On the cover: Water by Thomas Hedger

Water

What inspired Water?

Water came about after I set myself a brief to capture motion. I thought everything I was doing was quite rigid at the time and I wanted to challenge myself to add a bit of fluidity. Its colour palette is designed for print.

How do you describe your work to people?

These days the easiest way is to just show them. I tend to just whip out my phone, but I used to describe it as “bold outlines with punchy colours”. That was a base to help get people’s mind around it and I think it still applies.

Riding the Stairs

Study of Forms

What or who’s had the greatest influence on your work?

It was Microsoft Paint that really set me on this path – that was my first experience of drawing digitally. When I studied graphics, I started learning CAD and Sketchup, but Paint was the first program that showed me you could draw on a computer. I was a bit sad when I heard it was being discontinued. For me the only natural way to draw now is digitally.

What’s your working day like?

I have a home studio, so it’s kind of immersive. It feels like I’m always working, but never working. If I’m not working, I’m thinking about work and if I am working it’s so enjoyable that it doesn’t feel like work at all.

You were involved in Posters for Peace, which highlighted the International Day of Peace. How important do you think aesthetics is to a movement?

I think it is really important. It’s about trying to bring positive action to life and encourage others to join in. If there’s a chance to be part of something that makes the world a better place then I’ll take it.

Is there a news story that particularly grabbed your attention in our period?

The news that grabbed me the most was the selling of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi [which was acquired by Abu Dhabi’s department of culture and tourism in November and is due to go on display in the Louvre Abu Dhabi]. I don’t think anyone expected that to sell for $450 million. It’s amazing – smashed the world record – but in many ways it highlights the inequalities in the world. The price is even more incredible when you consider there are some people who don’t even think it’s legit.

Are you optimistic about the future?

I think the world’s going through a lot of trauma at the moment. Hopefully, we will start to see some change for the better soon. One of the words of the year was ‘youthquake’, so I think that kind of sums up my hopes for the future quite aptly.

You can see more of Thomas’ work at thomashedger.co.uk 

Thomas Hedger

Petrol station

Mexican Borders

Clothes rail

Posted on Friday, September 22nd, 2023 - Categories: #29 - Oct-Dec 2017, App Issues.