Permeable Worlds Artist Introduction: Leigh Andrews
Another hour, another blog. Apologies to our followers for spamming up your blog feed, but our backlog (bloglog?) is almost cleared and here’s our final blog of this evening and, honestly, there are no superlatives that can reasonably be applied here without being called out as too much build up. So, that there Leigh Andrews, then.
PW. Who is Leigh Andrews?
LA: I am the dark lurking inside the dark of night. I am the plague of fleas on the backs of the rats that cling to the tatters of your dreams. I am the swearing in a Quentin Tarantino movie, unnecessary and excessive.
PW: Okay, what is important to you personally?
LA: Validation. I need to justify, to myself and others, my being here. Terrible narcissism, really.
3. What does art mean to you?
Did you just do air quotes? You're interviewing me for a blog - the written word - and you've just put air quotes around the word art with your fingers. Tosser.
PW: Okay, fine, do you have an answer to the question?
LA: Yes, I do as a matter of fact. For me art and philosophy are intertwined and I see the pharts as one of the three foundations of civilisation alongside maths and science and like those disciplines, phart is all around us. Man cannot create anything without at least a cursory consideration of aesthetics and an intuited understanding of the complex nature of interaction between man and thing.
PW: Maths, science and... 'farts'...
LA: You're bloody doing it again, look you've done it in writing this time! And it's not fart it's PHart. With a ph.
PW: Well, please phorgive me phor phaling to see how phundamentally phantastic a concept phart is and how phabulously genius you are.
LA: Cretin.
PW: Okay, lets struggle on to the bitter end, then...
LA: To the bitter end! *thumps table*
PW: Yes, okay... Who, or what, influences or inspires you?
LA: Oh, many different things. For instance last night I was inspired by your mo...
PW: Stop that.
LA: ...mma. What? She makes great pie and food inspires me, that's all.
PW: You said you'd keep Mum out of this. You don't have to be so open with your 'issues' you know.
LA: And you don't have to be such a prissy pants. Go get a hair cut and a job.
PW: Gosh, people are right, you ARE annoying!
LA: You and me? Pot and kettle, baby. Pot and kettle.
PW: Okay. Can you describe your practice as it stands at the moment?
LA: Fledgling. Very fledgling. I am a fussy, finickity sort. Instead of being media specific, I am trying to fit the materials to the work. I am interested in narrative and how audiences interact with narrative. Currently I am working on translating classic novels, such as Kafka's Metamorphosis and Orwell's 1984 into compacted 3D 'experiences' designed to be interacted with and puzzled over. I have completed the first chapter of Metamorphosis but the concept needs some fine tuning and a clearer direction.
PW: You just air quoted.
LA: What? I never...oh, damn!
PW: What are your ambitions for your practice for the future?
LA: To make enough money to comfortably survive and continue to make art whilst living somewhere remote. With internet. Are we done yet?
PW: Answer this last question then we can both go. I know I could do with some fresh air.
LA: Same here. Smell yourself lately?
PW: Whatever. Is there anyone you would like to thank for supporting you in becoming an artist?
LA: My partner, Gosia Turska, encouraged me to make the change from a life of pointless, but reasonably paid, servitude to one of exciting, stimulating poverty as an artist, so, yeah, thanks for that, I guess. Oh, and the Government. For lending me all that money they are never going to get back.
PW: Okay, well, thanks, I guess, to Leigh Andrews and, hey, that book thing, good luck with that.
LA: I hope your eyebrows burn off in a freak fat fryer fracas.
PW: Right, bye then.
Editors note: The above is a shorter version of the full interview which has been edited at the request of both parties for expletives and violence. However, the interview was video taped, so watch out for clips of our interviewer asking himself questions whilst switching sides of a table repeatedly, getting angry at himself and attempting, and failing, to land punches on himself hitting YouTube soon!
Leigh, being all mysterious ‘n that, has refused to allow us to put up images here, but he does actually work sometimes and has some pieces at the Permeable Worlds show. To see them get down to 39 Jamaica Street this weekend!