Kieran Leach
Kieran leach is a UK based artist whose work focuses on satirising and abstracting everyday occurrences. We catch up to chat about the influences and evolution of his work.
What’s been on your mind lately?
I’ve been thinking about and working on another work in my series of modified plinths, for this one think Pimp My Ride meets the gallery. It’s required clean, precision and technical ways of working. I’ve been thinking about how I want my next work to be very sculptural using more freeing materials or processes. I often don’t use methods of working more than twice, I don’t know if that’s a good idea, but it keeps things exciting and from stagnating.
What is your earliest memory of art?
I think it was a school trip to Tate Liverpool, there was a Robert Therrien sculpture, one of his giant stacks of plates. It’s about 8ft tall and all the plates were stacked randomly at differently angles. As you walked around the sculpture the lines of the plate messed with your perception and balance. Once my friend and I discovered that if we walked round the sculpture as fast as we could, keeping our eyes fixed on the plates, it made you not only feel dizzy but that the plates were spinning too. Other kids had seen what we were doing, and they began to do the same. I felt like I’d figured out a secret purpose of the artwork. I’m not sure Robert Therrien would agree though.
What do you want to accomplish as an artist?
I’m not sure I want to accomplish anything in particular. I think you’re probably going about things the wrong way if accomplishments take precedence over your work. I just want to keep making and have the time to do so. If people like my work, then that’s great and the shows will come when they do. Having said that, if any gallerists are reading this, hit me up.
How has your art evolved since you began?
I think I’m more confident in what I’m making now and more confident in my ability to attempt certain things. Obviously, there are many things I can’t do yet, such as welding, which I’d love to learn at some point. Recently my job as a Gallery Technician has had an influence and inspired certain pieces. But ultimately, I think my way I come up ideas for works is fairly consistence in that I take everyday observations, situations or objects and abstract, modify or satirise them. It’s the way those ideas manifest that changes from piece from piece as they are dictated by the idea to a certain extent.
If you weren’t an artist what would you be?
I would definitely be doing something creative and physical, making things, like a Product Designer. I’ve thought about filmmaking in the past, but I think I’d want to do all the roles involved so maybe its best I just appreciate them from afar. Maybe a Fashion Designer, I’m currently clearing out the basement in my house with my house mates. We have visions of it being a sewing room for making our own clothes. That or a Tennis player.
courtesy KIERAN LEACH
interview HANNAH GLENN
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