“A painting is both an image and an object. I like to get these two things to influence each other. It’s important to me that I make objects; things in the world.” A studio visit with Jason Thompson.

Jason Thompson is an artist based at Metal Edge Hill Station. He studied at Chelsea College of Art & Design from 1990 to 1995, completing a BA and an MA in Fine Art. Jason’s work is included in the collections of The Walker Art Gallery, The Arts Council Collection and the Office of Public Works, Ireland. Jason was shortlisted for the John Moores Painting Prize in 2010 and for the Liverpool Art Prize in 2014. He is currently represented by Wilson Stephens and Jones, London and BDDW Annex Gallery, New York. 

We visited Jason at his studio to chat about his practice, where his ideas come from, how he goes about making a painting and how he feels about his work.

Refractive Pool Symposium Panel Discussion Audio

In February 2020 Refractive Pool presented a Symposium in partnership with Liverpool Hope University exploring aspects of Liverpool’s contemporary painting scene, through presentations from Liverpool based artists and a panel discussion focusing on the experience of painters working in the Liverpool City Region.

“On my residency I realised, what I create, is like a little world, an escape. It’s an escape for me, but also for other people when they look at it.” A conversation with Cherie Grist.

Cherie Grist is an artist based at 104 Duke Street Studios in Liverpool, which she also manages. Cherie recently undertook a residency with Cel del Nord, located in the small village of Oristà in the Lluçanès region of Catalonia. We met Cherie at 104 Duke Street, where she occupies a large open space to accommodate her large-scale paintings. Standing in Cherie’s studio feels rather like standing inside one of her paintings. Her working area includes one large wall dedicated to paintings in progress, a comfy seating area, a desk area, a wall stacked with finished paintings and another covered with brightly coloured images. The colours she likes to use in her paintings are everywhere.

Refractive Pool – Contemporary Painting in Liverpool Symposium, 9.30am-2pm, Friday 7th February 2020

Refractive Pool – Contemporary Painting in Liverpool Symposium, 9.30am-2pm, Friday 7th February 2020.  

Refractive Pool has partnered with Liverpool Hope University to bring you a symposium that will explore aspects of Liverpool’s contemporary painting scene, through presentations from Liverpool based artists and a panel discussion, focusing on the experience of painters working in the city. The symposium will encourage discussion about contemporary painting in Liverpool, informing Refractive Pool’s research.  Refreshments provided.

This is a free event. All welcome! Reserve your place now via Eventbrite

Venue details:

Liverpool Hope University Creative Campus
Capstone Theatre
17 Shaw Street
Liverpool
L6 1HP

“I have tried to capture aspects of the Texan landscape; scale, flatness, space and light, colour and vastness.” An interview with Gareth Kemp.

Gareth Kemp is an artist based in Liverpool at The Bridewell Studios and Gallery. He was recently awarded Arts Council England funding through the Artists’ International Development Fund to spend time in Texas, raising his international profile, through meetings with artists and curators and collecting source material for making new work. We visited Gareth in The Bridewell to see his new work presented in the gallery. Gareth and Josie then had a correspondence conversation about recent developments in his artistic career, his trip to Texas and his new work.

“There’s always a point when I’m painting where I hate the painting, I absolutely loathe it. I can’t stand it and then it comes around.” A conversation with Anna Ketskemety.

Anna Ketskemety is an artist based at Arena Studios in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle.  Arena Studios is made up of one large warehouse room, divided up into smaller studio spaces, a common area, which is also used as a gallery, and a small kitchen.  Anna occupies one of the smallest studio spaces. She works around this with a moveable studio wall, a worktop on wheels and carefully designed storage.

“Part of the reason for doing the PHD was to find out why I am repeating, what it is about repetition that I like.” A conversation with James Quin.

James Quin is an artist based on the Wirral. He has recently completed a practice-based PHD at Newcastle University. Quin’s research, The Temporal Conditions of the Static Image: Repetition as an Engine of Difference, examines the relations between painting, repetition and time. James is course leader on the BA Fine Art Painting course at University Centre, St Helens College, having recently worked as senior lecturer in Fine Art at De Montfort University. He is a member of Contemporary British Painting, an artist led organisation which explores and promotes current trends in British painting through group exhibitions, talks, publications and the donation of paintings to art museums.  

Brendan and I visited James to speak about his practice and look at his most recent body of work.

“I’ve been trying to make large paintings for years.” An interview with Donal Moloney

Donal Moloney is an Irish artist who lives on the Wirral. He was born in Cork and studied at the Crawford College of Art (BA), the Slade School of Fine Art (MFA) and University of the Arts London (PhD). Donal moved to Merseyside after being appointed Senior Lecturer at Liverpool Hope University.  He has exhibited widely and in 2016 Donal won the People’s Choice Award in the John Moores Painting Prize with his painting ‘Cave Floor’. Donal is a founding member of the organisation ‘Teaching Painting’ whose remit is to investigate the teaching of contemporary painting practices within art schools. 

We visited Donal on the hottest day on British record, in his studio, a purpose built shed at the end of his garden, where he was in the process of working on a series of new large paintings.

Refractive Pool Launches

Refractive Pool has launched with a period of research, leading to future events, exhibitions and critical writing. The Refractive Pool blog brings you news about the project as well as features on painting based practice in Liverpool. We are currently developing a mailing list and we hope you will sign up to receive email notifications with news of new blog posts and future Refractive Pool events. You can sign up to our mailing list HERE

You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @RefractivePool