{"id":71971,"date":"2023-12-05T12:25:09","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T19:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/?p=71971"},"modified":"2023-12-12T13:45:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T20:45:15","slug":"behind-the-canvas-iris-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2023\/12\/05\/behind-the-canvas-iris-may\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Canvas: Iris May"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
ART JOURNEY<\/strong>: Iris May paints herself on the mirror in her art-filled studio at AUArts. (Photo by Abhilakshdeep Singh\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

W<\/span>hen faced with adversity and tribulations, a person experiences a magnificent metamorphosis in which their path of struggle culminates in the discovery of unflinching optimism.<\/p>\n

Iris May, an British artist who lived in Scotland, embarked on an inspiring journey of creativity when she moved to Calgary to study at the Alberta University of Art. Her story is one of financial struggle, innovation, and unwavering determination in the pursuit of her artistic dreams.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Brighton, south coast then moved to a small town in Derbyshire known as Matlock, after that when I was 16, I did my schooling in Nottinghamshire for one year,\u201d said May.<\/p>\n

May then went to Glasgow for her art school, where she spent another year and finally all the way she chose Calgary to find her art inspiration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had never heard of Calgary before AUArts, but after doing some research, I was astounded by the city’s splendour, the pure, sharp light, and the feeling of a much higher sky,\u201d said May.<\/p>\n

May’s most significant challenge lay in managing her finances. Securing a part-time job proved to be a formidable obstacle as she sought employment to cover her expenses during her four-month course. Despite her efforts, finding a job for such a short duration proved to be a daunting task.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinance was something I was struggling with,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was something which pushed me to sell my artwork.<\/p>\n

May sold a lot of her artwork and made a good amount from it.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost recently I sold my painting for $400 but I expected to get more out of it,\u201d she said. \u201cI would rather sell fewer paintings at a high rate because it maintains my value.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iris found a big difference in the art market from what she experienced in Glasgow.<\/p>\n

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COMPLETE FOCUS<\/strong>: Scottish painter Iris May paints in her studio at AUArts.(Photo by Abhilakshdeep Singh\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe art market definitely seems to be geared towards an entirely different market,\u201d said May. \u201cI see a focus on aspects such as show and sale in my education as opposed to a sole focus on the degree show itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said these environments cater to different audiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne opening I went to feature the work in half a gallery space, half showroom for furniture, it turned the entire process into blatant commodification,\u201d said May. \u201cSome of the work was fantastic but I found it hard to focus on it as an artwork and not as something you might pair with a red lounge chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iris finds her inspiration in the moments of culture shock and becomes more and more grounded in her body the more she travels the world. She sees in reflection that her paintings have begun to incorporate this new visual language.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m inspired by my own culture shock such as live fish in tanks at the supermarket and the tone of people’s voice seeming sarcastic to me as a Brit,” she said. \u201cThe new architectural lines of the cityscape are so far removed from the aged, rounder shapes of the small Derbyshire town where I spent my summer.”<\/p>\n

The artist has painted thousands of paintings but said that her not being able to afford things for her art is what made her more creative.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m currently broke and exchange is an expensive privilege, so, most of my painting evolution comes from innovation driven by simply not being able to afford what I might usually work with \u2014 anything that can be painted on, or with, or construct a frame,\u201d said May.<\/p>\n

Iris wouldn’t call herself a sculptor, but sculptures have begun to emerge from these disparate times for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am interested in the deconstruction of paintings, fitting elements together like a puzzle,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing able to flatten, reshape and fold work is also an economical solution to the problem of travel, what on earth am I going to do with the stacks of paintings I\u2019ve already made, who knows?\u201d<\/p>\n

In her journey of finding inspiration in Calgary, she met Mark Mullin<\/a>, a painter who has been teaching at AUArts since 2003 and has all walks of experience in painting.<\/p>\n

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PROUD INSTRUCTOR<\/strong>: Mark Mullin, AUArts instructor, is surrounded by his students’ paintings in the hallway. (Photo by Abhilakshdeep Singh\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI did my undergraduate in Edmonton and then went to Germany for pursuing print making for a year then did master\u2019s degree in painting from Concordia University in Montr\u00e9al, then back to Alberta for teaching at AUArts,” said Mullin.<\/p>\n

Mullin appreciates Iris\u2019s work and the fact that she is exploring the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo develop more ideas and built more opportunities, an artist has to welcome more prospective which often comes from travelling, which is what Iris is doing right now and I appreciate that,” he said.<\/p>\n

May talks about the dilemma of being an artist.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is hard when you are an artist because you are wondering what the value of your time is, because you can\u2019t make good art without experience, but you also can\u2019t make good art without those dedicated studio hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mullin shares the benefits to all the students \u2014 especially international \u2014 about being a part of AUArts.<\/p>\n

\u201cArt is about freedom, freedom comes from the opportunity to explore variety of angles and for international students, they can benefit from here by being at some place different and to work with a faculty which is in its own is very diverse,” he said.<\/p>\n

Being an instructor as helped Mullin to become a better artist.<\/p>\n

\u201cTeaching has been credibly rewarding also it has helped my own art by looking at the artworks of the students who are constantly changing and developing and growing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With 20 years of experience, Mullin encourages everyone who is hustling on their art journey to keep going.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ones who made it and became successful are those who stuck with it and never gave up,\u201d he said. \u201cPersistence, believing in what you love, staying at it, not expecting to be famous and rich within the first few years after the school is what makes a person successful.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is always a great feeling to have people live with your work.\u201d<\/p>\n

May shares her views about the closure of many small art galleries after the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of lack of art schools and galleries I wish I could do anything with my practice other than being a painter, if I had money, I would love to open an art centre,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

I want something to exist on the earth longer than I do<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI want to help people to paint what they want to paint and make them feel that their art is rich.\u201d<\/p>\n

May dreams of an art school where there is no limitation of making art.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn art school where no one would be tensed about explaining their art and everybody would sit on sofas instead of solid block, and no walls would be white but painted with people\u2019s emotions and thoughts,” she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know many paint schools claims to be one of those, but they are not really what they say.”<\/p>\n

May shares her future plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I go back, I am going to graduate in Glasgow and apply for residencies, organize exhibitions, get my work out there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

May is feeling really positive after meeting some artists and hopes of a lifetime of creativity with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met lovely owners of Rumble House and am interested in collaborating with Creative Conscience Squared.”<\/p>\n

The painter wishes for more cultural exchange between the UK and Canada\u2019s people as there is a gaping disconnect between lineage and identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lack of cultural export in regard to painting when it comes to Canada,\u201d she said. I\u2019d love to see more channels of artistic exchange opening up here.<\/p>\n

There’s a quote May says inspires her to continue making art during times when she feels down.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody will take you seriously unless you take yourself seriously,\u201d said May.<\/p>\n

May wishes of becoming someone who would be known for her art after she is gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I die, I want to have left things on the earth, I want to leave paintings, in a selfish way I want something to exist on the earth longer than I do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

May’s artistic journey, marked by challenges and financial constraints, fuels her innovation and commitment. She envisions a future where her art transcends boundaries, inspiring others in a world where creativity knows no limits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When faced with adversity and tribulations, a person experiences a magnificent metamorphosis in which their path of struggle culminates in the discovery of unflinching optimism. Iris May, an British artist who lived in Scotland, embarked [ READ MORE ]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":839,"featured_media":71975,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ef_editorial_meta_text_assignment-slug":"S3 Behind the Canvas AS","footnotes":""},"categories":[1590,1433,711],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-71971","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts","8":"category-auarts","9":"category-featured"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/839"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71971"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73532,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71971\/revisions\/73532"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}