With her new work ‘No Job (ciggies)’ on show at Orchard Square’s Fronteer gallery, we caught up with Sara Prinsloo to retrace her artistic journey, delving into her inspirations and techniques.
How did your artistic journey begin?
Growing up, my household was always a creative environment. My dad was a musician and played bass in multiple bands, including The Trend who were signed to MCA Records. Our home was filled with music, art and literature. As a kid, I enjoyed drawing. A special artistic moment in my early memory would be when I won a mountain bike by designing packaging for Campbell’s Meatballs, as part of a competition in the Beano. It was the first time I was rewarded for my art, and it felt good. I must have been around eight or nine years old. Drawing was always my way of expressing myself, even from an early age.
“As an artist, it’s hard for me to choose one outlet as I get bored easily. I think that’s part of my personality – a need to explore, learn and challenge myself”
What sort of things were you drawing back then?
In the early 90s, I would be drawing the things that I loved when I was around 10 years old. That would mainly consist of the Tasmanian Devil and other Loony Tunes characters. I would copy them from my Tazo collection. And that hairy Pog character with big teeth – remember them?
What a throwback! How did that develop to a point where art became a genuine pursuit?
I left home at a young age and was lost for a while. I didn’t have much going for me until a friend suggested the idea of college. She was signing up, so I tagged along and took an art course. With pretty grim GCSEs and an unhealthy lifestyle, it took me a while to achieve my A Levels, but I got there in the end! My college teacher encouraged us to apply for university – which I didn’t even think was an option, being a kid with no money. But off I went to London where I found my love for street culture and my graffiti-writing husband. That said, I believe it’s life that developed my art practice the most – my experiences and reflections. It took me ’til my late 30s to really find my thing.
“I’m quite raw and to the point; I aim to inform people about what it’s like being female, working-class and growing up in the 90s and 00s, sharing my positive and negative experiences”
You work through a variety of mediums. Do you have a preferred outlet, or does it depend on what you’re trying to get across?
As an artist, it’s hard for me to choose one outlet as I get bored easily. I think that’s part of my personality – a need to explore, learn and challenge myself. I believe making mistakes is an important part of the creative journey and we shouldn’t be afraid of them; it’s where the magic often happens. My work primarily consists of paintings, drawings, and sculpture, but all convey the same messages and meanings. Texture, form and mark-making are ways I do this.
Could you talk us through some of the themes that your work tends to engage with?
A lot of it is self-reflective work and discussing social issues through being a working-class artist: things which I think hold value and what we, as society, can learn from. Mental health, alcohol, drug consumption and personal struggles with grief are my main focal points. I believe a lot of these points are linked to working-class life. We tragically lost my sister in 2019, which messed me up. This loss triggered anxiety, and it’s a huge part of my life now. But art gives me a positive outlet to express these topics. There are various ways in which I do this through mark-making and subject matters. There’s a lot of humour too! I use humour as a way of coping with life in general. I’m quite raw and to the point; I aim to inform people about what it’s like being female, working-class and growing up in the 90s and 00s, sharing my positive and negative experiences.
“A lot of it is self-reflective work and discussing social issues through being a working-class artist: things which I think hold value and what we, as society, can learn from”
‘Trashy Ladies’ is a series of your work which challenges societal norms of beauty and femininity. One of these paintings will be on show at Orchard Square’s Fronteer Gallery until 15th Feb. Can you talk to us a bit more about that?
My fabulous Trashy Ladies are ultimately versions of myself. I’ve taken overpopulated 19th-century art nouveau glamourous women, some who were used for advertising things like high-end champagne and beer, then dragged them through my life experiences, translating my insecurities of how others may perceive me and others like me; but at the same time, celebrating the beauty this offers.
Do you have creative rituals or processes to pull things together?
If I hear something funny or engaging, I’ll pop a note on my phone to revisit later. I have a lot of sketchbooks on the go, which help me develop ideas, and when I’ve hit something solid, I’ll look at turning them into a bigger piece. I don’t have a studio and I create everything at home. I have a particular wall where I stick up my ongoing work. This will often be multiple paintings at the same time. When I’m creating, I like to have tunes or films/documentaries playing. I have an interest in bizarre life stories and diving into the untraditional helps me think differently about my own. Films I often play are Beautiful Losers, Mid 90’s, Beach Bum or skateboarding films, as a skater myself. Tunes that help me create would be hip-hop-related or 00s indie era.
Sara has a new painting exhibited at Fronteer Gallery, Orchard Square, as part of the Meet the Locals exhibition. To find out more about the artist and view her work, head to saraprinsloo.co.uk or follow @saraprinslooart.
