10.30.11
Painting: Geraint Evans
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10.30.11: Interview: Geraint Evans
CM Evans has a talk with Geraint Evans, for Marguerite Avenue. Geraint's work has been exhibited widely in solo and selected group exhibitions; his art is included in international collections -- including the Fondazione Morra Greco, in Napoli, Italy, the British Embassy, Berlin, and the British Airways Collection. In 2008 he was awarded a prize at the John Moores 25 Contemporary Painting exhibition. He was recently the keynote speaker at 'Dialogues 2011' symposium: Norwich University College of the Arts.
CM Evans: We share a common surname, Evans, and this is why I found your paintings. People on the WWW will occasionally do searches to find out who has their name, and what things they post online. Have you ever done this?
Geraint Evans: Of course. I share my name with the late Sir Geraint Evans, the opera singer and there are numerous websites and postings devoted to him and his music. He once signed a poster for me: “for Geraint Evans from Geraint Evans”. There is also a Cardiff based artist with the same name although this has not caused any confusion for me so far – I can’t speak for my namesake though.
CM: When I discovered your images, I was immediately taken by them. What originally motivated you to try painting?
GE: I grew up in Swansea where opportunities to see paintings were limited (despite the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery which I much admire). I think that I wanted to be an artist long before I understood what this entails. Painting can be a very immediate and accessible activity although, ultimately, it is also very complex and demanding.
CM: What are some of your motivations now?
GE: There is still much to learn about the language, process and materiality of paint. Painting also provides a structure with which I can explore a range of interesting ideas, make observations and express opinions. Despite the doubt that inevitably haunts the majority of artists I am still (sometimes pleasantly) surprised by the finished work.
CM: Do you believe it takes effort to create?
GE: Sometimes ideas come very easily and starting a new painting can seem effortless and thrilling. However, I will soon be presented with a range of problems, both formal and conceptual, that need to be worked through. This can be a tortuous and frustrating process but is inescapable in any painting practice.
CM: Your images are distinct, vivid, and a lot of symbolism runs through them. Do you know where these images, or constructs come from?
GE: I have been interested for some time in our perception and understanding of landscape and how this is shaped by cultural experience. I am therefore deliberately drawn towards images, narratives and motifs that are relevant to this subject area. These can be suggested by particular places I visit (for example, theme parks, shopping malls or national parks); images or stories in journals, magazines or films; or by written texts (critical or fictional). Most of the images used are based on my own photographs and a few are found.
CM: At times I see tension and peril in your work. Is this something you’re trying to get across?
GE: It is certainly true that in previous work I appropriated the visual language of health and safety manuals – fictional, stylised illustrations that represent moments of panic and pain with a sense of functional detachment. This created the unsettling sense of panic that you describe, although it was often off-set by black humour. Perhaps something of this is retained in my current paintings.
CM: I sense a quality in some of your paintings: an image can be serene, or beguiling -- yet equally, quietly disturbing. But the viewer can become more attached to something that way, almost in a heart-breaking way. Is there any truth for you to this?
GE: The duality you describe has probably developed from the visual language of the paintings which, as I explained in the previous answer, is rather stylised and detached even when describing narratives that seem strange or filled with pathos. Also, I often create an incongruous juxtaposition of motifs within the work which perhaps leads to a feeling of uncertainty. I find the use of the term "heart-breaking" intriguing and am sure that it is connected with my overarching interest in notions of aspiration and failure (issues that are easy to find empathy with), which is very apparent in previous work but continues to underpin my current practice.
CM: Things are outwardly appearing one way, but underneath, or with more examination, the entire mood of the painting can radically change. It takes time, with some of your paintings, for this to happen. Do you have any preference for this change to be quick, or slow?
GE: In many ways, when first viewed, my paintings are accessible and, perhaps, rather straight forward. However, I hope that they form a point of departure for the consideration of a range of complex ideas. Whether this process is immediate or not is not particularly important to me.
CM: When you have an idea, or concept, how do you go about realizing it visually?
GE: Perhaps I should give an example: ‘An Ornamental Hermit’ 2007. I read about ornamental hermits whilst researching the 18th century English landscape garden tradition. Only a few ornamental hermits were ever appointed. As the name suggests they were not real hermits but were hired to live within the grounds of a country estate so that they could appear for the amusement of the owner and guests alike. Perhaps the most well known appointment was made by Charles Hamilton at Painshill in Surrey. I decided to relocate the hermit to a contemporary suburban setting and to adopt the compositional form of a group portrait. I devised the overall image as though I were constructing a collage - the various motifs (the figures, tree house-cum-hermitage, house and garden) were based on my own photographs. The materiality of the paint and its labour-intensive stylised application are all important to the painting’s overall meaning.
CM: Do accidents play a role in the things that you do?
GE: Although I am fairly certain about the form and composition of each painting from the start there are still many issues to resolve during the making of the work. Sometimes, accidents, or perhaps more accurately unexpected developments will alter the direction and meaning of a painting completely.
CM: Talk about one reaction you’ve had from a painting, some feedback which was surprising.
GE: I didn’t realise how much humour was in the work until my first solo exhibition at Wilkinson Gallery in 2000. It was apparent to me even before I received the critical feedback of others.
CM: Is there anything you learned, that you have completely discarded?
GE: It is almost impossible to discard things completely. I often find myself revisiting processes or ideas that I have set aside previously. Artists seem to return to the same core interests again and again.
CM: What comes next for you?
GE: Currently I am making another painting of an ornamental hermit. This time I imagine him to be the subject of a fictional theme park attraction, a development inspired by George Saunder’s novella ‘Pastoralia’. This will be shown in an exhibition curated by the painters Phillip Allen and Dan Coombs in the new year.
CM: And then later?
GE: I am working towards a solo exhibition that will be held at the Museum and Art Gallery in Newport next year. I have been invited to make an animation for an exhibition that will be curated by Jordan Baseman and Animate Projects, autumn 2012. I am also developing a curatorial project for Wimbledon Space, the gallery at Wimbledon College of Art where I have been teaching since 2003.
CM Evans: We share a common surname, Evans, and this is why I found your paintings. People on the WWW will occasionally do searches to find out who has their name, and what things they post online. Have you ever done this?
Geraint Evans: Of course. I share my name with the late Sir Geraint Evans, the opera singer and there are numerous websites and postings devoted to him and his music. He once signed a poster for me: “for Geraint Evans from Geraint Evans”. There is also a Cardiff based artist with the same name although this has not caused any confusion for me so far – I can’t speak for my namesake though.
CM: When I discovered your images, I was immediately taken by them. What originally motivated you to try painting?
GE: I grew up in Swansea where opportunities to see paintings were limited (despite the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery which I much admire). I think that I wanted to be an artist long before I understood what this entails. Painting can be a very immediate and accessible activity although, ultimately, it is also very complex and demanding.
CM: What are some of your motivations now?
GE: There is still much to learn about the language, process and materiality of paint. Painting also provides a structure with which I can explore a range of interesting ideas, make observations and express opinions. Despite the doubt that inevitably haunts the majority of artists I am still (sometimes pleasantly) surprised by the finished work.
CM: Do you believe it takes effort to create?
GE: Sometimes ideas come very easily and starting a new painting can seem effortless and thrilling. However, I will soon be presented with a range of problems, both formal and conceptual, that need to be worked through. This can be a tortuous and frustrating process but is inescapable in any painting practice.
CM: Your images are distinct, vivid, and a lot of symbolism runs through them. Do you know where these images, or constructs come from?
GE: I have been interested for some time in our perception and understanding of landscape and how this is shaped by cultural experience. I am therefore deliberately drawn towards images, narratives and motifs that are relevant to this subject area. These can be suggested by particular places I visit (for example, theme parks, shopping malls or national parks); images or stories in journals, magazines or films; or by written texts (critical or fictional). Most of the images used are based on my own photographs and a few are found.
CM: At times I see tension and peril in your work. Is this something you’re trying to get across?
GE: It is certainly true that in previous work I appropriated the visual language of health and safety manuals – fictional, stylised illustrations that represent moments of panic and pain with a sense of functional detachment. This created the unsettling sense of panic that you describe, although it was often off-set by black humour. Perhaps something of this is retained in my current paintings.
CM: I sense a quality in some of your paintings: an image can be serene, or beguiling -- yet equally, quietly disturbing. But the viewer can become more attached to something that way, almost in a heart-breaking way. Is there any truth for you to this?
GE: The duality you describe has probably developed from the visual language of the paintings which, as I explained in the previous answer, is rather stylised and detached even when describing narratives that seem strange or filled with pathos. Also, I often create an incongruous juxtaposition of motifs within the work which perhaps leads to a feeling of uncertainty. I find the use of the term "heart-breaking" intriguing and am sure that it is connected with my overarching interest in notions of aspiration and failure (issues that are easy to find empathy with), which is very apparent in previous work but continues to underpin my current practice.
CM: Things are outwardly appearing one way, but underneath, or with more examination, the entire mood of the painting can radically change. It takes time, with some of your paintings, for this to happen. Do you have any preference for this change to be quick, or slow?
GE: In many ways, when first viewed, my paintings are accessible and, perhaps, rather straight forward. However, I hope that they form a point of departure for the consideration of a range of complex ideas. Whether this process is immediate or not is not particularly important to me.
CM: When you have an idea, or concept, how do you go about realizing it visually?
GE: Perhaps I should give an example: ‘An Ornamental Hermit’ 2007. I read about ornamental hermits whilst researching the 18th century English landscape garden tradition. Only a few ornamental hermits were ever appointed. As the name suggests they were not real hermits but were hired to live within the grounds of a country estate so that they could appear for the amusement of the owner and guests alike. Perhaps the most well known appointment was made by Charles Hamilton at Painshill in Surrey. I decided to relocate the hermit to a contemporary suburban setting and to adopt the compositional form of a group portrait. I devised the overall image as though I were constructing a collage - the various motifs (the figures, tree house-cum-hermitage, house and garden) were based on my own photographs. The materiality of the paint and its labour-intensive stylised application are all important to the painting’s overall meaning.
CM: Do accidents play a role in the things that you do?
GE: Although I am fairly certain about the form and composition of each painting from the start there are still many issues to resolve during the making of the work. Sometimes, accidents, or perhaps more accurately unexpected developments will alter the direction and meaning of a painting completely.
CM: Talk about one reaction you’ve had from a painting, some feedback which was surprising.
GE: I didn’t realise how much humour was in the work until my first solo exhibition at Wilkinson Gallery in 2000. It was apparent to me even before I received the critical feedback of others.
CM: Is there anything you learned, that you have completely discarded?
GE: It is almost impossible to discard things completely. I often find myself revisiting processes or ideas that I have set aside previously. Artists seem to return to the same core interests again and again.
CM: What comes next for you?
GE: Currently I am making another painting of an ornamental hermit. This time I imagine him to be the subject of a fictional theme park attraction, a development inspired by George Saunder’s novella ‘Pastoralia’. This will be shown in an exhibition curated by the painters Phillip Allen and Dan Coombs in the new year.
CM: And then later?
GE: I am working towards a solo exhibition that will be held at the Museum and Art Gallery in Newport next year. I have been invited to make an animation for an exhibition that will be curated by Jordan Baseman and Animate Projects, autumn 2012. I am also developing a curatorial project for Wimbledon Space, the gallery at Wimbledon College of Art where I have been teaching since 2003.
About the Author:
Geraint Evans grew up in Swansea, Wales and studied at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. He has exhibited widely both in the UK and abroad and lectures on the MA Fine Art programme at Wimbledon College of Art, University of the Arts London. His paintings, drawings, and articles can be seen at www.geraintevans.net.
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