Dominic Hawgood ‘This is where the darkness lies’ 2014 SELF ADHESIVE FABRIC VINYL 103cmx152cm
Over the next few week FAD will be showcasing some of the Artist Featured in the New Edition of The Catlin Guide New Artists 2015
Up second we have Dominic Hawgood
What made you want to be an artist?
I’ve always been very creative and continuously worked on producing artwork of various kinds form a young age, starting out with drawing and progressing to photography in my teens. I cannot remember ever considering anything other than a route involving art so it’s just a natural progression, never a decision.
How has your practice changed over the course?
My practice has gradually been refined and focused but I feel the core skills have always been present. I’m a perfectionist and become consumed by detail, it’s something I enjoy. Over the past few years my work has progressed aesthetically, and started to broaden to include new fields such as CGI and moving image. This move away from purely photographic based imagery opens up new opportunities and keeps things interesting.
How does it feel to be in the Catlin Guide?
I’ve been continually impressed by the quality of the publication, and the selection of artists. To be asked to contribute offers some great opportunities, and having friends I studied with also involved always makes things more enjoyable.
What is your studio routine?
I have just moved into my first studio space in Hoxton with an artist from Goldsmiths. I have always had to struggle to produce work as a result of a lack of space and access to equipment. Post-graduate study was the turning point as finally these problems were resolved, so after finishing finding a studio was top priority. My time is divided between working freelance, but increasingly spent working on personal projects, so my studio routine is evolving.
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
I need to be in a position where I’m able to comfortably support my own practice and produce work the way I envisage, and applying my artistic skills commercially may well assist with this. Presently I’m trying to building a team, finding collaborators and put in place a good support system to enable such things to happen.
What artists inspire you?
It’s a real mixture these days but more recently David Claerbout’s new 3d render work I have found inspiring along with Tom McCarthy’s literature.
Dominic Hawgood ‘I command you to get out’ 2014 DURATRAN AND LED PANEL 102cmx76cm
How does it feel to be leaving University?
After my final show I was immediately away on residencies in France and then China. I’ve been busy so the transition has been minimal, everything has its time and I was ready to leave, it was a relief but a good experience.
What are the best shows you’ve seen in the past year?
Ed Atkins video work at Serpentine and Benedict Drew’s first solo show Heads May Roll.
What makes a great artist?
I’m not sure there’s a formula
How do you negotiate the pressure to be a commercially viable artist?
With increased interest in my work it’s the first time I’ve started to consider the idea of viability. I certainly want to develop my practice into something that is sustainable longterm and for that reason I’m trying to find the right people to support me, and strike the right balance so my work isn’t compromised.
If you were given a big commission what work would you want to realise?
Budgets are always tight if not nonexistent, and it’s a continual compromise that affects my practice from start to finish. I would just like to create something exactly how I envisaged it, installed precisely to my specifications….. a big commission might help
Who do you think should have won the Turner Prize?
I didn’t visit the Turner Prize last year so haven’t looked at the nominees in depth.
What are the best galleries in the UK?
I don’t really think about galleries in terms which are the best, it doesn’t quite make sense because the artists I like are at all different stages in their careers. For me the stand out exhibition was at Matt’s Gallery, but I like the way one gallery does something and another something else.
Finally if you had $50,000 to spend on art which artists would you buy into?
Adriano Amaral, Bryan Dooley, Joanna Piotroska, Roe Ethridge, Owen Kydd
The sixth edition of The Catlin Guide 2015 New Artists in the UK will be unveiled at The London Art Fair 2015, 21st – 25th January. The Catlin Guide will be presented on stand P25 alongside a selection of work by featured artists from the book. This fully-illustrated limited edition publication introduces 40 of the most exciting new graduate and postgraduate artists from UK art schools.
Read the fist Q&A with ALICE MAY WILLIAMS
Read the third Q&A with HELEN WILSON
