What Artists Like #4

Welcome to What Artists Like, an artist-led series of interviews, highlights and nominations edited by me, Nicola Wiltshire. This week we delve into the evocative world of Guest Curator Olivia Mansfield, who was nominated by painter Tia Taylor Berry. 

NW –  Layering seems to be an important feature of your work. It’s physically layered, in the way you apply your materials. But also in terms of imagery, with two or three paintings sometimes existing harmoniously within one space. Do you sketch out your paintings first, or see what emerges during the process? 

OM -The way I work is usually incredibly intuitive, I tend to start with an open mind as to what might manifest, keeping a fluid brush stroke and an unsharp eye on what’s happening. It may be figurative, floral, abstract, landmass, cave or mountain…I tend to accept the rhythm which finds me/the piece and run with it.  I do make sketches and small works (drawings, paintings, collages) which sometimes move to inform the larger pieces. But generally the emergence of the faces/beings/beasts which appear are very spontaneous and unplanned. I like to think they are fragments/elements, maybe shadows or snapshots of what’s happening in my subconscious mind. If I’m ever feeling uninspired, I will often sit and look through books, sift through imagery/sketches/scraps from the studio in order to light a spark which can then be followed whilst I’m painting. 

NW – I read that your work draws upon a wide range of references,  including myth, legend, folklore, sci-fi, ritual, symbolism. Is there a story or character that you find particularly inspiring, or meaningful? Or perhaps one that is memorable in some way.

OM – I love everything and anything folklore – the idea of storytelling, passing down and maintaining tangible links to our history and ancient cultures is so important.  One of my favourites are the stories of the Tuatha Dé Danann from Irish mythology, I enjoy a lot of the symbolism and meandering narratives which come from Celtic mythology, creatures like the Kelpie and the Selkie are some favourites. Also an all time fave from Greek Mythology is anything surrounding the Perseus myth, who famously slew Medusa. 

NW – There are often females at the centre of your work. Are they based on yourself, or are you interested in female archetypes in general?

OM – Powerful female figures/archetypes are found within so many different cultures, religions, legends from across the globe and that’s always something I have been drawn to and wanted to learn more about from a young age. I genuinely didn’t expect that my work would end up being such a deep exploration of the idea of ‘self’ and of the stages of womanhood – more recently the focus on the Maiden, Mother, Crone archetypes.  After having my little boy I re-started my practice and I was in such an undeniable state of transition and change within myself, physically, emotionally, spiritually, it just bled out into what I was producing. Once that figure was there on the page/canvas, it was kind of hard to ignore her. 

NW – I haven’t met you, but your work gives the impression that it’s a real extension of you and your imagination. Have you ever translated these ideas into another medium, for example clay, or words, or dance? 

OM – I write a lot alongside my work and I have been known on occasion to perform these pieces/poems in shows alongside the exhibited paintings. I’ve also recently acquired a kiln and will be firing it up very soon with a new body of work, it’ll be really fun to explore the interplay between my paintings and the world of ceramics. 

NW – Finally, what kind of drawings did you make as a child?
OM: Mad creatures and lots of colour.

Keep scrolling to see the brilliant works Olivia has highlighted from the New Blood Art Collection, plus some of the things that inspire her. Olivia has nominated ethereal painter Colette Lavette as the next Artist Curator, so look out for that.  

Thanks for reading 🙂
Nicola Wiltshire

See below link to previous What Artists Like

What Artists Like #4