"I've always had a creative urge in me and drew a lot growing up. However, I only realized I could be an actual artist after a therapist told me at 19 that I should try drawing out issues I was having a hard time expressing."
William's Instagram: @williamreinsch
How and when did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I've always had a creative urge in me and drew a lot growing up. However, I only realized I could be an actual artist after a therapist told me at 19 that I should try drawing out issues I was having a hard time expressing. This was a revelation to me as I had never approached art this way before. I was just drawing silly cartoons up until this point.
What was your experience of art school?
I'm currently in my third year at City and Guilds of London art school and so far it has been quite transformative. I've learnt a lot from fellow students and teachers and have made big changes in how I paint on a technical level, as well as how carefully I think about and curate my works.
Can you tell us more about the ideas and inspiration behind your work?
The work I submitted is part of a larger series titled 'Naked Island' which I've been working on for the last 5 years. This series has been a way for me to create a narrative between all my best ideas and have them coexist and evolve together. I have taken inspiration from other fictional worlds such as Silent Hill and Twin Peaks while making this series. Specifically Silent Hills' idea that their world is a projection of our own subconscious fears.
Are there other artists or movements that have inspired your work?
Lucian Freud with his texture and how brutal he describes his figures. Justin Mortimer with his world-building and the illusionistic way he paints and Phil Hale for his sculptural-like technique and the tension he manages to create with his figures.
Can you describe a typical day in the studio? How do you approach your work?
I make a coffee and then assess where I am at with the painting. Then when I start I will put some music on which helps me get into the meditative state I need to be in. While I'm working I am going back and forth from the reference image, looking through my phone's camera, squinting and often taking steps back to see if what I've done up close will work from far away.
When I'm painting I am trying to get a specific texture that is thick and describes the lines and movement of the brush. To achieve this I use hog hair fan brushes and a smooth surface like aluminium or wood. I don't usually take too many breaks as once I'm locked in I find it difficult to switch out of. When I finish I quickly clean my brushes and wait for tomorrow when I will see it all with fresh eyes.