Linden Langdon
Linden Langdon is based in Hobart Tasmania and is represented by Ballan & Pannan
Her web address is www.lindenlangdon.com and blog: www.blog.lindenlangdon.com
Linden, what are the main medium/s you work in?
Printmaking – etching, lithography mainly – drawing and painting
Artist’s statement…
With a long and enduring interest of human interaction with the environment, and the natural environment with an absence of human interference, my work seeks to present the experience of such interaction in an intimate way. In a fast paced modern world, there is often little time to embrace the finite detail found in every living thing and remember our intricate and interconnected existence.
There is a suggestion of an uncomfortable undercurrent of natural reality and the collision between what we perceive before us and our subliminal experiences of life. The work is offered as a window from which the perspective can be unsettling. With undertones of environmental concerns, the art is based on an expression of personal observation and influences, projected into the public arena.
Have you ever made an artistic pilgrimage?
Recently I had three weeks in Alice Springs and the surrounding areas. It was a combination of needing to be engaged with the central Australian landscape, experiencing a complete contrast to the coastal environments and family that drew me there, but the area really gets under your skin in a creative way, so now I can’t wait to go back again. I think this is the value of being immersed in different locations – new work becomes possible with new influences.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Maybe to make art a part of life – keep up other aspects of living as well to ensure a balanced outlook and opportunities other than art. Perhaps in the past an artist had to disconnect – to be a fringe dweller to be considered a serious artist, but I think it is more the case that people of any chosen field of endeavour need to keep in touch with social networks. There are so many more people who have taken up art in today’s global community - the crowd is a lot larger.
Do you work from life, or from photographs or from imagination or some other method?
Combinations most of the time. Very often work starts with a conversation with someone, an idea is born from description, perhaps in text of some sort, then worked through a process of photographs to gather visual information and then transferring those ideas into a printmaking method.
Technology (websites and social networking sites to name a few) has become an important marketing tool for many industries and individuals, what are your thoughts from a “You Inc” perspective and your art sensibility.
Along with international communication through the internet comes a range ways for people to talk about who they are. I love the idea that someone can read something I write, or not, from anywhere in the world that has the technology to tune in. And conversely that I can read things and see work that people have done from a hugely diverse range of background and cultural influences. Why wouldn’t I, as an artist, want to be involved in this medium?
Do you go into any contemporary art prizes?
Yes I enter a few that I think are relevant to my practice. It is something that I have considered and debated a bit with colleagues as on one side you have a culture that pits artist against artist to fight for the prize, which is not really such a desirable image. But then as a selected artist in a competition you can add that to your CV which is important when applying for funding etc. The bottom line is that competitions are extremely subjective by the nature of judgment, so as an entrant you have always keep that in mind.
Are you a purist with your art materials or willing to mix things about?
Not a purist at all, I love trying to combine methods in all sorts of ways. Perhaps a bit of a traditionalist though, as I like to try to work in the most basic way rather than use modern technology (automatically, but of sometimes modern technology is the right answer) to create a result.
Art as a therapeutic device; do you think it is useful for this purpose and is your work in this category somehow?
My study at the moment relates to art as a means of expressing repressed or subliminal experiences. The art itself doesn’t have to be viewed as a specific narrative, but maybe it carries an expression of the ‘internal landscape’. I think working in a creative way is extremely important for therapy, and some of the things that were commonly worked with the hands as a craft are now moving into the art realm as people aren’t doing things like these (eg knitting or whittling wood) at home much anymore.
Are there any books which may have inspired your work as an artist?
Books, books, books – I have so many books! My hallway has bookcases lining it and they are overflowing – how could I choose only one or two? Reading is a great way to gain inspiration and that can come from novels or artists books etc. At the moment my favourite reads are related to my research, like Jill Bennett, “Empathic Vision” and Jennifer Biddle, “Breasts, Bodies Canvas”.
What discourages you from doing art?
Sometimes it is hard to work as I need to be available for ‘life’, but I think that is good as it keeps me balanced. The trick is to not get too disconnected from where you are with your work, which can happen with too big a break.
What can you tell us about your creative development process?
Sometimes my family will ask a question like “what are you thinking about?’ when I’m looking a bit vague, but I usually say something like, ‘nothing much’, as my head gets very busy working through a visual idea. This starts with something I want to talk about, then I try to work out how this will look as a visual image and probably do some sketches, then I start working out how the print will be constructed and so most of this is milling about in my head for quite a while before the physical print starts to be developed. So it is a great relief to finally get a printed version of what has been occupying my mind for so long! Once an initial print has been made, then the process of developing that work begins, which can also lead to sleepless nights and angst driven moments.
Do you hope the viewer will “get” what you are trying to communicate or do you feel compelled to spell it out to them?
Perhaps there has always been work that has descriptive text beside it – an aboutness – and perhaps there has always been work that requires no introduction. I’m not concerned if people don’t see what I see or intended in the work, I think it is good to hear people talking about seeing totally different things in one work, so I try to avoid being too descriptive in my titles or statements, but it is an expectation that they exists in many situations.
Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?
Journals are great! It is amazing what you find in old journals. Mine are stacked with all sorts of ideas, clippings, drawings, photos, plants that have been pressed, colour swatches and lines of writing all offering moments to follow up sometime in the future.
Some say the lifespan of an “artist” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?
Well I thought that you were an emerging artist for about five years after a degree in the world of academia, but I guess that the question refers to how you follow up your degree. If you sit back and do nothing waiting for someone to find you, and then perhaps being an artist has a lifespan, but then that is only relevant if you don’t pick it up again when you’re ready. As a mature age student, I say it’s never too late, and you can make it happen if you really want to.
What or who inspires your art?
Emotions would be the most simplistic answer. I can’t imagine working on something without feeling emotionally connected to the subject matter somehow. But of course what I see in the landscape is also a really strong element, so in a bundle there is a social comment and environmental interest or concerns.
What are you currently working on?
I’m in the last few months of working on my MFA. The project is centered on expressing subliminal experience through art. I have worked with both etching and lithograph as the primary methods for producing prints for the submission and combining these in the prints is also a technical approach to the work. I also maintain my connections with the broader community through my website and blog and I am involved in several print exchanges each year. This is an exchange of work with a group of printmakers from around the world, so it is a lot of fun and a really great way to expand ideas about how to go about making a print. I’m also always developing work for Ballan & Pannan Galleries in Melbourne.
How do you describe your work?
A traditional approach with abstract qualities offering cultural and social commentary with a contemporary feel.
Do you have questions for the Artist? Go to the comments section at the bottom of this post and ask away.
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[...] a wonderful collection of helpful links, artist interviews and hints and tips. He asked me to do an interview, and it is now online! Thanks [...]
Nice informative interview about my favourite artist.
[...] Steve placed an interesting blog post on Linden LangdonHere’s a brief overviewI think working in a creative way is extremely important for therapy, and some of the things that were commonly worked with the hands as a craft are now moving into the art realm as people aren’t doing things like these (eg knitting or … [...]
[...] week Linden has been interviewed by Steve Gray over at Art Re-Source so you might learn a bit more about what she gets up to here (especially when I’m out of the [...]
Steve
Thanks for this interview on Linden - who I think is an excellent and truly original artist. Liked your blog as well.
Aine (in drizzly Edinburgh, Scotland)
[...] fine arts printmaker, prolific arts industry blogger and a web standardista. She was interviewed by Art Re-Source this [...]
[...] Steve added an interesting post on Linden Langdon : Art Re-SourceHere’s a small excerptNatural Therapy » Linden Langdon on October 19th, 2008 1:34 pm. […] Steve placed an interesting blog post on Linden LangdonHere’s a brief overviewI think working in a creative way is extremely important for therapy, and some of the … [...]
[...] read more of Linden’s Interview click here… November 24, 2008 | Filed Under [...]