Katy Tulloch (she/her) is fourth-year Fine Art student specializing in intermedia and History of Art at ECA. Her practice includes, ink work, sculpture, photography and embroidery. Her History of Art courses includes research into Optics, Renaissance and the Aztecs. Her breadth of interests across different time periods is important in her practice.
Sienna: Is there a particular era that inspires you the most?
Katy: Medieval art, the birth of Islam… Hopefully this is what I am going to focus my dissertation on next year, and I will look into the emergence of the Caliphal periods.’
Sienna: ‘For the art you produce yourself, who are your biggest influences at the moment, whether that be online or in person?
Katy: Artist wise, although it’s not in the context I just discussed, I really love Barbara Kruger’s work. I think it’s great in addressing both feminism and consumerism within an avant-garde-like style. I really appreciate how bold she is. As someone who does monochrome artwork myself, I love that she incorporates that alongside bold colours to really emphasise her messages.
Sienna: Can you give us an overview of the major themes which recur in your art?
Katy: When I boil it down, the medium I keep returning to, throughout the whole last decade, is ink. I love seeing how dynamic it can be; the deeper tones, the saturation of the black and how this interacts with the paper. I use this media to then represent variations of organic matter, this idea was influenced by some of my previous commission requests. The Monstera leaf print was requested from a sustainability brand which was then featured on their clothing line. As their message is all about sustainability and planting trees, the Monstera leaf was a great way to get that across because it’s such a recognisable symbol for nature in popular culture.
Sienna: How do you create a setting that makes you feel the most inspired to produce your art?
Katy: I listen to podcasts, that is my current thing. At the moment I am really inspired by Grace Beverley’s podcast ‘Working Hard, Hardly Working’. In the past, I used to listen to pop music as I found that relaxing music doesn’t really help me because I just don’t get motivated by it. Instead, even an engaging conversation will inspire me. I’ve found that overall though, art is something to switch off with. I have been trying to be more productive in the mornings, but I am such an evening person. I am drawn to the quietness of the studio. To study later on in the day is such a lovely thing because you just get that space and privacy almost, even though it’s a shared studio.
Sienna: Have you got any ongoing projects alongside your university work at the moment?
Katy: ‘I am in the phase now where I am very much in my penultimate year, and I really want to do something with this summer that is related to the art world. I have already started to infiltrate into the commercial side of art. I am looking into the business behind art dealerships and selling. I work with the Scottish based artist, Liam Dobson, by shadowing and helping him with selling his work. I also stock my illustrations at the Green Meadows plant store, as well as online on Etsy and I take commissions through my Instagram. I also upload various blog posts about gallery visits there too!’
Sienna: As a last question, have you got any recommendations for any recent exhibitions you have been to that have really resonated with you?
Katy: The EY Cezanne exhibition currently on at the Tate Modern. This was quite an outlier for me though because I am usually more drawn to mediaeval work. Seeing the portraiture and the iconic bathers was great. The experience was particularly interesting though because I was, unintentionally, the solo audience for that. There are so many other great things on at the Tate as well, such as Maria Bartuszová’s intermedia sculptures. I also had the opportunity of seeing Fabian Perez’s work last weekend, and he has such an impressionist style. A popular theme within all my favourite exhibitions is always the figurative and the expressive!
@katytullochfineart
Images Courtesy of the Artist.