Former AGA LAB Artist in Residence Emily C. Thomas creates art that at first sight seems to be inspired by psychedelics. We were curious to hear more about the inspiration behind her eye-popping work and the process with which it came into being:
“During the residency I am making two editions of work that concern patterns and metaphysics. I am working with screenprinting as a way of making editions of images that I would otherwise paint. My painting style is typically composed of flat areas of color, which translates well into the medium of screen printing.
The work is inspired by folk-religious and esoteric iconography that I encountered through research and while reflecting and dreaming. I want to play with repeating patterns and color to create optical effects like a vibration that emanates from an image when you look at it.
Many residents who preceded you here told us about their lows and their happy moments during their working process. Did you also experience these learning moments and what happiness did you experience during your creative process?
“I the beginning I was experimenting with making large blocks of color with metallic inks, but encountered some technical difficulty. Something I thought would be fairly straightforward and simple turned out to be an ordeal, but I also acquired valuable insights during the process.
Happiness came from the satisfying nature of producing work in series. In a way it is culinary. Like making a batch of handmade ravioli and watching contentedly at them neatly arranged on the drying rack.”
“The facilities at AGA LAB allowed for more
rapid production of work than usual.”
You concluded your residency with a presentation in (gallery De Bouwput or our studio). What did you show? Has your way of presenting brought you further in your process and your work?
I showed both projects in De Bouwput: one print from the large format project and a grid of 6×6 of the first print edition. With the later presentation, since each print was a foundational image block of a repeating pattern, when pieced together in a grid the multiple prints worked together as a collective to create a more pronounced visual effect. The prints were not rigidly fixed together on the wall, but floating down, like a banner. It was a happy surprise to see the prints pop out from the wall creating highlights and shadows along the contours of the paper. An unexpected sculptural dimension emerged from the 2-dimensional print format.
“I think the fellow residents helped each other
stay focused on creating work
and the goal of the gallery presentation.”
This opportunity for Emily C. Thomas was made possible through the Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grant, a program of South Arts.
More work of Emily C. Thomas can be found on:
All photography by Emily C. Thomas.