Wealden Times | WT183 | May 2017 | Restoration & New Build supplement inside

show the scale of what we all navigate
as human beings. Although the
events are mainly autobiographical
I hope they speak of more universal
conditions that we all experience.
How do you start your creative process?
Originally I had a very small studio
and only a tiny wall space in which I
could work. There was a large piece
of watercolour paper that you could
buy from the local art shop that just so
happened to fit that wall, so I bought
half a ream and every day I’d work on
that piece of paper. Sometimes I’d jot
down ideas for paintings or sculptures I
wanted to make, sometimes I’d record
my emotional state that day, sometimes
a world event would inspire me, it
could be anything at all really. I just
wanted to keep a free space in which
to explore ideas without defining them
too much. I kept them, like one might
keep a journal or a sketchbook. I call
them drawings but in reality they lie
somewhere in between a diary, a painting
and a poem. Over time working on these
drawings has evolved from a preparatory
activity into a more expressive and
essential practice for me. The Jerwood’s
three ground floor rooms are filled
with more than 300 of these works.
How has your style evolved over your
career? It has been interesting to see the
changes over time. I originally was very
interested in science and mathematics and
the drawings were quite geeky but as I’ve
grown older, had children etc they have
become distinctly more emotional I think.
Then there are the societal changes, the
smartphone, the ability to record everyday
moments, social media with everyone
now posting images on their own ‘walls.’
Photoshop and other technologies that
I can use in the studio. All these things
have affected the work because we are
dynamic beings, we change all the time.
Where do you sell your work? You
can find out more information at
keithtyson.com. See Keith Tyson ‘Turn
Back Now’ at Jerwood Gallery, Hastings
until 4 June 2017 jerwoodgallery.org
Clive Sawyer
Photographer
Have you always been
an artist? I call myself
a commercial artist. I
create photographic
pieces for a commercial
market – that someone
wants to buy. I like to think I’m
producing something really beautiful
that someone would like to hang on
their wall. This is my 10th year of
having my own gallery, before that I
was primarily a travel photographer - I
might do 150 days a year shooting
abroad from Barbados to Benidorm! I
have had to move with the times from
film to digital, and I’m glad I did.
What do you create? I photograph the
local area – the Romney Marsh, Rye. The
photographs that I take of the local area
are bought by local people or tourists who
come to visit Rye. They can choose from
a selection of limited edition prints in a
variety of media including canvas, giclee
or acrylic panels. My main body of work
is produced for people who come down
from London. These tend to be images
of cities – New York, London, Paris. I
try to get the real world and turn it into
an abstract – I try to photograph all the
little details. I’ve just done some shots in
Canary Wharf. One of my bestsellers at
the moment is the London skyline, shot
across the river. I go up early on a Sunday
morning whilst it’s still dark and I take
lots of images whilst the sun comes up.
Londoners come down to the gallery and
are surprised they can get an amazing
London shot from someone living in Rye.
What inspires you? Texture, light,
mood, shadows, colour, contrast…
How do you start your creative
process? I’ll go to London and know
what I want to get out of the trip. I
plan in advance – taking into account
the time, weather etc. This comes from
years of experience. At the moment, I
know I need to go back to New York to
find the right location. I need to be at
the top of the Rockefeller Center and
Empire State. I know there’s a demand for
pictures of certain things, so I make sure
I’m in the right place at the right time.
How has your style evolved over your
career? The difference between an
amateur and a professional photographer
is that an amateur will shoot purely to
please himself, whereas a professional
will take photographs to satisfy a client’s
needs. I’m somewhere in between! The
beauty is that I take photos of the things
that I like, whilst being mindful that
someone would like to buy them.
Where do you sell your work? In my
gallery in Rye. People like to meet the
photographer – when you put photos
with another gallery you’re not there
to talk about the image. I like to be
present in the gallery to sell my work
– if I’m not on shoots, then I’m in
there! I love talking to my clients. The
gallery’s open at least six days of the
week, especially at the weekend, with
works ranging from £30- £5,000.
07738 715354 clive-sawyer.com
89 wealdentimes.co.uk