Between Fiction & Reality
Laurence Jones
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Dear Laurence, Thank you for accepting our invitation for this interview. Your paintings are an outsider’s glimpse into modern or mid-century spaces that seem abandoned or deserted by people and devoid of activity. Your work is reminiscent of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Is that intentional? What else can you tell us about the themes and ideas behind your paintings? |
Photo: courtesy of the artist |
Edward Hopper was one of many early influences, but work by photographers such as Gregory Crewdson and Jeff Wall had a stronger influence on my interest in the themes of modern alienation and narrative. The themes I investigate are similar to that of Hopper in this sense.
I feel like the idea of staged narrative is increasingly relevant nowadays – it is something we all identify with and live within due to the advent of technology.
Talking of Edward Hopper, what do you think of his works? Also, it’s said he knew he’d be an artist since he was a little boy. Did you want to be an artist from early on?
For me, painters like De Chirico and Hopper set the precedent for investigating modern alienation as a theme. I admire the use of lighting in his work, and the sense of the cinematic.
I have been drawing my whole life, but it wasn’t until around the age of twelve or thirteen that I became interested in graphic and illustrative work.
How labor intensive is the course of work from start to finish?
The starting point is usually something that catches my eye, or that I feel I need to respond to in some way. This is often a found image, or something I see incidentally that gives me the impetus to do something with in the studio. This could be as simple as a swatch of colour, which then becomes a skyline or the colour of a floor. I combine these with other images to create digital collages that allow me to play around very quickly with various elements, and build the scene. At this point I usually have some sketches laid out on canvas, or initial layers of colour down.
The finished work ends up highly detailed, and it is labor intensive, working with several layers on a large scale. I am keen to convey a sense of the material of paint, whilst alluding to manual processes such as photography.
I feel like the idea of staged narrative is increasingly relevant nowadays – it is something we all identify with and live within due to the advent of technology.
Talking of Edward Hopper, what do you think of his works? Also, it’s said he knew he’d be an artist since he was a little boy. Did you want to be an artist from early on?
For me, painters like De Chirico and Hopper set the precedent for investigating modern alienation as a theme. I admire the use of lighting in his work, and the sense of the cinematic.
I have been drawing my whole life, but it wasn’t until around the age of twelve or thirteen that I became interested in graphic and illustrative work.
How labor intensive is the course of work from start to finish?
The starting point is usually something that catches my eye, or that I feel I need to respond to in some way. This is often a found image, or something I see incidentally that gives me the impetus to do something with in the studio. This could be as simple as a swatch of colour, which then becomes a skyline or the colour of a floor. I combine these with other images to create digital collages that allow me to play around very quickly with various elements, and build the scene. At this point I usually have some sketches laid out on canvas, or initial layers of colour down.
The finished work ends up highly detailed, and it is labor intensive, working with several layers on a large scale. I am keen to convey a sense of the material of paint, whilst alluding to manual processes such as photography.
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How much research goes into the preparation process before you execute each of your pieces?
I try to approach each work differently and respond to what I’m making with a fresh perspective each time. I try not to pre-plan too much. I prefer to make decisions in response to what I’m making. Being aware of the world outside the studio allows me to pick up on things that can turn into paintings, so sometimes that is enough preparation to take into the studio.
Your paintings were selected for Art Basel Miami which just closed yesterday. What was that experience like?
It was incredible to have work shown in Miami, and for it to be received as well as it was felt extremely rewarding.
Having your work selected in a number of exhibitions and art fairs, what other elements do you see as essential in helping artists make their work available to more and more viewers, art lovers and collectors in today’s competitive world?
I think it’s important to create a structure around what you make to provide the context for people to view your work in. I feel like I am just figuring this out myself, but social media is a great way to frame your practice. I also think you can do a lot with the work you make, by making what you are communicating as clear as possible, whatever medium you work in.
On what note did you start this New Year?
Despite the amount of upheaval both socially and politically, I feel optimistic. Personally, I feel extremely lucky to be able to make work full time – it has been a busy year, and I’m looking forward to an even busier 2017.
What projects are you working for and excited about?
I will be showing at LA Art Fair for the first time this January, and also at Palm Springs the following month. I am currently making work for these fairs, and looking forward to my debut solo show, which will be held early next year at The Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London, UK.
I try to approach each work differently and respond to what I’m making with a fresh perspective each time. I try not to pre-plan too much. I prefer to make decisions in response to what I’m making. Being aware of the world outside the studio allows me to pick up on things that can turn into paintings, so sometimes that is enough preparation to take into the studio.
Your paintings were selected for Art Basel Miami which just closed yesterday. What was that experience like?
It was incredible to have work shown in Miami, and for it to be received as well as it was felt extremely rewarding.
Having your work selected in a number of exhibitions and art fairs, what other elements do you see as essential in helping artists make their work available to more and more viewers, art lovers and collectors in today’s competitive world?
I think it’s important to create a structure around what you make to provide the context for people to view your work in. I feel like I am just figuring this out myself, but social media is a great way to frame your practice. I also think you can do a lot with the work you make, by making what you are communicating as clear as possible, whatever medium you work in.
On what note did you start this New Year?
Despite the amount of upheaval both socially and politically, I feel optimistic. Personally, I feel extremely lucky to be able to make work full time – it has been a busy year, and I’m looking forward to an even busier 2017.
What projects are you working for and excited about?
I will be showing at LA Art Fair for the first time this January, and also at Palm Springs the following month. I am currently making work for these fairs, and looking forward to my debut solo show, which will be held early next year at The Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London, UK.