09 Oct Interview with Carol Caiger from Caiger Contemporary.
You can see some of my new work this week at the Oxo Wharf Gallery as part of an event hosted by Caiger Contemporary. Here, I take time out to talk to Carol Caiger, one half of the Caiger Contemporary team for a quick Q and A.
How do you start your pieces?
Hi Carol. Research begins on field trips. At present I’m looking at places along the old saxon shore walk which dominates Sussex. Photographical evidence, site visits, digging in muddy bogs, looking at ancient cultures. Then on to creating colours for each piece.
What is your method of working?
The whole thing is made from fire. I collect firewood from local forests, I use pine as it burns quick and gives off the right heat compared to the in intensity and slow burn of oak. I try and make a few pieces together as I work quick, similar to how Howard Hodgkin applies his paint. Then I spend an age adding colour and ultimately light to a blackened surface.
How long does it take for the artwork to be produced?
The drying time tends to be the longest time. If I’m creating work for an art fair, I usually start 4 months in advance to get it right for the fair. I have created visual responses within a few days before and been happy with it, but at times I spend months getting it right.
Any other medium?
Steel and fire work well. I use brass a lot with some of the installation work. Brass is one of the best conductors of heat alongside gold. My paint is sourced from an industry approved supplier in Sussex. The steel is sourced from France as Chinese steel sometimes can’t be trusted to withstand heat. I like concrete as a medium and chalk, this may appear at a later date.
