Spotlight.
GARVIN SEALY
INTRODUCTION
Garvin has benefited from a trans-Atlantic art education from Eckerd College, Edinburgh College of Art, and Rochester Institute of Technology. At these institutions, he developed expertise in stained glass, ceramics, printmaking, bronze casting, glass blowing, metal fabrication and sculpture. His education in art and heritage conservation has come from working at Wells Cathedral, All Souls College in Oxford, the Roman Baths in York, the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, The Landmark Society of Western New York, and most recently at the V&A London.
The diversity of his work is matched by the diversity of his heritage, with the influence of his Caribbean, Indian, African and European cultural heritage all informing a wide-ranging artistic practice. Many of his creations have been exhibited internationally, with some residing in the collections of Grayson Perry, Magdalene Odundo and the National Trust Scotland. He is currently a Founder and Co-director of EqualiTree Community Interest Company, which provides training and experiential opportunities in heritage crafts for women, minorities and other historically marginalised groups.
INTERVIEW
What inspires your creative practice?
Inspiration tends to be a spontaneous ‘in the moment’ experience, not particularly driven by a specific thing. It can often arise from the environment I find myself working in and the materials to hand; I relish the challenge of wanting to explore an idea and then translate that process into physical form.
When I first starting working with clay and making ceramics, it was the challenge of throwing on the wheel that really captivated me: working with the physics of centrifugal motion and trying to maintain stillness whilst manipulating the clay into the vision I had developed in my mind. From the joy, peace and stillness that comes from having a wheel spinning at maximum RPMs and the sense that everything was under control, or at least the illusion of it. Initially, I would strive for machine-like precision where the wheel would be rotating and it looked as though the piece was still. I used to think that was the epitome of perfection, until one day I saw an art collector (whose opinion I valued) raving about a wonky piece of mine that she had fished out of a skip.
She spoke of wabi-sabi (侘寂) and the sparkle of movement she appreciate in balanced imbalance. That was a big turning point for me. Why compete with a machine, when I could make something that had expression? For many years I only saw the ceramics I did as an expression of skill, because I didn’t have or know that I had a voice in the medium. It wasn’t until many years later in graduate school that I discovered wet-porcelain transfer printing onto stoneware that now provided the ability to articulate my thoughts in ceramics.
With stained glass it was completely different. I never need inspiration as it was always there. I would sit in a class, unable to focus, as I was dreaming about colour, even though it has always been the least important aspect of the aesthetics. The lead lines were always the most important feature. Due to its history, much of the work I made had a religious component, while also consciously having a secular element so that the work could be meaningful to a range of audiences depending on their own interpretation. I like that ambiguity.
At present, much of my work examines issues related to gender, race, ableism and intersectionality.
Teaching has offered immense opportunity for inspiration. When I teach, my students really inspire me with their ideas and lack of limitations on themselves. I enjoy seeing them excel, and even surpass me. That’s when I know I have done a good job.
What is your favourite project you've ever worked on and why?
Two things: The first was my graduate show in New York in YEAR. I had never done welding before and made incredible sculptures in WHAT MATERIAL almost 9 feet tall (3 metres). As soon as I learned that anything you can do mechanically with paper you can do with steel I wanted to expand my repertoire beyond glass, ceramics and printmaking. In the initial struggle to make meaningful work, I was told to make work that was important to me. That started me down an introspective path to figure out who I was. As an artist there comes a point where you question not only your work, but also yourself. Thus, the work I made involved the use of mirrors and masks, the idea of reflection and façade.
The second was recording an album at Abbey Road Studios, playing trumpet and bass guitar with an ensemble of musicians, led by Turner Prize winner Shawanda Corbett. I was exposed to a lot of music throughout my childhood, and we were fortunate to have access to various instruments at school and church, and I was encouraged to play everything.
Going back to my musical creativity was nourishing in so many ways, particularly when the score was graphic notation in the form of Shawanda’s painting. I had never worked with graphic notation before, so we had a rewarding creative experience to invent parts from scratch, and riff and jam with other musicians when there were no notes on a page. It was intimidating listening to playbacks in the same rooms as the Beatles recorded their albums. It really made me want to excel, and explore better recording equipment and sound reinforcement so that I can explore musical styles and production at home.
What advice would you give to artists of colour looking to get into the creative industries?
Firstly, you would want to decide how you define success and then speak to people who you see as having achieved what you are aiming for. Ask them how they arrived at the destination you are seeking. What was their mode of transportation, and how long did it take? What challenges did they face, what inspired them and provided them with resilience when things were difficult. Did they ever want to quit? Now that they have developed their careers and are “successful,” is it what they imagined it to be? What would they have done differently?
Don’t let anyone confine your creativity or straightjacket you into a way of being.
Network.
Scotland is small, and some people are under the impression that resources are scarce, and unfortunately view others as competition instead of potential collaborators. There is space for all creatives; if you can’t find one you have to try to make your own.
Don’t mistake hard work for good work.
Are there any new projects you are currently working on at the moment?
Most of my creativity at the moment is within musical spheres. I used to be a church organist, and so playing antique Canadia reed organs from 1897 and newer digital church organs have captivated me. Additionally playing and recording with my Martin GPC35E and other guitars has allowed me to take another direction musically. I have also been doing a lot of wood-turning which is really magnificent. The process of turning takes me back to the peace of working clay on a wheel.
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Photo by Jimmy May Sealy