Interview: 10 Questions with... Emily Sharp
Kayleigh Hinsley · June 29 2017
Emily Sharp is a 19 year old artist from Newcastle, who has just completed a foundation degree in Art & Design. Emily has experimented with a broad range of media and working methods, developing a bold and unique style. Her art often centres around everyday objects and situations, creating a sense of familiarity and relatability, while her use of vibrant colours helps to draw attention to the message of the work. Her creations can be described as bright, colourful statements on environmental, social and political issues, and are intended to be thought provoking and inspire change. Emily will be studying Design at Goldsmiths University in London from September this year. This interview is also featured in Issue #1 of our zine, out on Saturday, with loads more images of Emily’s artwork!
What inspires you to create?
I am and have been inspired by the things around me such as the people and environment and things I think are aesthetically pleasing and interesting. I am also inspired to create to make a positive change through my work; I look at issues that I think need changing and think — what could I create that would make people think about these issues or what could I create that would directly tackle these issues. I also look at the work of other artists and designers be that professional or my own peers and their creativity inspires me to create.
How would you describe your work?
I think my work is hard to describe as I like to experiment and dip in and out of different techniques and processes. But ultimately I want my work to say and comment on something be that social, political, environmental issues etc. whilst also being aesthetically pleasing. Maybe I would describe my work as a colourful statement.
Your work does come across as very topical, are there any particular messages that you try to convey?
I am interested in many different issues and have always wanted to be very aware of what is going on in the world around me. A lot of my work is inspired by different issues be that political, social or environmental. Ultimately I want to make people think more compassionately about how they interact and affect the world around them, whether this be the people and things or the planet we live on in general.
I think you have quite a distinctive style, is that something you’ve tried to achieve or has it come naturally?
I feel my style is something that has fully developed more recently during my time in my Foundation Art & Design degree. I found it something that just came to me as I started to work more freely and created the work I wished to create. The style I use is something I enjoy but I have never confined myself to it nor did I push myself towards it.
I love your use of bright colours, is there a particular reason why you often choose such a vibrant colour palette?
Thank you! I just really love bright and vibrant colours, I think they can make something so much more eye-catching and appealing. I also just find bright colours something very fun to work with and it is just something I enjoy doing. I also look at artists and designers who work with similar colour palettes and just really love their work and outcomes.
You’ve experimented with lots of different media, do you have a favourite?
I really don’t think I could say I have a favourite medium to work in as I still think I am very much in the experimental stages. There are however some mediums I prefer and others I do not find so appealing but I am open to using whichever mediums seem fit to producing the best outcome. Having just finished my foundation degree, I am very excited to learn and experiment more as I go on to university.
Is there any medium you’d like to experiment with that you haven’t yet tried?
Definitely, the course I am going to be doing at uni is a design course that will allow me to experiment with lots of different new processes and materials and this is definitely something I am looking forward to doing and incorporating into my work.
Would you say that your work is personal?
I think I would say that my work is personal in the way that it is my ideas projected outwards through it but you could say this for almost all artists and designers. I think most of my work is a mix of personal ideas and research/things I have witnessed based on these ideas of mine — my work is always something I feel personally passionate about. I do create work which is more personal but I don’t tend to share this so much.
Do you have an absolute favourite artist?
I don’t know if I could name an all time favourite artist. I have however been really inspired by the work of designers/artists Stefan Sagmeister & Jessica Walsh in the past year. I think if you look at their work you can see where my inspiration has been drawn. I also love artist Stanley Donwood who has produced album covers for Radiohead. His work for their covers is just so perfect I think.
Finally, what advice would you give to other people on being creative and expressing themselves?
I think a lot of people feel isolated from being creative and expressing themselves through what we’re taught at school; at least this is what I have learnt from my experience. People are very often categorised as ‘creative people’ or ‘academic people’ or neither even — this is ludicrous. Everyone has the capacity to create and should they feel compelled to they definitely should. Never limit yourself based on other people’s categorisation of you and always just do what you wish to do and what makes you feel happy and fulfilled.
Thanks so much to Emily for her time! You can follow Emily’s art account on Instagram at @emilytsharpdesign. We’re looking forward to seeing the work she creates at university!
Emily Sharp is a 19 year old artist from Newcastle, who has just completed a foundation degree in Art & Design. Emily has experimented with a broad range of media and working methods, developing a bold and unique style. Her art often centres around everyday objects and situations, creating a sense of familiarity and relatability, while her use of vibrant colours helps to draw attention to the message of the work. Her creations can be described as bright, colourful statements on environmental, social and political issues, and are intended to be thought provoking and inspire change. Emily will be studying Design at Goldsmiths University in London from September this year. This interview is also featured in Issue #1 of our zine, out on Saturday, with loads more images of Emily’s artwork!
What inspires you to create?
I am and have been inspired by the things around me such as the people and environment and things I think are aesthetically pleasing and interesting. I am also inspired to create to make a positive change through my work; I look at issues that I think need changing and think — what could I create that would make people think about these issues or what could I create that would directly tackle these issues. I also look at the work of other artists and designers be that professional or my own peers and their creativity inspires me to create.
How would you describe your work?
I think my work is hard to describe as I like to experiment and dip in and out of different techniques and processes. But ultimately I want my work to say and comment on something be that social, political, environmental issues etc. whilst also being aesthetically pleasing. Maybe I would describe my work as a colourful statement.
Your work does come across as very topical, are there any particular messages that you try to convey?
I am interested in many different issues and have always wanted to be very aware of what is going on in the world around me. A lot of my work is inspired by different issues be that political, social or environmental. Ultimately I want to make people think more compassionately about how they interact and affect the world around them, whether this be the people and things or the planet we live on in general.
I think you have quite a distinctive style, is that something you’ve tried to achieve or has it come naturally?
I feel my style is something that has fully developed more recently during my time in my Foundation Art & Design degree. I found it something that just came to me as I started to work more freely and created the work I wished to create. The style I use is something I enjoy but I have never confined myself to it nor did I push myself towards it.
I love your use of bright colours, is there a particular reason why you often choose such a vibrant colour palette?
Thank you! I just really love bright and vibrant colours, I think they can make something so much more eye-catching and appealing. I also just find bright colours something very fun to work with and it is just something I enjoy doing. I also look at artists and designers who work with similar colour palettes and just really love their work and outcomes.
You’ve experimented with lots of different media, do you have a favourite?
I really don’t think I could say I have a favourite medium to work in as I still think I am very much in the experimental stages. There are however some mediums I prefer and others I do not find so appealing but I am open to using whichever mediums seem fit to producing the best outcome. Having just finished my foundation degree, I am very excited to learn and experiment more as I go on to university.
Is there any medium you’d like to experiment with that you haven’t yet tried?
Definitely, the course I am going to be doing at uni is a design course that will allow me to experiment with lots of different new processes and materials and this is definitely something I am looking forward to doing and incorporating into my work.
Would you say that your work is personal?
I think I would say that my work is personal in the way that it is my ideas projected outwards through it but you could say this for almost all artists and designers. I think most of my work is a mix of personal ideas and research/things I have witnessed based on these ideas of mine — my work is always something I feel personally passionate about. I do create work which is more personal but I don’t tend to share this so much.
Do you have an absolute favourite artist?
I don’t know if I could name an all time favourite artist. I have however been really inspired by the work of designers/artists Stefan Sagmeister & Jessica Walsh in the past year. I think if you look at their work you can see where my inspiration has been drawn. I also love artist Stanley Donwood who has produced album covers for Radiohead. His work for their covers is just so perfect I think.
Finally, what advice would you give to other people on being creative and expressing themselves?
I think a lot of people feel isolated from being creative and expressing themselves through what we’re taught at school; at least this is what I have learnt from my experience. People are very often categorised as ‘creative people’ or ‘academic people’ or neither even — this is ludicrous. Everyone has the capacity to create and should they feel compelled to they definitely should. Never limit yourself based on other people’s categorisation of you and always just do what you wish to do and what makes you feel happy and fulfilled.
Thanks so much to Emily for her time! You can follow Emily’s art account on Instagram at @emilytsharpdesign. We’re looking forward to seeing the work she creates at university!
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