Hear What You See Here - an interview with Sonja Benskin Mesher
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Sonja Benskin Mesher is a prolific artists whose work is often exhibited locally in North Wales, and further afield... Sonja uses memory and thoughts as the raw material for her art, whether visual or textual, and is a notable proponent of TextArt, giving meaning to pictures with a phrase and enlightening the words with visuals... Here she e-talks to Remy Dean for IAWN.
I expect most people know you through your work – such as your prints, paintings and small installations with bell-jars – and probably think of you as ‘an artist’. You are an artist that uses words a lot, though often in conjunction with imagery. How is your approach to writing and visual art similar, or different?
it is all connected, no one thing is separate from the other. it is an organic thing, reflects one’s approach to *life i expect.
*(notes. and the universe.)
folk often ask me if i am still painting, rather than explain the processes, i answer yes.
i, painting with words, objects and other sundries.
(#artist. #iwishtherewasanotherword)
What can you see from your usual writing space / studio?
i see the falling days, the passage of time. i hear the birds, lorries passing, planes fly over.
the radio plays
i see the trees growing, rain falling, i see the whether.
i see the mountain.
Can you name or describe three things, objects, items, that you keep close for their inspiring or nostalgic properties?
there are the old dresses, hung on the doors. wooden hangers, quilted hangers, hotel hangers.
scissors, many scissors. some in every room.
general haberdashery especially pins.
Do you have a preferred writing ritual or regimen?
yes. early morning, back in bed with tea. mid-afternoon another prompt arrives, or when words come into mind, a hint from a memory, a note in the air.
What is your beverage of choice, when creating?
depends on the time of day… early grey, coffee or elderflower fizzy water.
Can you remember the first time a book (or in your case a piece of visual art) really drew you in and carried you off to someplace else?
yes. in russell cotes museum, the edwin long gallery, epic tales from the bible as huge paintings.
i also remember other ordinary things that held the stories within. i remember people’s conversation heard and overheard.
What is the last book you read and thoroughly enjoyed?
The Expedition: Solving the Mystery of a Polar Tragedy, a book by Bea Uusma.
notes. often wonder why the love and interest about expeditions and polar adventure. recently I find I have a name connection amongst the inuits
i love the obsessive nature of this book, the layout and unusual format.
#letsdothingsdifferent
i read it christmas day in the afternoon.
Recently, you have been involved with collaborative writing, either producing visuals to prompt other writers or responding to visual cues? Can you tell us a bit about that process and where we can find the results?
collaboration works
for me.
it stretches and finds a place to fit with other minds. nothing becomes what was expected; with time
acceptance is learned.
the internet plays a huge part, we collaborate worldwide.
“we are artists without borders, we give and share,
not expecting anything.
in return we are part of it all, and pleasantly
accepted without judgement.
the journey is endless to join as desired.”
with
Reuben Woolley – Spain
Johann Botha – South Africa
Michael Powell – Wales
Adrian Frost –USA
Richard Bartrum – London
Paul Brookes – England
#gogoogle
Sonja Benskin Mesher is a prolific artists whose work is often exhibited locally in North Wales, and further afield... Sonja uses memory and thoughts as the raw material for her art, whether visual or textual, and is a notable proponent of TextArt, giving meaning to pictures with a phrase and enlightening the words with visuals... Here she e-talks to Remy Dean for IAWN.
 |
| Sonja Benskin Mesher |
it is all connected, no one thing is separate from the other. it is an organic thing, reflects one’s approach to *life i expect.
*(notes. and the universe.)
folk often ask me if i am still painting, rather than explain the processes, i answer yes.
i, painting with words, objects and other sundries.
(#artist. #iwishtherewasanotherword)
What can you see from your usual writing space / studio?
i see the falling days, the passage of time. i hear the birds, lorries passing, planes fly over.
the radio plays
i see the trees growing, rain falling, i see the whether.
i see the mountain.
Can you name or describe three things, objects, items, that you keep close for their inspiring or nostalgic properties?
there are the old dresses, hung on the doors. wooden hangers, quilted hangers, hotel hangers.
scissors, many scissors. some in every room.
general haberdashery especially pins.
 |
| New book from Sonja Benskin Mesher available from 20/20 Vision Publishing |
Do you have a preferred writing ritual or regimen?
yes. early morning, back in bed with tea. mid-afternoon another prompt arrives, or when words come into mind, a hint from a memory, a note in the air.
What is your beverage of choice, when creating?
depends on the time of day… early grey, coffee or elderflower fizzy water.
Can you remember the first time a book (or in your case a piece of visual art) really drew you in and carried you off to someplace else?
yes. in russell cotes museum, the edwin long gallery, epic tales from the bible as huge paintings.
i also remember other ordinary things that held the stories within. i remember people’s conversation heard and overheard.
What is the last book you read and thoroughly enjoyed?
The Expedition: Solving the Mystery of a Polar Tragedy, a book by Bea Uusma.
notes. often wonder why the love and interest about expeditions and polar adventure. recently I find I have a name connection amongst the inuits
i love the obsessive nature of this book, the layout and unusual format.
#letsdothingsdifferent
i read it christmas day in the afternoon.
Recently, you have been involved with collaborative writing, either producing visuals to prompt other writers or responding to visual cues? Can you tell us a bit about that process and where we can find the results?
collaboration works
for me.
it stretches and finds a place to fit with other minds. nothing becomes what was expected; with time
acceptance is learned.
the internet plays a huge part, we collaborate worldwide.
“we are artists without borders, we give and share,
not expecting anything.
in return we are part of it all, and pleasantly
accepted without judgement.
the journey is endless to join as desired.”
with
Reuben Woolley – Spain
Johann Botha – South Africa
Michael Powell – Wales
Adrian Frost –USA
Richard Bartrum – London
Paul Brookes – England
#gogoogle
Thank you Sonja Benskin Mesher!
...and thank you for being an early supporter of IAWN
For more info and to see her on-going creative projects,
check out these official Sonja Benskin Mesher websites and feeds:
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