What are your main concerns?

My work comes from observations of vacant, transitory spaces. It’s developed from being really interested in the idea of the non-place and then it’s progressed. I went on a year abroad in Budapest last year and my awareness of these spaces became even more heightened because I was trying to get to grips with a new city, spending most of my time alone walking around, and this idea of these solitary spaces coupled with the solitude of the individual became quite a heightened thing. I’m trying to depict this in my paintings. That’s the starting point; the paintings have developed to be quite ambiguous, this balance between abstraction and the form, trying to get the viewer to see a space, but not really be sure what it is or the confines of it. When I’m working on a painting I’m trying to build up relationships between spaces, always keeping this balance between something you can identify with and something you can’t.

 

 

 

 

What are you biggest influences?

It’s such a classic but my biggest influence is probably Luc Tuymans, even though it’s the most obvious thing, but I love his paintings. At the moment I would say that I’m more influenced by Karin Mamma Andersson, Raoul De Keyser, Simon Ling, Julian Kreimer and I just discovered the work of Lois Dodd which is beautiful. Also there’s a Hungarian painter who settled in Wakefield where I’m from, György Gordon, I’m really influenced by him as well.

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

Usually the way that I start would be to look at source material, like photographs, do some drawings, and then start painting from there once I’ve worked out compositionally what I’m going to do. Quite standard really. I always just try to make the paintings, see what doesn’t work in them and try to correct it in the next set of paintings that I make. Or I try to make a painting from a previous painting and see how I can bring something else to it.

 

 

What do you enjoy most about the studio?

I think it’s really nice to have chats with everyone about what you’re doing and get new perspectives, it’s stops the process becoming too insular. We tend to help each other out with practical and technical stuff which is really nice. Personally I also really like being able to shut myself off, away from distractions and be on my own, which is definitely a thing with painting. You feel like you’re really concentrating when you’re in the studio.

 

 

How has your work changed?

It’s got a lot bigger. I’ve tried to loosen everything up; I’d say the style of it has changed a lot. I feel like it’s got a bit more confident, and I’d say that I’m trying to take more risks. I’ve continued with similar subject matters since the start of my degree, but my style and the way I paint has definitely changed quite a lot.

 

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to get a studio, and carry on painting. Try to keep the momentum going even though it’s probably going to be quite difficult! Just see what happens!