About Imogen Hawgood

Imogen Hawgood is a UK-based artist and freelance illustrator, skilled in Illustration at Norwich College of the Arts. Following latest journeys to California, a spotlight to her has been the iconography of the American West, and the thought of ‘the highway’ as a symbolic panorama, dotted with roadside icons- fuel stations, motels, and neon oddities.

Her curiosity in cinema led to a physique of labor targeted on the neon-lit facades of Los Angeles film theatres.

She just lately defined to us extra about her artwork and work apply.

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Hiya Imogen, the place are you from and the place did you develop up?

I grew up within the English Countryside within the County Durham space.

When or how have you ever understood you needed to develop into an artist?

I’ve at all times liked artwork, my childhood was stuffed with painting, drawing, and creating in any approach that I might. I didn’t contemplate artwork as a severe profession path till my Artwork Basis course after my A-Ranges when experimentation and pushing what you thought you possibly can do turned the norm. From there I went on to check illustration at Norwich College of the Arts, which is once I began experimenting with portray. After leaving college I’ve continued portray and honing my abilities, discovering inspiration from the extensive streets of Los Angeles to the muddy subject of British festivals.

Are you able to briefly say one thing about your approach and inform us what drives you to make artwork?

Whereas I dwell and work within the English countryside, it was a go to to Los Angeles which has had probably the most affect on my work. I turned fascinated by the iconography of the American West and have loved translating the glowing neon of the Sundown Strip into my work. I’ve additionally discovered inspiration nearer to dwelling, portray the glowing lights of funfairs and meals vehicles throughout the muddy fields of British festivals.

I feel my greatest work is predicated alone experiences and reminiscences. I take pictures and movies of areas for reference after which work these concepts into oil work within the studio. Whereas there’s a basis of realism inside my work, I’m most occupied with creating a picture that looks like a second in time, highlighting the quiet great thing about the scenes that I depict.

What’s the foremost function that has modified in your works or apply all through the years?

I feel the principle factor which has modified inside my apply over the years, is a brand new appreciation of my instant environment. Whereas I am nonetheless drawn to the landscapes and cityscapes of Southern California, it’s not the one topic I’m portray. I’ve just lately loved portray areas which might be nearer to dwelling, and extra acquainted to me. A latest collection of work depicts the traditional British pageant expertise; rain, mud, and all. I discovered inspiration in the way in which meals vehicles and pageant stalls appeared to glow and draw us in from the darkness of the muddy fields. I feel my work based mostly alone experiences captures a bit extra authenticity.

Which artist primarily evokes your work? And is there one thing else, exterior visible arts, that retains you motivated?

I’ve at all times discovered the work of painters like Edward Hopper and David Hockney to be massively inspiring, partly because of the shared love of Americana. I discover plenty of inspiration from movie and TV. I’m notably drawn by stark lighting historically utilized in Movie Noir, and extra up to date takes on this style like the neon chaos of Ridley Scott’s Neo-Noir Blade Runner.

How would you want individuals to interact together with your work?

I would really like audiences to have the ability to have interaction with my work each in particular person at exhibitions and galleries, in addition to on-line through my web site and social media.

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