NEW FEATURE! Sunday Interviews: Chloe Beecham

M: Hi Guys! 
We're trying a weekly feature here.. Sunday interviews! 
This week it's Chloe's! - why am I shouting everything?!
I (Molly) interviewed Chloe :) We, like everything we do, took it very seriously...

What did you study, where and when did you graduate?

Textiles In Practice, Manchester Met, 2016

Describe your work in 3 words

C:’you do it for me’

M: ‘Chole’s heavy sausages’

C: ‘I would say… linear, drawn and responsive’

Tell us about your favourite piece of your work 

*M fannying around trying to find the right text colour that is now not relevant*

C: ‘I think it has to be my vertical gallery installation. I spent way too many hours, (most of which were spent cleaning polystyrene balls off the studio floor) on that for me to pick something else! It was the biggest project I’d ever taken on, it drove me bloody insane and gave me repetitive strain injury but I was really pleased with the finished result.’

Tell us about life after your degree

C: ‘Well. I’ve spent the year doing a PGCE so life has been pretty full of essays and teaching… I’ve also been part of a national event in Derby where I got to show my work and spend a weekend with loads of fabulous creative people. I’ve had a few exhibitions here and there (thanks to my personal delivery man Molly Newport here) and have just been to Northern Ireland for an artist residency

M: ‘without a bra- for a whole week’

C: ‘Oh now I have to explain. I packed after spending all evening in the pub/avoiding my final PGCE assignment that I had to hand in before going to the airport, so didn’t actually know what I’d packed until I got there. Apparently I didn’t need a bra, but at least I took 9 pairs of socks!’

If you could give your student self some advice, what would it be? 

C: ‘Don’t waste all that time on coffee and walnut cake. The chocolate cake is the real winner. No but seriously, go home before half 10 once or twice. Sleep!!!! It’s very easy to burn yourself out, look after yourself. This involves eating more than just cake and drinking things other than coffee…. occasionally anyway.’

What item could you not function without?

C: ‘hand cream!! It’s absolutely always in my hand bag and I always make sure to have some in my studio. Could not have survived third year without it, especially after all the friction burns I gave myself. Also sketchbooks. I love drawing and mark making, I find it v therapeutic.’

Bonus question for an extra point.. just kidding there are no points. 

If you could stick two animals together to make a super species which two would you pick?

C: ‘easy. I would get a black cat and put a bat’s wings on it… flying cat. Amazing. Best pet ever, and it would be named Morticia, obvs.’

Next week it's Molly's turn!