In Conversation: Olivia Twist
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ART
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IN CONVERSATION: OLIVIA TWIST
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Words by Nathan TuftArtwork by Olivia Twist
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2019 has been the year of the creative. Not only has the light shone hard on the UK music scene, but a great and deserved deal has been made of other creative fields - photography, poetry, writing and art. Olivia Twist is a London based illustrator and artist whose signature style and vivid imagery have seen her partner up with corporations and community groups alike to spread her art. We caught up with her to discuss her journey, her love for art and what more can be done to spread her love for art….
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BB: What made you want to become an artist and when did you discover it was something you were good at?
OT: It’s something I have just been doing since I was young and to be honest, it was just something I enjoyed doing and my family also encouraged me to do it. It’s also a way to have conversations with yourself and gives you the space to explore issues through the pieces you create.
When I was in primary school and we were doing arts and crafts, all of the kids would be sitting round tables with A4 paper and I would be sat on a table by myself with A3 paper, trying to be as creative as possible. My Grandad always encouraged me to draw (and even draws himself) and from there, I just got into doing it more and more.
BB: Family seems like one of your biggest inspirations through your pieces - growing up, how did your family take to you pursuing art as a career?
OT: From talking from my peers [within the art world], their parents are always apprehensive about those conversations as they might not see if as a serious career or job and I even thought like that as well. When I was in my first year of university, I kept asking myself if this was a sensible decision and could I be financially secure so I was the one who was more doubtful.
My family have always been supportive and even though I don’t think they quite understand my art, they like it. As long as they see me doing well , they are happy for me so it was great to see them all at my graduation and celebrating what I had done. My gran is the matriarch of the family and she has always told me to “be free and be myself” - she has supported my uncle who is a musician and feel she has done the same with me.
BB: What do you think your biggest barriers have been in art?
OT: It’s all about finding that balance of when you’re working and when you’re not and that can be my biggest struggle. I try and set myself up to not work on Bank Holidays but the last two, I have ended up working! It’s all about dividing your time because I think most people have a “portfolio career” and can’t afford to do it full time, unless they’re from a wealthy background.
So even when I did my masters (MA in Visual Communication from Royal College of Art) and after graduation, people were doing like 1 or 2 exhibitions and then finding work elsewhere. It’s about finding that balance and accepting that your career might be 2 or 3 things and being proud and happy with that.
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"IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE LIKE THAT TO BOUNCE AROUND CREATIVITY WITH AND HELPS ME DEVELOP AND CREATE".
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BB: You’ve also done guest lecturing at universities talking about your art and illustration - how did you get into it and what do you hope students take away from it?
OT: Its mad because I’m not much of a talker, so when I first started to get invited to speak, I didn't really know what to expect. But I think I expected the wrong thing - whereas I was thinking about a formal critical and theoretical based lecture, it was more about me speaking to people about my art and my motivations, which I really enjoyed.
What I want is for the young people to feel confident to share their truth, experimenting and seeing the value in small stories - not everything has to be grand and spectacular. Just celebrating the mundane and encouraging people to take time and look carefully at the world around them.
BB: What have been your biggest surprises coming up in the scene?
OT: The biggest thing is that you never know whos watching you. Obviously it’s great that I have had supporters from the beginning but I remember one of my first lectures which was for a really prestigious course and I was surprised that they knew my work and had reached out. It surprises me because I don't think I have come from a background which has ‘cultural capital’ in those sorts of areas [art] so it surprises me that I have done this when I didnt necessarily have the experience but they saw my potential.
BB: As an artist in your current situation, do you feel that you need to go out there and push your work or are you now at the point where people are recognising your work regardless?
OT: I think it’s a bit of both because I can remember a few years ago where I was setting myself personal goals to get out there and push my work and seek opportunities. But now, because I do so much with the workshops and lecturing etc., I feel lucky that people are reaching out to me to get involved with things - and its projects that I am genuinely interested in as well. I feel like I must be doing something right with the website and my social media which is portraying my work in the correct light.
But also, when I have been proactive in seeking out things, it has also worked. I applied to do a residency in South Africa which I got which made me really happy and when I put a last minute submission for the Quentin Blake Narrative Drawing Prize and won, it showed that the pro-activeness can pay off. So when I’m now at the stage of wanting to apply for artist funds or longer residences, I have the motivation and confidence to do so.
BB: What current creatives do you see around and who do you get inspiration from?
OT: Well, there’s Adama Jalloh who does photography and whose work is really sick. There is a very natural and authentic approach to her work and all of her stuff is so honest and it feels that you are seeing life through her eyes, in South London. I would say Caleb [Femi] for his poetry and the visuals he creates to go alongside them. I also have a friend Catherine [Morton Abuah] who creates animations for gal-dem - I love her work, it's so playful and great use of colour. I even have a friend, Ayo, who makes silk bags and brings together patterns and colours to make great pieces. It’s great to be able to have people like that to bounce around creativity with and helps me develop and create.
BB: You’ve collaborated with a number of companies, from ASOS and The Guardian to smaller community groups. How do you go about choosing who you work with and do you ever turn anyone down?
OT: It has to be whether I am excited by it - I don't want it to feel stressed or pressured, I want to be something authentic which I can enjoy. So with the community group collaborations, I feel like I am always up for it, especially if it’s with young people or old people. I’ve just been doing painting workshops with young people for their boxing gloves which felt really rewarding as they had something to take away from it. With the corporate ones, it can be different - with ASOS it felt great because I had given them so much of my student finance at university so felt like it was coming round full circle.
With The Guardian one, I wanted to know exactly what the piece was going to be about and who it was written by as I want to know what my art will be featured against. People have asked me to do their album covers before but haven’t even sent me their music which means I am less invested. I want all my work to be personal to me and have a message and in situations like that, I don’t feel like I can do that.
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"I WANT TO DOCUMENT SOCIAL HISTORY AND ENABLE PEOPLE TO LOOK BACK AT MY WORK TO PROVIDE ANSWERS ON MOMENTS IN LIFE"
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BB: Another big facet to your work is the many workshops you run with people of all ages - why do you believe these are so important and what do you get from the workshops.
OT: I think the workshops are important because there is a real value in art - it’s a great way to communicate and stirs up intergenerational communication. The workshops that I ran can feel really calm and relaxing as everyone there has a shared passion. I also try and ensure that as many of the workshops are free to help with getting people into art.
I get so much out of it, especially the conversation and how much I learn. I remember speaking to a group of older women once and learning so much, which I then took back home and was able to have great conversations with my grandparents.
BB: While talking about the accessibility of art, do you think young people get enough opportunity to look at art and what more do you believe needs to be done to push more young people into the creative sphere?
OT: I don’t think young people do get enough opportunity to look at art. It’s considered a ‘soft’ subject at school and its may only happen once every week or two weeks in most schools. Trips can also be a problem - if they do them at all, it’s always to the Tate or the V&A but there are more galleries out there! However, it’s great to see more art on the streets and giving young people more opportunities to be exposed to art and illustration.
Also, galleries can feel weird for young people - they might be the only person of colour, the only person under 35, the only person dressed a certain way. So this can put them off the idea of art and warp their experience. I want a gallery to feel like a living room!
BB: If you weren’t doing art and illustration, where do you think you would be using your creative energy?
OT: I like cooking and I also like helping people as well so perhaps a community kitchen where we can make food together, donate food and run community events.
BB: One of the coolest things I have seen you do recently is working on the artwork for ‘Jean-Michel changed my life’ for Vinyl Factory which included artists talking about the influence of Basquiat. Do you get influence from those who have come before or are you trying to create your own thing?
OT: I feel like my influence has definitely come from the people before me as you can see their development and learn from the past and how they worked. However, I feel that me building on from that is not simply an extension of what has come before.
BB: A lot of your artwork has been politically motivated or touches on social issues. Do you think you have a responsibility as an artist to spread awareness on certain issues?
OT: They say “all art is political” and to an extent that is true. When the Brexit referendum results happened, artists were saying that the art world didn't do enough to spread anti-Brexit messaging so there always seems to be that pressure there. Sometimes the work you are creating can be a therapy for yourself and can be reflective of your situation which in turn can spark conversations for others.
I do think we have a responsibility and if we can speak about it authentically, then we should.
BB: What is Olivia Twist’s legacy?
OT: I feel that through my work, I want to document social history and enable people to look back at my work to provide answers on moments in life - a Saturday in the local market etc. I want my work to satisfy curiosity. I am also interested to see how my work will develop over the rest of my life and what pieces I will create.
BB: What is the direction for you for the rest of the year?
OT: Currently I am doing some work with a gallery in Southampton on a project based work on local history and experimenting with tapestry. Also, I am carrying on with workshops and developing that. I’m also going to try and aim to make one banging art piece a month for myself - I’m keen to do that.
Follow Olivia’s journey on Instagram and check our her website of all her projects
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CONTEMPORARY CONVERSATIONS
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