Josh C. Wright
"I respond pretty intuitively to the things that we as a society often discard... There’s definitely a sense of creating a precariousness through my decision making, deliberately making in a way that is unconventional or DIY in nature."
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Where did you study?
I’ve long held a fascination with making, for as long as I’ve known I’ve wanted to make in some shape or form. I grew up on the outskirts of a town called High Wycombe, about an hour or so outside of London. I was blessed to have some really incredible, supportive arts teachers in my youth, which really gave me the confidence to pursue art making.
I studied sculpture at Camberwell College of Arts and graduated in 2016. It was a great time and I wish I still had all the access to the myriad of great technicians and facilities there. I particularly enjoyed retreating to the ceramic studio and it’s something that I’ve returned to quite recently. I’ve begun experimenting with ceramic and blown glass, taking inspiration from the reinforced concrete cores of the looming construction projects that are encroaching my studio. Trying to respond to these angular forms through clay feels almost counterintuitive but there's a real beauty in creating geometry in such an organic material. Once fired, the form slumps slightly and can withstand the high temperatures of the molten glass blown through its cut-outs.
Your sculptures often evoke a sense of uncertainty and instability. Could you share a bit about your creative process in conveying a feeling of uneasiness and unsteadiness through your sculptures?
I respond pretty intuitively to the things that we as a society often discard. I salvage a lot of my material from skips, construction sites and street corners surrounding my studio. I never start a sculpture with a finished form in my head, it’s process of building and responding to the object in real space. There’s definitely a sense of creating a precariousness through my decision making, deliberately making in a way that is unconventional or DIY in nature. I am particularly drawn to things in the world that could be seen as a ‘botch’, a roundabout way of solving a problem with materials to hand. I was recently fortunate enough to spend some time in Nigeria and in many cases brought about by the extreme poverty there is a profound culture of repair and making with whatever’s available. It felt like a very stark contrast to the UK, so much of our waste is needless and with time/expertise could be given a new life.
Monads of the Urban Sea, 2020
Hold Your Own, 2021
Walking Void, 2021
Empty Field, 2021
The monograph ‘Art in the Age of Anxiety’ by Omar Kholeif has been described as an important work in our current cultural context. How do you think your work and the themes you explore align with the broader discourse on anxiety in contemporary art?
This monograph was a very important book that I encountered in lockdown. It was validating to read about so many artists who were addressing similar issues and it shaped my thinking and focus for an arts council application called Anxious Objects, exploring the relationship between art and anxiety.
The big distinction between my work and the majority of works in this show is that Kholeif is often curating artists engaging with the virtual world. My works are less directly linked to our digital sphere, but of course we are living all in a post-digital age everything existing now is impacted upon digital technologies. My interests however remain firmly rooted in the handmade, I don’t tend to use any digital processes in the production of my work.
There’s a great essay from the exhibition designer/architect Todd Reisz of the Art in the Age of Anxiety Exhibition titled “How to House a Minotaur or A Design Manual for the Age of Anxiety”, it’s a beautifully written piece about his labyrinthine exhibition design and it’s something that’s ever present whenever I am thinking about my works together in a public setting.
I’m sad I was never able to see this exhibition in the flesh, but I think this will certainly be one of those exhibitions that in time will be seen as a pivotal exhibition of our current moment.
Your recent research has focused on the relationship between anxiety and sculpture, how has the pandemic influenced your work and how do you see your practice evolving in response to the current cultural climate?
I think the pandemic has impacted us all far more than we can fully comprehend. It’s interesting to think about how the pandemic influenced my work though because at the very height of it, I wasn’t really able to make at all.. Partly through the stresses of being self-employed and making sure I had enough money to get by, but also my studio building was closed in the strictest lockdown. Instead I retreated to drawing, reading and listening to podcasts. It was a very fruitful time for thinking about future sculptures but less so making them.
It’s hard to know how my work will evolve in this ever-changing permacrisis, artists will always find a way to make but I do worry it’s becoming increasingly challenging, especially for sculptors.
Installation View of Precarious, curated by Jess Twyman, Art Exchange, Colchester
Lost Chairboy, 2022
Installation View of Urban Tension, 2023, dARTS, London
Cloud to Ground, 2022, as part of Lost In a Just-In-Time Supply Chain curated by Josh C. Wright, Hypha Studios Catford, London
Tell us a bit about how you spend your day / studio routine? What is your studio like?
I must say I find it challenging to really have a studio routine at this current moment. We’re living through times of great financial pressure and artists already had a very precarious existence prior. It speaks volumes that the Henry Moore Foundation awarded grants this past month for artists not for projects or new work but quite simply to ‘heat artist’s studios’ and cover bills. At present, there isn’t really the routine that I’d like. The set days in the studio are non-existent. Instead art fills the gaps, the in between moments and the evenings.. I must say I do often find that those ‘in between moments’ can be quite productive and often little quick actions or throwaway sketches can spark new directions for work but it’s certainly not ideal. I remember seeing a survey of Gabriel Orozco’s work at Tate Modern and saw his series of toothpaste spit drawings for the first time. I love the simplicity of that action, it’s a very direct way to formulate the beginning of something.
What artwork have you seen recently that has resonated with you?
I recently had the pleasure of exhibiting alongside an artwork by Rebecca Moss earlier this year in Precarious at Art Exchange in Colchester. Her video ‘Thick Skinned’ (2019) presents the artist in this slapstick scenario, dressed in a costume of colourful balloons attempting to force herself through an opening in a barbwire fence in a farmers field.
The work is mesmerising, funny and visceral as the balloons begin to pop against the wire. The more time you spend with the film however the more sinister and tragic it becomes. Your mind goes to those seeking perilous journeys escaping conflict and crossing borders in search of a better life. I think humour is such successful tool to disarm a viewer. She’s about to have a solo exhibition at the Focal Point Gallery in Southend this summer and one that I definitely encourage everyone to go see.
Is there anything new and exciting in the pipeline you would like to tell us about?
2023 is an exciting new chapter. After almost 10 years of living in London since I studied at Camberwell College I have moved to pastures new and ventured down to Margate. It’s obviously no secret that Margate has a thriving arts community and one that I’m incredibly excited to be contributing to going forward. I’m hopeful this move can facilitate more time and space to making, more time with my partner and hopefully a bit better life balance.
In other news, I am going to be partaking in a very exciting project in an old butchers shop in South London titled ‘Meat Market’ organised by curator Sophie Nowakowska, who operates under the Instagram moniker of ‘Professional Art Bullshitter.’ It’s a two-part show with the first roster of invited artists selecting the second and it’s set to be quite the spectacle!
Meat Market
Curated by Sophie Nowakowska
Opening 11th May 2023
31 Tanner’s Hill, Deptford, SE8 4PJ
All images are courtesy of the artist, photography by Rob Harris and Doug Atfield
Date of publication: 20/04/23
