Artist of the Week - Katkin Pringle

Katkin Pringle graduated last year from the University of Newcastle Upon-Tyne. The university bought two of her paintings and her show sold out! Following a skiing accident last year which prevented Katkin from being able to paint for a while as her work is so physical, she took up printmaking and learnt to etch. She now works between the two mediums.

One Favourite living artist and why?
Jenny Saville. I love her use of paint, the way she slaps paint on as if it is liquid flesh. She has merged realism with abstraction through painting a real object (predominantly the female nude) using a variety of referential photographs to make up her image.

One favourite historical artist and why?
Vermeer. His beautiful use of colour and light; especially the blues and yellows. The detail he goes into is magnificent and his paintings often tell a story of 'real life' which was rare in his time; usually artists only painted glorified occasions.

When and where did you first want to do what you do?
Since I was a little girl. My mother used to cover all the kitchen surfaces in plastic so that my sister could paint freely and make as much mess as we wanted, it was my favourite thing!



What place in the world has inspired you?
Vast landscapes in England and around the world - Himalayas, Salt flats in Bolivia, Scottish Highlands, Thailand's expanse of beaches etc

Do you work best on your own or in collaboration?
On my own, though I have done very little collaboration so there is still potential in working with others.



At age 15 who influenced your style?
Anselm Keifer and Lucian Freud

How much do you bend your 'vision' to suit the marketplace - if at all?
Sometimes I veer my work to depict landscapes more obviously as more buyers tend to be attracted to a realist image.

Who would you say buys your work?
People with a love of colour who want to brighten their houses and own an interesting painting that can be read in ones own individual way.

How do you set about starting a new project?
Think and look at images of vast landscapes, buy lots of materials and start experimenting!

Where and what is your studio?
In Hascombe in Surrey in the loft of a barn

Do you have a good work/life balance?
Running up to an exhibition I tend to completely loose my life and work manically but otherwise I do have a good work/life balance. I find it hard to switch off in the evenings unless I am out of the house.

What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work?
Satisfying

Would you rather be doing something else?
No



Are there other fields that you'd like to apply some facet of your work into?
I would like to write for art magazines and journals.

If you could exhibit in any gallery which would it be?
Very hard question, there are so many. Probably the White Cube in St James, London

Most overrated artist/maker?
I like to see a positive in every artist. The bad art is what makes good art recognisable.

Where do the majority of your inspiration / ideas come from?
Images of the earth from the air

Where did you train? Favourite / least favourite aspects of training?
Wimbledon School of art, University of Newcastle Upon-Tyne, Munich Academy of Fine Arts. Favourite aspects were being surrounded by other artists with critical opinions and different ideas. Least favourite aspects were when students compete over who can be the most extreme and different

Exhibitions

2008 Newcastle Upon Tyne Dental Hospital

Jun 2008 Varnish – Fine Art Degree show, UNCL

Feb 2009 Solo exhibition at ‘Drella’ Gallery, Surrey

Feb 2009 ‘ART’ at Vibe Bar, Brick Lane London

Feb 2009 ORIGINALS ’09, Mall Galleries, London


Katkin will be exhibiting and selling her work at the Brighton Art Fair in October, 2009.