Artist 

Q: Describe your experience at Art College – what were your opportunities, what did you learn, where did you struggle?

The key tension for me when I was at college was the relationship between my faith and my art. My church (save for a few individuals) couldn’t relate to my work and my college had little time for my faith. Knowing where I fitted in was a huge issue for me. I went to a local large CU at a big non Arts University where I was treated as a rare commodity; a strange exotic creature who went to the art college.

My final term in my second year was a crucial term for me, I began to tackle the question head on; how should my faith impact my creativity, how do these two large factors in my life, my faith and my art, converge? The work I made was clumsy and poor but it didn’t matter, for the first time in my art education I felt I owned my artwork, and I was making work because I wanted to.

‘Modern Art and the Death of culture’ by Hans Rookmaaker (IVP) was crucial to my rethinking of my art practise. Amazingly my library had a copy and I devoured it, to read about art history from a Christian perspective was a unique moment for me.

The Greenbelt Arts Festival was fundamental to my thinking too. As a festival it positively embraced Christians and creativity. The first time I went in 1993, every seminar I went to seemed to be directed to me. Two key moments were seminars given by Graham Cray, the then principle of Ridley hall theological college; one seminar was on the then new phenomenon of Generation X, the writings of Douglas Coupland and the films of Richard Linklater, the other was an interview he did with Pete ‘Willie’ Williams who is the set designer for U2. The former was basically like going to my cultural studies lectures back in Norwich but given by a Christian- what a breath of fresh air! The latter was a discussion about how you engage with culture about spiritual realities. Two weeks later I started my final year of college and with a fresh enthusiasm and excitement about the potential of what I could do.

Q: What made you want to carry on as an Artist?

On one level I’m good at it, I enjoy it and people seem willing to pay. Another there is something very interesting in fusing the two vernaculars of Christianity and art with a view setting up a dialogue between the viewer and the artwork.

Q: Describe the kind of work you are involved in. What do you enjoy about it?

I am involved in creative collaborative partnership 3/4 days a week working on a mixture of client based and self initiated projects. I enjoy the HUGE privilege of working with some fantastically creative people in my collective on a range of projects and get paid for it.

The other day I work on my own painting practise in a small basement studio in east London.

Q: What are your opportunities and challenges now?

My challenges are: mediocrity, the battle for Christian distinctiveness in my life and art; professional jealously, recognising that the lean times are not because God is judging me; not allowing my value to be determined by the quality and size of my exhibition CV; and to value all people equally, not elevate those who could create opportunities for my career.

Opportunities-wise I am really struck that my contact with the creativity community works principally at a professional level, getting strong friendships to operate beyond that is really hard, my peers seem threatened or suspicious or are just not used to hanging out with Christians (or me perhaps!) socially. I pretty convinced that the command to offer hospitality is an important one, sharing your home for an evening is a really good thing to do, but getting people to agree a date in the diary is the real battle.

Q: What keeps you going as an Artist and a Designer?

The opportunity to exhibit, critical feedback from peers and colleagues, the process of enquiry that allows me to make work that combines faith/life/art and money.

Q: Who are your role models?

Ultimately my role models are not necessarily people involved in the arts community. The bare fact is the bible cares little about my choice of vocation but is passionate about my submission to my heavenly father through Christ, Romans 12:1-3 stuff, so my role models are fellow believing peers predominantly at my church.

Q: Are you part of any support networks for Christians in Art or Design?

Not in an official / membership capacity, but certainly in an informal sense. The L’Abri fellowship in Hampshire ( www.englishlabri.org) is a must for anyone involved in the arts. It was one of the first places, for me, that seemed to understand the implications of being a believer in the arts world. It continues to be a place that stimulates good discussions and stretches my thinking about my responsibilities in art. If we ever had the Islamic equivalent of Mecca L’Abri would get my vote; every believer should go at least once in his or her lifetime.

Q: What advice or encouragement would you give to a Christian student at Art College?

Your tutors can/will be wrong about their assessment of your work and you.

Persevere in lean times.

Your Christian bias could potentially work against you, so expect it and work out whether the voiced concerns are based on a non-Christian bias or on a genuine problem about your work. Where there is obvious bias from your tutors seek to subtly challenge their assumptions through a reasoned dialogue.

Persevere in lean times.

If you need to get a part time job to support you and art, you have not failed.

Persevere in lean times.

Art never promises redemption and will not convert the masses, that’s God’s work.