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Contemporary artist opens music-inspired exhibition in Preston city centre

Posted on - 2nd April, 2023 - 12:00pm | Author - | Posted in - Arts & Culture, People, Preston City Centre, Preston News, Proud Preston, What's On in Preston
Rebecca uses painting as a tool for making sense of emotion. Pic Joey Afrin Black
Rebecca uses painting as a tool for making sense of emotion. Pic Joey Afrin Black

The Colour and the Sound, an exhibition of works by contemporary painter and printmaker Rebecca Andrew, has launched at The Larder.

The artist has lived and worked in Preston for over 20 years, since arriving as a student from Cumbria. With a background in graphics and illustration, Rebecca made the transition to printmaking and painting and now divides her time between teaching and working as an artist.

Heavily influenced by music, the artist works in a variety of mediums utilising discarded items in her work when possible – breathing new life into old!

We went to find out more.

First up, congratulations on your exhibition at The Larder, how did the launch event go?

The launch event was quite an intimate one. The team at The Larder put on drinks and cakes and the atmosphere was friendly and welcoming. We kept it casual and my partner – who helped with installing the exhibition and is always my greatest champion – and I took the kids with us to experience the launch… and the cakes and hot chocolate! A few of my friends, colleagues, and students came down to show support along with friends of The Larder. It was a lovely evening.

Contemporary painter and print-maker Rebecca Andrew's work is on display at The Larder. Pic Victoria Dyer
Contemporary painter and printmaker Rebecca Andrew’s work is on display at The Larder. Pic Victoria Dyer

You have a background in the arts, as a graphic designer and illustrator, how did you make the transition to printmaking and painting? 

My initial training was in graphics but predominantly illustration and I have always favoured a hand-rendered approach. Painting and printmaking have always been my favourite processes despite shifts in style and content. Like many artists, I have moved through different phases with my art.

I have spent many years working on intensely detailed, figurative work. During the course of my teaching career, I found myself broadening my appreciation of abstract art and began my own journey into exploring abstract compositions using painterly, immediate and responsive approaches.

How would you describe your approach to your work and the process?

Although there is theory, training, research, and many years of experience invested in my work, I really just enjoy the process of painting and creating painterly monotypes!

I take inspiration from the emotion derived from different pieces of music, and I paint that series of intermingled emotions, interweaving harmonies, and layered textures using a visual language for sound.

To me, a piece of music has a temperature that generates a palette of colours. Sounds have textures that can be represented through the choice of media and mark-making. Rhythm, beat and direction can all be reflected in the gestural movements that are captured on the canvas or wood in most cases.

My process is gestural, automatic, and responsive, I can paint the same piece of music on two different days and the outcome will be different as each piece is also a reflection of my emotional response, and emotions are fleeting.

The work of contemporary painter and print maker Rebecca Andrew. All images - Rebecca Andrew
The work of contemporary painter and printmaker Rebecca Andrew. All images – Rebecca Andrew

What mediums do you work with?

I work in combinations of oils, acrylics, inks, paint markers, pens, chalks, and block printing inks. I enjoy tactile, malleable materials that allow immediacy. I like to work with different surfaces ranging from wood to raw canvas, newsprint, and paper, and wherever possible, I like to use discarded, repurposed items such as offcuts of wood, old cupboard doors, discarded room dividers, the bottom of a broken drawer, old mirrors and bits of metal. I source and paint old lampshades and frames from charity shops too. I like to give new life and purpose to otherwise redundant items!

Rebecca's exhibition is on display at The Larder until 13th April 2023. Pic Victoria Dyer
Rebecca’s exhibition is on display at The Larder until 13th April 2023. Pic Victoria Dyer

How important is music to your artistic practice?

Music is pretty much essential to my practice. It is my non–figurative reference point in the creation of my work. I always have music playing when I’m painting.

It wasn’t until I’d finished a painting one day and my partner came home and asked what I had been listening to, that I realised I was subconsciously capturing my emotional response to what I was hearing through my movements and other aesthetic choices.

Where else have you exhibited your work?

I completed an MA in Fine Art through lockdown and so began exhibiting in collaborative online exhibitions, magazines, and ‘zines, curated by collectives such as Cultivate Presents.

I have had work exhibited physically in group shows such as Come as You Art in Shoreditch, London, and Sonora in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This year I wanted to focus on physical exhibitions closer to home.

I read that you are taking your work to Lancaster after the exhibition finishes at The Larder, where you will be showing it? 

I will be taking some work up to The Herbarium Bar, a lovely plant-based restaurant-café-bar on Great Johns Street in Lancaster. I went to college in Lancaster many moons ago so I’m really pleased to be showing in the city.

What are your future plans?

I intend to keep working on and developing my visual language for sound and emotion and see where it takes me. I often have a few little side themes running alongside and enjoy exploring different ideas, scales, and formats, and keeping my hand in with a bit of figurative drawing and painting.

I would like to exhibit more around Lancashire and get my work out there as much as possible.

I’ll also continue teaching as I enjoy that interaction with people and it also helps keep my practice fresh and feeds my ideas constantly.

The Colour and the Sound is available to view at The Larder, 50 Lancaster Road, Preston on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10am to 1pm. The exhibition will run until 13 April.

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