Viv Owen captures vivid, gestural oil paintings that reveal a fascination with emotional states, with the help of unwitting accomplices captured from feature films and the television screen. Subtle in scale: a whisper in the ear rather than a shout across the room, their textured surfaces contain intriguing hints of the depths of emotion below. Forever given pause, these oil paintings make comments on emotional entanglement with the artificial as a substitute – or perhaps immunisation against- the fluctuating feelings of everyday life
Exhibitions include Pause/Play solo exhibition as part of Index Festival, FLUX at The National Army Museum London March 2019, FLUX at Chelsea College of Arts London April 2018, Portraits at Candid Arts London February 2017, Menier Gallery London July 2016, FLUX at the Royal College of Art London December 2015, Oxo Tower Wharf London December 2015.
Self-taught or art school?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t draw. Having educators for parents I felt I needed to ‘validate’ my interest by getting formal qualifications. So I’ve got a foundation certificate, BA and MA as well! The importance of art school wasn’t in the paper for me though, it was being surrounded by other artists and having the time and space to focus to work on art, talk about art and develop an art practice.
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
Being at home and forced to stop painting because of recent lockdowns has changed my feelings on this. Rather than aspiring after one big item, I’ve enjoyed having small affordable pieces that I can see every day. Some of them are by artists I know personally; some I chose because they spoke to me in some way. I still think that visiting a gallery is one of the great joys. Having said all that, a Ray Smith painting of one of my favourite LP covers was recently up for auction, I would have absolutely loved that!
How would you describe your style?
I think my style is invisible to me: It’s like trying to catch your own natural expression in a mirror: as soon as you look at what you’re doing you change it. I try to paint what I’ve composed as accurately and fluidly as possible. Based on my subject matter, I would describe it as Pop-Expressio-Realist!
Can you tell us about your artistic process?
I watch a lot of film and TV on a small screen. I work from self-sourced images from these. I try to capture a frozen moment of tension. I manipulate the image to form a composition, then laser print it as a reference to work from. This is the ‘sketching’ process; this is where I make my decisions about the composition. I then paint freehand by observation from this reference. I keep my paintings hand-done; to maintain the autographic mark and bring out the personal reactions that I have to the subject.
Is narrative important within your work?
Very much so. Everything I paint is from a key moment in a drama. I like the suspense that is created; everything is on pause. However, I don’t feel that the narrative has to be overly explained. The viewer can read interpretations into the image in multiple ways.
Who are your favourite artists and why?
Francis Bacon was a revelation at a young age. Not just the beauty of the paint, his attitude: make art for yourself, if it’s true, others will come to like it. David Hockney, Paula Rego, Cindy Sherman. Anyone whose work has visual atmosphere and emotion: probably also why I’m a film fan: Alex Garland, Terry Gilliam, Ridley Scott, Sally Potter.
What or who inspires your art?
Seeing is the main experience for me. I work from certain film images because they have a deep emotional resonance. A photo is the only way to hold that split second still enough to study it. My creativity comes from making the selection and then the translation into paint. I need to paint; it is a compulsion.
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
I’m lucky to have my own room studio space in Westgate Studios, Wakefield. It’s in a Georgian building, nicely ramshackle with a bit of history. We’re in Wakefield centre, and I’ve also got a brilliant view over the rooftops to the distant hills. I often watch the wilder weather coming towards us, and the pigeons clowning about on the chimneys.
Do you have any studio rituals?
I do say hello when I go in- even though the only occupants are my paintings! I always contemplate the weather for a few minutes- or longer if there’s an interesting cloudscape! I tend to listen to a lot of podcasts or ambient music on headphones as I work. And coffee, there must be coffee!
What are you working on currently?
The current set of paintings explores characters from a tv series who are dealing with some very frightening scenarios. It is intriguing to me that these sometimes horrific moments can look visually beautiful due to the lighting effects and colour combinations.
I’m working to create another installation of my paintings, developing the ideas of my solo show ‘Pause//Play’ (2019). Here the effect of a video wall was created that physically surrounded the viewer with images. I want to envelope the audience in the feeling of being overwhelmed with emotion.
Where can we buy your art?
Online shop at kofi.com/vivo
Contact me at vivowen.co.uk
Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
