About Imogen Hawgood
Imogen Hawgood is a UK-based artist and freelance illustrator, educated in Illustration at Norwich College of the Arts. Following current journeys to California, a spotlight to her has been the iconography of the American West, and the thought of ‘the street’ as a symbolic panorama, dotted with roadside icons- gasoline stations, motels, and neon oddities.
Her curiosity in cinema led to a physique of labor centered on the neon-lit facades of Los Angeles film theatres.
She lately defined to us extra about her artwork and work follow.
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Hey Imogen, the place are you from and the place did you develop up?
I grew up within the English Countryside within the County Durham space.
When or how have you ever understood you wished to develop into an artist?
I’ve all the time cherished artwork, my childhood was crammed with portray, drawing, and creating in any method that I might. I didn’t contemplate artwork as a severe profession path till my Artwork Basis course after my A-Ranges when experimentation and pushing what you thought you possibly can do turned the norm. From there I went on to review illustration at Norwich College of the Arts, which is after I began experimenting with portray. After leaving college I’ve continued portray and honing my abilities, discovering inspiration from the large streets of Los Angeles to the muddy discipline of British festivals.
Are you able to briefly say one thing about your approach and inform us what drives you to make artwork?
Whereas I reside and work within the English countryside, it was a go to to Los Angeles which has had essentially the most affect on my work. I turned fascinated by the iconography of the American West and have loved translating the glowing neon of the Sundown Strip into my work. I’ve additionally discovered inspiration nearer to house, portray the glowing lights of funfairs and meals vans throughout the muddy fields of British festivals.
I believe my finest work relies alone experiences and reminiscences. I take images and movies of areas for reference after which work these concepts into oil work within the studio. Whereas there’s a basis of realism inside my work, I’m most curious about creating a picture that looks as if a second in time, highlighting the quiet great thing about the scenes that I depict.
What’s the major function that has modified in your works or follow all through the years?
I believe the primary factor which has modified inside my follow over the years, is a brand new appreciation of my fast environment. Whereas I am nonetheless drawn to the landscapes and cityscapes of Southern California, it’s not the one topic I’m portray. I’ve lately loved portray areas which can be nearer to house, and extra acquainted to me. A current collection of work depicts the basic British competition expertise; rain, mud, and all. I discovered inspiration in the way in which meals vans and competition stalls appeared to glow and draw us in from the darkness of the muddy fields. I believe my work based mostly alone experiences captures a bit extra authenticity.
Which artist primarily conjures up your work? And is there one thing else, exterior visible arts, that retains you motivated?
I’ve all the time discovered the work of painters like Edward Hopper and David Hockney to be vastly inspiring, partly as a result of shared love of Americana. I discover quite a lot of inspiration from movie and TV. I’m significantly drawn by stark lighting historically utilized in Movie Noir, and extra up to date takes on this style like the neon chaos of Ridley Scott’s Neo-Noir Blade Runner.
How would you want individuals to have interaction together with your work?
I would love audiences to have the ability to interact with my work each in individual at exhibitions and galleries, in addition to on-line through my web site and social media.
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