Artist in conversation: G E O R G I N A

Georgina is a British artist currently working with photography as her main medium.Her ethereal style is inspired by the inner workings of the universe, considering time as the fourth dimension and experiencing the world as a series of paused moments.

Follow Georgina here.

- Welcome to The Holy Art. Could you tell us a little more about your background, and how did you begin creating art?

I have worked as a professional photographer over the past decade, after completing my Masters degree at Sheffield Hallam University I felt more engaged with the fine art aspect of photography and decided to change direction. My fascination with photography started in childhood, it was almost an obsession to collect memories, fearing if the moment wasn’t captured it may be lost forever. I would photograph everything on disposable cameras, everything, and then meticulously edit the prints into an album. When looking through primary school textbooks I found a paragraph which stated ‘I want to be photographer’, it may be the only thing I’ve ever stuck to.

- What art do you most identify with?

 As well as being obsessed with the time freezing magic of photography as a child, I also became drawn to astrophysics, I was born in 1990, the same year the Hubble Telescope went into orbit, images of space and the mechanics of the universe has been a lifelong interest. I love art that questions reality or is inspired by science, Picasso’s cubist paintings reflect a discourse around the fourth dimension, Dali became captivated by nuclear physics and atoms, and the Renaissance period was a shift into the three dimensional world from the two dimensional images of the middle ages.

- Can you describe one artwork or series from your oeuvre that you feel was pivotal in your career? 

I think the series Lucent that you showed in the ‘Metamorphosis’ exhibition opened up a lot of opportunities and gave me some affirmation that I was headed in a fulfilling direction. It was my final project for my Masters and won ‘Best in Show’ at the University's graduate show in 2015. Later the Francesca Maffeo Gallery in Leigh-on-Sea exhibited and stocked the series and recently I had a solo exhibition of the work in my hometown of Sheffield. It was also an accumulation of creating without restrictions and exploring the personal, after working so many years as a photographer with briefs to fulfil.

- Which other great artists inspire you and why?

I love the work of Olafur Eliasson, the merging of science and art on a large enveloping scale, installation work is wonderful because you feel part of the artwork, you’re inside it and for that moment taken out of reality. Similarly I enjoy the work of Bill Viola, blurring the lines of performance and video in a world of technology. I previously mentioned Picasso and Dali for their ability to imagine a distorted higher dimensional reality, and as someone who probably reads more science books than art books, I’d say scientists such as Einstein, Carl Sagan and Michio Kaku have inspired my imagination too

- Can you talk about the process of creating your work?

I am incredibly curious, always surveying my surroundings, as I work with natural light and medium format film, sometimes it’s about predicting a moment and having patience for it to manifest. I am interested in the mundane being excited by the light of the sun, or the motion of water being suspended in time. I try not to have specific agendas and be guided by more of a sensation, a signal from my brain that this scene is worth keeping, a more mature version of my trigger happy childhood self. 

- What advice would you give to emerging artists entering the art world?

Love what you do. Create from passion and allow freedom to explore. Be genuine and people will see that. If you find writing about your work hard, you’re not alone. You do not need qualifications to master your craft. Do not be disheartened by rejection or failure, those experiences can be invaluable for the next step, learn, grow and believe in yourself.

- What do you hope that the public takes away from your art?

I believe that anyone can be an artist, it is within all of us, my work is so simple because I look at the world in a scientific way and from that find everything enchanting. Art is therapeutic and I would like my work to plant a seed of curiosity in maybe somebody who never thought about the composition of an image or the light in their living room, but suddenly sees something new and maybe themselves create art from that experience.

- What is your dream project?

I would love to be involved in a collaboration or commission to create something on a large scale to encourage children from all backgrounds to get into science and art. I believe that great minds are everywhere, equal opportunities and a passion for making positive changes will move us towards a better future much quicker. Alternatively, and on a more selfish level, my dream is to go to space, so if anyone needs a space photographer...

- Finally, are there any projects you are currently working on and able to speak about?

I turned 30 this year, and after a decade of working with photography I found myself wanting to push the limits of my imagination and challenge my senses. I

am working on a number of concepts based around quantum mechanics and how it exists within our day to day lives, again I want to bring excitement to the

mundane. The concepts will form sculptures, video work and installations, I’m excited for the coming years of creativity.