ELLIE WILD INTERVIEW

Ellie has been an arts practitioner at Eastbourne College who has been with us over the last year. She has helped massively through delivering creative feedback to all pupils' work. She has also delivered workshops of Gold Arts Bronze Award in photography to the Year 10s, while working alongside the Year 12s and Year 13s. After she leaves after this year, she will be showcasing her work which will take place in the Birley. The exhibition will be on display during June. A private view will be on Thursday 15th June at 6.30pm in the Winn Building.

What inspired you to become an artist?

Growing up I was always thinking up creative projects and making something almost all of the time. The older I got the more I was inspired by the people, places around me and my own thoughts, feelings and life experiences This lead me to wanting to capture, hold space and explore these things in a meaningful and thoughtful way, opening up conversations with others

How would you describe your art?

I would describe my work as visual storytelling, based around observations, encounters, thoughts and feelings in the everyday, experiencing and capturing time as it unfolds before me. I aim to explore metaphors in a poetic way and draw my audience's eye to simple yet meaningful moments

What is it about photography that’s so inspiring for you?

Photography has always been the tool that has allowed me a way of expressing myself, to be playful and also able to capture the things that feel the most important and special. A photograph holds moments forever and that strength and sentimentality has always felt powerful and significant

By Ellie Simpkin

What artists do you admire and how have they impacted your work today?

Rinko Kawauchi, Saul Leiter, Ana Mendieta and Alec Soth are all artists I frequently refer to for inspiration and guidance. Their works are all different but sit within the same realms of storytelling, creating thought-provoking narratives in beautifully striking imagery.

What is an artist in residence?

An artist in residence is an arts practitioner who works within an environment for a certain amount of time (in this instance one academic year), developing their practice whilst also providing advice or support in classes and sometimes leading workshops

What is the message behind your exhibition, and what are you most proud of about it?

The message behind my exhibition and my creative practice as a whole is to be more present in this moment that we are in Darling, Catch Your Breath is about stopping and breathing, looking and taking in where we are, what surrounds us It’s about being aware of senses, what we see, hear, feel and how lovely those things can be when we slow down and actually notice them.

How does the arts industry motivate you and what advice would you give other people wanting to go down the creative route through keeping motivated?

The arts industry constantly inspires me

There will never be a day where you have seen everything there is to see or read all that there is to be said; it’s never-ending and that’s exciting! It can feel difficult when there is always such amazing new work being made, but my best advice to remaining motivated is to not compare your work to others, be inspired and constantly seek to grow and develop On days where you feel unmotivated, go for a walk, look at some photo books, do whatever it is that frees up your mind and makes you feel like you

How has your art developed during your time at Eastbourne College and what will you take away from being here?

My creative practice has developed wonderfully since coming here to Eastbourne College My practice of mindful photography has grown in strength and focus and I have a whole plethora of new photography projects in the pipeline integrating different areas of art and textiles into my practice, all thanks to working across each of the creative departments

Do you believe that art is an important subject in today society and why?

I absolutely believe that art is a crucial subject in today's society. When creating, you are constantly developing and growing your self, understanding your thoughts and feelings It’s an integral way of embracing imagination and communicating in a powerful, wonderful way

What’s your next goal after Eastbourne College?

My next goal is first and foremost to keep making work and to work on some collaborations with local people. I also want to continue delivering arts award to groups in the community to work with young people to help them to access and harbour their imagination and creativity in an outdoor environment.