Bobby Nixon
Education: I graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2010 and since then I have been developing my work. My subject matter hasnt changed too much since I made my first few paintings at high school. I’ve always been drawn to dark imagery.
German expressionists: The first paintings I ever took an interest in were from a book of George Groszs work, which I found slightly repulsive however I kept going back to the same book. There is a combination of technical and emotional resonance the German Expressionists achieved, which is something I want to try and get across in my own work.
Time: I like to work on a few pieces at once so over the course of a year I get 2 or 3 works completed.
Experiences: I learned a lot at Art College and from being around like-minded people. It allowed me to be more ambitious and pushed my work on quickly.
Starting new work: I like using ink on paper as it means I have to consider what I’m drawing, I can’t go back once it’s on the paper. Usually I’ll get down an initial idea and then react to how it looks and just keep adding. It ends up being a rigid process in terms of technique but it allows for ideas to develop organically.
Studio: I spend 2 days a week in the studio. Having that limited time has forced me to be more patient. Some days the work seems to progress quickly, other days I find it more challenging.
Narrative, viewer: Making artwork has been a way of questioning my more nihilistic thoughts on living on planet earth. I’d hope my work at least offers an alternative view of life in our cosmos.
Future: I’m in it for the long run, so my main focus is making the work better. I’ve recently started printmaking and I’m quite excited about exploring this new process. I have just finished a portfolio of black and white screen-prints titled, ‘Pork Chops’ which can be found on my website.
If you would like to see more of the artist's work click here for their website.
Publishing date of this interview 12/01/16
