Thinkspace is proud to present Trash Talk featuring new works by internationally renowned artists and street interventionists, Jaune, from Belgium, and Slinkachu, from the UK. Both critically acclaimed artists work on an atypical miniaturist scale, especially given the monumental standard demanded of public art in the deafening context of the city. Jaune and Slinkachu both challenge this paradigm of scale while incorporating the city’s refuse and garbage into their imagery as materials and themes.
In anticipation of Trash Talk, our interview with Slinkachu discusses his collaboration with Jaune, the role of artists in society, and what the perfect day outside of the studio would look like.
SH: Is there a particular piece in this exhibition you feel really challenged you? If so, why and what makes you proud of this piece.
SL: The acrylic pieces are a completely new approach to presenting my photography and were a challenge to produce. They combine multiple UV ink layers on both sides of transparent acrylic shapes to produce a 3D effect as you look through the piece. Each layer needs to be precisely lined up – it’s almost like a layered screen print but with a reverse side too. I only got a real sense of how the pieces would work as they were printing. Seeing those pieces come to life made me feel proud.
SH: How do you approach starting a new body of work? Walk us through the process of a piece from conception to completion.
SL: I usually have to have a rough theme for a new show. In this case, I had ideas for pieces involving litter and discarded items and our relationship to these things. that seemed to compliment Jaune’s characters whose roles often involve the cleanup of the waste that we leave behind. ‘Trash Talk’ seems to evoke a conversation between us and our works. For my ideas specifically, I have to start with an idea that presents simply but has more layers of meaning.
SH: What excites you about your work / creative process?
SL: Seeing a piece finally come to life. The process of creation is something that I often find frustrating, especially with the photography where you are at the mercy of the elements and the situation cannot often be as controlled as I’d like. It is the goal of seeing a work come together that excites me, where I can look back and see a completed piece that is often close to how I initially saw it in my mind despite the unpredictable nature of shooting outdoors.
SH: What has the collaborative process been like with Jaune?
SL: One thing that has been interesting is that, although we both work in miniature we work in very different scales. Also, my work is mostly three dimensional whereas Jaune’s is in two dimensions, or perhaps two and a half in some cases. Some ideas that we had just wouldn’t work due to those differences. They were just physically impossible to implement in a satisfying way. But seeing our ideas completed and working together has been exciting!
SH: Speaking of collaboration, if you could collaborate with any artists (from any art form ie: movies, music, dance, etc.) dead or alive who would it be and what would you create?
SL: I am not sure about specific artists but I am interested in set design and also screenwriting. I’ve been fascinated by the process of film or tv production and the various artistic elements that are involved ever since I was a child and I fell in love with Star Wars and the artists involved with those films. I often view my works as static scenes in miniature. So to get to work with a team of creatives on a project like that would be a dream.
SH: If your body of work inspired an ice cream flavor, what would it be called and what are the ingredients?
SL: I can be a really indecisive person, sometimes I’ll have ideas in my notebook for years before I decide how best to bring them to life. I think I’d cheat and have a tub full of lots of smaller tubs of different flavours. An ice cream buffet in a pot, called ‘IndICEision’
SH: What do you think the role of artists is in society? How does other artwork inform how you move through life?
SL: I think artists should be storytellers, either of fact or fiction. Narrative is important in my work and I look for it in others’ works too.
SH: What would a perfect day outside of the studio look like for you?
SL: My perfect day would be spent with my family and friends and dog, sitting by a pool and drinking and laughing. Or at the new Star Wars land at Disney, in costume with a lightsaber.
SH: If you got to live in any movie or book for a day, what would it be? Would you be yourself or one of the characters?
SL: See above! As Master Yoda said, “Size matters not”.
