"Illusion involves a misleading perception of reality, which has become an interest throughout developing my work."
Jess' Instagram: @jessbeaton.art
How and when did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I have always navigated towards something creative from early on in my life. Once I decided to do Art and Photography A-level I knew that this is what I wanted to do forever. During University my attitude towards my art adapted as I had my own studio space to work in and could develop my own practice without having to fit into specific briefs. Having my own space to work and a grounded practice has confirmed to me why I wanted to be an artist in the first place.
What was your experience of art school?
At this moment, I've only experienced two years of art school and so far, I have loved how I can progress my practice further as well as learning how to write as an academic alongside my practical work. The studio space I was given has allowed me to experiment with scale and provides me with somewhere I can collaborate with other artists. I am looking forward to my final year of art school and can’t wait to produce more work that I'm excited about.
Can you tell us more about the ideas and inspiration behind your work?
My work is inspired by photomicrography and intends to reveal the complex details of the microscopic world that are not normally seen by the human eye. Working with paper has always interested me, where a continuous process of paper cutting provided a delicate component to create a sensory illusion. My overall aim is to infuse this idea of fluidity and movement throughout the work and explore illusion as a way of expressing depth of colour and vibrancy. Illusion involves a misleading perception of reality, which has become an interest throughout developing my work.
Are there other artists or movements that have inspired your work?
I have been heavily inspired by the role of pattern and ritual of repetition within my work turning into a meditative process. Bridget Riley has always been an artist I have looked up to. This idea of a labour-intensive practice appealed to me because of the excitement that comes with the piece developing overtime. Colour theorists, such as Albert H. Munsell have continuously inspired my work, helping me to communicate and reproduce colour consistently.
Can you describe a typical day in the studio? How do you approach your work?
A typical day in the studio for me consists of continuing the process of cutting painted paper to size and sticking them onto a canvas, whilst listening to music. Quite often I would have days dedicated to painting paper before cutting or making canvases ready for new projects. As my practice is a long process, I often spend most of my time in the studio developing my pieces.