As part of FADs support for emerging artists we have teamed up with The Other Art Fair to showcase 14 of the exhibiting artists at Boxpark.
The Artists where chosen by Ryan Stanier (Fair Director TOAF) and Mark Westall ( Creative Director FAD) and they will have a piece of their work exhibited by poster In an exhibition at The Boxpark Gallery.
There will also be an art opening on Thursday May 3rd which will have live + performance art, Music + free drink + much more.
In the lead up to this event FAD will be showcasing each of the 14 Artists who were chosen
#TWELVE: Alex Simpson
1.If you weren’t an artist, what else would you be?
I don’t think I really could be anything else; if I could still be creative, then I think perhaps I’d like to be a musician. I had an exhibition at The Horse Hospital last year for which I collaborated with another artist to make three pieces of music to accompany the art. I love the way music and art can interact, and when the balance is just right it sort of chimes and creates this completely unreal atmosphere.
Also, I recently took part in an emotion recognition test for a friend’s Neuroscience study, and since have become fascinated by brains… why we behave in certain ways. Maybe this links back to some intent I have for creating emotion in my work. So if I couldn’t be creative but could afford to go back to uni, then I might study psychology.
2. Can you tell us more about your work and what are the main ideas you would like to express?
As a child I never wanted to grow up, but as I got older I tried to hide childish things – to this day I continue to read children’s books, but at a certain point I’d have been mortified to be found doing so. Now I have lost that fear and embrace childishness in my work (and daily life!).
Childhood is a place I long to return – some other country with it’s own laws and truths, and I use this as a safe place in which personal narratives are free to play themselves out, and from where I can look out at the real world with a more innocent and impulsive perspective.
Play and spontaneity is key. I work with a lot of water, utilising washes and bleeding qualities of gouache and ink – so patience is also essential. The nature of working in this way means I don’t often try to paint the same thing twice – it’s a catch 22 that’s easy to fall into… trying to recapture the spontaneity of a mark is impossible, which is probably what makes the mark so attractive in the first place. Simply attempting to do so renders the whole exercise void.
Instead I work with the flow and movement of the paint and respond to it. Sometimes it is like cloud watching a character or idea can appear out of a brushstroke. If too much logic or consideration goes into it the effect is lost and the emotion doesn’t come through.
Even with sculpture I implement a similar method of play; forming the trunk of a character without thinking and letting the clay move by itself. Toward the end I spend a little time refining it, painting the glazes etc but ultimately I prefer to create an atmosphere or sense than to convey a definitive idea. Perhaps hint at a narrative but let the viewer surround it with their own story, even explore fears or raise questions.
3. How do you start the process of making work?
I have to be in the right state of mind, and often I find it helpful listening to audio books or music whilst working, so to distract parts of the mind so I’m able to work more intuitively. I think the narratives in what I am hearing can also influence the painting.
Preparing myself mentally is really important, I need to get absorbed in the process of painting, the brush strokes, the flow of water, and of course, the idea.
4. Do you consider the viewer, when making your work?
If I’m honest, at this point, no.
5. Name 3 artists that have inspired your work?
Henry Darger, David Hockney and Dali
6. Name 3 of your least favourite artists.
I appreciate all art in it’s own way.
7. What defines something as a work of art?
I think a good work of art is honest.
8. In times of austerity, do you think art has a moral obligation to respond topically? No, I think that if your work is topical then that’s great but no one should be obliged to do or say anything in their art.
9. Anytime, any place – which artist’s body would you most like to inhabit?
Henry Darger, I would like to get inside his head and have a route around.
10. What is your favourite ‘ism’?
Optimism, I would like to be more optimistic.
11. What was the most intelligent thing that someone said or wrote about your work?
Not much has been said about my work as yet, hopefully some one will say something interesting soon.
12. And the dumbest?
Not the dumbest but the funniest. ‘Look mummy his eyes are bleeding’
13. Which artists would you most like to rip off, sorry, I mean appropriate as a critique of originality and authorship?
I like they way in which Hockey has worked in so many styles and mediums and yet you always know it’s his work you can see the way he looks at the world I find that very inspirational as I work in several disciplines and don’t want to be fixed into one style.
14. Do you care what your art costs? State your reasons!
Yes, I have to pay for my materials and all of my time and effort goes into making art but I also want a wide range of people to be able to afford it. I would like to live off making art and not have to worry about money but at the end of the day it is the making of the work that brings me the most happiness.
15. If Moma and the Tate and the Pompidou wanted to acquire one of your works each, which would you want them to have?
I would like to make new pieces for each of the Galleries on a much larger scale in order to make the most of the space, as I don’t have much of it.
16. What’s next for you?
More experimentation, I have been working with resin and plan to incorporate it into my sculptures, so keep an eye out.
I will be showing my work at Box Park from the 3rd of May and The Other Art Fair 10 – 13 May.
The Other Art Fair + FAD pre fair party Thursday May 3rd 2012 from 6pm at Boxpark
Join The Facebook Event for more info and a free drink: www.facebook.com/
