Beth Rodway is an artist and designer who lives and works in London.
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Hubbard: Do you think about Yves Klein?
Beth: He has come to my attention only recently. I have always been aware of the Klein Blue but only in the last year or so read into the artist himself, which I suppose is rather ignorant of me. I have always worked in monochrome and for me Klein Blue is less suggestive of a feeling than for example Red, Pink or Green. Whilst representational, I intend my works to hold a level of elusiveness which allows the viewer to make an interpretation regarding a certain feeling for themselves. Hubbard: You achieve that. The intricate details and patterns draw the eye in to the interior, and then there are the objects in the interior to explore. A stranger's house. One theme I see is that you have the interior of a well-designed home, it would be normal enough, but there’s a wild animal in it. Oftentimes a tiger. Why a tiger? Beth: I studied an undergraduate degree in Architecture where I found joy in creating narratives for designs to then stem from. The imagination is a wonderful thing. After years of having reasons for absolutely every decision you make (and rightly so), I find it so liberating to make a drawing that doesn't have to make sense. Tigers hold beautiful stripes in their fur, patterns are a strong theme within my works. I'm currently exploring the relationships between the curves of the mammals against the hard, clean lines of modernism. |
A Tiger Came for Tea | Beth Rodway
Eames House | Beth Rodway
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Hubbard: Absolutely. When you can explain the purpose behind every detail of an image you've lost something in the magic of it. It strikes me that the interiors of blue on white also evoke the idea of blueprints. A beautiful thing to have the planned elements with the contrast of a potentially dangerous wild animal. A corollary when you have a nude figure in the scene with or instead of the animal. I think it's great. Can you describe a turning point in your thought-life as an artist? I know you credit the Royal Drawing School year as giving you more confidence. But can you speak to any subtle shift in thinking that helped you in your art-making?
Beth: Thank you! That’s interesting you say that. Although not technical I always intend for some precision or accuracy in my drawings, so I suppose they relate to blueprints in that sense, yes. The planned elements are often drawn from observation or memory and like you say I’m beginning to embrace more dream-like scenarios by layering these with wildlife.
I credit one day in particular for a shift in thinking about making drawings. I was taking a class at the Royal Drawing School based around the studio room. We were studying Henri Rousseau and subsequently created life size cutouts of plants and wildlife to populate the studio room combined with drapes and furniture. All vibrant and bursting with opposing patterns. I abandoned colour and focused on form (Fig. 1) and began the process of layering which I still abide by to this day. I started treating my works as stage sets, which really helps with my composition. I credit Rousseau for my love of Felidae species!
Beth: Thank you! That’s interesting you say that. Although not technical I always intend for some precision or accuracy in my drawings, so I suppose they relate to blueprints in that sense, yes. The planned elements are often drawn from observation or memory and like you say I’m beginning to embrace more dream-like scenarios by layering these with wildlife.
I credit one day in particular for a shift in thinking about making drawings. I was taking a class at the Royal Drawing School based around the studio room. We were studying Henri Rousseau and subsequently created life size cutouts of plants and wildlife to populate the studio room combined with drapes and furniture. All vibrant and bursting with opposing patterns. I abandoned colour and focused on form (Fig. 1) and began the process of layering which I still abide by to this day. I started treating my works as stage sets, which really helps with my composition. I credit Rousseau for my love of Felidae species!
The Dream | Henri Rousseau
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Fig. 1 | Panthera tigris | Beth Rodway
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Hubbard: Wow. That’s amazing! When I first saw Henri Rousseau’s art I didn’t think to classify him as a self-taught, outsider artist. Of course that’s what he was. Without much visible success in his lifetime. But what an artist. And celebrated by Picasso! I see Rousseau in your work now that you say that. Who else do you love? Let’s say if you could only name two other artists.
Beth: I recently saw Charlotte Solomon’s ‘Life or Theatre?’ at the Jewish Museum here in London which blew my mind. Her gouache paintings hold a mixture of illustration and painting, the subjects she studied whilst at art school under the surveillance of Nazis. The works are very emotive, a talent I very much admire and would love to master.
Lisa Brice is a figurative painter whose works focus on the process of repainting images of women previously painted by men, believing that ‘re-authoring the work by a woman - can be a potent shift in itself’. She speaks about using strong colour (often blue) to alter the mannerisms of women from objectified to ‘self-possessed, matter-of-fact or provocative subjects’. I find the process of a slight change in input resulting in the painting being read in an entirely different way very interesting. As I’m currently working on a piece for a show titled ‘The Female Gaze’ taking place in New York next month, these ideas surrounding feminism and female empowerment behind Brice’s work are at the forefront of my thoughts.
Beth: I recently saw Charlotte Solomon’s ‘Life or Theatre?’ at the Jewish Museum here in London which blew my mind. Her gouache paintings hold a mixture of illustration and painting, the subjects she studied whilst at art school under the surveillance of Nazis. The works are very emotive, a talent I very much admire and would love to master.
Lisa Brice is a figurative painter whose works focus on the process of repainting images of women previously painted by men, believing that ‘re-authoring the work by a woman - can be a potent shift in itself’. She speaks about using strong colour (often blue) to alter the mannerisms of women from objectified to ‘self-possessed, matter-of-fact or provocative subjects’. I find the process of a slight change in input resulting in the painting being read in an entirely different way very interesting. As I’m currently working on a piece for a show titled ‘The Female Gaze’ taking place in New York next month, these ideas surrounding feminism and female empowerment behind Brice’s work are at the forefront of my thoughts.
Life? Or Theatre? | Charlotte Solomon
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The young Charlotte kneeling on her bed, dreaming of love. | Charlotte Solomon
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Between This and That | Lisa Brice
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Hubbard: Can you tell me a little about the mechanics of your art-making, like what time of day and where? Is there music on? Do those things matter?
Beth: In the mornings I attend to emails, any digital projects I have on the go and research for new pieces. After lunch I'll start work on drawings and more often than not work until late into the evening. I'm currently working from home which can be quite lonely, so I always have a podcast or some music on. I'm really enjoying the New York fiction podcasts right now. I'm very much looking forward to moving into a studio in Autumn, after I undertake my 3-month residency at ESMoA Art Laboratory in LA.
It's funny when I look back on past works, the first thing that comes to my attention is the state of mind I was in at the time, and the musician I was listening too. It can range from a calm and controlled state listening to Alice Coltrane to crazily working towards a deadline with Celine Dion keeping me going.
Hubbard: Congratulations on the residency. Will it be your first stint in the US?
Beth: Thank you, Hubbard. I spent time in Florida Keys which were beautiful as a kid. I was over in New York last October where I exhibited for the first time. It was great to meet artists from there and get to know the art scene beyond the obviously incredible MOMA, The Met, The Whitney, etc. New York is somewhere I'm looking to spend time working in the future.
Hubbard: When you're in California, you should make a point to see some Sequoias and Redwoods. The biggest, and some of the oldest trees in the world. Great perspective. Beth, this has been great. I've enjoyed your art and I'm excited to see more of it. Thanks for the time.
Beth: I shall indeed! Thanks so much Hubbard, it’s been great chatting!
Beth: In the mornings I attend to emails, any digital projects I have on the go and research for new pieces. After lunch I'll start work on drawings and more often than not work until late into the evening. I'm currently working from home which can be quite lonely, so I always have a podcast or some music on. I'm really enjoying the New York fiction podcasts right now. I'm very much looking forward to moving into a studio in Autumn, after I undertake my 3-month residency at ESMoA Art Laboratory in LA.
It's funny when I look back on past works, the first thing that comes to my attention is the state of mind I was in at the time, and the musician I was listening too. It can range from a calm and controlled state listening to Alice Coltrane to crazily working towards a deadline with Celine Dion keeping me going.
Hubbard: Congratulations on the residency. Will it be your first stint in the US?
Beth: Thank you, Hubbard. I spent time in Florida Keys which were beautiful as a kid. I was over in New York last October where I exhibited for the first time. It was great to meet artists from there and get to know the art scene beyond the obviously incredible MOMA, The Met, The Whitney, etc. New York is somewhere I'm looking to spend time working in the future.
Hubbard: When you're in California, you should make a point to see some Sequoias and Redwoods. The biggest, and some of the oldest trees in the world. Great perspective. Beth, this has been great. I've enjoyed your art and I'm excited to see more of it. Thanks for the time.
Beth: I shall indeed! Thanks so much Hubbard, it’s been great chatting!
