Artist Bruce Ingram Gives Us The Inside Track on His New Show
London-based collage, multimedia and sculpture artist Bruce Ingram is currently showing his latest exhibition ‘Arrangements’ at Vitrine on Bermondsey Street. Société Perrier caught up with him to find out how the show came together and how he fell in love with flower arranging.
Tell us about your origins as an artist, when did you first gain an interest?
I was a creative child, art was always a priority for me and an obvious progression through adult life. I have retained part of a childhood interest in making and exploring visual things, I would say I am an artist who thinks through making.
Who or what were your inspirations yesterday and today?
I am always on the lookout for new materials and objects to use in my sculptures. Sometimes I go out purposefully to look for these things or they might be things that are very close to home and surprising. This week I have a new interest in my sock draw, looking at my socks when roiled into a ball, there are many combinations and forms that can be created with a pair of socks!
You graduated with an MA from the Royal College of Arts - how were those years for you and was it a good place to learn?
My two years at the RCA were a great experience; I took the opportunity to experiment. Over the course my work made a transitional shift. I spent a term in my second year in Japan, which was great. Reflecting on the experience, the work I made during this period is starting to become resonant in my current work again.
Tell us about your current exhibition at Vitrine, how long has it been in the making and what are your thoughts now it is on display?
I have been planning the show at Vitrine since the spring, I wanted an exhibition that pulled together three recent bodies of work: a series of collages on photocopies of flower arrangements, small sculptures complied from found objects and plaster casts of fruit and vegetables and large wall-based relief works made from entwining paper.
The starting point of the exhibition has been an interest in the Japanese art of flower arranging ‘Ikebana’. Bringing these works together in the gallery has taken a further idea of arrangement, grouping sculptures and works together in new groups and formations.
What would you like spectators to take away from ‘Arrangements’?
Someone mentioned to me today that they felt really inspired to make something after seeing my exhibition, which I thought was a nice comment. I like to think my work to has a accessibility for a viewer, the materials and processes I use are familiar, I like the idea of people imaging unravelling a collage or reconfiguring a sculpture in there own version of arrangement.
What projects are you working on for the future?
Exploring similar new works that extend upon the arrangement series, works on paper, continuing to cast objects, working on a new series of plaster reliefs made from the debris that I collect from the studio.
Which three items would you take to a desert island?
Duvet, coffee and a wind up radio, I think I could amuse myself making things with things I find on the island!
'Arrangements' is on until November 25 at Vitrine, 183- 185 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UW. Check out some work from the show below
Bruce Ingram image by Jessica Landon
