Welcome to 'the creatives' - a series I'll be running here on the blog, introducing you to some of my favourite artists. I'll be sharing a little of their work and asking them a few questions.
First up is Joshua Wiley. I first came across Josh's work when I fell in love with a print of his entitled 'I don't think you're ready (for this jelly)'. I love his sense of humour, vivid use of colour and graphic style.So Joshua, please tell us a little about yourself and what you do?
I grew up in Somerset in the west of England but moved to London to study illustration at Kingston University when I left school. Since graduating I have been living in central London and working on all manner of creative things.
What's the first thing you remember creating and how old were you?
When we were growing up, a lot of our family lived in countryside so we'd always be playing around with power tools and making things out of wood. I remember being particularly proud of a tree house I built with my cousin but as I was probably five or six years old at the time, I don't think I can take much credit. I still love making 3D work but without a workshop it's a bit more tricky.
What are you working on at the moment?
Currently, I think my favorite work has got to be my twitter portrait project. It's getting a fair bit of attention at the moment, which is nice, but it's really just been good to spread my work around and get a better idea of who I’m making it for.
Where do you look for inspiration?
I listen to a lot of dance music so I think that brings something to my work. I'm also really interested in sociology and how people interact with one another. I've always felt that design is a way of exploring ideas and I really enjoy the process of learning. If something interests me it's more than likely that it will have some bearing on my work.
What are your favorite magazines, and blogs?
'It's Nice That' have been on my radar for quite a while. They've got strong ties with Kingston and I like the work they're doing. I'm also following a publication called 'Nom De Strip' which writes about art in the south west.
If you could collaborate with anyone (living or dead who would that be)?
If I had the chance, it would have been great to talk with someone like Saul Bass, someone making simple compelling work. Alternatively Picasso has a pretty nice lifestyle, maybe I could have just gone and hung out on the Riviera with him.
Do you sell your work? If so where?
My work's sold in a few places in London, Lik + Neon and Beach gallery. The other option is just to talk to me.
Where can we find you? (blog, website, twitter, instagram, etc.)
- Joshua's Blog
- Joshua's Website
- @joshua_wiley
Thank you Joshua, for taking part in this little series and for giving it a great start. It's been fun finding out a bit more about you and I look forward to seeing more of what you get up to in the future.