ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
KENT ARTIST PROFILE :
LINDA SIMON
KENT-BASED ARTIST LINDA SIMON COMBINES HER LOVE OF TECHNOLOGY WITH HER PASSION FOR ART TO CREATE BEAUTIFUL , SKILFUL PIECES THAT ARE AS PLAYFUL AS THEY ARE FASCINATING .
Linda Simon next to “ Sleep Pattern ( December 2015 )”
How would you describe your art ?
I use everyday items to create objects and installations that deal with the process of transformation . Sometimes I use self-tracking apps and wearable tech to capture data about myself which I then extract , sort and re-imagine as an aesthetic form . I ’ m interested in our relationship with digital technology , especially the proliferation of ‘ big data ’ that is generated with every online interaction . Other inspiration comes from numbers , data and the desire to find order and pattern such as in the recent jigsaw ‘ arrangements ’.
What made you want to be an artist ?
I was working in the IT sector ( no surprise there ) feeling stressed and disillusioned . I ’ d dabbled with drawing and stained glass at evening class and wanted to take it further so enrolled on an Access course at UCA which was intense but brilliant . I learnt so many skills and from there progressed to a Fine Art degree graduating in 2013 after six years of part-time study . I love the freedom of being an artist . There are no rules – only those you create for yourself .
What is your favourite piece ?
“ Equivalent VIII ” which was made as a homage to one of my favourite artists , Carl Andre . It comprises eight different QR codes made from brown and white sugar cubes . All of them are functional QR codes and when scanned with a smartphone they each read “ Equivalent
“ Equivalent VIII ”
VIII ”. The Tate acquired the original “ Equivalent VIII ” in 1972 and it caused an outcry at the time as it was made from household bricks and deemed a waste of money . It was quite fiddly to make and I wasn ’ t sure until each code was completed whether or not it would actually scan – luckily they all did . The sugar cubes are a reference to the Tate gallery which was funded from money donated by Tate & Lyle .
You ’ re clearly interested in technology . Do you think that art and technology can happily mix ?
Yes , of course , and there are many arts organisations who support and provide a platform for arts and technology . As technology evolves so will the potential to create new and exciting art forms .
Is it the art or the tech that comes first when thinking of a new design ?
It ’ s a mix of both . I ’ ve got a whole studio full of weird and wonderful experimental materials – teabags , floppy disks , sweets . It can take months or years for me to find the perfect use for a particular material . For instance , “ Sleep Pattern ( December 2015 )”, which documents my sleep during the course of one month , uses different coloured earplugs for periods of awake , light and deep sleep . I first had the idea to use earplugs years ago after I started wearing
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