With the categories “humans”, “flowers”, “nature”, “abstract”, “surreal”, and “collaborations with humans”, there’s something for everyone. Unsurprisingly, it’s the abstract stuff that looks most like it’s been done by a real person, which is not good news for human abstract artists.

The portraits are maybe their most interesting output. Some of the faces look like when you catch a moving dog in a panorama photo and they get compressed. Some figures seem to be using that Face Swap filter you used to be able to get on Instagram, and quite a lot look like they have a Habsburg Jaw from aristocratic inbreeding. Some are quite good and you wouldn’t look twice if you passed them in a Dutch Renaissance wing of a museum.

I spoke to Eyal who is the technical founder of ART AI. He tells us about how the algorithms work, how AI-generated art will change curation, and, most importantly, that this isn’t the end for human art. Part of me feels like he might have been a robot the whole time.

Q: First thing’s first, what is ART AI?

ART AI: Art AI is the World’s largest gallery of AI generated artworks. Unlike other galleries, we work on democratising access to AI Art in particular and art in general. This goal impacts our curation, marketing, pricing and really everything we do.

Q: How does it work?

ART AI: We use numerous algorithms based on artificial intelligence create a huge variety of artworks in different styles. The data selection, preparation and algorithm training process takes months. Once that’s done,  Our team of curators go over the artworks generated by the AI, build different collections, and name each of the artworks using a different AI we created for this purpose. We upload the new collections several times a week. When someone purchases an artwork, it is sent to production in a facility in their area, and removed from the website. We only ever sell an artwork once. 

Q: Why might ART AI the future of art consumption and collection?

ART AI: I think there are two parts to this – firstly, this is an interesting new aesthetic that many people seem to like and be excited about. Our ability to merge and styles of art in original ways is giving birth to really interesting artworks, and we are just starting. The rate of development of the technology is really astounding. 

Secondly, and I think this is a key part – we are able to engage and connect with a new audience. We have already sold thousands of unique artworks, and our typical collector is young, many of whom never considered collecting art realistic. 

By combining art and technology, setting the price at the affordable end of the spectrum, and communicating with our audience via social networks, we are able to appeal to a very large audience of people who are excited about art, but never felt apart of the conversation. We encourage them to discover the joy of collecting art, and arguing about it!

The results are amazing, thousands of people from all over the world already own our artworks and take part in our vibrant community of art lovers. 

Q: Are there any dangers/disadvantages to it?

ART AI: Our art is controversial, but really all good art is. Some people reading this interview might strongly disagree with what we are doing. In fact, our community is full of arguments regarding the elements defining art and whether ART AI is art or not (we think it is). 

We are also criticised for taking work from artists, but nothing could be further from the truth. I think we are creating work for artists. People who start collecting ART AI often widen their interest and start buying human made art as well. Moreover, we collaborate with artists in multiple ways. We even have a section in the gallery devoted to collaboration with human artists. I encourage every artist who reads this to get in touch and discuss ways we can work together!

Q: Is this the end for human artists?

ART AI: Definitely not! ART AI is meant to make art accessible to new audiences, not to replace artists all together. Our AI works by learning the works of human artists, and it needs human ingenuity to continue learning and develop new styles.  If anything, This is a new opportunity for artists. We have multiple models in which we share revenue with artists, and these collaborations are incredibly important to us, from creating pieces together with artists and selling them as limited edition prints, to paying artists for the right to use their work to train our algorithms. 

We are not here to replace artists, we are here to make the joy of art accessible to everyone, and we think can only be achieved with technology.

©2020 ART AI

Verity Babbs

Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene

As a result of things changing so quickly, I have rewritten and written this email several times … right now there are over 100,00 displaced Armenian refugees that need our help! Many of them have lost their homes with the majority of them unable to go back. Some of them are even without passports and have only the few belongings they managed to scrabble together before being evacuated. Others who have been forced out of their homes are burning these houses down so they don’t have to watch them be occupied. 

I have been doing ‘Art for Artsakh’ for the last few months with all money raised being sent to the people of Artsakh directly on the ground. I was able to reach my uncle who was driving around delivering supplies (as he remained in this area) and was directing all funds here. Further, my family was hosting about 15 other people (once they evacuated) in our flat in Yerevan, some of these people had their homes completely destroyed. Most of my family are from Artsakh so I know this place well hence why I was reaching out to reporters, photographers and other news outlets in order to spread awareness and provide help where needed. 

Generally, I have been selling a wide variety of works (which I have been publicising on my instagram) but many people have been gravitating towards the same kinds of pieces, so I decided to do prints. I think that these kinds of line drawings really reflect the kind of mysticism that Artsakh and the land holds so I thought it would be beautiful to do something like this with all proceeds going to help. “

Additionally, the Protect ARTsakh Auction takes place between the 14^th and the 20^th of December, and “presents 78 lots by 60 multidisciplinary artists from four continents – featuring paintings, photography, sculpture, illustration, textile and even jewelry. All proceeds will go towards those impacted by the current situation in Artsakh (otherwise known as Nagorno-Karabakh).”

https://www.instagram.com/protectartsakh/

https://www.instagram.com/ripsime.xyz/

https://armeniafund.ejoinme.org/donate

https://artscoops.com/auctions/protect-artsakh

©2020 Art for Artsakh, Project Artsakh

Verity Babbs

Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene

Love, loss, power, strength, wonder, questioning and the spiritual journey.

Crystal Fischetti

Fischetti’s “healing” artistic practice revolves around spirituality, psychology, and philosophy.  Ancestry, tribal tradition, and the environment also play a key role.

We spoke to Crystal about her inspirations, favourite piece, and background.

Q: First thing’s first, introduce yourself! What do you make, how do you work?

Crystal Fischetti: I am an artist from London with an Italian/Colombian background. Lately I have been observing and taking in information. I recently came back from Italy having hung out with my childhood friend. We went on day and night trips to Rome, the beach and hidden ancient sites in the forests where we would often explore as children. These memories are inspiration for my new painting projects. 

When I am at the studio I stretch the frames and start painting almost immediately. Once the creative juices are flowing I can complete a painting within three days. I use all materials from processed paints and botanical dyes. I feel pretty exhausted afterwards as I put my all into my work, emotionally and physically.  

Q: What would you say your artistic background is? How long have you been working?

Crystal Fischetti: I was a dancer for the first part of my life. So being on stage, performing, training and discipline comes naturally to me. Jazz and its process is how I paint as an abstract artist. I paint the notes and I leave spaces to let go.

Q: Are there key themes in your work? 

Crystal Fischetti: Love, loss, power, strength, wonder, questioning and the spiritual journey.

Q: What is your favourite piece you’ve created

Crystal Fischetti: One I sold years ago called Anon, based on a poem I wrote. I wish I hadn’t. I don’t have regrets but this is close to that feeling.

Q: Who are your biggest inspirations?

Crystal Fischetti: It changes everyday. Of course I could say great masters old and new in the abstract movement but right now I am thinking about my local Boots pharmacist on the Marylebone High Street. I passed by the other day and noticed that the whole shop is vacant. I knew him since I was a child. I feel betrayed, almost, as locals we had no warning. This whole 2020 ‘thing’ has screwed up a lot of local businesses even more. There is no such thing as Conscious Capitalism. Maybe this will be my inspiration.

Q: What’s next for you? 

Crystal Fischetti: New projects and new endeavours I am very secretive about.

Q: How do you strike the balance between being an artist and being your own salesperson? 

Crystal Fischetti: Everyone has their own take on what being an artist is. For me, being an artist is being successful in every way. Discipline and unwavering faith is key in all ways. Balance the control and the release. Let others work for you and let the work speak for itself. It is a business and a joy. I love being an artist. It is my dream in living reality.

Q: Social Media as a tool for artists – pro or anti? 

Crystal Fischetti: Again, it depends what kind of artist you want to be. I use it as a tool not to fabricate or trick but to engage, connect, share and be authentic. There is a difference. I think on the whole people are sick of seeing over filtering, over opulence, over indulgence and disingenuous behaviour.

Q: What are you angry about right now? 

Crystal Fischetti: Injustice, prejudice, abuse and false perceptions.

https://www.instagram.com/crystal_fischetti/

©2020 Crystal Fischetti

Verity Babbs

Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene

Q: First thing’s first, introduce yourself – who are you, what do you do? 

Em Pirkle: Hi, I’m Emily but I prefer being called Em…Emily feels very formal to me. I am still in the early days of my career so it’s a pretty big honour for you to have me on Art Plugged, thank you! I like working with artists and I want to find exciting new ways for artists to grow their careers. I think this has a lot to do with having a fair few artist friends and being jealous that I am not very artistic myself.

Q: What’s your arts background? 

Em Pirkle: I graduated from The University of Birmingham in 2018 with a degree in History of Art which I absolutely loved. I started university with no intention of a career in the art industry and my degree inspired me completely! I find it so funny how people always joke about what you can go on to do with a degree in History of Art and yet I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. 

After graduating, I did my fair share of internships in very varied parts of the industry before landing an internship at Sotheby’s where I then stayed for a year until June. It was a great learning experience, I met some amazing friends for life and also got to hang out with some of the best art in the world. There’s not much more exciting than a Sotheby’s Evening Sale but day to day I much prefer living artists to dead ones. However, my motivations are always in flux so this could change again in the future!

Q: What is Sook Spaces? 

Em Pirkle: Sook Spaces is changing the game in space hire. We take empty shops on high streets across the UK and turn them into adaptive spaces that can be used for anything and hired by the hour.

What’s especially cool about Sook is that the spaces are fitted with immersive screens, which you can use to apply bespoke branding or to showcase amazing designs and artwork. It’s a really exciting tool for new media artists. You can also hang physical art in front of the screens which creates a unique opportunity to experiment with new curatorial ideas (think France-Lise McGurn but make it digital!)

I have been working with some incredible curators, artists and galleries to put on pop-up exhibitions, which is a lot of fun! It also means I get to work with a lot of incredibly inspiring creatives.

I find it so exciting to be working in a space that could be a yoga studio in the morning, a vintage outlet during the day then an exhibition opening in the evening! Sook takes the increasingly outdated white cube gallery space and makes it an open, accessible space where everyone is welcome.

I think the pop-up exhibition idea creates a sense of urgency due to its temporality, and if you promote your event well, you can have the same number of visitors at a fraction of the cost. 

Q: What’s coming up for Sook Spaces? 

Em Pirkle: We are just about to launch an open call for artists working in digital mediums to submit work for an exhibition at Sook just after lockdown. The exhibition title is ‘The Digital Archive’ and I really can’t wait to see the submissions! I want this to be an exciting opportunity for emerging new media artists that don’t necessarily get as much commercial exposure to showcase work after a challenging time with minimal real life exhibitions.

I hope in the new year, as we continue to open more spaces across the country there will be some really exciting national projects happening so stay tuned! 

Aside from art, we are working with loads of cool brands from vintage clothing sellers to gaming companies, there’s a lot in the pipeline!

Q: Tell us about your own curatorial practice? 

Em Pirkle: My curatorial work is really at the very start! I think I’m still working out where I want to go with it. Building relationships with artists and continuing to work with those that I really connect with will definitely continue to be my main motivator moving forward. 

The recent exhibition, Wet Paint, which I curated for Bowes-Parris Gallery was all about exploring contemporary, emerging abstraction. It’s funny because the reason I decided to explore abstract painting was because I felt a lot less connected to it than I was with more representational styles. Working with the wonderful artists in the exhibition really did change this because I am so inspired by them and their work. It’s important that I challenge my thought processes and natural opinions. This time it was through abstraction but I can definitely take it further than that.

I think my work at Sook is also really going to feed into this with the emphasis on the digital and Sook as a growing tool for curators and artists working in digital mediums. I’m very lucky to be able to explore this in my day job and work out how we can blend this physical and digital gallery experience. The ‘hybrid’ exhibition is the buzzword of 2020 and I want Sook to be a big part of this. 

Q: What’s coming up for you as a curator? 

Em Pirkle: I have a few ideas but it’s very difficult to plan anything when everything is still quite uncertain with restrictions. My main goal at the moment is to really solidify the direction for art at Sook and then I can think about further curatorial projects.

It was so amazing working with Cassandra on Wet Paint, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience for my first show. There are so many amazing people I would love to work with over the next year, bounce ideas off each other and have some fun with it. 

Working at Sook has developed my interest in shared use spaces for art and really affirmed my feeling that exhibitions in locations that draw different audiences are the most interesting. This is something I have always felt since even as someone working in the art industry I often feel uncomfortable and out of place walking into some galleries, which is just mad.

Q: How are you finding navigating the art world as a young female graduate? 

Em Pirkle: I’ve been so lucky to do so many different things so far and I think that’s been important for trying to figure out what I want to focus on in the future. I quickly learned that the ‘art world’ is pretty vast and there are so many different routes you can take and it can be quite overwhelming. 

I think I’ve found that doing my own thing is very important to me and trying to do things that are slightly different to the norm is what I find exciting. Having said that, it’s hard to be different in an industry saturated with outrageously talented people so for now I’m just going to keep seeing what happens. 

Q: To what extent has social media helped you in your career so far? 

Em Pirkle: Since lockdown Instagram has been the biggest driver in my career. I started an Instagram account called Project Verbatim when I was furloughed from my old job and interviewed a whole range of emerging artists which then led me to meet both amazing artists and people doing similar things to me (like you, Verity!). I also met Cassandra on Instagram which is how Wet Paint came about. 

It’s so interesting to have spoken to lots of artists about Instagram and their experience with it. I found Delphian Gallery’s recent book really interesting as it focuses a lot on the importance of Instagram in an artist’s early career but also discusses the longevity of it being, most likely, finite. When Instagram starts to fizzle out what will you be left with? I think I’m conscious of that at the moment with my work too – building connections with people offline is just as important.

Q: Who are your current artists to look out for?

Em Pirkle: There are LOTS but to name a very small few: Connie Burlton, Sian Fan, Megan Rae, Emily Moore, Marcus Nelson

https://www.instagram.com/emilympirkle/

https://www.instagram.com/projectverbatim_art/

https://www.sook.space/

©2020 Em Pirkle, Sook Spaces

Verity Babbs

Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene

By obscuring aspects of the photograph, we, the viewer, are consciously forced to complete the narrative.

Will Claridge

Photography as a stand-alone practice has a strange rep. Due to its utilitarian nature (anyone can take a photograph) the skill of artists who work primarily in photography is often underestimated, and yet the images they take are viewed as somehow non-physical: floating images with no objecthood, surface, or tactility. Claridge’s works remind us of the physical nature of the photograph, emphasising the three-dimensionality of the object with his thick paint detailing.

In an interview with Art Plugged, the artist tells us about his work at Roys Art Fair, the influence of German artists, and Instagram algorithms.

Q: First thing’s first, introduce yourself! What do you make, how do you work?

Will Claridge: Hey, my name is Will Claridge, an emerging artist based in Essex. My practice reflects contemporary culture through its innovative blend of photography and painting. My most recent series, ‘Poetics of the Everyday’ explores the banality of everyday life portrayed by overpainting my own film photography. I have also experimented with Polaroid film, which allows me to create sharp lines, contrasting the white border with the chaotic explosion of colour. 

Q: What would you say your artistic background is? How long have you been working?

Will Claridge: I graduated in 2017 from Falmouth University with a BA(Hons) in Fine Art, prior to an art diploma at art school. Since then I’ve established my career as an emerging artist, selling online and through a number of galleries. I am also the ArtFair manager for Roy’s Art Fair London alongside co-founding Roy’s Art Gallery and Podcast (set to launch later in the year).

Q: Are there key themes in your work? 

Will Claridge: I’m fascinated by themes of banality, the quotidian and the everyday, the power of the art lies in its ability to change focus; altering the perspective by subverting the conventional focal point. What do we see when our vision is obstructed, when the abstract crashes in on the figurative, when the blur of an out of focus photograph demands our undivided attention? The hybrid work contrasts a mundane, everyday situation with a bright, explosive use of colour.

By obscuring aspects of the photograph, we, the viewer, are consciously forced to complete the narrative. The work aims to provoke the audience with both frustration and intrigue whilst being faced with an aesthetically pleasing image.

Q: What is your favourite piece you’ve created? 

Will Claridge: My favourite piece of art is always the last piece I’ve created, I am always keen to progress on my last creation, taking inspiration from it and developing my craft each time.  Therefore my favourite piece to date is ‘Painting the Roses Red’, an overpainted film photograph of rose bushes at an Essex country gardens last summer. I Particularly enjoy the crash of colour on such a delicate subject matter. I also really enjoy adding humour to my titles where possible, a slight homage to Alice in Wonderland. 

Q: Who are your biggest inspirations?

Will Claridge: My biggest inspirations are a selection of painters and photographers. Gerhard Richter is probably the most obvious, he had a series of ‘Overpainted Photographs’ in the 70’s which were just incredible. Surplus oil point from his larger abstract works found their place splattered and spread over his holiday snaps. Whilst admiring Richter’s retrospect of large paintings, I was completely fascinated by these small moments he was creating on the side.

Im a big fan of the German art scene. Artists such as Wolfgang Tillmans and Richter’s ex wife Isa Genzken with their considered cornucopia of weird and wonderful artworks. Photographers I admire include Andreas Gursky, Martin Parr, William Eggleston and Stephen Shore, who all capture the everyday in their own unique styles. 

Q: What’s next for you? 

Will Claridge: I’ve got two upcoming markets in North London  I’m taking part in, showing a range of affordable artworks. Then I’m in the process of planning a solo show for either later this year or early next year depending on the dreaded COVID situation. The art fair season has been postponed until next spring so until then I’ll be selling online and getting myself into galleries.

Q: How do you strike the balance between being an artist and being your own salesperson? 

Will Claridge: This balance is a tricky one and it can often sway one way or another. I think its important for me to just make and make some more! Keep creating, keep making mistakes and then promoting the ones that ‘make it’. Making a sale for an artist can really make their day but relying on this can also put an incredible stress and pressure to try and make commercial work that will sell, which, in my experience, has resulted in me lacking the passion behind my practice. Therefore I often find myself stepping back and resetting; going again. It’s so important for me to fully love what I create and that should go hand in hand with the artwork.

Q: Social Media as a tool for artists – pro or anti? 

Will Claridge: I feel as though social media plays a huge role in supporting artists in promoting and selling their art. However nothing compares to seeing artwork in the flesh, and despite the current climate, it’s increasingly difficult to get artwork displayed for more to see in person. Because of this, I see a lot of artists, including myself, trying new and innovative ways to get their work seen, in way of virtual rooms, websites and online galleries.

Social media has undoubtedly developed over the past 5 years making it very easy to go live, upload videos of studios, works in progress and directly chatting to clients. However, with social media platforms such as Instagram changing their algorithms, it’s become yet again incredibly hard for creatives to be seen. 

Q: What are you angry about right now?

Will Claridge: A lack of kindness. We are living in such a strange and scary time and I see too many selfish people who are out for themselves. 

https://www.instagram.com/willclaridge.art/

©2020 Will Claridge

Verity Babbs

Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene

Q: First thing’s first, introduce yourself – who are you, what do you do?

Ally Faughnan: Hi, I’m Ally and I’m a writer, editor, curator, and all-round creative. I run The Gallyry, which is a platform I founded to celebrate women and non-binary creatives through an online magazine, talks, exhibitions, and so much more. I also work as a freelance writer and in the editorial team at Google Arts & Culture.

Q: What’s your arts background?

Ally Faughnan: I’ve definitely dipped my fingers in many pies while navigating my way into the creative industry. At university I studied Liberal Arts and went on to do a Masters in Arts & Cultural Management, where I focused my final dissertation on the representation of feminism in arts journalism. Through my research I discovered that there was a lack of publications actively supporting women in the arts, which led to the creation of The Gallyry. Alongside this I’ve also worked across fashion, museums, events, and magazines before finding myself at the intersection of them all!

Q: What are the driving messages behind The Gallyry?

Ally Faughnan: The Gallyry is all about celebrating women and non-binary creatives. It has evolved into a space to platform people working across so many different creative fields, from embroidery art to podcasting. Through the magazine, exhibitions, and other creative projects, I hope that The Gallyry can be both a great resource to find new creatives, as well as a place to support emerging creatives by sharing their work.

Q: What’s it like working for Google Arts & Culture? 

Ally Faughnan: It has been an amazing learning experience to work within an editorial team for an established arts and culture platform. Not only have I learnt about creating digital content that pushes the boundaries of technology but I am constantly educating myself by reading all the amazing stories that are published through the platform.

Q: How are you finding navigating the art world as a young female graduate?

Ally Faughnan: It is definitely a strange world to be a graduate right now but I am extremely grateful to have been able to create my own path in the industry through the internet. I started The Gallyry while still studying and through social media I have been able to discover other creatives and make connections, which has definitely helped me find my own creative community. Running my own platform has also taught me so much and has given me the confidence to pursue my creative interests.

Q: To what extent has social media helped you in your career so far?

Ally Faughnan: Massively! I don’t think The Gallyry would exist without social media as it has become such an integral part of how I communicate with our audience. It is pretty much the only way I come across new creatives to feature and collaborate with as well. Although social media can become a toxic place, when being used effectively in moderation, it is the best way to get yourself and your work out there.

Q: Who are your current artists to look out for?

Ally Faughnan: There have been so amazing creatives featured on The Gallyry magazine it’s hard to choose! Back in June I curated an online exhibition for The Gallyry called The Apocalypse Will Blossom, which showcased 15 artists’ work celebrating courage, patience, and hope (you can check them out here) so I would have to say they’re definitely all ones to look out for!

https://www.instagram.com/thegallyry/

©2020 The Gallyry

Verity Babbs

Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene

I think I allowed myself to make paintings that I enjoyed making at some point and just had fun with it. Colour came naturally.

Euan Roberts

We spoke to Euan about his arts background (his history as an illustrator comes as little surprise given his mastery of attention-grabbing colour and composition) as well as the inspirations behind his works: the sea and greyhounds.

Q: First thing’s first, introduce yourself! What do you make, how do you work?

Euan Roberts: I’m Euan, an artist based in Hastings. I make paintings, drawings, prints, clothing and films. 

Q: What would you say your artistic background is? How long have you been working and how did you land on your signature style?

Euan Roberts: My first proper piece of art was a drawing I did on the underside of my parents table as a child, probably very young, like toddler age. I’ve always been interested in art and gravitated towards it during education, which ended with me studying illustration in Manchester. I never really liked illustration that much and being told what creative decisions to make, so that career pathway didn’t really work out. I got a few commissions when I graduated like drawing banker pigs for something about Greek economy and didn’t really enjoy it.

My style changed a lot. It was all detail and black and white back then. I think I allowed myself to make paintings that I enjoyed making at some point and just had fun with it. Colour came naturally. I want people to see the joy I feel in making, when they view the paintings. No one ever seeks out illustrations, it just falls in their lap, so the ego-drive pursuit of painting and exhibitions fed my needs more. 

Q: Are there key themes in your work?

Euan Roberts: Humans and their absence. The earth. The environment. Animals. Humour. Joy. Sadness. Life. Death.

Q: What is your favourite piece you’ve created? 

Euan Roberts: I love them all equally. I gain the pleasure in making rather looking back thinking things are brilliant. So I’d say my new painting is always my favourite. Classic pretentious artist answer for you. I do like ‘Self Care Bear’, you can’t help but smile when you see that.

Q: Who are your biggest inspirations?

Euan Roberts: The sea and greyhounds.

Q: What’s next for you? 

Euan Roberts: More painting. I’m opening my new workspace ‘Big Pig Studio’ with my friend and fellow artist Luke Sothcott soon, so we’ll be working on the space so it can serve our artistic needs this winter. = I’m doing the viral Art Car Boot Fair this weekend and have plans to release more clothing soon.

Q: How do you strike the balance between being an artist and being your own salesperson?

Euan Roberts: art will always come first. If people want something generally they will find a way to get it. 

Q: Social Media as a tool for artists – pro or anti? 

Euan Roberts: Instagram is very useful but sometimes it’s good have a contingency plan and act as if it doesn’t exist. People forget that galleries and artists have operated for a longtime without social media. So use it, but remember it will always try it’s best to use you in return. 

Q: What are you angry about right now? 

Euan Roberts: Getting angry about things you have no control over to a certain extend is futile. I think action trumps anger. Do what you can, where you can, with the information and resources you have. Act. But of course Trump and Boris make me pretty angry. And anti-mask people. They need to grow up. But we need have compassion and spread love not hate.

https://www.instagram.com/euanrobertsart/

©2020 Euan Roberts

Verity Babbs

Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene

I’m interested in how our virtual lives toe the line between authenticity and superficiality all while being consumed by outside viewers. To different extents, we all put on a “front” for the digital world in order to convey something specific about who we are.

Katelyn Ledford

Her paintings manipulating the female image (whether through repetition or recreating emoji-like faces from household objects) is given a strong foundation by her photorealistic painting skill. Ledford’s painterly accuracy means that her conceptual works stand the test of would-be-critics who say the kind of things like “contemporary artists can’t even paint properly”. Ledford can.

In this interview with Art Plugged, Katelyn tells us about her work, background, and relationship with social media.

Q: First thing’s first, introduce yourself! What do you make, how do you work?

Katelyn Ledford: I’m Katelyn, an American South transplant now living and working in the Northeast US. I make paintings and I work in everything. All ways of making are up for grabs in my studio practice. Jumping from one end of the spectrum of making to the other (such as working photorealistically to then squeezing paint straight onto the canvas) keeps me stimulated.

Q: What would you say your artistic background is?

Katelyn Ledford: Growing up in the suburbs of Alabama, I was surrounded by a sea of rooster paintings, cheap prints saying “Live, Laugh, Love,“ and wrought iron angels, but I was personally obsessed with photorealistic drawing. I knew nothing about contemporary art, so I focused solely on craft and how much I could teach myself through practice. However, my mom was/is a portrait photographer and as a (sometimes) willing assistant to her photoshoots, I spent a large amount of time staring at and interacting with strangers. My love and obsession with portraiture came from her.

Q: Are there key themes in your work?

Katelyn Ledford: The large theme across all of my work is portraiture– and the deconstruction of it– with a focus on the portrayal of women and their experiences (including my own) with contemporary technology. I’m interested in how our virtual lives toe the line between authenticity and superficiality all while being consumed by outside viewers.

To different extents, we all put on a “front” for the digital world in order to convey something specific about who we are. Another sub-theme would be absurdity as it relates to our image-saturated media and how there is a lack of hierarchy within images as they circulate through networks.

Q: Who are your biggest inspirations?

Katelyn Ledford: Right now, it’s Gina Beavers. I saw her show “The Life I Deserve” at MoMA PS1 last year and it was truly a feast for the eyes. Images of her work do not do them justice to seeing them in person. The chunky materiality of her work is extremely juicy and mesmerizing (I wanted to touch them so badly). I’m just so impressed by how well she mixes painting and sculpture that teeters on kitsch, yet also proves her virtuosity at the exact same time.

Q: What’s next for you?

Katelyn Ledford: I’m fairly private about things I have coming up next until they’re about to happen just because things have become so unstable this year. It’s a hard time to predict and plan things. One exhibition I’ve got coming up though is a group show at the Museum of Museums in Seattle, WA titled “In Crystallized Time” and curated by Anthony White. It got delayed because of the pandemic so I’ve been super jazzed about it for a while now and it’s coming up in a few months.

Q: How do you strike the balance between being an artist and being your own salesperson?

Katelyn Ledford: I compartmentalize the two by not doing the business things while I’m in my studio. This way I can keep my headspace as artist-only while working in the studio, but then when I am in my home on my computer, it’s business-only. I also try not to use social media much while I’m in the studio so that I don’t get tempted to check my messages on there (which do include business inquires). Working with galleries and outside people also (obviously) helps keep that balance, so I’m extremely grateful for those I work with that handle the business and sales-related operations.

Q: Social Media as a tool for artists – pro or anti?

Katelyn Ledford: I think any reasonable person would say both. Social media in moderation (for everyone, not just artists). I don’t use social media for my personal life anymore, so as a tool it works well. However, I think it’s also a pitfall and weapon, especially for young artists, as it’s easy to compare yourself to others’ work and only make work that get the most “likes.” It’s something I try to talk to my students about because it can be hard to navigate as a young artist when you’re just beginning your career and trying to connect with other artists outside of your physical proximity.

New technologies and ways of connecting are continually evolving so artists need to be more transparent and honest with younger artists about how to effectively use them without letting it dictate their practice. Setting a limit for how much screen-time you get per app was also extremely helpful for me so I recommend it so that you don’t start using it as compare/despair tool.

https://www.instagram.com/kedford/

©2020 Katelyn Ledford

Verity Babbs

Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene

1. Does Playboy actually care about female pleasure?
2. Does Playboy actually care about art?

A Woman’s Right to Pleasure

Preceding the book’s full release on August 20^th, publisher BlackBook teamed up with Playboy to publish exclusive previews of the art and essays from A Woman’s Right to Pleasure on the Playboy site. The book is a collaboration between BlackBook, gynaecologist Dr. Amir Marashi, and sex toy company LELO.

It is brilliant and lewd and sexy and long overdue.

The art curation is spectacular and we’re treated to hit after hit by icons like Georgia O’Keeffe, Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, Marina Abramović, Jenny Holzer, Cindy Sherman, and Carrie Mae Weems in glorious quality.

The works vary in their explicitness and I was struck by how much more shocked I was at seeing a photograph of a vulva (which I actually have) than I am at art including penises. This is probably because penises are waggled about at every given opportunity, whereas, as Erica Jong writes in the book’s introduction: “a woman’s right to pleasure has been threatened in nearly every society – even the idea that women need pleasure has been disputed”.

Vaginas are largely “out of sight, out of mind” in Western culture. That is, unless it’s for male pleasure in pornos and dirty magazines like… oh, what’s that famous one? Blaypoy?

We spoke to Alexandra Weiss, the editor in chief of A Woman’s Right to Pleasure and Liz Suman, Playboy’s Executive Editor and Arts Editor to get insight on where the book sits with Playboy’s ethos. It turns out that the magazine has offered a lot more to the cause of female pleasure than most of us realise…

LIZ SUMAN, PLAYBOY

Playboy has a long and rich history in the art world, which we have been leaning into even more so in the past few years.

LIZ SUMAN, PLAYBOY

Is art a growing area of interest for Playboy?

Liz: Playboy has a long and rich history in the art world, which we have been leaning into even more so in the past few years. We have covered and worked with some of the world’s most iconic artists, such as Picasso, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dalí, LeRoy Neiman, Linda Barry and Shel Silverstein. Our relationship with art has evolved to include even more female and LGBTQ artists. More recently, we’ve worked with artists such as Marilyn Minter, JR, Jim Carrey, Hank Willis Thomas, Nick Cave and Betty Tompkins.

Playboy has always been a platform for artists and writers to express themselves with freedom and we’re constantly challenging ourselves to continue that legacy. Last June, Playboy held a panel in New York with Jerry Saltz and Marilyn Minter about the relationship between art and sexuality, focusing on the line between expression and exploitation, and who has the authority to draw it. We are continuing these types of conversations through our editorial pieces on Playboy.com, most recently with our editorial collaboration with BlackBook for A Women’s Right to Pleasure. 

Many people probably think that Playboy isn’t a feminist space which focusses on female pleasure. Has Playboy been going in a different direction recently? Or has female pleasure always been central? 

Liz: Playboy has been a leader and convener on pleasure for over sixty-five years. We have a longstanding history of taking risks. Playboy was a trailblazer in the sexual revolution and has since been a fierce defender of equality, freedom, civil rights, sexual rights, freedom of choice, LGBTQ rights and more.

Playboy has been a leader and convener on pleasure for over sixty-five years. We have a longstanding history of taking risks. Playboy was a trailblazer in the sexual revolution and has since been a fierce defender of equality, freedom, civil rights, sexual rights, freedom of choice, LGBTQ rights and more.

LIZ SUMAN, PLAYBOY

While the topic of female pleasure has become less taboo over the past few years, it’s still considered to be a fringe subject. Things like the orgasm gap, how many sex ed curriculums focus on instilling fear into young people from the beginning of their sexual lives, and the fact that many women are not familiar with their own anatomy proves we have a long way to go as a society when it comes to having real dialogues about female pleasure.

Luckily, Playboy has been a platform for provocative conversations that unapologetically push topics like female pleasure out from the shadows. Since 1953, we’ve talked about female pleasure in a way that no other publication has dared. Providing a space for artists to express themselves with total freedom is one of the ways we’re continuing the conversation.

Playboy has been a platform for provocative conversations that unapologetically push topics like female pleasure out from the shadows. Since 1953, we’ve talked about female pleasure in a way that no other publication has dared. Providing a space for artists to express themselves with total freedom is one of the ways we’re continuing the conversation.

LIZ SUMAN, PLAYBOY

ALEXANDRA WEISS

Alexandra: We met Dr. Marashi last year, after he visited our DUMBO gallery. As we got to know him, we learned about his career and life growing up in Iran after the revolution. Quickly, it became clear that his father’s work as a prominent Iranian doctor influenced his own work as a gynecologist and vaginal surgeon, and informed his radical mission to dedicate his life to helping women.

Through the years, our experience as an arts and culture brand has taught us how powerful art can be as a tool to incite larger conversations, and having reported on the art world for so long, and working with so many of its artists, we also know that there’s a confounding lack of focus on the female experience, and especially from the female point of view. We wanted to create an opportunity where women from across the world and all creative fields could celebrate their right to pleasure in all its varying forms. 

When it came to curating the book, we just knew that we wanted to include a range of voices as diverse as the thoughts and feelings themselves. Pleasure, like art, is subjective; and it was important for BlackBook to showcase a range of women and allow them to explore the idea of pleasure in whatever way was most authentic to them.

“it was important for BlackBook to showcase a range of women and allow them to explore the idea of pleasure in whatever way was most authentic to them.”it was important for BlackBook to showcase a range of women and allow them to explore the idea of pleasure in whatever way was most authentic to them.” – ALEXANDRA WEISS

It was also wonderful to read the Publisher’s Letter which reminded readers that this book goes beyond the hetro- and cisnormative bias a lot of “feminist” dialogue reeks of when pushing Pussy Power objectives:

Since launching BlackBook in 1996, our ethos has always been about amplifying marginalized voices and creating a space where women, people of color, the trans community, punks, members of the subculture, and people from the fringes of society, as well as the mainstream, could be seen, heard, and understood—a place for forward- thinking individuals and cultural movements. A Woman’s Right To Pleasure does exactly that.

When we started, we were intent on capturing the literal definition of a woman’s right to pleasure: an orgasm. And we wanted to do so in the most unvarnished way, through paintings and photos of the vagina.

We realized that while A Woman’s Right To Pleasure would explore the visual and conventional idea of the vagina, we also wanted to look at it—and at pleasure—as a metaphor for so much more—one that speaks to freedom and the varied nature of the female experience, whether cis, trans, or non-binary.

To sum up: A Woman’s Right to Pleasure – steamy, powerful, gorgeous.

©2020 Playboy, Dr. Amir Marashi, LELO, Marlene Dumas, Renee Cox, Carrie Mae Weems, Martine Gutierrez, Nadia Lee Cohen, Cass Bird, Marina Abramović, Ed Freeman, Betty Tompkins, Reka Nyari. All rights reserved.

Verity Babbs

Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene

Fresh from a Fine Art MA from Central Saint Martins and shows at Tate, Lethaby Gallery, and Apairy Gallery, Wilma spoke to Art Plugged about a long-held desire to “help make things fairer”, removing oneself from one’s work, and the influence of artists and female friends alike.

Q: First thing’s first, introduce yourself! What do you make, how do you work?

Wilma Woolf: Hello! I’m Wilma. I’m a visual artist and my work includes sculpture, ceramics, photography and installations.

My work relates to equalities and human rights issues and is based in research from the outset. I piece together numbers in downloaded Home Office spreadsheets, ONS data tables, and reports from the UN and journals. I collect individual stories and look for patterns in repeated and lived experiences. I seek to create work that utilities this hard to reach data and translate the issues in a way that numbers cant easily get across. I do this while trying to maintain a true representation of the size and scale of the issue, so it’s a delicate balance.

This hard-edged data side of my work is balanced by a need to create work in a devotional manner. My work is often grid like, repetitive and time consuming to produce. I make the same physical movements repeatedly and I try and do this as far as possible, mindfully. For example in ‘I Collected You Carefully’ I collected blossom petals that represented the number of sexual assaults in a year. Each one I picked off the ground purposefully, I dried, cleaned and froze them, knowing they represented a life interrupted.

In my latest work, Domestic, I have researched every woman that has been killed by male violence in this country over the past eight years. It builds on data collected by the Counting Dead Woman project (https://kareningalasmith.com/counting-dead-women/). It was incredibly important to me that my intention of the project – that each woman who has needlessly and violently lost her life, was recorded in this work with love. In my research up on seeing her picture, I paid attention to the uniqueness in her face, I said her name out loud, I noted the names she had chosen for her children.

Q: What are the challenges in working this way?

Wilma Woolf: There are many! One of the biggest challenges of working in this way is the balancing act of the immersion of myself in the process of making, but aiming for an absence of myself ‘as artist’ in the final piece. I only want it to represent the issues or people it is about. But when I am making it, there is no separation between the work and me. Whether I’m washing up,  making dinner, in the shower,  scrolling instagram…I’m thinking about constantly.

After the research phase, I enter a design phase of trying to find the perfect way of expressing the data within a suitable fine art context. I work across different mediums and knowing the data represents real people means I experience quite a bit of anxiety in getting it right. I consult with people it represents, I engage with critical reception to suggestions; I plan who I may need to work with to see if there might be conflict. I question always if I’m the right person to be making the work. My partner describes me during this period as ‘obsessive’ and I wouldn’t disagree.

Q: What would you say your artistic background is? How long have you been working?

Wilma Woolf: I haven’t taken a traditional artistic route to get here. I wanted from a young age ‘to help make things fairer’ as I saw clearly as a young child how unequal life was for so many people. My mum was a single mother, a feminist and an activist. Some of my youngest memories are attending marches and visiting local exhibitions of community protest art. Like all children, I thought growing up that this was ‘normal’ and it was only much later did I realise how much we had been policiticised.

With that in mind, I trod a routine path to work in equalities and human rights policy, holding various public sector roles. Looking back, I can see that I always had an artistic practice. I had a studio on and off when I had the time and money. I participated in some local art events and open houses. However the concept of having a career as an artist didn’t even enter my consciousness. Art-as-career was for rich people who didn’t need to pay rent.

Q: How and why did you go about trying to start an art career?

Wilma Woolf: Several things happened in the space of 3 to four years for this to change. Relationships ended, I become a mother, I lost a dear friend to cancer. I left work partly to process all of this and to cope with a difficult pregnancy and the first year of motherhood. The only thing that remained the same was returning to my studio. Another artist in that studio one day asked me why I was always reading before I started my work. I explained that I use information as my motivation and she simply said, “oh, so it’s your sketching.” As insignificant as this sounds it was sort of a lightbulb moment for me and I realised it was a valid approach. The peace-in-my-brain I felt when the research connected with the making was a satisfaction I hadn’t felt in 15 years of policy work.

I got myself a mentor (knowing no one in the art world, I remember posting an advert on gumtree for a “personal trainer but in art”) to help me consolidate my work and put a portfolio together. My plan was to get in to an evening course somewhere. But my mentor pushed me to apply for an MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martin’s. The interview was confrontational and hard. If they hadn’t let me on the course I would’ve been so intimidated by it I don’t think I would have tried again. Through the opportunities on the course I have been fortunate enough to have work displayed in various exhibitions including at the Tate, Apiary Gallery and the Lethaby Gallery.

I have a confidence from my prior career that fuels my creative practice. I know the data well and that lends an authenticity to my work I wouldn’t otherwise have.

Q: Who are your biggest inspirations?

Wilma Woolf: The tireless work of Columbian artist Doris Salcedo is a massive inspiration to me. Her work is based in research and collected testimonials and draws attention to human rights issues. Her piece Tabula Rasa is something to behold. It’s a group of wooden tables splintered in to thousands of tiny, minute pieces and incomprehensively placed back together. It references trying to put our shattered selves back together after sexual assault.

Jenny Holzer’s work has also served as a long-standing inspiration as she often integrates eyewitness accounts in her texts. Her piece ‘There was a War’ included 131 individual eyewitness accounts regarding the Syrian civil war. She used interviews with civilian protesters who had been detained and tortured and statements by Syrian children and their parents. It was incredibly upsetting but so necessary and to me, perfect as a work of political art. It was impossible to look away from, but there was a total absence of that experience you can get in a gallery of being lectured at. I sat there on the floor watching the LED words cascade down with tears streaming down my face. Every time I work on a piece of work I think about how she completely removed herself as the artist from that piece and centered it entirely on the people that experienced that war, without pity or exploitation of their experience.

Closer to home, my girlfriends are a huge source of inspiration to me. They are beautiful, clever, loving women and I adore them. Their constancy in my life allows me to be bolder and more cavalier in other life choices because I know they’ll always be there. They have achieved amazing things on their chosen paths and part of me always wants to impress them.

Wilma Woolf: What are you angry about right now? 

Wilma Woolf: I am angry that we have a government sending children back across waters in boats and that journalists watch for a story. That Dominic Cummings can be supported for breaking lockdown rules ‘as any father would’ but Priti Patel wants to change the law so we don’t have to provide legal shelter for parents and children fleeing from war.

I’m angry about that the Stephen Lawrence murder enquiry has just been closed. I’m angry that some residents of Grenfell still don’t have homes to live in and no one has been brought to justice.

I’m angry about the deaths of Christopher Alder, Sean Rigg, Kingsley Burrell, Darren Cumberbatch and Sarah Reed – to name just some of the people who have died at the hands of police negligence here in the UK.

I’m angry that Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre continues to detain people indefinitely that have committed no crimes and are separating parents from their children. I’m angry that two women a week are murdered in this country by intimate violence and that during lockdown, it appears that number has risen to three women a week needlessly losing their lives. I’m angry that the devastatingly low number of rape convictions in this country means that rape as a crime has effectively been decriminalised in the UK.

It’s not a pithy answer is it? But there is a lot to be angry about right now.

Q: What’s next for you? 

Wilma Woolf: After 6 months off school my son is about to go back which means I can start making work in the daytime again! I’m applying for funding to continue work on Domestic, planning talks and have some potential exhibitions lined up for early next year. I’m always looking at new ways to represent and express data and am currently exploring manipulating shadows and integrating AR in to some of my work. Reaction to my work thus far has been incredibly positive. It’s very exciting and I am thrilled to be in this position. Wilma Woolf is hosting an online talk on Using Data in a Fine Art Practice on October 17^th at 3pm.

instagram.com/wilmaworks

©2020 Wilma Woolf

Verity Babbs

Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene