Land of The Green Man - an interview with Stephen Green

This year, IAWN is working with Helfa Gelf to cover their YMYL-2-EDGE programme that involves nine selected artists innovating their creative practice by fusing art and tech in exciting new ways. We are pleased to present the first interview with one of the participants. Here artist Stephen Green talks with Remy Dean, the Edge2 Curator.

Stephen was born and brought up on the South Yorkshire Coalfield. He completed a Foundation Course, but at the time was unable to carry on to a Diploma. After moving to North Wales, nearly thirty years ago, he eventually returned to education and took a degree in Fine Art. His work mostly comprises drawing and painting, often abstracted from landscape.

From Stephen Green's PORTAL series of drawings

(images courtesy of the artist)

“Ideas originally arose through thinking about my experiences of the landscapes of Snowdonia and the North Welsh coast,” Stephen explained, “The themes that I have explored include the contrast between the sea and the sky, slate - particularly the shapes left behind in the quarries, slate fences, and stones deliberately placed in the landscape. As a result of an exhibition brief on the theme of legends, this led to thinking about gateways to another mythical, legendary world - specifically Annwn, in the Mabinogion.”

He approaches his art, “By drawing. Always drawing. I often go back to older work to see whether or not there is something that I can restart and develop further. When I think that an idea is fully resolved, I start work on pieces for possible exhibition. Serendipity is an interesting concept! I often find ideas for further development when working on a ‘finished’ piece. That’s why I work in series...”

When did he ‘wake up’ to being an artist?

“I don’t know that I ever did! It’s something that I have always done.”

SLATE FENCE 35 by Stephen Green

(image courtesy of the artist)

Stephen cites Richard Diebenkorn as an artist who has inspired him, “particularly his Ocean Park paintings. A superb example of working in a series based on a defined concept - also, Sean Scully, who uses deceptively simple means. Norman Ackroyd’s use of tone to describe landscapes. David Nash and his long involvement with wood and the shapes that it makes. I particularly admire his drawings.”

The EDGE-2-YMYL programme, through Helfa Gelf, is intended to challenge artists to push their practice by using materials and processes that may be new to them, and to extended their way of working? So, how has being part of Edge2 affected him so far?

“It has extended my work into the third dimension,” he explains, “I had made drawings in which I have described the possibility of sculptural objects. Edge2 challenged me to make them and it gives me the possibility of continuing to work in 3D. I realise that I can use the facilities of the fabLAB [Arloesi Pontio Innovation- ed] to make things that are, one, beyond my physical and technical skills and, two, far too time consuming. After Edge2, I will be able to go back to some sculptural ideas that I have hitherto been unable to realise.”

 

Pages from the sketchbooks of Stephen Green

(images courtesy of the artist)

YMYL-2-EDGE had a theme this year, which was, "to address questions about the modern world and our human experience within it.” How does Stephen intend to respond to this?

His answer is, “The modern world is built on the foundation of our history, particularly in Wales. My work for this exhibition is based on pre-history and folklore. I intend to use modern means to draw attention to this."

So, can he tell us what sort of pieces is he developing for the final Edge2 exhibition?

“Models for possible large-scale sculptures... I don’t know whether or not they can be built in real life!”

Work in progress for Edge2 by Stephen Green

(images courtesy of the artist)

Sounds intriguing! Can we have a little more about them?

“They are Portals that hover on the edge of visibility, that, at full size, invite the viewer to walk through them, possibly to another world... The models will be built from acrylic blocks that are made using a laser cutter-engraver. This leaves a polished edge that preserves the clarity of the acrylic. One piece will be made up of several layers that are engraved with images based on Prehistoric rock art.”

Thank you, Stephen Green!

Visit Stephen Green in his studio this September as part of Helfa Gelf 2018 
see website for opening times and directions HERE

To see more art by Stephen Green check-out his online galleries: 

Instagram  +  Facebook

An exhibition of selected work produced during Helfa Gelf's YMYL-2-EDGE programme will be showing, Saturday 19 January – Sunday 10 February 2019, in the Bocs Gwyn / White Box Innovation Space, Bangor.

More about Bangor University's Arloesi Pontio Innovation - fabLAB - HERE

You can read the YMYL-2-EDGE call-out and brief HERE

Helfa Gelf is now an annual event - an Arts Trail through North Wales during September that involves hundreds of artists, crafters - creatives of all kinds - in an exciting and varied festival of events. Many creatives open the doors of their studios to the public, presenting an opportunity to interact and share their creative practices. The open studios season is during September and is also preceded - and then followed by - a programme of exhibitions, workshops and courses for creative professionals, interested novices, and all those between. Helfa Gelf presents a unique opportunity to meet and chat with artists, makers and doers in their creative spaces, see them at work, perhaps have a go yourself, and see their finished work - which is often available to purchase at special 'trade prices' - ideal if you want to get some unique Yuletide shopping sorted ahead of the rush...
Find out more HERE