I love the carefully constructed chaos in Grace's work. A symmetry of deconstruction that is at all times pleasing aesthetically and quietly unsettling in it's ordered attack on familiar objects and patterns.
I've know her for some time (we both studied at the Arts University in Bournemouth) I thought it would be really interesting to interview her about her work. Hannah, I was really pleased to hear, was one of ten artists to win the Free Range Emerging Artist Award, earlier this year :)
Talk us through
your physical process, how do you bring your works into existence? Do you
have a routine for creating work?
There are fundamental elements which
reoccur within my work such as monochrome, geometric shape, visual illusion. I
think in a mathematical way and love to order and catalog information.
I do a lot of research, finding
images that I like, looking at artists that share my interests.
I then work a lot in my
sketchbook, exploring ideas and learning skills that are necessary for the
work.
Next I chose images that I have
created which I think work and develop them into more finished outcomes.
What skills did you learn for your
GLITCH project? How do you go about learning them?
I did a lot of research into how Glitch
and similar technological processes have been used in artists work. I found a
variety of “Glitching” software online which I experimented with and then
translated these into handmade pieces.
How do you know when a work is
'finished'?
When I feel happy with the piece I will
stop and not alter it from then on, even if later on I think of new changes
that can be made. I don't like to overwork the piece.
How do you take into account the idea
of viewership and audience experience when creating your work?
I think the time that I consider the
viewer is when I am working out how to present the piece. I start to wonder how
they will perceive what I have made and how they will interact with it
physically and what their interpretation might be.
How do you feel about the possibility
of your work being misunderstood or misinterpreted?
I am always interested to hear what
people think about my work but once I have finished and presented the work it's
up to the viewer to react to it and interpret it in their own way. We hardly
ever get to talk to the artist about their work. If we put a work into the
public domain it's meaning and perception is then open to the individual.
Let's talk about your maps. Why
cartography?
I explore how cartography is assumed to
give a reliable and objective description, and thus is given authority. But
maps are inevitably abstract as a result of selection, omission and
codification. A fiction created from a factual observation, they
present only one version of the earths surface. Cartographic rules give a
network of assumptions which I use and exploit within my work.
I use the
language of maps to explore connections, systems and networks. I archive,
order, catalog and arrange information and when this process is complete I can
then dismantle, deconstruct, manipulate and reconfigure it. Using a variety of
techniques I intricately cut, score, layer and fold maps to distort them.
Why break systems and reconfigure what
is seen as 'authority'? Do you see your art as a means of controlled anarchy?
I like to question why we give
cartography this authority. I think patterns and systems are interesting when
you see their flaws. I want my work to allow people to perceive these topics in
a new way.
What's in your dream studio?
I would love to be in a studio with
lots of different creatives with whom I can share knowledge and put on group
shows. The ideal studio would have facilities such as a print room, cafe,
outside areas, computer suite, art supplies.
Are social interactions very important
to your creative process?
I am quite happy to work alone but I
think being surrounded by like minded people is helpful for the creative
process. Talking to people about your ideas helps them to develop and you start
to see them in new and interesting ways. Showing people your work gives you an
idea of how different people interpret it which can help to push it
further.
Why do you think you were selected
for the Free Range Emerging Art Award?
I was very surprised to be selected
for this award but I put a lot of effort into making the piece and I feel the
fact that it was an illusion was engaging to the audience and cartography is an
interesting subject that everyone can recognise and relate to.
What's next for your artistic
practice?
I want to change the direction of my
work more towards illustration. I love drawing and it is the way that I express
myself.
Who are some
illustrators whose work inspires you?
Pat Perry is one of my biggest
inspirations at the moment. I love that he lives to draw. He travels around the
world, basically just with his art materials and soaks up new experiences which
he then pours into his work.
Hannah plans to move to London in the new year and work from a studio where she can develop her portfolio and promote herself as a free-lance artist/illustrator.
She will be exhibiting at Aspex in Portsmouth as a part of the 'Someone and Something' exhibition in October as well as 'The Great Exhibition of Boscombe'.
If you are emerging in any discipline and would like to have your work featured on Streaks, get in touch :)
