A motivational Artist Parent interview with Alison Dollery @alisondolleryartist, an artist who has studios in West Sussex and London.
Tell us about yourself?
First and foremost, I am a mother of two daughters (aged 11 and 14) and a mature part-time student at the Royal College of Art, studying arts and humanities. I am also a freelance/self-employed contemporary visual artist and curator. Currently I am the curator for POP UP Culture Crawley, which focuses on improving the arts, bringing contemporary art to Crawley, and using disused spaces for exhibitions. I have curated three significant exhibitions with over 150 contemporary artists in the past year alone.
How has being a parent had a positive impact on your artistic practice?
Being a parent has not altered my artistic practice; the themes, threads, and materials were all present in my work before I became a parent. However, observing my children's processes and methods has recentered me. Their unwavering determination to pursue their visions without rules has reshaped my understanding of creativity and 'what art or an artist is'.
My children keep me grounded, distract me from the art world mirage, and allow me to accept that, as an artist, I also have an artistic practice that doesn't follow the rules. My process's and methods are derived my studio at home, I often have to work with the materials I have available to me.
What are the challenges you have faced in your artistic practice being a parent?
Time and financial limitations have been challenges, but now I can see how they have helped me be more inventive in my work. For example, the economic restraints of the cost of buying canvas were one of the reasons I started painting my body.
There are elements of my art practice that I cannot develop because of limitations by time or travel, such as artist residencies and physical workshops that require you to live or travel to a specific location or duration. However, it makes me more reliant on finding alternative learning and development methods.
Any advice for other Artist Parents and how they can continue to nurture their practice?
Practice nurtures practice. Find ways to make work, be inventive with what you have, and focus on what you can do. Instead of dwelling on the limitations, focus on the possibilities. This proactive mindset can lead to new and exciting artistic discoveries.
Is there anything else you would like to say, share or promote?
As an artist who uses her body in her artwork, I am more conscious of how this could affect my daughter's body image. However, as they have gotten older, it's driven me to understand the importance of taking responsibility for representing individual body types. Their generation especially has to deal with invasive social media and being constantly marketed to.
Thank you to Alison for sharing her story and thank you for reading. If you would like to read more stories or for your work to be shared then follow and tag @artist_parent on Instragam.
Uploaded 5th November 2024