For THE SOAK UP episode 10 from Venus & the Cat we got to visit the south London studio of visual artist Fiona Grady. We got to take a little look at some art in progress and chat about projects past and present.
Who is Fiona Grady?
Fiona Grady is a British artist based in London known for her dynamic and brilliantly colourful geometric installations seen in public spaces and galleries all around the world.
What is Fiona Grady known for?
Fiona Grady’s is known for colourful and dynamic geometric art which includes architectural interventions that transform their setting. She utilises light, colour, shape, surface and scale to ensure each unique work is transformational and impactful on the environment around it. Her works metamorphosise with the light of day, reflecting the passing of time, memory and experience to create ambient environments.
Where can I buy artwork by Fiona Grady?
You can find Fiona's current projects and available work at her website here
The Fiona Grady interview: THE SOAK UP #10:
THE SOAK UP Episode 10.1 with Fiona Grady starts with a little tour of Fiona's studio in south London. A space shared by a number of London based artists, it's a wonderfully inspiring place to be. Fiona talks through her various methods of preparation, use of water colour in preparation for glasswork, learning about stained glass, layering vinyl and the various methods of etching vinyl. Then we sit down for a chat about Fiona's latest installation at the Art Station in Saxmundham, the work and thinking that went into the installation and the public exhibition that surrounds it.
THE SOAK UP Episode 10.2 with Fiona Grady carries on the conversation about the Art Station and Fiona's connection to the exhibition, how the collaboration came together and the community support it offers. We talk about colour palettes, creating impact on your environment with colour and how you match colour to its situation. We talk about installation preparation, reading briefs (and how to read through them), creating anew whilst relying on experience and whether it's possible to change your installation in situ when you see it coming together as a physical reality. We talk about geometry and shapes and their impact versus the colour and Fiona's 'jigsaw-puzzle mind' helping the problem solving of a design brief.
THE SOAK UP Episode 10.3 with Fiona Grady talks about form, balance and logic in the work and needing order in her work. We talk about how you can adapt work to the changing environment, light conditions and seasons, and observing the reactions of people that effectively walk 'through' the installation via its light. we talk about abstraction and the interpretation of work, light projections, learning animation and her residency at the Mark Rothko centre in Latvia.
THE SOAK UP Episode 10.4 with Fiona Grady uncovers Fiona's future plans, including hopes to collaborate with a glassmaker. We cover Fiona's style and where it came from, her degree show and the development of her style, influences from working in London and coming from Leeds, travelling the world for artistic opportunities and finding the most challenging briefs. We talk about Fiona's family and the influences therein, artistic or otherwise.
You can check out Fiona on Insta here
And you can also check out Fiona's Spotify playlist here
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