When did you first become interested in art?
I can’t remember one specific moment where I gained a real interest in art, as far as I can remember I’ve always been into it! As a very small child I was a bit of a scribbler, I used to draw all over the walls in my house and then move / rearrange objects around the house to conceal them. – Not because they were bad (they were fantastic) but because I didn’t want to get in trouble of course.
How would you describe your design style?
My collage work is a mixture of all different kinds of elements. It usually revolves around a vintage / old fashioned image which I’ve manipulated to look quite surreal. I also like to add in a few space elements where I can, so there’s a few elements of that too. I’d say my design style is quite colourful, vintage and very surreal.
What inspires you?
There’s many fantastic collage artists throughout instagram that I take inspiration from, but I’d say there’s only two artist’s work that I’m really captivated by and that’s Julien Pacaud & Miraruido. They are both fantastic collage artists which both play on the same mixture of surreal and vintage themes that I enjoy. Their work is truly fascinating, I recommend you give them a gander!
What is your favourite piece in your collection?
I think my favourite piece would have to be either ‘Fingers and Thumbs’ or ‘Breathe Easy’. I think both of these pieces have the best integration of elements with everything fitting together so well. They’re also both quite creepy which I’m always fond of.
Is there any artistic talent in your family?
Yes, my mum used to be very artistic, she could do great sketches, paintings and even papier mâché. – I remember she helped me re-create the ‘sorting hat’ from harry potter for my school’s ‘hat day competition’, because like any good school, we had one of those. – I didn’t win unfortunately, I can’t remember who did but hats off to them.
What is the journey you take to produce your work?
My work is usually a result of procrastination, if I have a lot of work to do that’s when I find it’s the best time to create a collage. With collage art it’s absolutely imperative that I stay hydrated, for this reason it’s important that I make myself a cup of tea before doing anything. (Milk no sugars.) Once this step is complete, I check the cupboard for custard creams and / or bourbons. To begin, I have a good browse through images online where I look for vintage / old fashioned source material. Once I’ve found images I like, I begin working in photoshop to cut out the parts of the image I’d like to use. Once I have all my elements cut out, I start messing around with many different colours, images and other elements. – I never have any initial idea of what I’m going to create, my work usually begins to take it’s own form, usually a result of experimentation and trial and error.
What made you want to be a part of Art Rookie?
Art Rookie just looked like a great and unique platform for young aspiring artists like myself that don’t have much experience or knowledge in the commercial / advertising area. It offers a great platform for designers like myself where I can publicly display my work whilst even earning from it! Most of all, I though it was great how it eliminates all the complications of trying to sell and print the designs myself.
When you’re not creating masterpieces what do you enjoy doing?
I’m a filmmaker mainly, I co-own an independent film production company where we create a wide variety of different films and videos. You can see my work here if you’re interested: http://www.berrycinema. co.uk/ I’ve always loved anything creative and I’ve always found filmmaking as a great creative outlet. I love being able to create a story or capture real live events in a cinematic and visually captivating fashion. As well as filmmaking and art, I also enjoy music and playing guitar.
Have you faced any struggles getting your work noticed?
I’ve only just started trying to get some recognition the last few months. I’ve been creating collages for a while but I’ve only ever made them as a hobby without ever thinking of trying to gain anything from it. Recently however, I’ve created an instagram account which I use as my main online platform. It’s a great way of becoming part of a community with other artists like myself. I’d say like with most things today, it is very hard to get anything noticed! Gaining recognition is definitely the tricky bit. I just plan to keep making my collages and see what happens from there.
Where would we find you hanging out in the UK?
I live in Surrey. I used to study in London, Greenwich for 2 years but have made the transition back to my Surrey home since graduating. I do most of my film work in London however, so still spend a majority of my time there. It’s very quiet in Surrey. There’s a lot of trees here too.
What makes British talent different than elsewhere?
That’s difficult to say, I’m not sure exactly what it is but we have so many different styles and flavours here, so many people with different imaginations and ideas. There’s so much art in Britain and we have so many great art and design collages and universities to cater for it.
What are your plans for 2014?
As far as the rest of 2014 goes, I hope to push my collage art even further! This means creating more artwork, gaining more recognition and beginning to earn more from my hobby!
