Introducing our brand new podcast!
Since the first weeks of lockdown, we have been recoding discussions between two artists in isolation.
It goes without saying that we are all discovering new things about ourselves, friends, family and colleagues as we continue with lock down. We were particularly interested in how our artists, who usually rely on their freedom to travel, for the very core of their artistic inspiration, are adapting. In the first part of our new series of podcasts, recorded shortly after isolation began, landscape artists Luke M Walker and Michael Wallner discuss with Gallery Director Elinor Olisa, how they have found the first weeks.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Luke M Walker views his practice as an inquiry into memory, time, distance and materiality with each series of works being an opportunity to discover something new, through experimentation, exploration, chance, the collection of data and other records of his personal progress through the environment, whether a city or somewhere further afield. It is an attempt to discover the role of a Landscape Artist today. He was Contemproary Collective's first Artist in Residence at Bankside Hotel, London from November 2018 - February 2019, where he made a series of walks from the residency space and painted the locality, a site undergoing immense change. Much of his work derives from exploration, primarily through walking. This can involve collecting specific data on walks; the length, the pace, the altitude or number of steps etc. and translating the data into a painting which become physical representations of the momentary act of walking itself. These ‘potential landscapes’ are also paintings of time and distance and it is these additional spatial and temporal qualities that he is keen to express whether through constructed landscapes or from a direct observation of the environment, they act as a record of both the activity of the artist in the landscape but also in the studio.
Michael Wallner specialises in aluminium and reclaimed wood prints as well as neon and l.e.d installations.
He spent more than twenty years in the media industry working on entertainment programmes, talk shows, documentaries, and a children’s novel. But creating original and innovative art is his true passion. He now works out of Wimbledon Art Studios in South London as a full time artist.
In recent years he has moved into more ambitious work – digitally manipulating his own photographs to produce unusual art and installations using a variety of surfaces and mediums including L.E.Ds, neon, brushed aluminium, reclaimed wood, laser-cut acrylic.. He is constantly searching for exciting new materials to experiment on. Current experiments include working on concrete and 1930's reclaimed windows.
Michael Wallner's latest work celebrates the beauty of the city through the shapes and outlines that define its landmarks and character. London, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Hong Kong, Paris and Singapore all feature in his latest collection.
VIEW MICHAEL'S FULL PORTFOLIOYou can listen to all of the series by visiting DegreeArt's Podcast page. For any questions, please contact Elinor Olisa Elinor@DegreeArt.com
