INTERVIEWED BY Michaela Stehr
Cape Town-based painter and illustrator Olivie Keck is known for her loud colours and juxtaposing ideas in her pieces. We find out more about her vivid creations and where she draws her inspiration from.
How did your art career start?
Pursuing a career in art is something I always knew I wanted to do, even when that was just an unknowable path in my mind. It’s always been an obsession, even when I wanted it not to be. I’d bunk classes in high school and hid out in the art department just to cram in another hour on an artwork. As a young teen, I’d use all my pocket money to buy art supplies when the other kids were buying Tamagotchis and Billabong T’s. Creation has always been ‘the core’ that everything else revolves around in my life. If you cut me open all you’d find is fluorescent art juice.
How do you decide what you’ll create?
Many of the pieces I make start with a random thought inspired by all manner of influences. It’s often a spontaneous connection or a juxtaposed motif that enthrals me. If the concept excites me or makes me smile, and I could imagine an interesting visual conversation that could exist around it, then I’ll pursue it.
What mediums do you prefer using?
I don’t have a favourite medium. I love variety. I go through phases based on my moods or the kind of subject matter I want to explore. At the moment I’m enjoying the joys of painting. For me, the medium is always the means to an end and the ‘end goal’ is always evolving. Variety is the spice of life – it’s a particular freedom I love about making art.
How did your unique variety of styles develop?
It was a gradual progression. I think finding a ‘home’ in a particular way of working is a process of gradually unlocking your desires and the atmosphere you wish to communicate with your work. I have always been drawn to graphic styles and bold colour, but I also enjoy a certain crafted ‘wonkiness’. I oscillate between imperfection and precision, the reductive and embellished surface, figurative and abstract. I think there’s a humanness in these dichotomies that holds endless opportunities to explore.
Do you have a piece that stands out for you?
I always think of individual artworks as part of a greater body of work. In that way my most recent solo ‘Playing With Catastrophe’ was a stand-out moment for me. I incorporated so much of myself into the show. My love of patterns, is ever-present in all my artworks. My desire to dabble in digital tech by using AI animation to bring paintings to life for viewers on phones in the exhibition space. My playful attempt to reference pop culture and the social and environmental landscape of the present. It was a major feat for me and I was chuffed with the outcome.
Do you prefer commissions or your own creations?
I enjoy both challenges for different reasons. Commissions offer structure and take you to places you won’t otherwise go. Personal projects are a kind of ‘free fall’ – you set the pace and the direction, which is empowering and rewarding, but also scary.
What is the process for making an artwork?
There are no rules, but most artworks start with a sketch. I always map the artwork out first on the final surface before I begin applying colour. The colour element is more flexible in my mind, and as the image emerges, I might change or add new colours depending on what I feel is needed.
Where do you look to get inspired?
I draw a lot of inspiration from the cultural zeitgeists of the moment, but I also like to hanker back to traditional motifs in art and mix everything together. I think intimacy, narrative, contrast and humour are important parts of the subject matter behind my work. In that way, I’m a bit of a juggler – trying to eat my cake and have it too.
Any local artists we should keep our eye on?
Michaela Young, Mia and Erin Chaplin, Gitte Marie Möller
What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m the most alert in the morning, so that’s when I do my best work. I like taking an afternoon break with a walk in the park with my dogs, but even when I’m not working on anything in particular I never stay out of the studio long. I definitely have anxiety if I miss too many days in the studio. Being in the studio is my therapy.
What are your plans for the upcoming months?
I am currently attending a funded artist’s residency in The Netherlands until October 2022. After that, I’ll be working on a new solo show and maybe some Art Fair exhibits. Sometimes other opportunities present themselves, and I’ll go with the flow, but I also like to have some structure to my year, so I don’t feel directionless.
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