1.If you weren’t an artist, what else would you be?
Well, I very nearly went to study English and Drama so I had already considered not being an artist; I wanted to be a writer and thought this would be a more sustainable career than being an artist.Then I was enticed into dropping that for a Textiles degree thinking that this would lead to opportunities to be artistically creative and be better paid. But then at RCA I moved into the direction of fine art. Rather than decorative or designed my work became more conceptual, exploring, challenging and tackling wider issues of culture, history and politics.
Now as well as being an artist, making work and exhibiting I can bring in all the other things I love to do such as teach, write, lecture and be an advocate for AIR Council campaigning to help better artists circumstances as well as running my own Arts Organisation ZeitgeistArtsProjects.com with Annabel Tilley.
2. Can you tell us more about your work and what are the main ideas you would like to express? I create mixed media paintings incorporating paint, embroidery and print. I am concerned with the power and presence of urban landscapes: their histories, social and political backgrounds which I then stitch and paint into a synthesis of architectural dimensions. The work is an examination and a documentation of the ideals of utopia and dystopia, of human experience and of society rebuilding, reclaiming and resurrecting.
I use embroidery and brushstrokes to transform and repair on the surface; these failings of modernity.
Within the work there is a reflection as well on the socio-political aspects of these urban developments and disintegration.
The textiles I use not only provide cultural and historical links to the eras of the buildings but equally emphasize the fragility of the spaces, the people therein and the disconcerting juxtaposition between aesthetics and meaning.
3.How do you start the process of making work?
I take photos, read books, films, documentaries, talk to people, read newspapers, blogs, trawl through flickr, cycle around London: searching for a story.
Reclaim.Oil&mixedmedia on cotton.90x70cm.2011.From ‘ After the Storm Series
Oil & mixedmedia on cotton.90x60cm.2011. From ‘ After the Storm Series
For a recent series of works ‘ Into the Wild’ which reflected on manmade / natural disasters such as the Haiti earthquake or Hurricane Katrina I was riveted by the press photos coming out at the time, the sheer surreal and devastating chaos, alongside the horrific politc of the countries involved in so-called rescue missions. I had watched Treme by David Simon, Creator of the Wire and read Zeitoun by Dave Eggers a personal account of a man called Zeitoun an innocent upstanding member of the community who amongst many other innocents was placed in a makeshift Guantanamo during Hurrica Katrina along with elderly people and anyone of ethnic origin. I was shocked at the human rights atrocities that occurred during such a terrible disaster but also amazed by the way these communities and people and countries with great strength of character rebuilt themselves and their societies. That amazed and inspired me and by making the work I celebrated that strength.
4. Do you consider the viewer, when making your work?
Not in making the work. I am motivated by own experimentation and processes and concerns. Once it has been created it is out of my hands as to what the viewer will see think or feels about it.
5. Name 3 artists that have inspired your work?
Michael Raedecker- for pioneering embroidery into the fine art world.
Graham Crowley, he inspires and is a mentor to me, so he constantly challenges me to keep pushing my work.
Frida Kahlo for her work, her bravery and passion
6. Name 3 of your least favourite artists.
The art world is a small one and it doesn’t do you good to make enemies so I shall politely refrain. I am not fans of artists that make knowingly commercial commodities or just have assistants making all their work , that seems a travesty to me.
7. What defines something as a work of art?
Something well conceived and carried out; that makes you think, or transports you on some level.
The definition broadens and is very diverse. That’s the wonderful thing about art , it is limitless.
8. In times of austerity, do you think art has a moral obligation to respond topically?
My own work is socio-political but I am not painting what I do out of moral obligation. I think more that I am trying to engage people with a range of different issues such as society, poverty, culture, identity that I am also personally concerned about.
I don’t think art has any kind of moral obligation or any obligations whatsoever to any particular cause or topic unless it’s the artists intentions, for example Guernica by Picasso, he felt morally bound and compelled to paint something to depict the brutality of war. Also why should we have an obligation?
I don’t think an ‘artist’ should be anything in a particular prescribed way or think in a particular way – we’re not a homogenous group. We have different interests, points of views, feelings about the world and that’s a good thing. It means art is interesting.
9. Anytime, any place – which artist’s body would you most like to inhabit?
Probably would be quite nice to be Peter Doig, sitting in the sun in the Caribbean, making paintings, making a lot of money, having film club nights!
10. What is your favourite ‘ism’?
Schism: Onomatopoeic and interesting.
11. What was the most intelligent thing that someone said or wrote about your work?
These 2 quotes are brilliant.
Rosalind Davis reveals herself to be a visionary artist of sensitivity and complexity. Her mixed media paintings of dystopian landscapes incorporate embroidery and floral-print textile…they conjure up a claustrophobic world of the uncanny.’
Andrew Bryant, www.a-n.co.uk
“ Rosalind creates a tension between embellishment (embroidery) and depiction (painting), sensuality and awkwardness. Shifting the decorative aspects and the tradition of embroidery. The nature of embroidery dictates that the surface of her paintings becomes heightened by the physicality of the stitching Modifying the decorative aspects and tradition of embroidery from its original purpose. ” Graham Crowley
12. And the dumbest?
Whatever people want to say about my work is always appreciated and generally heartfelt and never dumb. I want my work to be appreciated and that doesn’t require an IQ test.
13. Which artists would you most like to rip off, sorry, I mean appropriate as a critique of originality and authorship?
I feel I have something original and unique to say myself in my work, so there is no need to appropriate. However I do often wish I could paint like other people or have their style of painting – I am full of admiration for so many artists: James Wright and Nigel Cook show an exquisite delicate hyper reality, Iain Andrews for his purposeful sensuous painting, Graham Crowley’s works always impress me with their masterful vividness.
14. Do you care what your art costs? State your reasons!
Of course, how your work is valued by yourself and others is very important. You have to look at where you are in the market place, experience, materials etc.
15. If Moma and the Tate and the Pompidou wanted to acquire one of your works each, which would you want them to have?
Technically they could have whatever they liked as I would be just so delighted……but if I had a choice I would want them to acquire something historically significant and culturally resonant and reflective of each country.
I would want the Tate to take my recent series paintings of the London riots,‘ Halfway Through the Dark. ‘
Moma I would want to have the series ‘Into the Wild’ about the reparation of communities and countries after manmade disasters.
The Pompidou could have my Toile de Jouy series which are currently exhibited at The Courtauld.
16. What’s next for you?
I currently have a show in Material Matters at The Courtauld until July 2013 and recently did a talk there which we filmed so should be able to access that soonish.
Material Matters.East Wing X 21st January 2012 to July 2013 The Courtauld Institute of Art Somerset House
Strand London WC2R 0RN
Ardwick.Manchester.60x80cm.Oil on embroidery on cotton
Material Matters is a celebration of both established and emerging contemporary artists who use pioneering media or re-interpret traditional forms of representation.
Including works by 55 artists including Damien Hirst, Howard Hodgkin, Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Paula Rego, Georgia Russell and Rachel Whiteread.
Read more about Material Matters Exhibition in the East Wing X here
General Exhibition Opening Times Saturday 21st April, 23rd June, 28th July, 25th August (more dates tba)
Guided Tours on the hour every hour. Free
Also, I co-manage ZeitgeistArtsProjects.com with Annabel Tilley and we have just curated Collectible, with 67 artists, 97 artworks which has been a great success. It finishes on the 28th April.
We are also running Show&Tell, a programme of talks by artists for artists as well as tutorials, crits and practical toolkits for artists: Future talks include Mark Titchner, Virginia Verran, Phoebe Unwin, Sluice Art Fair, Transition Gallery, Fiona Macdonald, Freddie Robins, Amy McKenny ( CoExist) and more see website www.ZeitgeistArtsProjects.com
