Olivia Jarvis

Olivia’s Website

 

What are your main concerns? 

My work has always been about the body. Previously I’ve focused on legs and the fragmented body. At the moment I’m thinking about how I can translate the essence of every day with the body and skin. I enjoy textiles, embroidery, and free motion sewing. I’m working to combine these together. 

 

What are you biggest influences? 

David Barton has been a big influence; I did my dissertation on him. 

Pattern design has also influenced me – namely the work of Tibor Reich. 

 

What’s the first thing you do? What’s your process? 

My process has always really been the same. I always have an image of something in my head, and then I will translate it through sewing. That’s what I always do. 

 

What do you enjoy most about the studio? 

You can spend a lot of your time here and it will just go so quickly. That’s quite nice, but also quite scary. It’s a really nice atmosphere to be in – it’s quite hard to pinpoint exactly what that atmosphere is, though. 

 

How has your work changed? 

When I first came, I thought I was a painter. Although I now use other mediums, I don’t think the core of my work has changed that much -there are still themes in my work that have stayed the same. I got a sewing machine and that really changed things. But I’ve always been focused on legs. 

 

What are your plans after graduation? 

Travelling. I’m not sure after that.