Chat with Olivia Bax
Olivia Bax and I chat about the weather, the weight of it and the frustration of it, like being the under slanted weather. We talk about her show "Off Grid" at Standpoint Gallery, and the delay caused by Lockdown in March and what this afforded and affected. Olivia talks about research as process and we discuss the pace and rhythms of the studio. Olivia talks about her steel armatures, her doodles and her drawing in space like it's a notepad. She speaks about breathing life into the linear, the excitement of making things solid and remaining in the process. We talk about colour, moving through the different tones of a mountain to cold chips. We explore Olivia's finding of colour, both from found often disregarded paint and through layering, as well as talking about hands and fingers, pulp and state changes. Olivia describes the making 'battle', the slapping and the weight and being a 'putter'. We ruminate on the idea of dialogues with the back of the work and think about what the inside is doing. Olivia touches on the short stories she writes, published in Yellowfields, and where some of those stories spark from. We consider objects that mean more than one thing and do more than one thing and such as filter and funnel. We consider theatrical pieces, starting with a tabletop resting place and sculptural relations. We think about restriction as a device to adapt and react to and reflect on how Olivia personally extends herself. We end on adjusting pace, prioritising and the joy of being introverted, but with friends and cake. Image: Hopper 2020 Steel, chicken wire, newspaper, glue, paint, plaster, wheels, varnish 112 x 96 x 96 cm Photo: Tim Bowditch Links: https://www.oliviabax.co.uk https://www.standpointlondon.co.uk https://www.yellowfields.tk/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/emma-cousin/support