Artists

Interview with the artist Vicky Dale

Can you describe your typical working day?

It depends on what point I’m at with my work. I usually start a piece/series of work by taking photos. This means choosing the best time depending on the light – I usually prefer a bright sunny day when the shadows on buildings are strong which can be quite difficult in Britain. If I’m working larger I work on one piece at a time but if I’m working small I might work on 2 to 4 pieces that are based on the same building.

What are the highlights of your artistic career?

What stands out to me is the exhibition I was involved in creating: ‘Nothing Here’ at Free Space Gallery with the artists Michelle Heron and Jenny Leonard. It was exciting to see it all come together and it’s a lovely feeling to have your work exhibited.

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Grimbsy Flats, 71x91cm

How does your atelier look like?

I have a work space at home near a large window as I like to use natural light. I try to keep my work space tidy as I don’t like the distraction of clutter but this can be difficult as I’m naturally messy. I have a desk which I work on with smaller pieces and I use the wall to hang the larger work.

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Barbican Shadow (Stairs), painted collages, 26x47cm

How do you find the titles for your artworks?

I prefer to use titles purely as a reference rather than to create or add additional meaning. This means they tend be functional and a bit dull.

Can you tell us a bit about ‘Shadows at Highgate Newtown’

Shadows at Highgate Newtown is one of a series of paintings based on the modernist housing estate Highgate Newtown. It is one of my favourite examples of housing in London but a subject I’ve struggled to portray for years. I’ve never felt like I could represent it in a way that I’m happy with until I started to look at the smaller details rather than the whole. I examined space and light rather than the overall structure. Over the last year I’ve tried to simplify my work, refusing the temptation to add extra details. I’ve done this by using only black and white along with the colour of the canvas. Also by applying a grid system I restrict the amount of detail I can add.

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Shadows at Highgate newtown, 30×61 cm

Discover Vicky Dale on Singulart:https://www.singulart.com/en/artist/vicky-dale-490

Her homepage:http://www.vickydale.com/

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