066 FOCUS
the underlying concepts and aesthetics of my work. I spend a lot of time playing with colour swatches and finding out how colour translates in different surfaces and materials (reflective, transparent, flat and so on). From conversations with others, I have come to realise that I have an innate and instinctive relationship with colour that can’t be learnt or taught. It is this inherent connection with colour (and light) that my work is about – and which I aim to educate others about – through my immersive installation works.
It is true that certain colours work well together and others clash, but in some contexts a juxtaposition of colours is useful or visually stunning or powerful. I have found that people are generally scared of colour and don’t know how to use it properly, so when the proper and brave use of colours is encountered it surprises people, especially within the public realm, though it is more expected and accepted within a gallery context.
Interestingly, I am seeing the bold use of colour more and more with design projects. After the awfulness and human suffering created by the pandemic, there seems to be a leaning towards the use of vibrant colour in architecture and design to help bring joy and vibrancy to public spaces.
I hope to see this more. I think too often designers try to be artists and fulfil the part of the brief to have an
‘Our understanding of colour can only be realised through the presence of light’
artwork themselves. Tis tactic often fails as artists have a slightly different strategy and approach to spaces that cannot be replicated by a non-artist, most typically a conceptual agenda rather than just aesthetic. I find that when designers and artists work together, this is where the magic happens. A project that brings together the skills and knowledge that derives from both creative specialisms is the most exciting and supportive to work on.
Right Dichroic materials produce a mesmerising effect in this work. Liz West’s striking use of vibrancy brightens the space that it is part of, allowing people to take joy from the location it is situated in
Installation: Polycarbonate, dichroic film, aluminium, stainless steel
Dimensions: 225cm (L) x 810cm (H) x 225cm (W)
Date: 2019
Liz West
BORN in 1985, British artist Liz West graduated from Glasgow School of Art. Her wide-ranging works encompass site-specific installations, sculpture and wall-based artwork, ranging from the intimate to the monumental. Using a variety of materials and exploring the use of light, she blurs the boundaries between sculpture, architecture, design and painting to create works that are both playful and immersive. Her vivid environments mix luminous colour and radiant light, and are created to provoke a heightened sensory awareness in the viewer. ‘I am interested in exploring how sensory phenomena can invoke psychological and physical responses that tap into our own deeply entrenched relationships to colour,’ she says. Her investigation into the relationship between colour and light is often realised through an engagement between materiality and a given site. ‘Our understanding of colour can only be realised through the presence of light.’
She has been commissioned
worldwide by institutions and organisations including the Natural History Museum, National Trust, National Science and Media Museum, London Design Festival and Milan Design Week, and her work has been included in numerous exhibitions including UK Young Artists and Royal British Society of Sculptors in the UK, as well as internationally in Italy, Dubai, France, Germany, Spain, India and US.
CHARLES EMERSON
ANDY STAGG
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