Interview with artist Jessica Keough

Jessica describes… My works contemplate the tonality
of everyday life and the significance of the home.
Such motifs have been explored through time manipulation
and abstracting the view of everyday actions through the
use of the camera frame.

With a degree in visual arts and now moving into senior teaching, Jessica Keough is interested in the helping students develop positive experiences with art. Her own work features aspects of the home and everyday objects through photography, sound and video.

Jessica’s recently been inspired by the creative students she’s interacted with during her practical time as an art teacher.

How have you got to where you are today?

My arts practice only really began to take off when I first moved out, which was a real wake up call to becoming more organised and also realising more of myself and my own capabilities as well. When you move into an empty unit, you start to realise all the things that essentially make up yourself, and this idea is not just limited to what colour couch you choose to buy.

This includes things as small as deciding which will become the breakfast cereal shelf and which will become the canned goods shelf. It’s these little idiosyncrasies start to really become obvious when living in a place you can call your own, and it changes each time you move too. I find these small rituals and mundane occurrences fascinating, and once I became aware of them it was hard for me to stop realising not just my own idiosyncrasies, but that of others too.

In a few words, describe yourself…

This is a tricky one, so I phoned a friend… and they said eye for detail/creative, bubbly and fun, kind and honest.

What are you spending your time on at the moment?

I’ve got way too many projects and not enough time, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. At the moment I’m still busy studying, with the occasional study break to quickly work on craft projects, video ideas, or reading craft books or my new book from the Surrealism show on at GOMA.

Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?

As long as I have all the tools of the trade I require on hand, experimentation and play flows. Although I often work best when I go about my daily activities and let inspiration find me, and then I can’t help but pursue it further.

What or who inspires you?

So much inspires me, I think however in terms of my own practice, I often find myself returning to concepts of the home because, well at the end of a busy day there’s no greater place to be sometimes. And I guess with running between various commitments, it’s nice to return to a place where things can be, well, just a chaotic, but an organised mess nonetheless.

It certainly is a place where bonds are made and strengthened, where moments of utter chaos can be enjoyed, and where we give the most of ourselves to our loved ones and take time for ourselves (even if that time is minimal). I often find inspiration from pottering around my home, sporadically realising modest beauties and intricacies within it and our everyday lives. So much beauty sits in the background of our everyday lives, sometimes it just takes a moment to stop within it to realise that.

What are you most proud of?

Porcelain (2010) would be up there. It’s a video work that compromises coloured photographs that slowly shift into one another, accompanied by a sound work. The work came into fruition whilst washing dishes, whoever thought such a mundane labour of love could have so much creative potential.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I actually always wanted to be vet and save animals because I absolutely loved (and still do) watching Harry’s Practice!

However, this dream took a knock when I did some work experience at a veterinary clinic and fainted during a surgery. Art and creative activities have always been happening in my life, and very much was a big part of who I am, so when it came to making a choice about future study later in life… A creative pathway was the way to go.

See more of Jessica Keough’s artwork and read more artist interviews.