MIMA

How did you get started?

I started off by making drawings of horses and selling them at country shows and people began asking me to do commissions of horses, and I realised I had to learn about art so enrolled at Green Lane on the GNVQ art course.

I progressed within a year on a two year course so got to skip a year, and applied for a BA at Teesside Uni and am currently going into my second year.

Craig filming Chicks on Speed

How are you involved with MIMA ?

I became involved by going to a lecture by Judith Winter and Gemma Millward, showed them my work and got asked to make a film for them about Chicks on Speed at Middlesbrough Music Live.

What did you do with Chicks on Speed?

I enjoyed all the bands I worked with on the day but especially COS, they had a real energy about them and I found them really easy to film.

The sound became kind of muffled due to me been lodged in a speaker, but I took the best of each performer and stitched a film together, and making the film was fun, if a little scary.

What inspires you?

At the moment I'm very inspired by German work, construction and barren space.

My main inspirations are, building sites, DIY shops, bad plaster jobs, and I’m really into Gregor Schnider, Tal R, Dexter Dalwood, Richard Serra, and Phyllida Barlow.

What do you think of the art scene round here?

I think this place is bursting with energy waiting to explode.

It’s a repressed art scene where everyone kind of keeps to themselves, and I hope with MIMA that young talent may emerge from the woodwork.

The frustration I get from living and working around here makes me more determined to stay until I see some progress. I think we still have the syndrome of get your foundation done and move away which isn’t wrong, but I think its more exciting to be in a place which is just beginning to establish itself.

Who do you rate locally?

The 15 Minute Society are a great local band, but art –wise, I don’t think there’s anyone really who’s come out of Middlesbrough and made me ecstatic. I’m still waiting.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Being short listed out of 60,000 students in the Tees Valley awards, and actually going to art college after years of doing nothing but drawing.

What you up to next?

I’m planning an October exhibition with MIMA and really want to go for it with my second year at uni, with lots of ideas and more direction.

I’m also doing some more performance work on November 13th at the Georgian Theatre and I’d really like to get to more shows around Europe too, but ultimately I want to go to Central St Martins for my MA in Sculpture.