EMILY ROWLEY MAKES THINGS. Emily Rowley is a lecturer and avid maker whose work is sold at galleries across the UK and includes drawing, print-making, textiles and ceramics. She’s inspired by people and animals, creating imaginary characters who sometimes, but not always, are a bit naked. Rowley, can I pick your brains? What’s inspired you too become a maker? That’s ok. Nothing but the need to make made me a maker. I can’t not do it - I’ve tried, I got fed up of having a house full of tools and supplies. So I decided to quit, but it lasted about an hour! So you’re obsessed with making stuff? What would happen if we let you and your tools loose on the streets for Doncaster? I suppose I am a bit obsessed. Being a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, I get a bit stressed out by things I can’t try and do myself, then I become obsessed by learning how it’s done. If I had anything to do with the planning of this town, it’d all be a bit higgledy-piggledy and ramshackle. Swinging handmade shop signs and stuff spilling out onto the street. I’m not a fan of a clean-cut designer shop. Too intimidating! It would be bright and cluttered I should think. Curiosity in every nook and cranny!
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Local music scenester Ash Carr suggested Doncaster should have a gold statue of Devvo. You know one of the creators of Devvo, David Firth, what are your thoughts on that? And what would David think? Well, I know Christian, who played Devvo, and I don’t think he’d mind me saying he’s a fan of my figures, so perhaps he’d like one made in my style, all hanging out! David is tricky to read, he’s very modest and raised his eyebrows when I once asked him to sign one of his Salad Fingers figures he had given me. ‘You mean like on my credit card?’ was his response. I think he’d find it amusing and baffling. I’m sure he’d be quite proud too! Going back to your original point about things spilling out onto the streets, Doncaster is very reserved when it comes to its walls (not much street art) but when it comes to tattoos many Doncasterians are covered, why do you think Doncaster digs tattoos so much and do you have any? I was just saying the other day how boring that massive, curved blank wall at the Interchange is. Can you imagine how ace one of Phlegm’s paintings would be up there! What a waste! I don’t have any tattoos myself, simply because I am a wimp. I love other peoples though. Especial ones with a ‘foolish when I was younger’ story attached. I used to live with a tattooist
and if I didn’t get one then, I suppose I never will. And my mum would kill me! I suppose Doncaster loves them because we’ve always had a busy alternative scene and in this drab town creative people will do their best to make it more interesting. Agreed. Donny’s full of creative people and creative exports. You’ve got a massive following on Facebook, how did you get so many fans? And also, what’s your advice to any inspiring makers wanting to get noticed? It’s crazy isn’t it? The weird thing is the number of Iranians that like it. My biggest following! It’s an accumulation thing, if one person likes your page, and they have 20,000 likers, the number can shoot up overnight. Plus I try to add something new, even if it’s just a doodle, quite regularly to remind people I’m there. Selling on Etsy and being featured in one of their Etsy finds was the first big boost I think. I’d encourage anyone to do craft fairs and get their stuff in as many galleries in as many towns and countries as possible. There is no bigger motivation and confidence boost than selling something. Then the support base just builds up! You can catch Emily’s work at the New Fringe art show at Church View until Saturday the 12thof July. www.emilyrowley.co.uk
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