Jim Lambie
“The rhythm of the colours seemed to pulse and move, creating a visual beat through the space.”
Interview by Natalia Gonzalez Martin
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Where did you study?
I studied at the Glasgow School of Art. Graduated in 1994. I spent my youth and early 20s playing in bands, doing gigs and small tours around Scotland and England. I think the biggest gig we were involved in was supporting Dinosaur Jr. and Primal Scream at London ULU. I had some great times being in a band, but I was never a dedicated musician. I never had the skills or desire to be around the band thing long term. Dropping out of that scene and going to art school was a much better option for me.
What is the impact Glasgow has had on you as an artist?
I think it had a massive initial impact. The music and art scene was and is very strong. Back then I found it very exciting. I had so much energy and desire at that time to be around creative folk. Everything seemed to crossover, artists were also musicians who knew contemporary dancers who were involved in performance and theatre. It was such a broad landscape. Everything, the people, the clubs, and the exhibitions were great social gatherings, fantastic and life-affirming. Everyone seemed to be pulling in the same direction, no one had anything to lose.
We all have had to adapt to new ways of showing work, allowing us to explore the digital realm to do this. The Eye of The Huntress provides an immersive experience as an alternative to visiting an exhibition in real life. How do you feel this affects the way in which people interact with your work?
It is always better to physically experience work of course, however, at this time, the digital realm is an important space to allow folk to keep in touch with some great gallery programs and artists.
“The Eye of The Huntress” Online Exhibition 2020
Installation view, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, 2014
Installation view, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, 2014
Installation view, Op Art in Focus, Tate Liverpool
When did this all begin and how did you arrive to develop this work?
I studied in the Environmental Art Department at GSA. Where we were encouraged to explore the surrounding context to help draw out ideas and also investigate material, any materials which may help open discussion within the work. As time went on, the department became more like a conceptual art department whilst maintaining its core value, that context produced a percentage of the work. We didn’t spend much time discussing the ‘quality of paint’ GSA had built its reputation on such notions, so we felt like outsiders. There were only 12 folk in my study year. So the tutoring was very focused. After art school, I spent most of my time working on art installation teams in the more public-funded spaces like Tramway and the Centre for Contemporary Art. I was still making work, smaller sculptures, which resonated a more D.I.Y. approach, using materials to hand. Stuff that you could find in junk shops and flea markets. I found a box of aluminium tape at a car boot sale, which resulted in me making some of my first works using sticky tape. I had also been participating in some smaller group shows in and around Glasgow.
As I mentioned earlier, there wasn’t much of a commercial gallery scene in Glasgow, so we would clear out a room in someone’s house and turn it into a gallery space for a few days, give out invites and have some great openings with lots of folk hanging out together. Around that time I was offered my first solo show at the previously mentioned Transmission Gallery. And that was where I conceived the first-floor work titled ZOBOP. I was working with sticky tape at the time and had been resurfacing household and personal clothing with it. Couple that with consideration of the gallery space itself, the architecture of the space, and how to fill and empty the space at the same time. The floor became the focus. A work which covered the entire space and yet at the same time, leaving it empty. Initially negotiating the edge of the room with a colour and bandwidth of tape, repeating this until the tape met in the middle. The rhythm of the colours seemed to pulse and move, creating a visual beat through the space. It took just over a week to install, the work didn’t just arrive and get presented. It was made in the space, In the run-up to the opening, and you could feel the energy and industry which went into producing it.
Your career has been one of great success, what have been the pivotal moments that have led you where you are today?
In my late teens and early twenties, being around musicians and going to clubs was very influential. Folk around me were generous with their knowledge and putting me onto great music. I was going out a lot and that meant going to some great gigs. I’ve seen so many great bands during those years. Everyone from The Fall to The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Cramps to New Order, And everything else in-between. During this time, some of the great Glasgow bands like Orange Juice, The Pastels, Primal Scream, to name a few, were also heavily influenced by the NYC punk scene. Bands like the New York Dolls, The Ramones, Television, Richard hell, and the Voidoids and the godfathers of all that, The Velvet Underground.
I can’t emphasise just how much influence The Velvet Underground had on Glasgow subculture at that time. I was also heavily into reading about art, and although there wasn’t much of a gallery scene in Glasgow, I would spend my days between junk and record shops, to wandering through the museums. Around this time I discovered a wonderful artist-run space called Transmission Gallery, which had great openings and after-parties. When I went to art school, I began to meet and hang out with such wonderful folk like Jonathan Monk, David Shrigley, Christine Boreland, Eddie Stewart and Stephanie Smith, Martin Boyce, Douglas Gordon. The list goes on. However, the most influential catalyst for me was Toby Webster with whom I shared (with others) a large studio area in the Environmental Department at GSA. When Toby later started The Modern Institute, he introduced me to Sadie Coles, Pauline Daly, and Anton Kern. These galleries have given me great support and guidance throughout the years.
Installation view, NORTHERN SOUL, Sadie Coles HQ, London, 2020
Harlem River Drive, 2020
Sunset Boulevard, 2020
Metal Box, 2019
Tell us a bit about how you spend your day/studio routine? What is your studio like?
I wouldn’t say I have a regular routine. Some weeks can be very disjointed. Exhibitions and projects tend to dictate my pace more than any disciplined routine. The studio is a much calmer working environment than it was 10 years ago. I enjoy it like this now. I have a larger area for producing and viewing works and a smaller studio space for messing around, trying things out, reading, and listening to music. Installation based, your work doesn’t just sit in gallery walls, instead, it takes over spaces completely, from floor to ceiling, quite literally.
You combine your work as a fine artist with music, how do these two modalities affect each other?
So many of my works exist for different reasons and have different starting points which I may be interested in at any given time. Music has played its part, no doubt about that, but possibly more as an orchestration of material and colour. I have never started a work trying to describe music. Music describes itself very well.
How do you go about naming your work?
I enjoy titling work. like using words as another material to hand. Some titles can reference the work directly like ’18 Carrots’ for example. Which was exactly that, 18 carrots, dipped in paint then thrown onto a shelf. Other works, however, may have no direct reference but like material, add another layer for consideration. I have also used city and street names, words and phrases I have read, street graffiti tags, shop livery, and of course, band names and song titles. I find titling work is such a great moment, as it can turn a work on its head, just when you think you know everything about it.
Your work has been categorised as highly accessible for all kinds of audiences, is this something you have always intended to achieve with it?
I wouldn’t know where to start making a work on that basis. My best wish for the work is that it opens up discussion. The more people who feel they have a voice in that discussion the better. Colour can be a great starting point for this, and also familiar objects and materials help ease folk into that discussion. So possibly those two elements help folk find a comfortable entry point when talking about the work.
What artwork have you seen recently that has resonated with you?
MATTHEW MONAHAN, “Notes on the Crowd (Hell or High Water)” 2020. WALTER PRICE, “Trimming #2” 2017-2019. PAULA GARCIA, “Corpa Ruindi” 2015.
Is there anything else in the pipeline?
The Modern Institute (solo show) March 5th, 2021. Mori Museum, Tokyo (group show) May.
A number of shows TBC due to the current situation with the pandemic and travel.
All images are courtesy of the artist and Eye Of The Huntress
Date of publication: 21/01/21
