Frame 61October 16, 2023

Issa Salliander

Frame 61October 16, 2023

"I generally prefer to work at night knowing that I’m alone and just feeling the silence, it’s a different sort of magic."

Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Where did you study?

I went to art school in London, had some great classmates down at City & Guilds of London Art School’s painting programme. The most fortunate thing to ever happen to me was being noticed by the great art teacher Paul Saville in Oxford where I went to school. He taught me that I can actually do this as a career. He spent endless hours on teaching me observational skills and my favourite was I think paint mixing. He has a wonderful family that always took fantastic care of me growing up. I was born in Sweden, but grew up in England.

Your artwork in this exhibition features a unique blend of techniques and styles, from visceral brushstrokes to symbolic iconography. How do these elements come together to challenge traditional perspectives and celebrate the strength of the female silhouette?

I have been dealing almost purely with oil paint and drawing since the beginning, even though I often took my own photographs of subjects. I’ve always liked the idea of sort of fast and slow. Photography and printing are more immediate mediums and I like the contradiction of mixing it up more with my slower painting techniques. I’m always looking for more layers. It’s a mash up. I don’t like to conform to any notions or expectations of what a painting should be anymore, I feel more free. That’s my celebration of the female silhouette.

"Love on the Record" is your first solo exhibition with Galería Hilario Galguera, and it delves into the evolving discourse around female narrative and empowerment. Could you share the inspirations and motivations behind this body of work, and how it reflects your artistic journey?

I started off my training as a painter studying life models in my early teens, and then sort of moved into slightly different territory. One can speculate why and overthink much as the body has always fascinated me. I started photographing and lightly paint Natalie about ten years ago when we shared a small studio in NYC. I have always admired the confidence and freedom with which she carries herself. I also feel that I don’t want to ask a model to do something I wouldn’t do so just pre-pandemic we opened up Virginia Sins, our collaboration piece based on giant polaroid’s turning into massive billboards where she directed me. That’s where the artist-muse-artist idea comes from. We spent a huge chunk of the pandemic together often with cameras. Armed with this material it was a natural response to re-enter the ‘body painting’ arena. It is deeply motivated by personal experience that I for many years had buried or only touched upon. There’re things that can’t be unseen or unheard, and I’ve channelled that energy into this exhibition with a multitude of references and dichotomies.

*Love on the record, Galería Hilario Galguera* *2023 Photo by: Jose Rodriguez*

*Love on the Record (sur L´Herbe), 2023*

The show explores the muse-artist-muse relationship and reappropriates the presentation of the female body from a woman's perspective. Can you elaborate on the significance of this reappropriation within the context of your exhibition and the broader conversation on gender equality and representation in art?

Historically the issue wasn’t ever the quality of female made art as can be seen in the rediscovery of many long-forgotten women artists that is ongoing, the problem has been I think in the obstruction of opportunities in various forms. For me this exhibition has developed over time instinctively reflecting on experience and female friendship a lot. It’s that conversation about the female gaze. My experience of painting this woman is a dialogue that completely lacks desire, more admiration and mystery, it deals with hope and hopelessness with a sprinkle of dark humour thrown in for measure. How I will fit into the broader context of female representation in art only time will tell….

Tell us a bit about how you spend your day / studio routine? What is your studio like?

My routines seem to be changing according to circumstance. I generally prefer to work at night knowing that I’m alone and just feeling the silence, it’s a different sort of magic. The studio I used for this exhibition has a rather homely layout with various difficulties of use so started my day 4/5am in the morning and worked through midnight-ish. I had very little human interaction to make sure I kept an even energy in the space. There was a lot of struggle involved for me including a not so female friendly middle aged famous male artist from the US. All of it ended up being part of the work naturally.

*Love on the record, Galería Hilario Galguera* *2023 Photo by: Victor Mendoza*

What artwork have you seen recently that has resonated with you?

I haven’t been out much lately, but I like to take a spin around the National Galleries in London when possible . It’s one of my favourite places in the world and I always learn something. I think my favourite is still Woman Bathing in A Stream by Rembrandt, it feels like a Bob Dylan song. I love having music interact with my work and I often feel like I’m painting old rock songs.

Is there anything new and exciting in the pipeline you would like to tell us about?

We’re currently in advanced discussions with a museum about my institutional debut. I think they want it as early as next year so it feels very good. And to know that the art is appreciated is an incredible feeling. This current exhibition is also slated to be traveling to another institution so I guess that makes it two museum exhibitions coming up. I also have a solo exhibition with Hilario Galguera’s space in Madrid next year and various group exhibitions.

Galería Hilario Galguera

issasalliander.com

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All images are courtesy of the artist and Galería Hilario Galguera
Date of publication:

Frame 61