Interview: Sophia Pauley
Luca Curci talks with Sophia Pauley, winner of the ARTIST OF THE MONTH – MARCH 2020.

I grew up in Cardiff and moved to Scotland to study Painting at Edinburgh College of Art in 2014. I graduated with a First in 2018 and was awarded the Artists’ Collecting Society Studio Award. This has enabled me to continue living and working in Edinburgh since with the studio space and funding provided after graduating. I focus on the spaces in between the physical forms of the urban landscape, using a bright contrasting palette to accentuate the flowing shapes. The shapes, lines and composition of my work stem from architectural environments associated with water, especially swimming pools, lakes and the sea. My practice was inspired initially by my love of swimming. I recreate my experiences of particular places by recording, using drawing and photography, then remembering and re-imagining, both visually and emotionally. I aim to transfer these experiences into a more interactive environment for the viewer, initiating movement around the exhibited work as well the imagery within. I usually construct a set of drawings, extracting the shapes and lines from initial sketches before starting to paint, looking at the spaces in-between the physical forms. I use this as a process to develop the most interesting compositions that I can translate into cohesive abstracts. More recently, I have enjoyed using a wider range of materials, including glosses, varnishes and spray paints to create different textures and to further insinuate movement. My finished work uses the media of painting on canvas or wood, screen printing and painted sculptural installations.

Luca Curci – Which subject are you working on?
Sophia Pauley – At the moment I am experimenting with paint and alternative mediums to represent three dimensional qualities on a flat surface through geometric form and colour. I aim to transfer my experience of certain spaces into a more interactive environment for the viewer, and to initiate movement around the exhibited work as well the imagery within.

LC – What is art for you?
SP – Art for me is not only a way of expressing ideas into a form for others to experience, but a way of emotionally engaging with things which I find interesting and contemplative. Since graduating, my work now consumes all parts of my life from researching, exploring, creating and exhibiting to selling and forming an income. I feel very fortunate that I can spend most of my time doing something which I enjoy everyday.

LC – How is being an artist nowadays?
SP – I think being an artist nowadays has changed significantly, mainly due to technology and social media. Keeping up with this can be challenging and hard to separate at times, to retain integrity within your work whilst learning and growing as an artist. Many factors have stayed the same: an obsession with the process, a strive to keep creating and most importantly, adapting to the social climate around us. I don’t think there should be specific dos and don’ts or features which apply to the term “real artists”. Everything is constantly changing and everyone has their own way of doing things with different aspirations.

LC – Did your style change over the years? In which way?
SP – I have always been obsessed with abstracting shapes and lines from my surroundings, picking out colours and compositions from architectural spaces. What has changed is my relationship with colour and desire to be more daring with how I execute and present work (when certain opportunities arise). My practice was initially inspired by my love of swimming and my blue and green palette has been influenced by this. Recently, I either pick colours from everyday things around me or use colour as a way of emotionally engaging with the imagery I am expressing.

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
SP – I focus on the spaces in between the physical forms of the urban and industrial landscape, using a bright contrasting palette to accentuate the flowing shapes. The shapes, lines and composition of my work have stemmed from architectural environments associated with water, especially swimming pools, lakes and the sea. More recently, I have focussed on the flow of movement through architectural and industrial spaces, with an expansion of my colour palette.

LC – What is your creative process like?
SP – I recreate my experiences of particular places by recording, using drawing and photography, then remembering and re-imagining, both visually and emotionally. I usually construct a set of drawings, extracting the shapes and lines from initial sketches before starting to paint, looking at the spaces between the physical forms. I use this as a process to develop the most interesting compositions, that I can translate into cohesive abstracts. Presently, I have enjoyed using a wider range of materials, including glosses, varnishes and spray paints to create different textures and to further insinuate movement. My finished work uses the media of painting on canvas or wood, screen printing and painted sculptural installations.

more. www.sophiapauley.com