1 If you weren’t an artist, what else would you be?
I would work with animals and wildlife. Welfare and conservation.
2 Name 3 of your least favourite artists.
I am not really that interested in Art that doesn’t grab me, so I tend to forget their names.
3. Anytime, any place – which artist’s body would you most like to inhabit?
My fantasy period is Picasso’s hay day in the South of France. Can I inhabit a mans body?
4 What is your favourite ‘ism’?
Symbolism
5 What was the most intelligent thing that someone said or wrote about your work?
‘There is no full color image that conveys what your image conveys, mixing the central natural object with geometrical design works especially well with the Bee- it’s easy to see insects as key elements in the development of geometry. And here too the Bee played a central role to humanity in conveying the harmony of accuracy in design as portraying elegance. Your image is perfectly ‘grown up’, or ‘mature’- it conveys a respect for the subject that a photo image or ‘icon’ image can not do. I’m not an art critic so I’m going to stop here before I sound silly- let me just say that it’s THE perfect image!’
Sean Kelly
Bit long winded, but I really appreciated his thought.
6. And the dumbest?
‘It looks like Art , but is it?”
Tutor at Art college.
This maybe not be the dumbest , but it I certainly found it very annoying at the time!
7 Which artists would you most like to rip off, sorry, I mean appropriate as a critique of originality and authorship?
Francis Bacon
8 Do you care what your art costs? State your reasons!
I am still very poorly paid for the hours that I put into my work. But I do want people to be able to afford it. Or at least some of it.
9 What are the three big ideas that you would like your work to express?
The human existence in relation to the natural world , geometry and symbolism.
10 Are you a political artist?
I have had my moments .
11 How do you start the process of making work?
Usually with the discovery of something dead! I am talking about my work which draws from the insect world not my portraits!
12 What next?
I am just about to launch my first book that I have written and illustrated called ‘The Boy in the Oak’ – it’s a dark fairy tale.
I am working on turning the book into a film/animations in addition to a whole new body of work.
13 If Moma and the Tate and the Pompidou wanted to acquire one of your works each, which would you want them to have?
‘ English Garden ‘ my favourite spider piece for Moma.
‘ Deaths Head Moth ‘ was very important in terms of my works development .
‘ Keith ‘ portrait of my father . The pattern behind him is one of his own from his book’ Diagram’. That’s for the Pompidou.
14 Complete the following sentence “Blessed are the artists, for they shall……” prevail
15 Complete the following sentence “Blessed are the curators, for they shall…” construct tales
16 Complete the following sentence “Blessed are the art critics, for they shall….” crush snails.
17. What is your favourite cheese?
I love cheese thats a hard one. A quality parmesan or maybe a vintage gouda
18. What’s next for you?
Immediate future – Window ‘Alchemy for the Bees’ and exhibition /launch ‘ Boy in the Oak ‘ 4th floor at Liberty’s from the 17th-11th of July
Port Eliot Festival as part of the House of Fairy Tales 23/25 th July.
WEBSITE LINK: www.jessicaalbarn.co.uk
