Artist Spotlight: Julia McKinlay

We catch up with Bar Lane resident Julia McKinlay to talk about her art and how she plans to use the space to her advantage. When discussing her first weeks, Julia also touches on some of her latest inspirations, ideas and plans for the future…

1] How have your first few weeks been at Bar Lane?

JM] Busy, I had only really just moved in when I left for a research trip to America. I travelled from LA to Seattle over the course of three weeks, I covered nine states and three thousand five hundred miles. I am interested in extreme environments and ecosystems so I decided to take a trip that would explore some really dramatic geology and a wide range of environments. The first week was all desert, which was something I have never experienced before. In Zion National Park I saw wild turkeys and I hiked up to Angels Landing, which was a five mile scramble on a metre wide trail. I hiked down into the Grand Canyon, and I was lucky enough to spend a night with the Navajo in Monument Valley where I slept in a traditional hogan. I was glad to get out of the heat when I got to Colorado, and into bear country. Rocky Mountain National Park was one of my favourite places; I hiked around many of the lakes and up to Andrews Glacier, in The Grand Tetons in Wyoming I went mountain biking through a herd of bison. In Yellowstone I saw geysers, mud pots, bacteria blankets and a black bear. I then moved on to stay in a ranch in Montana, where I went horseback riding in the mountains and visited a taxidermy workshop. Then up to Glacier on the border with Canada, which had severe fog, mountain lakes, and ospreys. My last stop before Seattle was Mount Ranier, a hike in 2ft of snow was a brilliant end to a trip that started in the Nevada desert. Since being back I have been in the studio going through my photographic research and I am beginning to make some drawings based on some of the things I have seen.

2] What projects are you working on at the moment?

JM] I am in the beginning stages of a new body of work, inspired by my trip to America. I am particularly interested in defence mechanisms in animals and plants that have specialised to cope with predators and extreme environments. The work will develop from this idea, and will also investigate the relationship between drawing and sculpture.

3] How did you get started in art?

JM] It’s always been something I have done.

4] Who or what are your biggest personal inspirations and why?

JM] Natural history collections like the Natural History Museum and the Hunterian. Much of my work comes from reading books about natural history, and documentaries by David Attenborough. Research trips like the one to America are also very inspiring. Some of the artists that have been an influence are Charles Avery and his project The Islanders, for the depth of detail and narrative and the strong relationship between his drawings and sculptures. I am interested in Claire Barclay’s use of materials, and how her work responds to the exhibition space. Anish Kapoor’s use of scale, form and colour has also been an influence.

5] What are your aims for the coming months and what do you want to achieve?

JM] My priority is to get going on some new sculptures and drawings. I am also thinking about some prints that I would like to make in the print workshop. I have an exhibition in November, so I’m planning something for that.

6] Are you able to use your space at Bar Lane effectively to expand and evolve your work?

JM] My studio is where I go to make drawings, go through my research, make models and diagrams. My have a process led practice; it is through making that ideas form and work develops, so it is really valuable having a space that allows me to experiment. I make sculptures that form connections within the space they are installed, so my studio allows me to experiment with the relationships that form between my objects and sculptures. I make quite large-scale work, so a lot of planning happens before I begin construction. I will be able to make smaller work in my studio, however a large part of my practice is working with technicians and specialists who work with specific materials and help with the construction of my large scale work elsewhere.

7] What has been your greatest achievement to-date as an artist?

JM] I was really pleased to be invited to be part of the Royal Scottish Academy’s RSA New Contemporaries 2010 exhibition this year. It was fantastic to be in an exhibition with artists from all over Scotland. I made a new group of sculptures for the exhibition, and it was a fantastic exhibition space.

8] What are some of your biggest challenges on a daily basis?

JM] [I am] definitely trying to balance my job with my practice. I think most artists have this problem; there just isn’t enough time to do everything. I’m always trying to find more time to be in the studio, or out doing research.

9] What’s the best thing about Bar Lane Studios?

JM] It’s good to have a busy environment to work in, with lots of artists around you. It is also really great to have a gallery attached to the studios with a diverse programme of exhibitions and the print studio is going to be really valuable.

10] Tell us about your typical day when it comes to creating new art?

JM] I don’t really have a typical day, I could be planning and model making one day, and in construction the next. If I’m making something out of wood, then I can spend weeks sanding, joining and painting. Or if I’m casting then I’ll be making moulds and mixing and pouring cement, plaster or rubber. When I am working in metal then I work with technicians, so I’ll be in their workshops instead.

For more information visit Julia‘s official website.

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Artist Spotlight: Nathan Chenery

Nathan Chenery is an exciting multi-talented artist based in the city of York. The thing that will immediately hook you about Nathan before you even see his work is his affecting enthusiasm and infectious drive to succeed in the ever-competitive art market.

Currently employed by his former university York St John (where he graduated from the Art and Design course in 2005) as Fine Art Technical Demonstrator and, as Arts Advisor of the Revolving Gallery, 26-year-old Nathan is never bored and maintains that the art and creative scene in York is what keeps him motivated. “Art in this city is growing, developing and becoming stronger all the time and Bar Lane Studios is really helping.”

The enterprising artist explains that after graduation he was unsure about how he would move forward but sufficiently fuelled by the intense desire to develop his craft, Nathan found work and began his career as a freelance artist. He comments: “I was a bit numb  after graduation and was very nervous but I tried to do as much stuff as possible – I had some success with some of my work and as a result my confidence kept growing and I was able to move on and develop.”

Nathan enjoyed a variety of rolls within the arts sector before finding his current day-job at the university and maintains that his time at St John‘s has had a positive impact on his life as an artist post-graduation. He comments: “I learned a lot from studying at York St John‘s because I had to actually go out there and do some work experience as an artist – beyond that, as soon as I graduated I managed a gallery in York called Minster Fine Art, so the experience I’ve gained has been a great help to me apart from being self-employed and running my own projects.

“My day-job is also very creative, a lot of the time I am working very closely with students when they are doing a specific project I will be there to help them with that.”

Nathan reflects on the growth of his own business and how it has developed through networking and a building relationships as part of a team. He says: “The Revolving Gallery was formed in 2009 by myself and three other directors – we are an event-based gallery.

“We feature different artists from alternating venues around the city. It’s been great really positive because we were able to receive the Proof Of Concept fund from YSJ which has helped out immensely – we were allowed to hold our very first event here which was a fantastic way to get us started!

“My Mum and Dad actually own their own business, so I have always grown-up around people who are self-employed and just trying to work every hour that God sends in order to make it work. So, I have been lucky because things like tax I have learned from being around my Mum – she’s great at business and my Dad’s good at the practical stuff.”

Nathan comments on his biggest challenge on a daily basis as an artist. “I think that one of the biggest is finding the time to fit it all in around my normal job which I still need to do to get some money in and get by. Of course, it’s also challenging just finding places to show my work – trying to stretch beyond York for exhibitions can be very hard even though I have many connections after five-plus years in the city.”

Despite the struggles that come with being a professional creative nowadays, Nathan asserts that it is important to remain determined and true as an artist in such a competitive environment. He says: “You need to be passionate, but you also need to be honest about what you can do – it’s very easy as an artist to get pulled into working on things that you don’t want to, for example hosting workshops to make money. If that’s what you want to do then great, go for it! But if not, then you aren’t being the artist that you want to be.”

When describing his style and key skills which often crossover, Nathan says: “I draw in a very abstract way using a nib and ink pen and pencil – I paint with oils and then I do some print work usually just drypoint etching and lino are the two that I work with regularly. Those are the main four areas that I focus on.

Developing the conversation further, the eager artist happily discusses his inspirations and how the feelings and emotions that inspire a piece can be different depending on the medium: “For the print work that I do there are two sides – the drawing and then the print side – the painting that I do is quite a different process. I think both forms still have the same feelings and ideas but the print stuff is more structured whereas the painting allows me to be a lot more free.”

Referencing his new home at Bar Lane, Nathan is obviously looking forward to the future and he positively reflects upon how important the place has become to him since he entered. He says: “I can go into the space and get into the creative mind-set,” he says. “When I am at home, I feel relaxed so I have to move everything just to get myself in a working mind-set the two don’t meet, so having that separate space is very useful.

“For everyone else though, Bar Lane will be useful in terms of networks and talking to people. Sharing ideas can be useful for everyone involved.”

Talking of goals, Nathan mentions his hope to spend more time at the studios. “It’s got a really good atmosphere and I have met everyone now,” he explains. “Unfortunately though, because of work I am always down on a Sunday which is a day that not everyone likes – I will get down there more soon!”

While it’s not clear whether Nathan will be able to regularly balance his massive workload over the course of the coming months enough to make it into the building on a more regular basis, it’s obvious that his versatile nature has taken him far within the ever-expanding York scene, and with the support of Bar Lane he will continue to thrive at a national level as a result of his honest and heartfelt approach. “I collect art, sell it, make it and to an extent I teach it at the university, so I am quite happy doing all of those pastimes,” he adds. “I can quite happily work on the Revolving Gallery, have my current job and be an artist – in an ideal world having the main job as an artist would be what I would pick but in this day and age it’s not the most sustainable of careers so I’d like to do an MA and go into lecturing at some point.”

Good luck!

For more information visit Nathan‘s official website here.