Gillian Theobald
Seattle, WA, USA
Website:
www.gilliantheobald.net
Social Media:
Instagram
How would you describe your work?
I have always done more than one body of work at the same time, in different media. For the last 8 years I have been working on a series of "Fictive Space" paintings that are abstract in generation, using the language of nature to build environments reminiscent of gardens. At the same time I have returned to making relief collages out of found packaging that I manipulate and paint. I began making these years ago to teach myself structure and stopped when I had to move to a smaller studio. In 2015 I found some interesting posters on a trip to NYC, and this kickstarted a return to making them.
What inspires you?
The color in indigenous textiles.
Can you speak about your process?
In my paintings, I just put down a shape, and its quality suggests another. The process is slow, and I make the relief collage pieces as a break from and foil for the paintings. I first build the relief structure of the collages out of packaging; and then paint it.
How did you become interested in art?
My parents were both bookish intellectuals with spiritual aspirations; and it was always clear that my expression would not be in the verbal arena.
Do you have any favorite artists, movies, books or quotes?
European painters from the first part of the 20th century, Mark Bradford, Martin Puryear. Music; from Bach to Bulgarian folk music to Gang of Four.
What advice do you have for younger artists?
Find a job that accommodates a practice of working daily.
