The Cultural Tourist

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I don’t have a very big studio – in fact it is quite small as studios go and it is crammed to the gills with materials, artwork and necessary furniture. This means that I have to be quite considered when I go to make new works in terms of what size it is and what materials I use. Also there is the whole issue of sustainability and recycling. It is a bit of a dilemma in deciding what materials to use. I ideally want to make art pieces that last, but unless they are actually on someone’s wall and/or being used in some way then this is rather wasteful and not very sustainable. Also I just don’t have the room for bringing in lots of new surfaces. This means I do re-use old canvases and boards as much as I can. I also like to use found material on occasion such as bits from skips and cardboard packaging.

I have been continuing on with my still life series but using very ordinary materials such as old food packaging (basically raiding my homes recycling bin) and watercolour paint. Much of the work is exploring the idea of simplicity, mindfulness and pleasure. I have quite a few things I want to try such as including writing or different types of substrates.

One thing I also want to explore is alternative ways of displaying the work or even different kinds of framing. Often when exhibiting, the gallery space only has a hanging rail system with cords and hooks which can be quite restrictive. Currently I am just reusing existing frames that I have in my studio and I often scour the second and shops for old frames.

The benefits of using recycled packaging to make artwork is also contrasted against the fact that the artwork will not last as long. It doesn’t seem right to expect people who buy the art to pay the same sort of prices for art made on more perishable materials. But maybe adjusting the prices accordingly will make the art more accessible for all. It will depend on the amount of work put into a piece I think but I like the idea of keeping it simple.