We interviewed Ian as part of our proposal to offer insight into how practicing artists were coping with these unprecedented times. He has provided us with a window into his current practice and inspiration.

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1- Who are you? Introduce yourself
My name is Ian Kirkpatrick and I’m a Canadian contemporary artist and graphic designer currently living in London. I studied sculpture in British Columbia in the late 90s – but for some reason the program disillusioned me and I stopped creating work for several years. Then in 2007 I moved to Southampton, where I met some other artists and got inspired to create again. I was fortunate enough to get accepted to a few exhibitions, and won some small commissions – then from that point forward I became a professional artist. I occasionally work on design commissions (mostly for heritage-related projects) and I’m a visiting lecturer in Visual Communication at Leeds Arts university, but mostly I’m focused on contemporary art. I think having been away from art for so many years actually helped me in
some ways, as it gave me a focus and drive that I might not have had straight out of university. Once I began practicing art again I dove in with a real passion and have been working tirelessly to build my career and create the best work possible. I’ve been fortunate enough to exhibit my art across the UK, as well as in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and the USA.

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2- What is your artistic practice?- What drove you to work as you are now? How has
this been impacted by lockdown restrictions and the pandemic?
I’m interested in the history of visual communication – particularly the ways that iconographies, themes, myths and narratives get repeated and evolved across time. I love the way images can be loaded with historical meaning – but can also gain new relevance when they are placed in other contexts. The surfaces of my artworks are typically filled with graphics – some original images, some collected from sources including cave art, Greek vases, Renaissance paintings, 1960s poster art, video games – whatever inspires me. I combine these graphics together to try and tell contemporary narratives and respond to current global events. I create my designs digitally, using vector software – often using the same images across multiple pieces, like hieroglyphs. I then translate the designs into a variety of materials and forms, ranging from stainless steel, to embroidered patches, cardboard and Dibond. For example, before lockdown I was working on a large piece of sculptural furniture – a Sphinx-shaped sofa commissioned by Normanby Hall and 20-21 Visual Arts, in North Linconshire. To create the piece, I translated my iconography into machine-embroidered patches, which I then sewed onto a sculptural form made of artificial leather, foam, wood and brass. Lockdown unfortunately made such pieces impossible to create. But on the flip side, it allowed me to focus more on my 2D designs, which I can create at home with my laptop and iPad.

 

3- What are you currently working on? (virtual exhibitions, creative movements,
collaborative projects, maintaining production of work)
In May I won an Arts Council England Emergency Grant, to help me develop a new creative process that will hopefully have a major long-term impact on my work. I’m no longer starting an artwork by saying “what’s this piece about?” Instead, I’m producing an ongoing series of digital graphics…then combining them into various arrangements that generate meaning. So, rather than the artwork dictating the imagery I create, the images inform the artwork. My new pieces feel more like an evolving narrative, rather than a bunch of separate, self- contained designs. The grant also funded a pigment ink (giclee) A2 printer – which means I can create work digitally, then quickly translate it into physical form at home. The result is that I’m able to be much more agile and responsive with my artworks. I can try a
combination of elements and print it out – then try a different combination and make a second, different print – all without it costing a fortune or taking months to produce. I’ve always been inspired by Picasso’s creative process & in particular the way he would create dozens of versions of an artwork – not with the aim of reaching a ‘perfect’ final version, but because each design was meaningful in its own right. This new process I’m working with lets me create multiple versions of things, sometimes with moderate differences – but each has its own character and unique meaning. I’ve only really begun this new project, but it’s been very exciting and is helping to stimulate a constant flow of new ideas.

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4- What is next? – How, if at all, has this pandemic inspired further progression?
I think the pandemic has had a couple of effects on my art. Firstly, the Arts Council project I’m working on is really just the start of my new creative approach – it’s not so much a ‘project’ as a ‘process’ and so I think it will continue indefinitely. My hope is that it will allow me to develop a more robust 2D output that parallels my sculptural work, and could possibly open up more commercial opportunities for my art (for example by selling pieces online). This is particularly important given the financial toll the pandemic will inevitably have on the Arts sector, where grants and commissions will likely become more scarce. Secondly, I think the pandemic has really helped focus peoples’ minds about social issues – and has been a wake up call that urgent change needs to happen in many areas of life. The weight of global events has encouraged me (and many other artists) to consider how our work can be used to benefit society. I’ve always tried to address current events in my art, but I’m now
keen to push things further and make work that is proactive and socially impactful.

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5- Where can we find you? Extra projects you are working on, social media, website,
exhibitions you will be in, etc.
I recently produced a piece of public art in Southampton on the exterior of a new residential/commercial building (commissioned by PMC Construction and ‘a space’ arts) which will hopefully be unveiled by the end of summer. Then in January my solo exhibition ‘Mythomania’ (part of 20-21 Visual Arts’ touring programme) will open at the Sainsbury Gallery in Basingstoke. My current Arts Council-funded project can be found on Instagram, where I’m regularly posting new work:
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/iankirkpatrickartist
Website: http://www.iankirkpatrick.ca