colors. Since then, I mainly work with acrylics and continue using bright colors, but use a style I call Neo-popism. This style combines everyday items, objects, ethics, thoughts, and things we usu-

ally don’t pay any attention to, and brings it straight to the viewer to be personally interpreted. Along with Neo-popism, I have also created, what I call, “The Red People.” “The Red People” have no names, no faces, but represent us as a people and can resemble anyone or any person, and is up to the individual on who they may be. I have also recreated masterpieces as “Red People.” “The Red People” touch on emotion, feelings, and subjects that can be controversial. A lot of artists tend to steer away from the subject matters that I want to be heard. In other words, my work has developed from abstract to its own style for anyone to enjoy or relate to.

people, and I feel that art in this day and age is a way to break the chains that the world has tied us down to. It brings color into a black and white place.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

What advice can you give to those who are just starting out in the arts?

The art scene in my area is growing and becoming more main stream. New artists are being discovered more often than before, as well as artists are now being heard, seen, and accepted.

The best advice I can give is to believe in yourself, never give up, and create every day. Art is a form of expression. Some will say it’s good, some will say it’s bad, but just listen to your heart, follow your dreams, and have fun creating. Always remember to try new things, push your limits, and keep moving forward.

In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture?

I feel that art in contemporary culture is a way to take away from the every day hustle and find one moment to escape from reality and enter another realm. It’s a way to find happiness or any other emotion you’re trying to find. For example, the every day 9 to 5 worker clocks in, works all day, clocks out, and goes home. On their way home they see a mural, or when they’re home they see a painting they have in their house. For that moment they were able to be taken to another world. Art touches

Name three artists you admire.

I admire Peter Max for his ability to have brought happiness and color to the world through dark and troubling times. He has become one of the world’s best artists in which I strive to achieve. Another artist is Andy Warhol, who was able to bring the simplest of everyday items to be seen by the world in a new light, from the Campbell’s Soup Can to Marilyn Monroe. While others were trying to think outside the box, he was able to think inside the box, and it worked.

He wasn’t afraid to be himself and do something so simplistic, yet at the time, was so different and complex. The last artist, Keith Haring is my main inspiration, ever since I was a small child and first saw his work on Sesame Street. He wanted to spread love and happiness to the world with his art.

It wasn’t about money or fame, and even after being cut out of the art world, he continued creating until the art world had no option but to accept him. From his subway drawings to his enormous murals, he made sure thse world saw his work. I am picking up where he left off, with the same motive: to spread love with art and make this world a more beautiful place, and bring happiness to everyone.

What are your future plans?

I plan to continue creating every day, to become a household name and known worldwide, to put Neo-popism on the map, and for the world to know who “The Red People” are. I currently am co-owner of my company and trademarked brand, Spread Love With Art, and am in the works of opening our first gallery. I want to spread love with art and make this world more beautiful one painting at a time.

Art Reveal Magazine

7

www.spreadlovewithart.com

Lia Bottanelli Milano, Italy

I paint on printed fabrics, adding my sign to pre exstisting sign. I cut rips in the new texture then leaves, seeds and other natural elements will be emerging.

12

Art Reveal Magazine

Briefly describe the work you do.

For some years I have been working with textiles. I am doing this since it’s no longer possible for me to use a white canvas as the base for my intervention. I need to feel under my hands a texture of a pre-existing drawing, a sign which anticipates my sign, a sign which symbolically sends you back to all the signs that have preceded it. For some time I have kept away from the presumption to draw, for the umpteenth time, the primigenial sign.

Stratification, cataloguing, archeology of the postmodern, research: these are the reading keys most consonont with my field of action .

When, how and why started your art practice?

My first years in the art enviroment, in Turin, coincided with the years of student protest but also with the affirmation of Arte Povera. These two elements left a lasting mark on my artistic formation which has later found different forms of expression.

The necessity to translate into images my anxieties was already present in my early teens when the vivid imagination which characterised my childhood finally found the force and means how to manifest itself.

Do you think of yourself as a conceptual artist?

I believe I can place my work in the crowded world of the post-conceptual for three reasons: the intent to transmit a message through my work, the use of any media to communicate an idea, the use of ready mades.

How has your work changed in the past years?

After diverse experiences with video and photography I felt a need to have a physical contact with the materials. In this phase I allow myself aesthetic gratification, perhaps a little baroque. The cause resides entirely in the beauty of the natural inserts which go on to compose the visual discourse. A beauty which remains intact, if not enhanced, in the phase of their organic decay.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

Milan is complicated, an-upper-class-bourgeois-lady who doesn’t allow familiarity. She is mysterious and haughty but, in the end,

Art Reveal Magazine

very predictable. Milan doesn’t take risks. Long queues at the museums gates,but seemingly more as a result of what’s in fashion.

The contemporary art galleries, although undoubtebly prestigious, are closed circuits. Milan has lost the desire to engage in confrontations, challenge in poetics and opinions .The art market is the dominant logic.

In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture?

Now more than ever the task of art is to save mankind: restor-

13

ing humanity within an intimate dialogue between our soul and conscience.

What are your future plans?

My next work will deal with a big environmental issue: the rise in sea level. I intend to develop more fully the theme of the project “Manifesto/Hats” which I showed at Paratissima-Lisboa in July 2016. In that direction I am working at a performance to show possibly close to “Ses Salines” Natural Wild Life Reserve (Spain).

www.liabottanelli.com

Gina Brown

Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

Working with an archive of old photographic material, I translate faded portraits and postcards into paintings of a haunted ghostly quality where translucent layers of oil paint create a sense of a blurred passage of time. With a deep understanding of the Gothic and Sublime, I create covetable paintings that are ethereal fragments of a world in transition.

18

Art Reveal Magazine

Art Reveal Magazine

Briefly describe the work you do.

I create paintings of biographical themes and narratives. Through my paintings I am exploring my own compulsion to collect keepsakes and mementos in order to reclaim the lives of others. Keeping a sketchbook is very important to me, naturally as a record of everything i see and collect that inspires me; i will always refer back to my sketchbooks.

My process begins with a source image: an old photograph or postcard. Staying faithful to the original image i make drawings to develop the transition into paint. In doing so i omit certain details or key features to deconstruct the image and reclaim it as my own. I may have an idea of how the final painting will look, but working with oils is fascinating because it is an ever changing medium even as it sits on the canvas.

How has your work changed in the past years?

I am now a lot more concerned about the relationship between the image, the size of my canvas, and the nature of the paint.

I have a stronger understanding of what painting is. During my final year at university i had a noticeable direction but it was easy to become complacent without thinking too much about the story or the moment i was trying to capture. I now research a little more and I always work from source imagery where my process discerns whether the image will be effective or not.

I find it is the pieces that i do offhand that are sometimes my most successful because i’ve caught something at the right time: a subliminal feeling.

19

the city, whilst keeping up to date with exhibitions, news and events.

In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture?

Historically art has created controversy and continues to do so today, though it’s relationship with society has changed.

I think there is definitely a wider audience for art in contemporary culture, as it has become much more a means to express attitudes, opinions and beliefs. As new artistic movements come to the fore it seems the traditional arts hang in a state of limbo.

As a painter i feel the death of painting and the loss of it’s significance in society will always be a subject of debate.

When, how and why you started your art practice?

I was always creative as a child and enjoyed art, design and crafts throughout school and i knew at age 11 i wanted to be an artist.

Before attending university i grappled with the idea that i was being unrealistic and i considered going into design but instinctively my heart pulled me back and i went on to study Fine Art at Newcastle University. For me this was a time where i really started to identify what my practice meant to me and what i wanted to create. I was always a painter at heart and it was during my final year at uni where i started to find my artistic identity; from there my practice has developed.

Do you think of yourself as a conceptual artist?

No i don’t. My paintings are not just about an idea, they are more representational, they are about the paint and the way the paint translates an idea and a theme.

Translucent layers of oil paint create a sense of a blurred passage of time where paint distorts memory. It is fragile and ephemeral, and the painting itself should convey this emotional attachment. Someone once said of my work: “It is like i am looking at my own family photos, like i belong, or they belong to me...”

This is a compelling layer of my work; after i have created the painting, someone else forms an attachment and takes ownership of it; be it through intrigue, familiarity, sentiment, or a haunting ambivalence.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

Newcastle is quite a small compact city and i feel in recent years it has become a thriving arts community and a cultural hub that showcases a mix of historical, modern and contemporary art within it’s art funded galleries and independent sectors that have become increasingly artist-led. I am quite a solitary artist, preferring to work from home i tend to distance myself a little from

What are your future plans?

As an emerging artist i aim to make more art and continue with open submissions. I have a couple of projects i am working on at the moment, and also importantly i am making more of a business plan for the commercial availability of my work with regards to reproduction of paintings and prints. Simply put, the aim is always to make more art.

20

Art Reveal Magazine

www.ginabrown-artist.co.uk

Art Reveal Magazine

21

Marcus Escribano Danbury, Connecticut, USA My work explores the relationship between conceptual & street photography.

Big influence is Bruce Conner, works are crafted from both orderly and random narratives.

Ever since I was a young I’ve always been the one to question what doesn’t make sense, through my visuals I like to stir controversy. Through art, one can see the history of the time. The viewer is left with a tribute to the possibilities of our culture.

24

Art Reveal Magazine

When, how and why started your art practice?

I’m the type of person to better learn anything with visuals. Growing up I was always the one that kept my thoughts to myself, not because I was shy, but because I would always have a hard time explaining what was going on in my head. March of 2016 living in Danbury, Connecticut was when the universe introduced me to photography and then I utilized it as a platform to express and bring to life my thoughts, views and images I see and create daily. I am self taught and I kept at it because not only is there always room for improvement, but also I noticed how it

helped grow my mentality by forcing me to not just look at what was going on in the world but to actually see what was going on.

I always ask myself “will this cause controversy?” 10/10 times if I feel it will, I create.

What is your creative process like?

In your opinion, what does art mean in contemporary culture?

It’s very simple but unique at the same time.

Whatever my mind envisions, I create it.

Whether I get influenced from the music I hear, politics, or religion, instead of speaking, I let my photography do the talking. That alone makes it unique because no one thinks and views the same way you do. Once I catch inspiration I usually act on creating instantly because I know I will constantly be changing what I see. Before I’m ready to execute

In my opinion, art in contemporary culture is history. What I mean by that is artists have been creating history since one can remember. Without it we would have little to no thought of what was going on during that specific time period. For example, I tend to create visuals that deal and relate with what is going on in today’s society so that in about 50-100 years someone can possibly look back at it and see this

Art Reveal Magazine

is what was happening in 2016-2017.

I gain so much influence anytime I go.

Name three artists you’d like to be compared to.

What advice can you give to those who are just starting out in the arts?

Bruce Conner, Jean-Michel Basquiat and William Shakespeare.

Go at your own pace and whatever it is that you want to do, do it. Always listen, especially if it’s from artists that you look up to because the more you listen the more you learn and can apply to your creativeness. Also stay dedicated, art helps with finding yourself.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

I live in a small city area where there isn’t much art involvement, but New York City is only about an hour and a half away so I try to make it my second home because

What are your future plans?

To keep creating.

25

26

Art Reveal Magazine

www.highbrowblog.com

Art Reveal Magazine

27

Veronica Gudmundson London, UK / Dalarna, Sweden

I originate from Sweden, from an area with vast, tranquil forests and magical northern lights.

From an early age I developed an interest in astronomy, which along with cosmology provides the key inspiration for my work. I’m working with the connection between microcosm and macrocosm, the visible and invisible, the refraction between light and darkness based on a cosmological perspective.

I am looking for similarities between the ancient philosophies and modern science, trying to grasp a glimpse of our oneness with the cosmos. I am also working with the connection between colour, form and sound whereby I create electronic soundscapes to correlate to paintings and in installations.

30

Art Reveal Magazine

Briefly describe the work you do.

I am working in a multi-disciplinary way, mainly paintings and soundscapes, but also with printmaking, light and installations.

I developed an interest in astronomy from an early age, inspired by the vast night-sky and northern lights, surrounded by the tranquil forests in Sweden.

My work is based on a cosmological perspective and the connection between microcosm and macrocosm. I often create images of astronomical phenomena which are visualisations and impressions of the interconnection between the inner and the outer worlds.

I’m working with the visible and invisible, the refraction between light and darkness and the connection between colour, form and sound.

When, how and why started your art practice?

Painting and drawing has been my foremost way of expressing myself since I was a child.

I spent a lot of time on my own exploring the world of drawing and painting. Creating was just a innate part of my life. Yet I dreamt of becoming an astronomer but as I was neither interested or any good in math’s and physics I realized that I couldn’t become an astronomer. Instead my interest in the universe and existential questions about life was expressed though art.

I studied painting and sculpture at A-levels, then continued with art college in Sweden. Subsequently finished a BA Fine Art degree at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. Astronomy and cosmology has always been the red thread throughout my work.

Do you think of yourself as a conceptual artist?

I wouldn’t consider myself as a conceptual artist.

When it comes to my paintings both the idea and the aesthetics are as important as one another.

When it comes to installations it may be a bit more about the concept, though what is essential is creating an atmosphere where part of the artwork is the individuals own feeling and the experience of it. I wish to convey an idea and the vision behind the work but I hope that the work would be able to speak for itself. Artwork have the ability to be multi-dimensional so I wouldn’t want to limit the interpretation too much.

How has your work changed in the past years?

In the past I used to be a bit more illustrative and more focused on 2d work, where as now my work is more holistic and about the atmosphere, considering how image, light, colour, sound and the spatial can correlate. I have

Art Reveal Magazine

started to merge the electronic music I make with my artwork, creating soundscapes with paintings and artefacts into installations.

In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture?

What advice can you give to those who are just starting out in the arts?

Art is an important part for change; the very nature of art is commenting on or questioning our world.

Believe in your vision no matter what other people think. What comes from inside of yourself is unique. Look inwards and develop your own expression, yet be open to learn new things.

Experiment and never give up, there is always a way to materialise your dreams and visions.

Art gives a space for free expression, a space for discussion and exchanging thoughts, allowing time for introspection and contemplation. Art allows an individual free zone which is something very valuable.

31

What are your future plans?

I’m currently working on projects within social contexts and making artwork for healthcare environments, aiming to promote wellbeing. I’m hoping to continue with similar projects and will continue to create, develop and exhibit my cosmology based artwork, following what inspires me, following the Tao, the natural flow.

www.www.com

www.veronicagudmundson.com

Rachel

Hinds Brighouse, UK

My work explores colour, form and the painting process. It is quite diverse because of this, ranging from abstracts and experimental work to figurative.

Rachel Hinds

Fine art painter based in Yorkshire, U.K. Abstract art is the perfect medium for ideas.

I see these experiments with colour, form and the painting process as visual manifestations of internal ideas and concepts.

Rachel’s work explores colour, form and the painting process. Her subjects include landscapes, abstracts, and work which combines several of these elements. Her experiments with the painting process, with their expressive sweeps of paint, drips and strong colours, are visual manifestations of internal ideas and concepts. The theme ‘light’ – in both nature and the scientific world features frequently in her work.

36

Art Reveal Magazine

Briefly describe the work you do I’m a craftsperson with paint, exploring colour, form and the painting process.

My practice is quite diverse because of this, from experimentation with geometric abstracts to figurative works, such as landscapes and still lifes. I use mainly oil, acrylic and mixed media.

When, how and why did you start your art practice?

Around four years ago I was offered an opportunity to paint full time. Before then, I had always pottered away sketch-

ing and painting but with little progress, producing rather uninspiring works.

So I rapidly realised in order to gain a good standard of painting I needed to devote myself to it full time. I have never looked back!

Do you think of yourself as a conceptual artist?

My experimental works are certainly driven by ideas, though my aim is always to have a painting stand up on its own merit as a piece of art, even if the concept behind it isn’t known. The figurative painting is purely a passion of mine, I

find it exciting to continually develop and improve my craft, learn about colour theory, composition, painting techniques and drawing. We are now in a fantastic position to see the great artists of the past and learn from them, as well as explore new artistic frontiers.

How has your work changed in the past years?

It has taken me several years to hone my interests to a few areas and also to develop a deliberate painting practice. When I started out I wanted to paint everything in as many different styles as possible!

Art Reveal Magazine

37

Now, I am focusing on abstracts, figurative (painting from nature, no photographs) and more imaginative works that combine elements of both. My painting practice involves identifying what I want to improve in my work and finding the best way to go about this. Books and the Internet are a great resource.

have fantastic organisations that support emerging artists. East Street Arts in Leeds in particular have been critical to my success - they hosted my first ever solo art exhibition.

art doesn’t have the intrinsic functionality of maths and science, it does seem to be an essential form of human expression and culture would be significantly poorer without it.

In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture?

What are your future plans?

How would you describe the art scene like in your area?

The purely subjective nature of contemporary art means it can be used for social activism, as a product to sell, a political tool and so on. We’ve moved away from a singular way of viewing art as a succinct object in the academy tradition to a plethora of different views. Although

The art scene in my immediate area is pretty good - I’m close to Hebden Bridge, a Mecca for Bohemian artists.

There’s also Manchester and Leeds which

Career wise my aim over the next two to three years is to have solo and group shows in Manchester, to get more work into commercial and public galleries and to continue to increase my profile both locally and internationally.

38

Art Reveal Magazine

www.rachelhindsart.com

Art Reveal Magazine

39

Janet Im a.k.a.

Ms Jetoapple Brighton, UK I am currently working on a project about realisation and self-recognition.

I mostly work with people because I find people more interesting and the ability of being sentimental fascinates me. I enjoy the moment when you are alone and starting to aware how things in the past shape you to the now you - as if you are hiding in the woods and discovering the fragments pieces of your memories then putting the puzzle together.

My works are about capturing the moment, expressing emotions and visualise this whole experience of looking back to the past in paintings. I mainly use women as the focus of my work as I associate women with foliages and flowers. In some ways, they are more delicate, emotional and sentimental which is something I would like to depict on a painting.

Each of the painting can stand alone to tell a story, but all together they are cohesive.

In a way, they are all “secrets�, they could be hiding secrets or they are the secret themselves.

They are looking for the right moment with the right person to tell.

Born in the 90s, bred in Hong Kong, and a graduate of University of Brighton. Janet Im (Ms Jetoapple) is now a full time artist based in Brighton, UK. Janet takes inspirations from Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse - she aims to put those vibrant and eye-catching composition and colour usage in paintings.

She also enjoys the use of woman figures and decorative lines in Art nouveau period.

Sometimes inspirations come from 19th century Austrian artist, for instance, Egon Schiele and Oskar kokoschka. She looks at how they deform and reconstruct human figures.

42

Art Reveal Magazine

people from having their opinion towards it. Anyways, in an utopia thinking, I think art should be viewed as important as other cultures and should be appreciated and valued.

Name three artists you admire.

There are A LOT of artist I admire. and I can not just name three - so here is the list: Marc Chagall / Egon Schiele / Henri Matisse / Claude Monet / Édouard Manet / Alphonse Mucha / Gustav Klimt Modern artists: David Hockey / Marlene Dumas / Jenny Saville / Lucien Freud / Alice Neel / Alex Katz / Elizabeth Peyton How would you describe the art scene in your area?

When, how and why started your art practice?

I have always love drawing/doodling, but never have I ever thought art could become my career. Up until when I was around 16, when I realised that I am not very good with words but I have so much to tell. I feel bounded by vocabularies but with visual, the possibility is limitless.

I have the urge to express myself on paintings. I choose painting as my means because I believe visual is the strongest sense among all senses - You can sweet talk yourself what you hear can be distorted and what you smell can be masked but what you see is pretty much true - you see what you want to see. It is influenced by your brain and you have not much excuse to not to believe in it. It is like looking into the mirror and seeing your reflection.

What is your creative process like?

I usually start off with a question that I often ask myself, how do I feel?

What do I want to say so badly?

Some people would argue that you have to give yourself a theme to start working - I would say it builds slowly by itself and you don’t have to force yourself to work around it. I would rather

trust my instinct to start off. As Marc Chagall said “If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if it is from the head, almost nothing.” I looked at pictures that I took/ references that I kept, and put my idea straight onto canvas. I don’t like making draft because it stops me from going freely - once you’ve made a draft, it is kinda easy to just blindly follows it. During the whole process of making work, I pace myself, stop myself occasionally in case I work too quickly. I take time to look at the painting and see what is missing.

I sometime put away my work and get back to it when I think I am ready, usually about a month later when you can work out a theme for the project. Speaking of style, my tutor once said, don’t worry too much about developing a style/idea of your own - You make these works, they are a representation of you.

Brighton (Well, in UK) is where I received my education and where I am based at the moment. It is certainly quite an arty city with its special quirkiness and uniqueness. Variations and diversities are always welcome here as well, and this is what I like most about this place. It also provides you with a lot of opportunities and surprises, you just never know!

What advice can you give to those who are just starting out in the arts?

I would say believe in yourself but not over-believing. It is okay to try and fail, it is okay to make a really stupid and meaningless painting, it is okay to waste paint and start again. But it is not okay to trick yourself in believing something you don’t believe in. Maybe there’s a better way of executing it? Maybe there is something missing? Ask yourself, is this what you want?

Also, as cliché as it sounds, just keep trying. Work-harder, Don’t give up.

In your opinion, what does art mean in contemporary culture?

What are your future plans?

It seems to me art is still very exclusive in contemporary culture. People feel empowered to have their opinion on other sectors like dance, drama and music because they are more accessible in many ways. While art has its own technical term or reference to history etc to stop

I am still a green artist, slowly establishing myself into the art world. Making works is still at my top priority, as well as applying to shows and exhibitions.

I would also involve in more creative community projects. My future goal is to get represented as an artist by galleries.

Art Reveal Magazine

43

44

Art Reveal Magazine

www.msjetoapple.com

Art Reveal Magazine

45

Matthew Kay

London, UK

My practice addresses the way that we attribute meaning to everyday events and perceive connections between the objects, images and words around us. I am specifically interested in the sentimental attitudes, instincts, religious and superstitious beliefs that guide this behaviour. Through assemblage sculptures and works on paper, composed of used, discarded and found materials, I am building a body of work that explores the territory between sentimentality, faith and superstition and questions traditional attitudes and interpretations of events or sacred texts.

I collage my works on paper onto blank pages from dog-eared old books or off-cuts from other projects. They typically take the form of poetic piecharts and other ambiguous diagrams. These “diagram poems� re-contextualise readymade text and explore the new meanings that this process creates.

The snippets of found text that annotate these works are chosen chiefly for their emotive quality in contrast to, and to subvert the apparent statistical accuracy of their diagrams; the structures of which stand as proxies for traditional poetic devices, forging new connections between words and phrases and presenting new possibilities of interpretation.

48

Art Reveal Magazine

When, how and why started your art practice?

It’s hard to say when my art practice started. I always enjoyed drawing, as a child I wanted to be good at drawing (I prayed it at Sunday school), so I worked harder at art than at any other subject thought my education. By the time I went to university I’d settled on sculpture as my preferred medium and by the time I’d left I’d narrowed that down to assemblage and book making. Since then I’ve done a masters degree in sculpture as well and I suppose I’d have to say that the development of my practice had been a long process of evolution, driven by me love of making. I’m really fascinated by folk art, and particularly religious folk art because it relates to my interest in the visual languages of belief/faith/superstition. That’s what I make art about - the why of my practice - using assemblages and collages of common materials to explore the territory between sacred and profane in religious thought, human relationships, the natural world, sex, the joys and tribulations of everyday life.

What is your creative process like?

There’s a lot of sitting around and thinking about getting started on something!

I assemble my work from found, discarded and used materials: wood; scraps of fabric; broken bits of toys and tools; plastic tat found on the pavement; dog-eared old books; of which I have an ever growing collection. For me the process of creating artworks is an intuitive one of curating connections between these often disparate materials and allowing the resulting combinations to suggest their own meanings.

The diagram poems featured here are part of a larger body of poetic piecharts and other non-mathematical, unscientific and ambiguous diagrams that have formed a staple of my practice since 2006.

These works combine collage, drawing and writing in their fabrication from words, ideas and phrases cut from old books which are edited, juxtaposed and combined to create poetic annotations for diagrams.

This editing of text in physical space - moving words and phrases around on my work table - is quite a sculptural process and I definitely consider my diagram poems to be objects, although flat, rather than simply collaged images.

I find particular inspiration in the way different artists use song to explore similar themes to those in my visual artworks. So I usually have music playing while I work.

Name three artists you admire.

Cy Twombly: for blurring the boundary between art-object and poetry.

Leonard Cohen: for bringing together the spiritual and the erotic in his tirelessly honest poetry; and for removing the distinction between artwork and prayer.

Joseph Cornell: for his pioneering work in the realm of collage and assemblage What advice can you give to those who are just starting out in the arts?

Whenever I start a new sketchbook, I always write an epigraph on the first page, usually pertinent lines from a song. My current one has the Titus Andronicus lyric “I only like it when it’s dimed out.” To remind me to throw myself into my practice whole-heartedly, even the admin keep it dimed out!

What are your future plans?

What artist’s future plans don’t include exhibitions? Right now I’m working on restoring some artist books that I’ve made over the past few years, ready for the 20th International Contemporary Artist Book Fair in Leeds. It’s taking place at the Tetley over the first weekend in March. After that my focus is on finishing a collection of diagram poems for publication as a stand alone volume. Of course I’m always looking for opportunities to exhibit my sculptures and diagram poems too.

Art Reveal Magazine

49

50

Art Reveal Magazine

Art Reveal Magazine

51

www.matthewjameskay.com

Kurtis L Perrigo Manchester, UK

54

Art Reveal Magazine

Art Reveal Magazine

When, how and why started your art practice?

I have always been creative, ever since I could hold a pen I’ve had the urge to make things myself, I used to make my own toys out of the white foam you get in cardboard boxes and packaging, I made cars and boats and planes and what have you , or, I’d be drawing and doodling.I was really into my drawing before I was a teenager but, I lost touch with it for a long time growing up because ,life got in the way, as they say. I have been a meal polisher for over 21 years now, and every now and then over those years I have polished the odd item or two that have inspired me to make my own creations as I have learned to weld myself, but, I’ve only just, since January 2016 been bitten by the creative bug again and I’ve been able to put a lot more time and effort in due to my work drying up. I Have managed to make about 15 sculptures over the year and I’ve really enjoyed it, and I would love to carry on and make a living out of it as I have loads of ideas and designs swarming around in my head that I feel I just have to make. I have sold 2 of my early pieces (by luck), but, I’m not a salesman so I need a good outlet to sell my art so I can make more.

What is your creative process like?

My creative progress is, I think up a design, doodle a couple of pictures from different angles on some scrap paper or a pad, which makes the idea clearer in my mind then, just go ahead cutting out the metal, hammer, bang, bend it to shape then weld it all together, polish it up and blow torch heat colour it, and put it on the shelf with the others.

In your opinion, what does art mean in contemporary culture?

I’ve no idea what contemporary art really means, to be honest I just make what I want to make and hope that people will like it.

Name three artists you admire.

I can’t name any artist that I admire, however I do admire lots of art work, and I do admire any artist who can make a good living from what they love.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

I don’t think there is an art scene in my area, but Manchester seems to be the closest arty city or town.

What advice can you give to those who are just starting out in the arts?

I can’t give any advice because I’m just starting myself, all I can say is , if you love creating art, then keep doing it.

What are your future plans?

Future plans will be to to keep designing and making, and hope that I can find an outlet to sell my work so that I can continue to make a living from doing something I love

55

56

Art Reveal Magazine

57 Art Reveal Magazine

www.artinstainless.co.uk

Nathan Mullis Cardiff, UK

I am fascinated in how the language of art can create a bridge between the past and present.

How composition can come together to create an aesthetic distinctiveness. My interests lie with the interrelationship and engagement between the materiality and structure of objects, looking upon shape as an embodiment of process and material. It is interesting How simply insignificant objects can come together to create a juxtaposition, sparking new relationships between two or more constructions.

I am further absorbed by the reactive nature of process and how it creates a two-way conversation between artist and material. How the relationship of matter, texture and surface complement form and how the act of making through process creates meaning and significance.

I am currently exploring and creating art from my subconscious instinct, a raw urge to withdraw oneself from mind to physical rendition and rendition to form. My approach is empirical in nature and draws on my experiences and observations, this is where I create and respond to material intuitively. For myself objects have individual presence, yet when they exist collectively dialogue can become more complex which in turn extends narrative.

60

Art Reveal Magazine

When, how and why you started your art practice?

I would say my artistic practice really began to develop in my early adolescent, more so evolving drastically within the last few years.

My relationship with art, in particular sculpture began very early with a local public sculpture that I have known my whole life situated on the Cheltenham promenade, a bronze sculpture known as ‘The Hare and the Minotaur 1995’ produced by the artist Sophie Ryder.

As a child, living not far away in Gloucester I would regularly pass, visit and be placed on the lap of this minotaur to have photos taken with it; a familiar set of events I’m sure a lot of children visiting or living in Cheltenham have both experienced and endured. Growing up I idolised this sculpture, yet didn’t really see the significance of it within my life, more so saw it as part of the promenades landscape.

As a regular visitor to Cheltenham the sculpture became a familiarity to me and just seemed to blend in with its surroundings. As I have gotten older, in particular more recently after exploring ideas surrounding nostalgia and memory, have I begun to realise and appreciate the power and significance this sculpture has had on my life, the significance it has had on me as the first real sculpture I have engaged with conceptually; even if as a child I was unknowingly aware of it. This sculpture has been in the foreground of many memories and events that have happened to me, more so good. From this realisation is where I began to really understand the power of sculpture, in particular public sculpture, how it effects and brings people together from all backgrounds and diversities. I am sure that for many people visiting Cheltenham or living there, this sculpture holds many significant memories due to its stature, location and permanence.

From understanding the power sculpture can create is where I really began to want to produce sculpture, to project the same feelings Sophie Ryders ‘the hare and minotaur’ had on myself and on others, to create sculptures that others could form their own conclusions and memories around, to create an Introjection for the viewer. Although the subject matter of Ryders work is something as an artist I am not particularly interested in at the moment, her ‘the Hare and minotaur’ sculpture holds significance in its permanence within its location and sentimentality to myself.

A further influence for myself has been museums, cultural artefacts and the prehistoric, influences I feel have channelled through the themes that run within my work. Throughout my life I have consistently visited museums such as the Pitt rivers in oxford and the natural history museum in London, every time returning, finding something new and interesting I hadn’t previously seen before. It would be a dream of mine to able to visit and explore

the archives of the British museum or V&A one day with as much freedom Greyson Perry, who not too long ago had with his “tomb of the unknown craftsman 2011/12” exhibition at the British museum, similarly and predeceasing him, Eduardo Paolozzi and his “Lost magic kingdoms 1985”. The order of which the Pitt rivers museum has been structured has had a particularly lasting impression on myself as a compositional ceramic artist. Apposed to many traditional museums the Pitt rivers focuses on the function of an object rather than where that object had originally come from in time and world. This creates an interesting environment where clusters of objects from all corners of the earth come together.

My current and most recent Ceramic practice and body of work really started developing from an extensive exploration of clay during my final Undergraduate year studying fine art at Cardiff metropolitan university. It is worthy to note that without the extensive and open facilities the university invites and the wide breadth of resources the university has, none of this would be possible, the facilities in which you produce your work and the people you surround yourself with I feel are incredibly important with regards to the development and direction you take your practice. Although the sculpture on the Cheltenham promenade led me to pursue my interest within sculpture, I believe what led me to ceramics, in particular my collection of sculptures was the obsessive nature around process based techniques; the primal, tactile and plastic nature of clay that ceramics seems to indulge.

What is your creative process like?

My creative process is something I am consistently trying to refine, remodel and develop. Although this is something I feel evolves naturally with time, I believe it is something which shouldn’t be pushed and develops intuitively with exploration and knowledge; it is something I consistently hit barriers with, yet work incredibly hard to jump over. My ceramic objects are made with a heavily grogged clay as I find this easiest to build with, this meaning a clay that has an incredible coarse texture, almost sand like. After firing I use a combination of sprays, acrylics and glazes to get the required finish I am after. My shapes are produced with a variety of hand building techniques and extruded parts (similar to that of a giant playdoh machine). What I find particularly interesting about my process methods is how it creates a two-way conversation between myself and material. ‘How the relationship of matter, texture and surface complement form and how the act of making through process creates meaning and significance’. Broadly speaking, my artistic process usually begins with creating an environment

where I feel my sculptures can be made as naturally as possible, perhaps with a few external images I purpose the sculpture to be based around. For example, the relationship between the rocks sculptures and a few snapshots taken from a local stone beach based in Cardiff called Penarth, a location more recently much of my inspiration has come from. In the making process I’m not thinking much about the outcome and am simply enjoying the creation. My sculptures are usually created in mini series in which when completed, colour, texture, composition and organisation is considered. Usually, 2 of each sculpture is made due to the possibility of one breaking within the firing process of the object. Sometimes if both survive each of those objects are included in the ceramic installation, or even depending on the aesthetic, the broken object.

Often the objects are placed in composition or selected for display simply because it just feels right, but usually the compositional element of these sculptures takes weeks and is an additional more complex process in its entirety that brings new and diverse discourse between narratives. The relationships between the objects and how they are presented, for myself is crucial. You could say I am interested in How I organise groups of visual objects, to see how they may be perceived as wholes. In other words, what I find interesting is how what you experience when looking at a collection of objects could be quite different from what you experience were you to look at each item in a group separately; broadly speaking, what you would understand as ‘Gestalt’ principles of grouping. At times the creation of these objects and organising can be incredibly frustrating and time consuming due to the nature of which ceramics operates. Ceramics through personal experience is not for the ill-patient or tempered, it is a practice hard won, yet equally rewarding when things go to plan.

“Before I begin the process, aesthetically I find that I am drawn to the everyday; the objects and structures that dominate our immediate environment, objects we take for granted and overlook such as the sharp curved patterns upon the small rocks and shells you find at the beach, or the crossing tubular patterns on building site scaffolding, as I like to call them - underdog objects. We see these objects and shapes everyday yet undervalue their aesthetic potential and are quick to label mundane or ordinary. From growing up surrounded by building sights and working on them from a young age with my dad, from my understanding my aesthetic memory has been dominated by mundane objects and materials manufactured for the sole purpose to ‘build’ or ‘construct’, these objects are relational to my past and are abstracted as a reflection of my life, this is where I explore how experience can be distilled into visible, tactile form. what I find most interesting is How simply insig-

Art Reveal Magazine

61

ion and observation, but something seems to be stirring. I believe with funding cuts within UK arts becoming ever so more apparent and price of tuition fees for young artists at university increasing, it appears many young and climbing artists are turning to found objects and imagery as a source of creating and manufacturing concepts. As an artist on the ground, it is interesting yet troubling to see how the economical climate is having drastic effects on the art communities. The decrease of funding and increase in tuition I am sure is something that is scaring many artists of this generation. I believe it is something to be aware of, but shouldn’t scare people away from practice, as the arts will always find ways of refabricating itself and thriving.

There is that saying “without art, the earth is just ‘eh’”, and thus, is why I strongly believe the arts are crucial for a developing cultural society, and further why the regional cuts to the arts in my eyes needs re-evaluation. The power within the arts is in its ability to bring all forms of people together from all walks of life and diversity.

nificant objects can come together to create a juxtaposition, sparking new relationships between two or more constructions.”

In your opinion, what does art mean in contemporary culture?

The word ‘contemporary’ from my understanding, is ’art of today’, thus, ideas of today.

Art is full of ideas therefore I believe art and contemporary culture go hand in hand. The arts provide an opportunity to reflect on society and issues relevant to ourselves and around the world, so in my opinion art is incredibly

important to contemporary culture. I believe now more than ever contemporary art is at a turning point. From admiring and viewing recent turner prize nominees such as Michael dean and Helen Marten, in the UK it seems that there appears to be an incredible emphasis on material led processes and practice, an emphasis that was drastic in transforming British sculpture in the mid 1980’s with artists such as Anish Kapoor and Richard Deacon. It is not just necessarily sculpture that this material led practice seems to be arising from, but seems to be emphasised within modern painting, digital and most artistic mediums at the moment. Obviously this is all personal opin-

It is interesting that with the current economical climate that ceramics within contemporary culture also seems to be on the rise. With Artists such as the late Ken price, Ron Nagle, Nao Matsunaga and Takuro Kuwata being out on centre stage, carrying the flag and appearing in every other art gallery in London. What is amazing to consider is that after 27,000 years of existence ceramics seems to still be thriving and redefining itself, in functional and non functional walks of life. Ceramics has been produced near enough since the beginning of mankind and I believe that a resurgence in material led processes has pushed many artists towards it due to its tactile, earthly and therapeutic qualities. As previously stated I believe art within contemporary culture is at a massive turning point, ceramics has evolved from ancient arts, modernism, studio craft movement and more recently has been redefined within contemporary practice.

Although contemporary ceramics has been around for a long time it has never been so popular as it has been in the last 15 years, and in particular important and making a revival in the world of fine art as it has in the past few.

Name three artists you admire.

Three artists that I have more so of late been interested in with regards to my artistic practice is the late Austrian artist Franz west, American ceramic artist Ron Nagle and British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor. Although all are incredibly different in there working styles as artists they have all achieved international recognition for their distinguishable approaches towards sculpture. All these artists seem to share a common interest in material

62

Art Reveal Magazine

immediately apparent. What led me to Anish Kapoor’s work was this sense of grandeur that his art seems to invite. His art is both elegant and sophisticated, he also writes incredibly fluent and well about his commissions. Kapoor is perhaps most recognisable for his large public convex mirrors whose reflections alter the reality in which we inhabit, entice and consume the viewer. Kapoor’s sculpture makes me consider the size of my work, how I want my sculpture to be viewed, and in that viewing how is my work being collectively interpreted. As an artist in the future I could only hope but be able to produce my work on the scale Kapoor is able to.

led practice, how they may arrive at a specific concept through making. A resurgence that as previously discussed seems to be brewing in the art scene at the moment. It probably therefore goes to no surprise how I may be engaged with the direction I believe art is heading, or at least from my knowledge and at the moment. The reason I believe I am so engaged with these artist’s work, such as Anish Kapoor and Ron Nagle is due to how they construct meaning through the selectiveness of their materials and how they further manipulate those materials

for the greater audience; ‘fabricating’ immense sculptures that captivate and engage your vision. The work of these artists are incredibly powerful in the way They explore form, image and texture, both literally and symbolically. Although each artist is profoundly different, their work is ingenious in the ways in which they examine the relationship between sculpture and the world, between object and individual viewer. The size of these art pieces are also further incredibly important, something that as soon as you’re in a room with there works becomes

Franz west on the other hand has been a particular strong influence on me throughout my practice. The artists work plays with composition and interaction in which form and function are faced against each other. West is interested in Rough-surfaced materials like plaster or papier Mache in which sometimes he submerges and consumes with colour, this in turn challenges and breaches the sculptural aesthetic. West’s art is heavily focused on the social interactive art of relational aesthetics and the convention of jumbled and collaged-together grouped like objects. For myself what is particularly interesting and important within wests work is a combination of three elements; that of - composition, form and the visceral nature in which west allows the public to handle his forms. I wouldn’t presume just because west allows the public to handle his work he has little regard to the ‘tear & wear’ of his sculptures but rather he allows interaction to invite new and individual experience, ultimately because we as individuals are different- responding, interacting and playing with these forms in different ways. Nagle on the other hand I find engaging due to the way the artist uses striking colour, unique form and how ultimately his sculptures come together to create an interesting yet obscure composition. Nagle’s sculptures tell a story between texture and what appears to be miniature structures. What is interesting to add, is the fact that these sculptures in fact are about waist height, a further element that when you realise changes the context of the objects.

What I find appealing about many of the colours Nagle uses is the artificiality. For myself it reminds me of many of the colours that dominated my childhood in the mid 90s, his work almost brings about a sense of sentimentality to a degree. I believe Nagle’s sculptures are so familiar because they are simply so representative of materials that we see in the everyday, this could be the way he uses shiny gloss black glaze to emulate tar for example.

For myself as an artist, looking and absorbing external information from other artists is crucial for the development of practice; in the same regards I believe it is equally crucial to engage with these artists work on a concep-

Art Reveal Magazine

tual level, past their informal content. What I find particular interesting is to dig deep into the background of these artists, to see what external influences may have guided them, and to see if all the artists you are interested in have a common denominator they may be concerned with. Personally as an external viewer, it is how these artists works engages with the viewer on both a subjective and collective level that seems to be of importance, how the work is displayed and engages with the public. Although it could be argued that this element could be applied to all forms of art work, in the case of Anish Kapoor and particular Franz west there seems to be an emphasis on the way we view their work.

For the artists, seeing involves more than just picturing and the environment, as much of what we see is in contingents with our past experiences, own personalities, and what we are looking for. In the case of West’s interactive sculpture, it is that of your own subjective experience and what you ‘get out of the object’ which is important, what experience you may cast from your involvement.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

Currently, at the moment the art scene in Cardiff seems to be strong, intuitive and on the climb. With big events within South Wales and Cardiff becoming more internationally recognised such as ‘Artis mundi’, ‘Cardiff Contemporary’ and the developing ‘Made in Roath’, as well as ’the national Eisteddfod’ the city as an artistic hub is beginning to really stand out. As the capital of Wales the city is rich with resilient British and international artists, who have dynamic roles within the community and greater community within south wales, opening up opportunities to upcoming artists in the forms of pop up exhibitions and temporary artistic bases in which people can work. Recently, the UK in the year just past had its dual year with Mexico which opened up artistic opportunities in Wales and relations between Welsh and Mexican artists, in which a handful of artists were involved with. As an artist who exhibits quite frequently around the city myself there seems to be an incredible amount of opportunities out there. Cardiff has an incredibly strong underground artistic network and there are large groups of artists that collaboratively work together. With the newly designed School of art and design building that was created in the last three years there is an incredible insurgence of young talent that is being pumped back into society, within craft, design and the arts. Most of which collaborate and feed their artistic talent back into the welsh community or greater communities in the UK or abroad.

Although I do believe Cardiff as a cultural city has come a long way with an upcoming and thriving art scene, I do believe there needs to

be more external spotlight and emphasis on the city, it can be a frequently overlooked pocket of overflowing talent and sometimes I do believe artistically if the city were to be put on centre stage it could surpass that of many cities who have been given opportunities; maybe this is because I value myself as a proud Cardiff citizen, but I do strongly believe that the art scene in Cardiff is one that is climbing yet in need of more external exposure.

What advice can you give to those who are just starting out in the arts?

Something I wish I told myself when I was just starting out, and something that I didn’t really learn till a little bit down the line was to try everything, to stop being so stubborn in a specific discipline, listen to other people and to step outside my comfort zone. When I was just starting out in the arts I had a very preconceived idea of what ‘I’ as an artist was, I needed taking down a peg or two. I saw myself as a painter, strictly a ‘painter’; I was only ‘18’ and I felt as if I had it all figured out in terms of what my art practice was, which in reality couldn’t be further from the rational. From starting out as a fine arts student in Cardiff I went quickly from being a painter to a printmaker, something that is a parallel passion of mine and am still working on. One day I am hoping to combine my printmaking with my ceramic work, but as of yet haven’t found the crossover. As an artist I also have a lot of gratitude for Cardiff school of art and design, as it is there were I found my footings. Thus it was from printmaking and being open to materials where I found sculpture and further, ceramics.

My current ceramics work couldn’t be further from what I used to paint, I went from 2D figurative work to abstract sculpture, which proves how openness can redefine practice. Throughout the start of my developing art work people consistently told me “you draw/paint like a sculptor”, something I didn’t really understand and I would stubbornly and out rightly ignore; I wish I would have listened earlier as it may have saved me a lot of time! Although, on the the other hand, I may have never arrived at the point I am now, a point where I’m happy with the direction my work is going, so perhaps, it was a good thing I was so pig-headed. Something I also wish I would have pushed myself to do more, and is something that is challenging to myself now and many artists, is to pursue every opportunity that comes my way, because no matter how rational you believe your chances are, by simply applying for something, what have you really got to lose, although on the other hand I do understand myself that this is easier said than done, yet I do truly believe it is worth the struggle. As I am relatively early in my artistic career, there are many hurdles I still am trying to overcome myself, but I think the best advice I try and give for myself on a regu-

63

lar basis is that although you need to be aware of the art market to some degree, art should be made for yourself, as if you’re not happy with what you’ve created, then really what’s the point, as I think a sense of despondency then becomes present within the work. If both yourself as an artist and a wide audience enjoy your work, then really what more could you ask for.

What are your future plans?

My future artistic plans as of now is to finish my current degree at Cardiff school of art and design in MA Ceramics, a course that is beginning to completely redefine the way I look and use clay and glaze as conceptual, malleable materials. After I finish my degree, much like many artists I want to continue my practice, potentially further afield abroad in artist residencies; opening up my art work to a wider international audience.

As of fixed plans, I have a number of exhibitions I am participating in next year across the UK. I have always loved the idea of traveling to America to explore and see how the environment can engage my practice. I think from growing up in the UK and never visiting America, I probably have a very preconceived idea of what America is from the news and television, But I mean on the other hand, I’m not expecting to go to New York and relive ‘friends’. I would love to experience places such as the ‘great Salt Lake’ in Utah, ‘Bryce canon and arches national parks’; natural occurring phenomena seems to have always really engaged me artistically, and I am positive trips there would only bring out the best in my work. I think that a change of landscape would be good for both myself and my artistic development. Simply by just living in Wales for the past 3 years and around Cardiff taking in both city and natural environment, I feel has had a drastic effect on the aestheticism of my work. Although, at the moment my home in Gloucester and childhood memories seem to preoccupy a large proportion of my mind.

With the development of my practice I haven’t yet ruled out the possibility of exploring my conceptual ideas further in a PHD, I think as time progress’s through the year I will have a better idea of what I attend to do. My future plans conceptually are heading down a route of exploring nostalgia and sentimentality represented through archival systems. I am interested in trying to further understand why I am so concerned and infatuated with visual imagery from early 90s television and iconic visual imagery from my past; I guess I want to pursue a sort of self psychoanalysis. As previously said, these are all things I hope to explore and are not set in stone, but at the moment I am simply appreciating having the flexibility and time to be able to investigate conceptual concerns; to be able to enjoy creating and to really obsessively engage with process.

64

Art Reveal Magazine

www.nathanmullisartist.co.uk

Art Reveal Magazine

65

Leah Oates

New York City, USA The Transitory Space series deals with urban and natural locations that are transforming due to the passage of time, altered natural conditions and a continual human imprint. In everyone and in everything there are daily changes and this series articulates fluctuation in the photographic image and captures movement through time and space.

Transitory spaces have a messy human energy that is perpetually in the present yet continually altering. They are endlessly interesting, alive places where there is a great deal of beauty and fragility. They are temporary monuments to the ephemeral nature of existence.

Oates has B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design and M.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is a Fulbright Fellow for study at Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland.

Oates has had numerous solo shows on the NYC area at venues including the NYC MTA Lightbox Project at 42nd Street, Susan Eley Fine Art, The Central Park Arsenal Gallery,The Center for Book Arts, Sara Nightingale Gallery, The Brooklyn Public Library and nationally at Real Art Ways, CT,Tomasulo Gallery,NJ and in Chicago at Women Made Gallery, Artemisia Gallery and Anchor Graphics.

Oates has been part of group shows in NYC at The Pen and Brush Gallery, Peer Gallery, 440 Gallery, Metaphor Contemporary Art, NYOC Gallery, Pierogi Gallery, Nurture Art, Momenta Art, Associated Gallery, Susan Eley Fine Art and Denise Bibro Fine Art.

68

Art Reveal Magazine

When, how and why started your art practice?

My mom and brother are painters, my dad was a writer and a bunch of family member’s paint and make art etc so I grew up in the arts, going to art shows in galleries and museums, taking about art and gravitated into the arts naturally.

I knew I wanted to go into the arts at a fairly young age.

In terms of being a professional artist what makes the difference is being in studio regularly, putting in the time, drive and passion.

How has your work changed in the past years?

My work has become looser yet more

concise at the same time and I used to be more focused on feminism and inequality and my work has now shifted to the environment and how its perceived and altered by humans.

I see both topics as being connected in terms of an overall ideology. When one aims to control the body of women (and I’d argue men’s bodies too) one also tends to want to control the environment.

Funny though people and nature battle in unpredictable ways!

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

The art scene in NYC is great, varied and always changing. Galleries open and close, new artists and people move in and

move out and bring fresh ideas (and not so fresh ideas too) all the time. I love NYC and it’s in my system now.

In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture?

Art is important to people because it offers a glimpse directly into the human condition and it can build empathy and shows us to look under the surface thing.

Just imagine a day without color or texture and where there was no graphic design, architecture, fashion or industrial design or that there was no longer visual art, music, movies or literature. The arts make like so much better on so many levels and the world would be a much starker and harsh place without all the arts and design practices.

Art Reveal Magazine

Name three artists you admire.

I can’t just pick three!

Roni Horn Francis Bacon Basquiat Monet Beuys Kerry James Marshall Ann Hamilton Henri Cartier Bresson Yoko Ono O’Keefe Carivaggio Matisse Vermeer Rembrant Velasquez Turner Man Ray Duchamp

What advice can you give to those who are just starting out in the arts?

Work hard but give time to dream and look. Down time is key too as its important to let the mind and sprint wander.

Stay passionate. Help fellow artists and don’t compete with anyone but yourself.

Don’t envy and be happy for your friends and colleagues. Stay honest. Don’t make art for the market. Don’t take things personally as there is a fair amount of rejection and subjectivity in the arts. People may or may not get what your doing and that’s ok as only you know if your on the right path for you. Sometime your work will fall flat but if you did not try who knows what you may have missed out on. You will find your people and you will find opportunities for your work if you do the work. Help yourself and your people and don’t look to others to do it

69

for you and be thankful for those that do help you and your work.

What are your future plans?

I’ll be in Canada this summer continuing to shoot the Transitory Space series this time in the Alberta area. My husband is from Quebec so we are in Canada each year.

I have other upcoming publications featuring my work in print and online and I’ve been working in a series of functional multiples that I hope launch within two- three years.

I’m about to head out of town to spend time with my 94 year old grandmother so that I can spend quality time with her.

70

Art Reveal Magazine

www.leahoates.com

Art Reveal Magazine

71

Ekaterina Popova

Wilmington, Delaware, USA / Vladimir, Russia My fascination with the idea of home started at a young age after my move to the United States from Russia. Since that moment, I have been involuntarily clinging to old photographs, images, magazine cutouts, and books that remind me of my old life. I now combine these elements and found imagery to create fictional spaces in which my separate cultural experiences can coexist. My paintings fuse my memories with scenes from my current environment. As a result, the domestic spaces and still lifes feel at once strange and familiar.

Ekaterina Popova was born in Vladimir, Russia. After moving to the United States, she fell in love with painting and received a BFA from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including Uforge Gallery (Boston), The Painted Bride Center (Philadelphia), The Boxheart Gallery (Pittsburgh), Chris White Gallery (Wilmington), A.I.R. Gallery (Brooklyn) and more. She has been featured in multiple publications, including Professional Artist Magazine, The Artist Catalogue, Studio Visit Magazine and the cover of Ivory Tower Journal, Delhi, India. Most recently her work was on view at a corporate exhibition at Capital One in Wilmington, DE and on the pages of Minetta Review, a New York University art and poetry journal.

74

Art Reveal Magazine

Art Museum. Both do a great job of unifying history with contemporary work.

But I love traveling and enjoy attending exhibitions and fairs in New York, Miami and more.

In your opinion what does painting mean in contemporary culture?

There is something so romantic about painting. I don’t think it will ever go away. Artists continue to find ways to make it relevant.

Name three artists you admire.

I have been in love with Peter Doig’s work for some time. His landscapes are pure magic. I also find myself obsessing over Katherine Bradford and Alex Kanevsky’s paintings.

What advice can you give to those who are just starting out in the arts?

When, how and why started your art practice?

As a child, I was always interested in art but I got fully into it when I moved to the United States during my teenage years.

It was a way for me to adapt to my environment and explore my emotions. I kept taking classes and participating in contests throughout high school and eventually got my Bachelor’s in fine arts in 2011.

I have been painting since then and was able to pursue my art full-time last April.

How has your work changed in the past years?

My earlier work focused on the nostalgia of my childhood in Russia. I was obsessed with kitsch and stereotypical images of landscapes and interiors. I spent hours

researching these visuals online and digging through old photos. Over time, though, I started to let go and accept my past and began to incorporate my current environment into my paintings.

I now look for images in my daily life that trigger similar emotions as the old photos and memories. It’s been healthier for me, as it forces me to be present in the moment and appreciate the things around me.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

I live in the Philadelphia/Delaware area and there is always something exciting going on. There are tons of local galleries and museums with incredible collections, such as the Philadelphia Art Museum, Barnes Foundation, and the Delaware

Don’t stop. When I first graduated, there was so much pressure and anxiety about getting into galleries, selling work and making a living, that I nearly gave up painting. I think what kept me in the game was simply making art, even if at the time the work was terrible. I just kept making bad art for a few years and eventually had some breakthroughs. Unfortunately, a lot of artists I knew were no longer creating, even just as a hobby.

Not everyone has to become a professional artist, but I think reminding yourself of why you once picked up a brush is healthy. Experimentation without judgment is also liberating.

Another important element of being an artist is finding a supportive community. I started volunteering and attending events early on, and that helped me build a great network, and eventually led to exciting exhibition opportunities.

What are your future plans?

I am getting ready for an exhibition of interiors with my friend Erika Stearly. In May, I am traveling to Greece for my first artist residency. Other than that, I am excited to make new work and continue exploring the subject matter of homes and the beauty of our messy and imperfect everyday lives.

Art Reveal Magazine

75

76

Art Reveal Magazine

www.katerinapopova.com

Art Reveal Magazine

77

Luce Raggi Faenza, Italy

Everything starts with curiosity, then a touch of irony and the drawing is complete. Because irony is a feeling you can rely on in each situation you are living. In good or bad times, irony may be hidden, but is always there.

More than love. More than pain. To express my concepts I play with life and irony as an interesting mental game, communicating through images to the audience.

The audience’s reaction, whether it’s a laugh or a bad comment, is a fundamental part of my artist practice, it helps me to continue investigating our society.

I make original but still understandable pieces. I believe when there’s understanding there are interesting and sincere reactions.

I usually work in a series of mediums, with an eclectic mix between drawing, sculpture, computer graphics and videoart.

I’m essentially a drawer, but my strong mark has linked me many times with sculpture, in particular ceramic. Last ceramic series I handcrafted are toilet papers, thumbs, keyboards and nipples. All unique pieces made from white clay and finished with transparent glaze not to cover the original material.

80

Art Reveal Magazine

Art Reveal Magazine

81

Briefly describe the work you do.

Everything starts with curiosity, then a touch of irony and the drawing is complete. Drawing is always the start of my projects, then I experiment my ideas further more with videoart and sculpture, mainly ceramic. It’s more a dialogue between different medium, the ceramics appears in the collages, the drawing in the animations and the animations become collages.

KEEP IT UNREAL is my slogan, with my works I try to picture our society made up of bizarre iconic characters, apocalyptic pasts and frightful actualities. The audience’s reaction, whether it’s a laugh or a bad comment, is a fundamental part of my artistic practice.

When, how and why started your art practice?

I grew up in Italy with a black marker pen in my pocket. Everything else was fun for a short period, but I never interrupted my relation with drawing. It never bored me.

I always had a strong sarcastic spirit and laughing at nothing is still one of my favorite activities. Irony is what keeps the world interesting, It may be hidden, but it’s always there. More than love. More than pain.

Do you think of yourself as a conceptual artist?

Yes I am.

How has your work changed in the past years?

The work has changed with me. My life is based on my art and my art is based on my life. Each morning I wake up with crazy ideas, most of them are too stupid, but sometimes I think “Yes, I’m gonna do this!”, then I consider how to realize it. Years ago I was trying to make everything I had in my mind.

Now I’m more critical to myself. Also lately I travelled a lot, first for studying art, then for curiosity, then for artistic invitation, such as residencies or art shows. All that different imaginarium and cultures widen my horizonz.

I gained skills by working in different places by working in different ways.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture?

In Italy the art scene for contemporary art is kind of a close circle, it’s not easy to show your work in galleries or artspaces.

Sometimes artists are considering public relations more then creation, so the work is more about the event then the actually artwork. Although I believe that with personal confidence and interesting work you can make it. I’m an optimist.

Contemporary art What are your future plans?

Continue laughing.

82

Art Reveal Magazine

Art Reveal Magazine

83

www.luceraggi.com

Tom Rodgers York, UK

Meaning is the construction of the interpreting subject.

To engage with an object, a process, an event, and so forth, and to attempt, consciously or otherwise, some kind of interpretation is to construct meaning. Photography offers me a way of interpreting the world without the burden of necessarily having to give any answers and it may be that the ambiguity of photography as medium for generating personal significance is perhaps the main focus of this body of work. The uncertainties of content, form and association echo the uncertainties inherent in the life I lead. The traces of processes and handling, the blemishes and imperfection serve as a reminder that the messier, less controlled aspects of life are often the more full and interesting. Never entirely sure of what I know or feel that I understand, I am as ignorant and insecure as the next man. But from within this dislocated and undefined existence emerge endless possibilities.

Tom Rodgers ‘Yet this apparent limitation gives the photograph its unique power. What it shows invokes what is not shown.’ John Berger

Tom Rodgers is an artist, designer and educator based in York whose practice engages mainly with photography but also includes moving image, book design and writing.

He lectures in Photography at York College and holds an MA in Contemporary Art Photography from Edinburgh College of Art. His artwork is held in a range of collections including the National Media Museum, Bradford, the Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens and the V&A, London.

86

Art Reveal Magazine

Briefly Describe the Work that you do.

My work is largely photographic but also takes in moving image, artist books and graphic design. As a photographer, I am very interested in what pictures don’t show, the space around a photograph that contains emotion, thought, feeling and possibility over the physical content of a recognizable subject matter.

have become engaged and we now have a 1-year-old son. These life-changing events have realigned my responsibilities and my artwork has needed to follow suit.

When, how and why you started your art practice.

I have always made creative work. My father is an artist and my sister is a graphic designer so I have been surrounded by art my whole life and it is the only way of being that I can really understand. I began taking photographs when I was a teenager and wanted to engage more fully with the things around me.

Do you think of yourself as a conceptual artist?

Yes and no. To a certain extent I think that all art is conceptual and I’m often more interested in the ideas that a piece of work is drawn from and the ideas that it can generate than I am in the work itself. But when I make my own work, I find that I get drawn into the practical processes and can find it difficult to reconcile my conceptual concerns with the haptic and physical outcomes that I produce. The thinking and the making seem to happen on separate planes that relate to and influence each other in ways that I’m not fully aware of. I’m sure that much of the thinking that I do doesn’t necessarily come across in my work but I’m also sure that without it, I wouldn’t make the same work. In fact, I’d probably not make any work at all.

How has your work changed in the past years?

Many of the developments that I have made as an artist have been influenced by being a teacher of photography and also by growing up. Teaching forces you to open up your thinking to ways of working that you’d not normally appreciate and to find value in every approach. It introduces you to new ways of seeing things and very quickly improves your practical abilities. Alongside this, I have recently purchased a house with my partner, we

I am now more occupied by the subjects that are related to my immediate concerns such as familial relationships, living spaces, daily routine and the conflicts that arise when our individual desire for self-realisation comes up against the need for shared responsibility and self-sacrifice.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

Quiet. I live in York, a beautiful, ancient and interesting city that thrives on its history. The problem with history and heritage is that they need to be preserved and this, I think, produces a very conservative mind-set that places more value on the past than on what could be generated in the future. So the art scene in York is often hampered by a lack of support from institutions and official channels, which results in many people moving out of the city to places that are more vibrant and exciting. For me, though, it is a perfect place to settle, raise a family and concentrate on my own work. Nevertheless, I am also very lucky in that I have friends and colleagues across the UK with whom I work so I can get to other art scenes when the need arises.

In your opinion, what does art mean in contemporary culture?

This is a difficult question and it is something that I have been thinking about a fair bit recently. As yet, I don’t know if I have a completely satisfactory answer. It often seems that art changes very little about the world and I know that my work will never have any political or philosophical power.

Relatively few people see it and even fewer people buy it. So I have to ask myself why I do it, and the only answer I can give is because I can’t do much of anything else.

It is primarily for my own amusement and interest. The value of it, then, would seem to lie in that it makes me more attentive, more sensitive, more open to what is happening around me. Whether it makes me more responsible, more caring, thoughtful or a better person is debatable. But in having made me question its affect on my actions within the world, through making me more aware of the significance of the things that I find important, I have taken a step closer to being able to act more purposefully and thoughtfully in how I treat those things. As for the rest of society, I don’t think I could say.

What are your future plans?

At the moment, I seem to be in a long phase of organization. Following my Masters, I realized that my work – and my thinking – was kind of all over the place and difficult to share with others. So I have been pulling things together and shaping sets of images that can be taken forward as cohesive projects. The imagery that I have shared here is from a project entitled Invocation and it is currently the most fully realized body of work that I am engaged in. It is concerned with the ambiguity of existence and the difficulty of communicating our thoughts and ideas successfully through images and the value that comes from the multiplicity of expression inherent in all dialogue. So far I have edited and arranged the work in a variety of ways and I would like to complete and (one day) publish a book of images.

Alongside this I am working on a number publications with Gordian Projects, an independent publishing house that I established with two friends and colleagues in 2015. We are interested in the points where image, text, bookwork and archive meet and we are working with both international and local artists to publish their work. More information can be found at gordianprojects.com

Art Reveal Magazine

87

88

Art Reveal Magazine

Art Reveal Magazine

89

www.thomasrodgers.wordpress.com

Jacek Sikora Warsaw & Ĺšwidnica, Poland

Jacek Sikora is an actor and a painter, a graduate of the Ecole Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris, Marcel Marceau and Ecole de Mime Corporel Dramatique.

His artistic path has evolved from acting and pantomime towards the visual arts. He creates dreamy landscapes, nostalgic portraits, monochrome nudes and minimal abstractions. The essence of his work is a constantly vibrating matter and a game of light reflections. He is enchanted by traditional Japanese art, sumi-e ink painting on rice paper. After Michel Houellebecq, he considers everything but nothingness as kitsch. Unfortunately nothingness is impossible to be painted, he therefore names himself a painter of non-nothingness.

92

Art Reveal Magazine

Art Reveal Magazine

93

the form and color. Also, I started to fill them with an impressionistic indigo light, which still dominates my art. After a short period of blue realism, contours began to blur again and the subject to disappear, finally leaving only blue-gray space. One of my first mentors, Peter Brook, would call it an empty space.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

Frankly, I have no idea. I don’t limit myself to one place, nor with regards to the residence or to the regionalization of creativity. I live between Warsaw and Świdnica. They’re two different worlds, and I’m somewhere in between. This space contains a little bit of these two cities.

In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture?

When, how and why started your art practice?

I consider this question very difficult to answer. Practicing art is like cooking: almost everyone begins very early, but only very few of us will cook with a certain level of mastery, and even fewer will do it professionally. This is the way art works too. In my case, I practiced drawing and painting quite correctly since childhood, but my artistic studies were related to the theater and I devoted to it all my energy between my twenties and thirties. Painting returned to me after I turned forty, as a form of nonverbal expression of a personal view of the world. It was very closely linked to the practice of Zen, which then, after nearly ten years served me to reveal the real picture of the world.

Over the next ten years, art and especially painting began to fill more and more space in my life, and today it is its essence.

Do you think of yourself as a conceptual artist?

Conceptual art usually focuses on the process itself; the material artistic object doesn’t have such great significance.

For me, both the process and the final work of art are of an equivalent value.

Anyway, without following the dictionary definitions I would say that my paintings originate from an intangible concept that is close to Houellebecq’s statement from his book The Possibility of an Island that “everything is kitsch, if you want. The music as a whole is kitsch; art is kitsch; literature itself is kitsch. Every emotion is kitsch, practically by definition; but also all reflection, and even in a sense all action. The only thing that is absolutely not kitsch is the nothingness.” Having this in mind, in my paintings I try to portrait nothingness, however – as all the paintings are something very concrete and material – the only thing I can present is non-nothing. I am a painter of non-nothingness.

How has your work changed in the past years?

Well, the recent years have marked a certain parable. My art comes from the inspiration with the paintings in the Zen sumi-e style. In the beginning, I used the acrylic paint to create an image with only a few strokes of a brush leaving this way a space for the viewer’s imagination.

Gradually, my paintings have became more technically complex and, at the same time, more simple regarding both

Its role is constantly increasing, in my opinion. Since the era of impressionists we increasingly get through clichés, we destroy existing concepts and we create new ones, which then again are getting deconstructed. We don’t treat crafts as art anymore; now the artist often resembles more a revolutionary and a rebel rather than a builder or a craftsman. Everything has been accelerated, dematerialized and individualized.

It greatly influences people by stimulating their creativity, but also by increasingly alienating them from the real world.

In all this mass of emerging activities, works, artists, trends and new solutions it’s getting more and more difficult to shine a constant light. We’re satisfied with short-lived flashes of talent, only to then admire another ephemeral revelation.

What are your future plans?

I’ll be still painting. I’ve just got to the areas of abstract painting that I have been unaware of before. I nudged them very often, but now I have an impression that it was like paddling in a lake before, and now I plunge into the ocean. It’s a great, fascinating and entertaining mystery that attracts me with great force. I don’t want to turn back from this path.

94

Art Reveal Magazine

Art Reveal Magazine

95

www.jaceksikora.com

Diane Stansfield Saltaire, UK

My work comes from my personal experience with depression and anxiety.

This collection of works consists of drawings of abstract figures being gently lured, almost dancing to there fate, A stab in the back! I use Posca paint pens and Sharpie in this collection.

Also I’m working on a ceramic interpretation of this collection.

Particularly loving the negative space that the clay creates.

98

Art Reveal Magazine

My work is is dark yet colourful, always sad, often unexpected and always comes from my own life experience with depression, anxiety and despair. I draw, paint, collage and over just this last year I have discovered my love for sculpture, mainly with clay.

I enjoy the juxtaposition of the dark and painful experience from my subconscious that has inspired each piece ,against the colourful palette that I use on canvas and my sketch books. And then the juxtaposition of my sculptures which are always dark and moody in colour and content, an even truer expression of what’s going on in my head. I love the tactile nature of the clay, both whilst I work with it and when it’s completed.

When how and why I started.

I have been practicing my art seriously since I became ill with severe depression about three and a half years ago, forcing me to stop working. I make my art in my conservatory studio at home and I do most of my sculpture from a studio in Salt Aire, West Yorkshire. Salt Aire village is a world heritage site.

Do I think of my self as a conceptual artist?

My work is definitely conceptual, the concepts being escape, release,strength, bold, powerful.

How has my work changed over the past few years?

My work has changed over the years from abstract collage, painting and drawing, often quite whimsical, putting a mask on my underlying state of mind Pre depression my art was a hobby that I practiced in my spare time,now I can’t live without it, it has changed me and my outlook on life and the way I live it, I’m really finding me!

How would I describe the art scene in my area?

Bradford has a vibrant art scene., being the home of the National Film Archives and Bradford film festival.

Salt Aire is the home of Salts Mill, a prestigious art venue and home to artist David Hockney.

The village holds regular events including the Open House Arts Trail, coming up in May, The Open garden sculpture Trail. In July. Shipley has the Hive and Street Arts Festival. Many artists and artisans are drawn to this area because of its creative Heritage.

In my opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture?

Art in contemporary culture for me is a

way of communicating shared life experiences and emotions, in a way that challenges the imagination.

What are my future plans.

I am currently working on a piece scaled Head Dress, (see photo) inspired by Mark Rydon’s Meat Dress. His is taller than life size, mine will be about three foot tall but in the future I will be aiming to work on bigger pieces, clay is definitely the future for me.

Art Reveal Magazine

99

www.dianestansfield.co.uk

Sharon

Van Starkenburg Ottawa, Ontario, Canada My work is anchored in narrative. By gleaning from and combining memory, dream and story I create scenes that suggest multiple plotlines and interpretations. Often centering on a female figure, the subjects for my series evolve in a continuing exploration of psychology of self by aggregating in various arrangements childhood experiences, nostalgia, psychological states, ancestry, sex, gender and identity. The work can be derived from very personal and intimate experiences, but presented as it is for public consideration, it becomes fiction on which the viewer can project and take away from. I work with oil paint, graphite, grease pencil, conté and collage on paper, wood panel and canvas. The work evolves during its processing in the studio, starting with a general sense of its components but adding and subtracting as needed in the gestation of its creation. At any one time I have no less than 10 pieces underway and they inform each other in their co-creation. I combine representational elements in my pieces, with expressive mark making.

The female body is often referenced in my work, either by its presence or absence, as the impetus by which the drama unfolds.

I am compelled to produce work that resides in the push and pull area between empowerment and subjugation; slipping, falling, kicking, hitting and flailing into each side. I feel that these narratives surrounding the conditions of girlhood and womanhood are stories that relate to all of us and are, in fact, stories of humanity.

I make visual art to tell direct and indirect stories at one time. I believe that images are carried in the conscious and unconscious mind as witness to an experience of life. It is my way to communicate in an honest, human and visceral way.

Sharon Van Starkenburg was born in Pembroke, ON in 1974 and grew up in the lush countryside. She earned her B.F.A. from the University of Ottawa in 1997 and is a University of Ottawa MFA candidate. She has been featured in a number of both online magazines and print, including Fresh Paint Magazine (UK and US). She is the recipient of multiple grants from both the City of Ottawa and Ontario Arts Council, and other prestigious arts awards.

VanStarkenburg has exhibited internationally and is included in numerous collections. She is currently represented by Wall Space Gallery in Ottawa, ON where she also resides and works.

104

Art Reveal Magazine

When, how and why started your art practice?

I have always known that I would, in some way, be engaged artistically. It has been my ambition since childhood; it is my vocation. Therefore, I have always placed my practice central to what I do.

I studied Fine Art in University as a young woman and worked professionally as an artist for approximately 20 years.

I have just entered Graduate Studies at the University of Ottawa and am an MFA candidate of that program. It is an amazing privilege to have this time to completely focus on my practice and develop further as an artist.

How has your work changed in the past years?

There is a common thread through my work over the years, which has to do with identity and subjective formation for girls/women in the Western world. While

the themes, images and structures of my practice evolve over time, there continues to be a strong narrative quality to my work. I am interested in liminality and psychological spaces. Whereas earlier work was often mixed media, I have lately been focused on painting alone, letting that medium take precedence. This has led to greater inventiveness in my work as I fully create the images according to my will and imagination.

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

The Canadian art scene is vibrant and expanding while becoming more visible and relevant to the art world at large.

In your opinion what does painting mean in contemporary culture?

I believe in painting. What I mean by that is that painting is a profound me-

dium that continues to move, stimulate and challenge viewers, and I think it always will. While there are tremendous advancements in technology, providing continuously astonishing experiences and objects, the human eye and human mind are ancient. They respond to images: trying to recognize pattern, sort information, anthropromorphize, and find narrative. Painting is alchemical; it transforms humble “prima materia” into planes, spaces, and stories. Painting and humans have an ancient and constitutive relationship.

Name three artists you admire.

At present I am looking at Lars Elling, Rosa Loy and Juul Kraijer. All three create strong narrative work that oscillates between the natural world and dream, fairy tale and allegorical spaces. I am inspired by all of their technical skill, but also the incredible beauty in the subtleties of the physical work and psychological worlds they create.

What advice can you give to those who are just starting out in the arts?

I would advise those just starting out in their careers to look at as much art as they can and read about art as much as they can… always and for their entire careers. They need to feed themselves ideas and images. The second point I would make is that longevity is most important: they should plan for a lifetime of art and what they will need to sustain their creation. Careers take many ups and downs, they will need to take a long view. Finally, work every day… no matter what, however incremental, work.

What are your future plans?

I am currently an MFA candidate at the University of Ottawa. The process thus far has been both thrilling and anguished. I am honoured and humbled to have been selected for the program, and as I deconstruct and analyze my practice I gain further insight into my work. This amazing time has allowed me to experience an accelerated growth in my processes and thematics as an artist. I will graduate in 2018 and plan to continue working, exhibiting and teaching.

Art Reveal Magazine

105

www.sharonvanstarkenburg.artspan.com