Last September’s Artist in Residence Georgina Green is returning to AGA LAB. Reason enough to get to know her a little better! We asked her about her last residency and are looking forward to welcome her again in October.
How does a new work or project usually start for you?
The slightly surreal scenes I depict in my prints are influenced by a wide range of visual and written material, often including a solitary figure or animal as a narrative cue. I collect inspiration from children’s book illustrations, novels, poetry, frescoes, architecture and interior design. Sometimes I’ll combine characters lifted directly or influenced by films or literature with interiors from my everyday life. I watched a lot of Studio Ghibli as a kid, and I have always been drawn to the hidden symbolism or dualism found in the animals, dwellings and characters from these beautiful films. Nothing is quite as it seems in the vivid, nature-saturated scenes of Princess Mononoke, My Neighbour Totoro or Spirited Away. While my artistic style remains very different, I definitely feel the anthropomorphic animals sitting and sleeping in my designs relate in part to my love of these Studio Ghibli productions.
What graphic technique did you mainly work with here at AGA LAB? And why did you work with this technique?
I have chosen to work exclusively with stone lithography during my time at AGA LAB. The medium is very unfamiliar to me, and my resulting prints are a simple and playful exploration of the process. Lithography is strongly connected to drawing, and requires a very organic and direct approach to mark-making as a result. This has been a really enjoyable and refreshing adjustment for an artist such as myself who often works digitally. I have only had the opportunity to work with lithography on two occasions prior to my residency, as stone lithography facilities are few and far between where I am based back in the UK. This has made my time at AGA LAB extra special, and I have especially enjoyed learning a new non-toxic approach to lithography. I always find it inspiring and engaging to see how a traditional technique can be adapted to fit within a contemporary print studio setting.
Do you remember what you had in mind before you came here?
The key drive behind my desire to undertake a residency at AGA LAB was to move away from working digitally and return to drawing and more traditional printmaking techniques. Stone lithography is a very direct and tactile process, which contrasts to my usual printmaking mediums. It has been great to relinquish the usual control I have over my designs. What I choose to draw onto each stone is almost impossible to edit, which has given me a real sense of immediacy and freedom. Non-toxic lithography is also different to what I have learnt previously, and there are variations in the etching process as a result. This has encouraged me to stay open and flexible as things may turn out differently to what I have expected.
Many residents who preceded you here told us about their lows and their happy moments during their working process. Did you also expect these learning moments and what happiness did you experience during your creative process?
It has been energising and fun to explore a printmaking medium that is very new to me. In many ways it has taken the pressure off my project as I have been focusing on learning and experimenting instead of generating a finalised body of work. I have especially benefitted from having 24hr access to the print studio as I have been staying to work after the opening hours at my own pace in the evenings. As a result I have really been able make the most of the space. I am grateful for the trust AGA LAB has placed in me when allowing me to use the studio unattended. I have used my time on residency to challenge and develop my abilities as a printmaker, which has been thoroughly rewarding.
How did the AiR Talks, the interaction with other AiR’s, staff and artists printing at AGA LAB influence your residency?
I have enjoyed engaging with the staff, interns and other printmakers during the studio opening hours. It is refreshing to be surrounded by a diverse and creative cohort of artists. As I am relatively new to stone lithography the opportunity to gain advice and feedback from everyone has been invaluable. I also like the fact that the residency rooms are so connected to the print studio and the layout of the AGA LAB building as a whole. It is such a lively hub for creative individuals and businesses.
Check out Georgia’s work:
@georgiagreenart
and
https://georgia-elizabeth-green.com/
All pictures of Georgia and her art are courtesy of the artist.