Thursday, April 7, 2011

Artist Interview Jade Francis



What is your name: 

Jade Francis (spelt the boy way) Margaret Townsend

Do you have a formal art education or are you a self taught artist: 

Well, I suppose you begin self taught then... I went art school.

What is the style of your pieces:

Graphic, illustrative and quite primal.

Visually my work depicts painted scenes which include animals and forests. I arrange the paintings like installations, climbing on top of one another up a wall or meeting in a corner to empower a space. My work is about creating a new visual language through the collision of two cultures, I am half Maori and half English.


What is the medium in which you work: 

Acrylic on canvas.

What started you on your path as an artist: 

Probably those short art programmes for kids that would be on in the afternoon...you know, the ones which would show you how to make a crocodile cd holder from a poster tube?  I loved those art programmes, but... they would say all you needed were things from around the house, then include obscure things like Velcro dots or sticky eyes where the pupil's jiggle around. That was pretty annoying... it meant i had to be resourceful.
 
What is one of the most important things that art has brought to your life: 

A crocodile cd holder...ha,ha. Enjoying my own company.
 
What is your favorite genre of art besides the one you work in: 

I love performance art and all the possibilities it has at the time it is happening. The space, the audience, the dancers/speakers... all the factors, so many different anomalies which actually activate the work. 

Do you have art showings, and if so what are they typically like: 

Busy!
 
Do you have a certain set of clothes you make art in: 

I'm a pretty tidy painter so I don't have a painting uniform but I'm always in my docs.

What has been the most frustrating part of being an artist?

Never really feeling like one.

What is your favorite sandwich of all time: 

Quite bloody hard. Anything with brie.

Has this year brought about any changes in your work, and if so what are they: 

Think less, paint more.

Who is your favorite artist alive or dead: 

Frida Kahlo, people say I look a bit like her too.

What is the most moving piece of artwork that you have seen in person:

It would have to be an exhibition, the Georg Baselitz retrospective at the Royal Academy, London 2007.

Do you have any animals, and what do they think of your work: 

My cat Columbus ran away, I hope it wasn't because he didn't like my paintings. 
 
Do you have any upcoming exhibitions you would like to share with us: 
 
Yes, organising a few different things at the moment, you can keep up to date by checking my blog.

jadefrancis.t@gmail.com                

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