February 22nd, 2010 Laura Barnett
'When I was up for the Turner, people talked about me in terms of the emperor's new clothes. I could see their point'
What got you started?
Not being able to decide what I wanted to study. I was interested in architecture, music, psychology and literature. In the end, I chose art school, because art seemed to contain all of these.
Who or what have you sacrificed for your art?
It's really hard to work, in every way. You sacrifice something every time you make a choice between one thing and another. But I work because it helps me to live: without my work, I'm an empty shell.
Is contemporary art misunderstood?
No, because I don't think there's anything in it to understand. Works of art are just arrangements of colours, or shapes: any meaning they have is given to them by the people who value them, or think they're beautiful.
What's your favourite film?
Gregory's Girl. It was filmed near where I grew up and came out when I was a teenager, so it's very much of my time.
Is there anything about your career you regret?
Getting sidetracked by having to deal with work I've already made, rather than concentrating on new work. If a gallery is mounting an exhibition of my work, I often have to deal with it personally. It's a bit like writing and recording a song, and then having to be present every time that song is played on the radio.
Is the art world too money-oriented?
No – I'd say it's probably less money-oriented than most worlds, because it's primarily about people trying to express themselves.
What one song would work as the soundtrack to your life?
I once wrote a song called I Don't Know What I Want, which always comes back to me. I guess it's true.
What advice would you give a young artist?
Do what you're scared of. Often people are scared of the things they really want.
Is there an art form you don't relate to?
No. Everything that everyone does is art, or at least a little creation. There's no difference between someone calling a friend or going down to the shops, and someone else waving their arms around and making marks on a canvas.
What's the worst thing anyone ever said about you?
When I was nominated for the Turner, a lot of people talked about my work in terms of the emperor's new clothes. I could see their point: my piece was just an empty room. But it was also a room where the lights were going on and off, like a mini theatrical production. No one would say that the lighting in a theatre was an emperor's new clothes situation, would they?
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February 13th, 2010 Huma Qureshi
The painter and sculptor on skipping breakfast, working through the night and a forthcoming trip to paint in Antarctica
My day is split in two: the creative part and the administrative part. I'll be working on my admin from 9am, but I'll be painting during the night – I'm lucky if I get more than four hours sleep. I live and work from my studio in north London. I've been here for four years; it's an old printing press conversion with a glass roof. It's like a loft apartment – except for the fact that I'm on the ground floor.
My fridge is usually empty. I never have breakfast but I do drink about 20 cups of tea or coffee a day. I end up eating one meal a day. I never exercise, but then again, when I'm painting, I'm on my feet all day.
I've just finished my time as artist-in-residence at the County Hall Gallery after two and a half years. It was tremendous to be given the artistic freedom to exhibit what I wanted to. Most of my paintings are allegorical and my inspiration is all personal. Painting is a private relationship between me and the canvas, and the only time I can do that uninterrupted is during the night. There have been times when the creative juices are flowing that I really can't stop – once I stayed awake all weekend and produced a dozen paintings.
I worked in banking for Merrill Lynch for 20 years. I travelled extensively and worked long hours. That routine of working until late has really stuck with me. I don't miss office life though.
The BlackBerry habit from Merrill's hasn't changed – I'm still always checking my emails and often in front of the computer. I'll liaise with galleries, and I'm a patron of several art societies and charities so there are always emails to go through.
I'm heading to Antarctica for five days to paint; I'll literally be painting nine foot canvases standing on the snow in sub-zero conditions. The aim is to explore the creative limitations of the environment, something really raw in a wild, strange landscape. It'll be light 24 hours round the clock, which I'm not used to at all, so I'll be sleeping even less. The snow we had in London made me realise I don't have enough of the appropriate clothing at all – I've been doing a few practice runs of painting in extreme cold in a huge heavy duty refrigerator. The application of paint while wearing gloves is yet to be determined, but I've been exploring the use of anti-freeze paint.
I'm divorced, and my ex-wife and teenage children live outside of London. My daughter and son sometimes come down on the weekends, although it's less now that they have their studies. When they are here, I don't paint – I never paint in front of anybody. I'm probably not an easy person to live with.
When I paint, I usually put trance music on in the background. I used to live in Tokyo and DJed with Paul van Dyke and Nick Warren who were just starting out then. I still have the mixes. I love to watch cricket while I paint too – it's usually on in the background. Maybe my love for cricket is part of my Pakistani roots, although I've been here for most of my life.
I don't really have a five-day working week set up; I don't really have a concept of a weekend. But I do try and take Sundays lightly, which means no evening appointments with gallery owners – I'll see my children or my parents, relax and chill out.
Nasser Azam (azam.com) will be travelling to Antarctica to complete a series of performance paintings from 18-27 February.
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