ROSANNA WEBSTER
Rosanna Webster’s creative practice is filled with nomadic sensibilities, switching between illustration, collage, photography, and film. Each one of Webster’s disciplines is brimming with freshness, and a distinct capriciousness one would expect from an artist who grew up in the increasingly changeable city of London. “Both growing up and now, everything is always accessible and immediate, and more so always changing,” explains Webster. “I studied Illustration at Brighton University, but the course encouraged a multi-disciplinary approach and an active breaking down of comfort zones. I think this worked for some better than others. For me, it led me to explore alternative mediums which are now part of my everyday practice.”
This fresh multi-faceted approach to personal creativity has so far led Webster in some impressive directions, capturing the attention of the likes of Urban Outfitters, Dazed Digital and Dover Street Market, and showcasing her works in the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Russia, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK. Having just arrived back to London from Paris, Webster already has her day’s work cut out for her, editing photos, creating a final music video edit, and unpacking. Webster explains collaborations, and their integral part of her continuing practice. “I try to work with different people now as much as I can, which I feel keeps things fresh and allows for a broader creative process… Living in a house of like-minded people whilst studying, with a similar excitement and interest for creative process, I think this really helped shape and fuel my interests and the exploration in my work.”
Webster’s overarching themes are as varied as her disciplines, with a complete mix of grainy, brooding projections; fresh, vibrant collages; forlorn, distant landscapes; modern transcendental film shorts… despite a portfolio of contrasting ideologies, Webster’s art works are a cohesive body of work to captivate the
senses, blending colour and form into soothing harmonisation. “Every project is so different,” explains Webster. “In terms of themes and ideas I feel this is not a consistent thing, and it is more of an aesthetic that pulls my work together. I try to take photos of everything that is visually interesting to me, these feed back in to my work and serve as a bank of small ideas when I’m starting new work or lacking inspiration.” In terms of what gives her the most enjoyment from her work, Webster says “I think for me shooting day to day images and making sense of these as an on-going series.”
Keeping in step with her ever expanding skill set, Webster’s current projects include two co-directed video projects - a short dance film, and an interactive music video - as well as a potential fabric print range, and a book project. Such increasing diversity could have an adverse effect on any other artist, but for Webster, photography, collage, design, and film are all intertwined. No longer separate entities, but part of a greater whole of pure artistic integrity.
Images courtesy of Rosanna Webster
Published in PITCH Zine Issue# 24, January 2014