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Interview with Will Clarke - "My work is really inspired by challenging architecture and interesting landscapes. "

Interview with Will Clarke - "My work is really inspired by challenging architecture and interesting landscapes. "

Posted by Liam Howlett on 18th Nov 2014

Will studied at Wimbledon School of Art and Bath Spa University. He is a practicing artist and printmaker based in London. His work mixes abstraction and architectural imagery to produce urban scenes with a sense of intricacy and energy.

Q: Your work looks very inspired by architecture and the urban environment. What draws you to these, and is there anything else that inspires you?

A:

My work is really inspired by challenging architecture and interesting landscapes. I like to find discover old buildings with lots of character and I usually spend a lot of time trying to work out how, or why they were first built. I also really enjoy fine art that is inspired by craft, or has elements of illustration or print in it. Artists such as Julie Mehretu, Grayson Perry and Eduardo Paolozzi – they all really inspire me. I plan to work on some unique large-scale pieces that combine different techniques and draw inspiration from artists such as these.

Q: How did you get into art? Did you study, or just fall into it?

A:

To be perfectly honest, I never really intended to become a printmaker – when I was in my teens I was solely interested in being a fine artist or painter. It wasn't until university that I started to think about being an illustrator, or even a graphic designer. In my third year of studying I realised the potential of using print in my work and I have continually used the technique ever since.

Q: How would you best describe your studio’s environment on a normal day in there?

A:

I have recently moved to a studio in Brixton and I tend to float between that and my print studio in Peckham. A typical day in the studio involves arriving fairly early, stopping for a coffee on the way, then setting out my drawings - or continuing where I left off from the day before. I usually print twice a week which is great. I really enjoy the process of screen printing, it's so different from my drawing and it's nice to balance the two throughout the week.

Q: What would you say your art style is?

A:

I'd say it's very graphic, although I often feel like I want to be more creative and experimental. I am planning a series of larger, unique pieces which might involve a range of techniques. I often get asked how my work is created and whether I ever sell my originals, but in many ways my prints are my originals because I use both illustration and print to achieve the final composition. To break it down, all of my artwork is initially hand drawn, then I use silk screen printing to add the splash of colour. Silk screen is a hand printing technique which can be used to re-produce artwork but also to add new layers of colour into it. I really enjoy both stages and in many ways they are art-forms within themselves. The drawing can look quite different having been printed because it completely flattens any tone it once had and it becomes a very even and graphic image.

Q: What drew you into making art for a living?

A:

That's a tricky one... I'm not sure that it was something I ever considered as an option to be honest. As far back as I remember I was interested in art and drawing - so I guess you could say I was always going to do it. Having said that, there are certainly positives and negatives to this career - it's never easy!

Q: Thanks, for the last question, if you had the resources to create anything what would you make?

A:

I'd love to create a huge piece of artwork, I love visiting galleries and seeing massive pieces of work. I recently visited the Anselm Kiefer show at the RA and it's mind blowing to see the scale in which he works. If I could have the space, resources and time to do something on that scale - that's what I'd do.