insideKENT Magazine Issue 101 - September 2020 | Page 9

Where do your ideas come from? Using site visits as a catalyst to research, write and produce works, I often work in partnership with manufacturers, heritage sites, public monuments, and archives. In recent months I was the recipient of the first completely digital art commission for the National Festival of Making (supported by the Arts Council England, Creative Lancashire & Deco Publique), where I was paired with a manufacturer in Lancashire. Being immersed within a factory setting had a profound impact on the way I engaged with my practice and enabled me to work collaboratively with the staff on site. What inspires and influences your art? Industrial sites and monuments have always held a place of significance to me. I am fascinated by the rhythm and gravitas that machines generate, with the human as the mediator or facilitator of production. Many of these machines that once held a rhythm have become petrified statues, inert and lifeless. They end up in our global scrapyards, repurposed, destroyed or preserved as monuments to remind us of a bygone era. It is through these unresponsive relationships that I have become captivated by the stretch of time between the industrial and post-industrial. You also teach at The University for the Creative Arts, how does teaching impact on your own practice? I thoroughly enjoy teaching and feel that my role as an educator is very much an extension of my practice. Sharing my own experiences as an artist has enabled me to cultivate a learning environment where critical debate and discussion are centred around current practices. These extraordinary conversations are inspirational, engaging and challenge the way I think about my own practice. What is the most special, unusual, daring, or interesting commission you’ve ever received? I have worked on a number of commissions over the years, all of which have been incredible! However, I am currently undertaking a year-long residency at a robotics manufacturer within Liverpool (supported by Arts Council England). Here I will be working on a new body of work for the National Festival of Making, which will be shown in 2021. Do you have any artistic heroes? I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Price’s work, especially ‘K’ which brings together text, image, voice and percussion in a two-screen video installation. I remember seeing this piece at The Infinite Mix a number of years ago and enjoyed how the audience were choreographed in a mechanised fashion. I am also a big fan of Benedict Drew, Mikhail Karikis and Tai Shani. Where can we see your work? Online at www.lizwilson.work and instagram @_liz_wilson_. 9