Nicholas Stevenson
If I had my druthers, I’d be in London right now and attending the opening for Home Sweet Home at Atomica Gallery on Thursday. The exhibition features the work of two artists: Angela Dalinger and Nicholas Stevenson. They collaborated and created a series of imaginary homes that allows you to indulge on voyeurism that we all love so much.
I find rooms really intriguing (remember how much I love Anna Valdez’s paintings?), so you know I’m into the work in this show. Plus, I had the opportunity to interview Dalinger and Stevenson about Home Sweet Home, which you’ll find below. Their answers are great.
The show is up from August 14 to September 11 of this year. Atomica Gallery is located at 29 Shorts Gardens, London WC2H 9AP.
Angela Dalinger
Since this exhibition centers around voyeurism, do you find yourself actively people watching, too?
Nicholas: Absolutely, when you’re on the upper deck of a bus in London, you can see all sorts through windows… Usually it’s just real sparse and ugly decor, sometimes you think you see something really interesting but you don’t quite get time to catch it. Is he naked or just wearing a pink body suit? Is that a huuuge cat? I often look at anonymous doors and dull facades and wonder what goes on inside. My paintings try and imagine the more exciting possible scenarios.
Angela: I can’t say that it’s one of my hobbies to stalk people, I’m anyway always too afraid they might stare back, maybe from the corner of my eye. When I’m on the bus or train I always feel forced to listen to peoples conversation, even if its the most boring small talk you’ve ever heard.
Nicholas Stevenson
I love the dark themes in these images. What do you imagine these peoples’ lives to be? Who has it worse off?
Nicholas: In my paintings there a few insects which appear to be facing persecution. Either the people are actually very small, or the bugs are very big, but at any rate they don’t seem to be getting on too well with each other.
As far as Angela’s work goes, she painted a giant being killed with a gardening tool in an allotment. It’s hard to say whether it was in self defence or not, but I painted the giant a nice funeral, because I got the feeling he might have been a little misunderstood.
Angela: I often try to paint stupid people but when I see the paintings I don’t think they are as stupid as they are supposed to be. They mostly feel misplaced and stuck in an uncomfortable situation.
I think the women in Nicholas painting that seems to have a relationship with a giant insect got it worse off, or maybe its my girl in the bathtub with a horrible case of trots.
Angela Dalinger
Before this show opens, you’ve never met Angela face-to-face. How did you get to know her initially, and what do you think it’ll be like once you meet “in real life?”
Nicholas: We met through our blogs, and an obvious affinity between our artwork. There’s a certain kind of the very wild, painty brüt illustration were both championing and collecting. I really have no idea what it’ll be like to hang out in real life! But I’m hoping we can work on a few last minute pieces for the exhibition together and I can show her some good parts of London. I get the feeling we both really like painting, so if all else fails we can do that all week, ha.
Nicholas Stevenson
How did you find the process of working virtually close with the other person? Is this your first time collaborating like this? Who started the conversations of the paintings?
Angela: Actually it was Nicholas that started the conversation with my paintings and its a very greatcompliment to get. He did a funeral painting for my dead giant and let himself also inspire
by my colour palette, although I didn’t know I have a specific one, but he told me so. I never collaborated like this before, I wish I’d have someone living near that would come around and spend the evening painting some crazy stuff.
Angela Dalinger