Stuart Mel Wilson attended the Goldsmith College and graduated in 2009 and exhibited his works at the Vane Gallery in the UK. Wilson is based in the North East of England.
His aim for his work is to talk through the unconscious or the unaware mind by making large scale drawings with installation elements and exploring sculpture and space.
What was your first step in becoming an artist?
I guess it was studying. Studying and then practising I guess. Maybe I need to give some insight into me to answer this, my own dyslexia and me seeing art as a language. I was on the same level as other people, I could stand my own. Art made a lot of sense to me, in it being what words can’t say. Working in the studio is a big thing in order to becoming an artist. To be honest, I found it hard like most artist do after uni. I had to work a full time job and mange my art practise (forget a social life).
The hardest thing for me was getting my head around applications, I am very dyslexic, so I can talk well about my work and ideas but I struggle to get what is in my head to be a coherent word document. It takes up a lot of my time probably 3 times long than everybody else. But if I want to be at the top I have to do it. I let my art do the talking for itself a lot I guess, it might also be why some might see my works as literal because it is clear, but please don’t take that as it being unlearned, as I talk about a lot of different thing threw my work. I just want it to be understood on a lot of levels and for it to be clear. So I think my first step towards being an artist was believing something I have made has value and I want it to be seen by the world. Then onto putting it out there for the world to see. All artist need to get over the fear of rejection. The biggest part of becoming an artist is ever getting a thicker skin or learning how to dust yourself down.
Art made a lot of sense to me, in it being what words can’t say.
How do you define yourself in the creative industry?
In short I don’t think about it. I let other people define my title as I can’t control it. My job title is artist if that helps, call it what you want as long as people get to see it. A big part of that is trying to get it to be on the biggest stage that is possible (platform). I call my art my work. I show on many different platforms, my preferred one is to do solo shows. I like to create worlds to immerse people into I am interest in how to talk to the unaware part of the brain.
What is indispensable while working in your studio?
I work best with peace, I shared a studios to save money in the past, but I just end up chatting. I work a lot in ink pens I guess I need them. I have a really chaotic making process, I don’t plan at all, maybe a doodle or a floor plan for a show but that’s is it.
I do like to work to Bon Iver music, one of my favorites. I also listen to podcasts - I need some background noise. What I need changes according to what project I am working on. I tend to work across the walls of my studio. But mainly, a decent pens is a must and I do like to have my studio kitted out.
Who are your favourite artists and who are the ones that built your creative imagery?
I am a big art fan boy tbf. So where to start... Raymond Pettibon and Mike Mills have aesthetics I like and I took inspiration from them throught the years. Pettibon injection of colour into mainly black and white work speaks to me I love it. Ed Templeton art is sooooo cool and weird his drawing style is very iconic. I like Jack and Dinos Chapman. The best and most profound to my own practise art show I've ever seen was by Ed and Nancy Keinholts. It was the use of space and how you can load an environment full of loaded objects to curate something that can communicate a meaning together. In my own work I use art history and ideas from artists of the past to culminate where art is today so a nod to all the greats. Nezt Betye Soar use of found objects again, but it is her essemblement that I get from her works. I throw Dali in the ring next, It is so absurd and painful and depressing but it is compelling as it moves me. My honourable mentions are Jeff Koons and Dorathea Toming.
Finally I will threw in a couple of my contemporary artists from North East England such as Peter Hanmer, Erin Dickson and Stuart Herring. I could name loads more but they are my three favs.
What is your relationship with social media and how do you use them?
Instagram is my big one, ( @stuart_mel_wilson). I’m always posting and quite often use it to show people my progress.
It is a art account so I tend to keep my life off it. But Iggy quite often get onto it, Iggy is my wild lab.
Overall, I think IG is a good platform to advertise your stuff. It also is a way to document your stuff. I, of course, give people the opportunity to see your stuff how can’t otherwise.
