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 orraine Sleator is the first place WINNER of the Art Interview - 1st International Online Artist Competition, which ran from April 1st to June 30th 2005. The competition attracted 24 different artists from countries as far apart as Canada, Iran, Lebanon, Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States. Her paintings were selected for this honor out of the 72 original artworks that were submitted.
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The Artist - Lorraine Sleator
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Art Interview: How did you start painting?
Lorraine Sleator: I started painting years ago when I was about 11 or 12.
Art Interview: Were you raised around the arts?
Lorraine Sleator: I had a cousin who was a comic book artist but I'm not sure what really got me interested in the arts. Art is just something that I have always liked to do. I always knew that I would study art.
Art Interview: How old are you now?
Lorraine Sleator: I am 30. I made art in school and then I did an art foundation and I ended up doing graphic design. I worked in the graphic design industry for a bit and decided it wasn't for me. What I wanted to do was paint. I have always painted even though I have worked in different fields. So I opted out of design because I wanted to develop further and not end up a part-time painter.
Art Interview: So it is your intention to become a professional painter?
Lorraine Sleator: Yes. I work part time to survive but I paint everyday.
Art Interview: Why did you start painting?
Lorraine Sleator: After I got out of college I was working as a designer. A friend of mine who is also a painter bought me a set of oil paints to get me back into it. So I just started painting again.
Art Interview: Did you study painting in college?
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Lorraine Sleator
Bridge
Acrylic and ink on canvas
120 cms x 30 cms |
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Lorraine Sleator: I studied art and design which included art history I did an A level in art history and I did painting at Goldsmiths University of London. People like Lucian Freud, Damien Hurst, and Antony Gormley went there. It is mainly a fine arts school but it also has other departments.
Art Interview: Where you satisfied with Goldsmiths University?
Lorraine Sleator: Yes and no. Some of the teachers were very intellectual and others didn't involve themselves enough with my work. I found in college that they were not critical enough; as if they were afraid to hurt my feelings. I think that receiving criticism of your work is very important as an artist. Luckily I have some friends who are quite critical.
Art Interview: What was your work like then?
Lorraine Sleator: My very early work was a lot of collage with numbers, cardboard and textures. But I don't really like them anymore. At the university I put ink on glass and photographed it. These works are really abstract: they're swirls of color with bits of jewelry and you can choose to see certain things in them if you want. It is very different than what I am doing now. At the university I just sort of played because you are never going to get a chance like that again. You've got big spaces and great facilities.
Art Interview: Why did you decide to become an artist?
Lorraine Sleator: It makes me happy. It's really nice to have time out and just focus on a painting. You can get away from everyone and everything. It is almost like a healing process. If I am annoyed with someone or something or I'm stressed out can I do some artwork and it seems to give me a better focus, a better way to address the issue. It is like meditation. You feel a little bit tired because you have been concentrating on the painting but you feel mentally a bit more stimulated and aware.
Art Interview: Have you been exhibiting your work?
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Lorraine Sleator
Underground
Acrylic and ink on canvas
100 cms x 60 cms |
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Lorraine Sleator: Yes, I've had an exhibition in a gallery in Dublin and last year I had a couple in London. I have an exhibition coming up in Exeter. I wasn't necessarily bothered about trying to sell my paintings. It started as a hobby and I would paint regardless if they sold or not. But people kept telling me I should try and sell them, so I did and they it turned out they sold quickly and quite well. At my last exhibition most of the paintings were sold and a few people approached me to do commissions, so that was a good response. I was dubious at first about selling because I don't want it to become something where I have to make money at it because then it stops being what it is and starts to be a job. If it brings in a bit of money now and then, then I am happy but it's more important for me that people see my work.
Art Interview: How much do you sell your work for?
This oral history transcript is the result of a tape-recorded interview with Lorraine Sleator on July, 18 2005. The interview took place over the telephone between Berlin, Germany, and Exeter, United Kingdom and was conducted by Brendan Davis for Art Interview Online Magazine.
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