Tessa Lyons Interview

July is benevolently expiring and this year’s graduate shows are feeling like a distant memory already. All the efficacious running around and gritty thinking on the part of the artists will soon diffuse into obscurity for much of the public. But this is a time when I like to revisit the work that caught my eye and make a more considered appraisal of it without the heat, the booze, the crowds or the time pressure of the physical degree show.

The large format illustration work of Tessa Lyons who graduated on the Illustration BA (Hons) at the University of Brighton, was probably the stand-out work for me this year. I found myself gazing into these sublime pieces – awed by the details and stupefied by the scale and textures. I decided to catch up with Tessa for a wee interview about her work (see below). If you’re interested in seeing more examples, head over to Tessa’s site for a look – Oh and the rumour is that some of these pieces are still for sale too. Hmmm…

1.) Do you think you can sum up your work in a few words?
Giant landscape drawings

2.) Who or what influences the work you make?
My work is strongly influenced by the natural environment, I enjoy rock climbing a lot and this has taken me to experience some really amazing places. I find that I feel much more at home in these vast landscapes than I do bustling about in busy cities. I don’t think that I have been influenced by a particular artist or anything, they’re just big homages to the places I love to be, so really I would say that my landscape drawings are solely influenced by my love of being in the mountains.

3.) Your recent landscape work really caught people’s eyes in this year’s graduate shows. Tell us a little about the process behind it?
To start each drawing i usually take a trip to the place, take hundreds of photos and do a few little sketches of the place (and maybe go climbing). Then when I get back I stretch out a length of paper and nail it to my wall and start drawing. They can take a long time but it’s great when they actually start to take shape.

4.) Why did you decide to work in large format?
I wanted to confront people with something much bigger than themselves, because when you’re in these places you feel so small and insignificant and for me it helps to put the rest of my life into perspective. So I thought that it was important for the drawings to be big so that they absorb you into them and almost take you there.

5.) And monochrome only?
This wasn’t really a conscious decision, it’s just the materials I like working with. I like the permanence of working in ink, because it forces you to be really confident with making marks but I also like working in charcoal and chalk because you can create more subtleties and depth. I’m planning on doing some experiments with colour in the future.

6.) You recently graduated from Brighton on their Graphic Design and Illustration course. What attracted you to Brighton and will you stay there?
I liked the look of the course and also Brighton has a good atmosphere, it’s quite relaxed and a fun place to live. I’ve just moved house so I’m staying for another year.

7.) How have things been for you since graduating and what’s next?
Things have been good, I’ve had lots of positive feedback from the degree show which has been great! I don’t really have a plan, I’m just going to carry on drawing, travelling about and trying to get my work out there for people to see.

8.) Who’s ringing your bell out there at the moment?
I started to learn trapeze the other day which I enjoyed, does that count??
(Trapeze? Why it certainly does count!)

Many thanks to Tessa for taking time out for the interview and best of luck with her work in the future.