An interview conducted with artist Amelia-Colette Jones about her exhibit of new drawings: The Sharky Wallpaper. Captured via Twitter from 12/6/13 – 12/28/13. It is SHARKY FAMOUS!
[alert style=”white”] Amelia-Colette Jones // Saint Louis, USA[/alert]
Q1 : What is your earliest memory of art or creating art? + Tell me about your relationship with art today.
A1: My earliest memory is drawing, I used to draw all the time when I was little – and on any kind of paper. The Sharky Wallpaper is all about drawing.
Q2: What sort of drawings have you been creating for The Sharky Wallpaper? Bring me into your process of drawing these works.
A2: Small drawings generated by text. People learn how to write by repeating text, people learn song lyrics by repeating songs over and over.I repeat text in the drawings – and what ends up happening is a new shape is created – a shape of un-knowing. In a stupid way – something you thought you knew becomes something else.
Q3: How does color affect your work and is there a palette to define The Sharky Wallpaper?
A3: Color is important – I’m using colors that relate to each other so a kind of ‘all over’ effect is produced. Each color has a biology(?) – There are colors that act like bone and colors that act like a skin… There are rules for the way the colors behave.
Q4: When you look at your recent drawings, what do you see on the surface? Compare/contrast this to what you see or feel deeper in the work.
A4: On the surface there is pattern…underlying text, illusions of space that is then corrupted by the physicality of the paper. I was thinking about connection, how each line connects to the another line in the drawing – or doesn’t want to connect. I think about practice.
Q5: How often do you make work? What are the proper conditions for you to be creative?
A5: Right now I’ve been putting in 2-3 hours everyday, before or after I go to work. Having a studio is great – but I’m doing alright right now like this. Another thing to think about is the person that writes down a bunch of words but tries to make it so you can’t read them. What is that motivation?
Q6: Describe Sharky. The thoughts behind Sharky. The essence of Sharky. Then summarize this influence in #thesharkywallpaper.
Sharky is a character I created to be brave when I couldn’t.
Q7: Who or what currently inspires you?
A7: Cover bands. Music is really important – or sound – what sound looks like – what the voice looks like. Copy machines, yoga, the human voice. Also the book The Yellow Wallpaper.
The drawings don’t have a focal point (like wallpaper). I’m hoping the viewer will spend some time with the drawings and little moments will start occurring to them in their visual field.
Q8: Instant Bank Account Bonus// If you had all the time and money you needed, what would you make or do?
A8: I want to start a museum. I think I would focus on making the drawings large scale – and try to translate the intimate nature of the drawings. Put the drawings in a bigger more public space …
Q9: How does The Sharky Wallpaper interact with the *apartment* gallery environment. Elaborate on how you approach the exhibition space.
Drawings will displace the privacy of the apartment, appearing in both likely and unlikely places. Sharky champions the act of drawing and the satisfaction that comes from failure.
Q10:This is your last chance to share any other thoughts, info or wisdom. Use it wisely.
A10: I think The Sharkey Wallpaper is a jumping-off point for a lot of ideas, I’m glad I got to show it and you wanted to see it!
