Art, Society, Nature Takeover—Georgia Janes

Our third takeover was by our resident Georgia Janes.

Georgia Janes is a Kent-based visual artist recently graduated from BA Photography at Falmouth University. Driven by the ever-expanding limits of digital technologies, Janes’ practice embodies an experimental approach favouring rich colour and graphic form, often finding inspiration in the post-digital world. With playful use of everyday materials, she translates philosophical concepts into a distinct visual language, contemplating the shifting landscape between technology, nature and art. Though her main medium is photography, Janes enjoys a multi-disciplinary approach and is happiest when weaving between different art forms.

The Takeover

"Since reading Other Minds (by Peter Godfrey-Smith) and watching My Octopus Teacher, I've been inspired by the otherworldliness of octopuses and their unusually high intelligence, and wanted to create a body of work celebrating this weird and wonderful underwater world that feels at once familiar and alien to our own human experience."

"In terms of process, I've taken this residency as a chance to be playful with my photography and explore new ways of making that I've been wanting to try out for a while. In particular I've been reworking photos taken in the studio into new collage pieces, like tapestries, layering things in between each other and exploring surreality, depth and illusion, imagining the world through the lens of an octopus. Being in Margate has definitely influenced the direction of the work; I feel more connected to the stories of the sea (and I love the thought of a curious octopus being in earshot)"

The facilities

"Having access to the studio has allowed me to experiment with lighting set-ups and find different ways of capturing my little seascapes. It's been great to have a space where I can bring together all my random props and let loose- I had forgotten how important it is to have a dedicated space for focusing on new ideas and being free to experiment."

Catch Georgia and the rest of the Art, Society, Nature Photographic Residents will be displaying their work in a group exhibition 11—18 June