Artist in conversation: House.muse
The House Muse project seeks to foster a deep connection between individuals and their living spaces by infusing the music culture they cherish with a serene, subdued ambiance. The artwork, enriched with natural patterns and colors, is designed to cultivate a relaxing atmosphere, aiding individuals in achieving a sense of groundedness within their environment. This series intertwines elements of various music genres, from drum and bass to R&B, while utilizing visuals that evoke an earthy and rooted aesthetic.
What initially inspired you to become an artist, and how did you develop your unique style?
I just wanted to create work for myself to put on my wall and realized it was pretty good and I should share it with other people. The style comes from my set of inspirations, street artists, pop art music visuals and strange patterns.
In terms of subject matter, what themes or motifs do you frequently explore in your work, and what draws you to these topics?
Theres a lot of music equipment, dancers, characters, clothing and plants. Nature and natural patterns are explored in the work but also largely uk dance music culture, street art and modernized references to classic pop artists like Roy Litchinstein.
What inspired the concept of The House Muse project, and how did the idea of blending music culture with a soothing vibe come about?
I think because a lot of the art I like or a lot of the visuals I see that are associated with techno and UK bass can be quite extreme, harsh, bold and colourful but I wanted something more toned down to fit into my living space. Taking influence from calming parts of the outdoors is a good way to do this and creates a nice intersection of street art, music and nature.
Looking forward, do you have any plans to expand The House Muse project or explore new themes within the intersection of music culture and visual art?
The current work is quite clean and sleek. In the close future I’m going to dive further into the UK music scene creating work that equally pays homage to but also takes the piss out of dance culture. Playing with existing subject matter and patterns I’m working towards a more eclectic, self-aware and humorous style set with more human hand evident in the work. This will be a larger body of small-scale multimedia pieces that mix collage, print and pen.
Can you tell us about a project or illustration that you found particularly challenging or rewarding?
All of the girl series prints. Initially figuring out how to get the effects to work nicely with the illustrations took a lot of tweaking, re-shading and adjustments. I’ve gotten pretty good at this now and preparing work for adding these types of filters comes naturally so that was rewarding.
How do you incorporate feedback from critics and audiences into your artistic practice, and how do you balance this feedback with your own artistic intuition?
Obviously, the audience is important, the whole point is for people to see and connect with the work but don’t really take much feedback to be honest. I take a note from Rick Rubens book: “the audience comes last” in the process. I make what I enjoy and if I can be proud of it then surely someone else will enjoy it as well.
How do you stay motivated and inspired despite any setbacks or creative blocks you may encounter?
Motivation comes and goes; I think the biggest motivation is to see what other people are creating. I look at a lot of art and sometimes I think I’ve seen everything but there always seems to be something new. If I see a new style or something I’m really into, that always gives me a buzz.
How do you feel about exhibiting your artworks with The Holy Art Gallery?
It’s nice to have my work in a show, it’s the first time I’ve had anything from this new set of work in a show.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and aspirations as an artist, and how do you plan to achieve them?
Firstly I think how we decorate our spaces has an impact on how we feel and I think if I can help people to feel a little bit better in their own space than maybe there’s a chance they can take that feeling out into the world and pass it along. I want to have that impact. Secondly I just want to be self-sufficient as an artist to be able to continue to develop work in different series expanding around different aspects of life, music, movement, cooking, hiking, all things I believe to be the great parts of life that give people joy and are a catalyst for creating wholesome moments in our lives.
What role does emotion play in your creative process, and how do you aim to evoke specific feelings or reactions from those who view your artworks?
I want people to chill out honestly, the main emotions I want people to get are a feeling of calm and then also a feeling of connection to the visual like a recognition of something that’s hard to put into words. It’s a feeling like nostalgia but not necessarily a feeling linked to the past. Get lost in it, take in all the details.