Interview: Pam Glew

Victoria Hughes interviews British artist Pam Glew, whose current solo exhibition entitled Luminaries can be seen at the Bicker Gallery in Sydney.

Image: Hero – Heath Ledger

You’re best known for your print work using flags and fabrics. How long have you been experimenting with this medium and what attracts you to it?

I’ve been working with flags for around 4 – 5 years, initially I worked on metal but since  the ideas in the work changed dramatically from being about nature to post 9/11 fear culture, it seemed that national identity was becoming a current theme. So working with flags is a direct way of approaching the concepts around heritage, identity and how we relate to the country we exist in.

We know that you are largely inspired by film and that your often use female images in your work. What draws you to use women in your art as opposed to men?

So I guess the idea also is about the female muse, and how I view the world through my eyes. Recently through I’ve made a Heath Ledger piece which is in the show, as he is such a current icon and is always going to be elevated to saint-like status because of his short and prolific life.

Image: Everlyn and The Sun

How much of your work is political and do you try to convey any political messages through your work?

A while ago when George Bush was in power I was very aware that my work was fairly political as I was making work on American flags of vacuous scared people looking helpless. It was my way of expressing how I felt fear culture was controlling us via the media so that the masses felt numb and powerless. Since the sea change of power and Obama, I feel a lot less angry about fear culture as there seems to be a zeitgeist feeling of hope and more forward-thinking approach to solving the issues of war, terrorism and international relations.

This work is certainly more optimistic.

You’ve exhibited your work all over the world.  Would you say that there has been a particular highlight in terms of a location you’ve been to?

My art has certainly more travelled than me, if I went to all the locations I exhibited in I wouldn’t have time to actually make any work, so often my work goes and I stay in the studio! Showing in Sydney is very different to in London, Sydney has an energy and an uninhibited optimism which was really apparent to me when people attended the opening, its interesting the different reactions  to my work but here feels very positive. Sydney is my favourite city that I’ve had a solo in and I would love to come back again.

Image: Southern Cross – Miranda Kerr

What does being British mean to you? Would you describe yourself as patriotic?

Britishness? I relate it to our weird sarcasm, slightly intellectual way of viewing things, and being terrible at languages. I am in someways proud to be British, but there’s a lot wrong with our politics, the decision to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq is always a big topic in the UK, and I don’t know if I trust our political system. On a personal level I like the British sense of adventure, fun and our art scene is good.

You’re a rare breed – a female British artist who has excited the media without appearing drunk on national television. Do you think there is enough support for up and coming artists in the UK – and in particular for females?

I think being a female artist, Im fairly aware of how the art world is dominated by male artists, not exclusively but in group exhibitions I am often the only girl. I don’t understand why there are not so many female artists, as there are a lot of great girls making art that just never gets seen. I think art will always be a tricky choice of career for anybody, for me it was all about making work that I felt could hold up against other contemporary artists working today. Just making work good enough that people want to see it, that and meeting people. The people that curate and run the galleries I show with I often have met quite randomly, so its about meeting people too.

Image: Dannii – Dannii Minogue

Banksy hit the headlines a couple of weeks ago in Australia when a parachute-wearing rat stencil of his was painted over by cleaning contractors in Melbourne.  What do you think is the value of this sort of street art and do you think it puts out a positive message to young people?

Yes I do think that good street artists like Banksy are valid and certainly I think without Banksy a lot of artists would not have emerged in the last few years, he belongs to a culture which I believe enriches our urban surroundings.

Have you seen or heard anything whilst over here in Australia that has inspired a new project?

My next body of work is already in the making, so I have been photographing everything and anything around Sydney like the fantastic birds, buildings and some shop windows too. I still need to explore the city and see some more galleries.

What do you do for fun when you aren’t creating art?

I love music, so I tend to go to gigs, club nights and I hang out with lots of musicans.  I went to Chinese Laundry last night in Sydney with my brother-in-law and checked out DJ Zinc who we used to see in the UK at Drum and Bass nights. I guess I’m a bit of a geek too, I like the net and surfing blogs, also shopping, eating with friends and cafe culture really appeals, I’m looking forward to going to Paris in November for a show and just drinking coffee and eating croque monsieur in lots of kooky little individual cafes in the city.

For more information on Pam Glew’s exhibition, visit: www.bickergallery.com

For more information on Pam Glew, visit: www.pamglew.co.uk