Jim McElvaney Interview

I first came to know about jim's work when he posted on the no walls facebook page not long after we'd opened to plug his solo show at outsiders. I hadn't clicked on the link until he came in one day and we got chatting. He went away, I checked his work out and was blown away.

I then offered to swap something of mine for something of his and we traded a Lister diptych for three of Jim's paintings. they're still amongst my favourite paintings and we've worked together ever since.

I spoke with Jim ahead of If It Doesn't Make Sense, That's Fine, his forthcoming no walls solo show....

"it's good to challenge yourself and to keep trying new ways of working/ experimenting with materials. I'd like to think my work has developed because I've done just that and I'm more confident in what I'm trying to achieve"

James Woodward: For those who don't know, tell us who you are and where you're from?

Jim McElvaney: Sounds like a Cilla Black question haha. My name is Jim McElvaney, I've been based in Brighton for nearly 5 years now, grew up in a town in Derbyshire called Matlock.

JW: Thinking about it, there's more than a passing resemblance between me and Cilla.... tell us about If It Doesn't Make Sense, That's Fine?

JM: Well, it's my third solo show and second with No Walls. The exhibition is a collection of portraits that I've created throughout 2012/13 focusing on the emotional insight I've drawn from images taken from the mass media and other found articles.

JW: So, where did the title of the show come from?

JM: I think I saw it scrawled on a wall in chalk somewhere and it just stuck with me. I always try to introduce an element of humour and I'm not one for serious show titles as I think they can sometimes taint a show and give the viewer a preconception before they've even seen the work.

JW: The majority of works in this show are paintings - was it a conscious decision to focus more on painting with this show?

JM: Not really, it just sort of happened naturally as I wanted to try and develop that side of my work. I think it's good to keep challenging yourself.

JW: Definitely. To me, your work is continually developing and improving - each piece you give me, gets better and better. How do you feel your work has changed or developed since your first show with us?

JM: Thanks mate, appreciate that. I don't think the work I'm producing has changed drastically since the last show but it has definitely developed. As I was just saying, it's good to challenge yourself and to keep trying new ways of working/ experimenting with materials, so I'd like to think my work has developed because i've done just that and I'm more confident in what I'm trying to achieve.

JW: Talk us through a typical day in the studio?

JM: Bit of a tough question this as every day is different and it doesn't sound that exciting if I just say I sit in a room and crack on. Plenty of hot drinks..... always a good excuse for a break if things aren't going my way. I tend to work in short bursts on each piece so I usually have a few on the go at once, I tend to work them up in layers and each time a layer is drying I'll work on another piece and so on. I have a short attention span so if I spend too long working on a piece in one sitting It will usually end up on the scrap pile. Always got Radio 6 on when I'm working, don't like to work in silence.

JW: So, how often do you paint?

JM: I'd love to say all the time, but it wouldn't be true. I have a bit of a strange way of working and often need breaks, days sometimes, as my head tends to get too involved and it does me no good. Some days I might literally do one or two marks on a painting others I might spend 10 hours.

JW: Do you remember the first piece of work you sold? What was it and who was it sold to?

JM: Yeah, I'll never forget. I'd just finished school so was about 18, I needed beer money so started cutting some basic stencils for quick cash. The first one I sold was to a mate of mine who gave me a decent sized canvas and wanted an Ian Brown stencil. I sold it him for a tenner haha, I think I actually lost money. Was good fun though.

JW: Who are your biggest influences?

JM: Georg Baselitz, Leon Golub and Francis Bacon - there are a lot of painters who influenced me from an early age but these three stand out as the greatest portrait influences. In terms of mark making influences I'd say Cy Twombly, Alberto Burri and Robert Rauschenberg.

JW: .... and favourite artists working today?

JM: Tough one....well Baselitz is still going so he has to be up there. Loving the work of Connor Harrington, Anthony Lister, Word to Mother, Sickboy to name a few.

JW: Talk us through the work you have up at home?

JM: It's no gallery mate but got a few nice pieces on the walls.... got a really nice Sickboy print I picked up from you, the Anthony Lister Diptych, a Francis bacon print, some nice prints from a Berlin based artist called ROST and just waiting to get a really nice I-LIB etching framed. I've got a few swaps lined up with various artists so looking forward to getting some more originals on the walls in 2013.

If It Doesn't Make Sense, That's Fine opens Friday the 1st of February from 6pm and runs until the 3rd of March at our Brighton gallery. If you haven’t already seen it, take two minutes to check out the short film we produced in collaboration with It Drew Itself.

You can browse available Jim McElvaney work in the shop area of the site. Work from the new show will be made available to customers and mailing list subscribers in advance of the show. You can sign up to our mailing list at the foot of this page...

posted by james