Extra-Ordinary - Vicky Cull
Why are you an artist Vicky?
I am an artist because I can’t not be. It’s what makes my soul tick, makes me get up in the morning and live each day, everyday.
Could you tell us what makes you choose the images you base your work on?
I am obsesssed, possibly somewhat unhealthely, with the idea of the glass coffin. The idea of a beautiful corpse. I look at the idea of the “icon” and famous images and want to add and embellish to these well known personalilties/stars/celebraties. I want to make, these ordinary people into extra-ordianry images. I look at the idea of the sublime, the dust motes on the photographs that have recorded recent history.
What makes you collage in this fashion on top of your chosen image?
I am very interested in the surface; the physical surface and the metaphorical surface of images. So I add /rework/ embellish this with stickers and drawings. I use stickers as I like the immediacy of using them, and how they come in a myriad of shapes and colours. I also like that they are not considered to be a ‘proper’ art material and therefore don’t have a great historical significance.
What artist’s have influenced you and how?
Recently I have been relooking at Andy Warhol’s ‘Silver Electric Chair’, everytime I see this image it touches my soul, it encapsulates the idea of the sublime, it is horrifically beautiful, wonderfully difficult; it moves me to tears when I stand infront of it. I am inspired by Walid Raad’s photographs of his battle-torn homeland. He uses stickers to indicate where the bullets and mortars have chipped away at the buildings. His idea of what is truethful and what is not excites me, where are his photos really found ? what is real what is not ? I like the idea of the real and the fake.
You studied Textiles at Central St. Martins, what made you move your work into collaged based artworks?
I came onto my MA with a background in Textile Science, so really wanted to have another experience of Textiles. My MA is in Textile Futures which made you challenge your preconceptions of what Textiles is. I now let the work and the ideas dictate how I make the work, if I think drawing is appropriate I draw; I also collage, photograph, stitch, embellish whatever I think works.
Could you talk about your latest series of works and what you would like to achieve with them?
I am particularly obsessed with Princess Diana, Elvis and JFKennedy. I am now making drawings of these 3 people and trying to make them interact in someway. I am using the tourist postcard and press photographs as my starting point to create exciting ,challenging, difficult works that are also brightly coloured, glittery, seductive. I like the idea of taking instantly recognisable imagery and embellishing it to add another physical/literal layer and another layer of meaning, to further complicate the viewers relationship with the imagery.
Does it have any effect on your work?
I am avid reader of detective fiction, at the moment anything Scandinavian; I have recently been to Iceland and seen the Northern lights, they where other-wordly and magical. I am also watching Brian Cox’s ‘Wonders of the universe’, realising we are so small and insignificant in our immense universe is mind numbing. I think that my world is about art and I am unable to separate work, life , the universe, art from one another. I listen to ‘The Go! Team’, ‘Sparklehorse’ and ‘Bonnie Prince Billy’.
What advise would you give to any artist’s starting out?
Never, ever, ever give up, always say yes to everything offered, believe in yourself, enjoy yourself, go to shows, live life to the fullest, try not to worry too much, talk to your friends, make something everyday no matter what, don’t get put off, create opportunites, drink cups of tea at regular intervals (or the odd Gin and Tonic), say thank you lots, always grab every opportunity to network, be kind, be true to yourself, always wear sunscreen.
Check out Vicky’s Blog and website at;
http://www.vickycull.blogspot.com/
Thanks For Reading!!
By Joshua Page
