Artist in Focus - Getting to know Patricia Volk

This week we take a look at contemporary sculptor Patricia Volk. Born in Belfast, Patricia is now based in Wiltshire having studied art at Middlesex Polytechnic and Bath.

Her work can be seen in the collections of Mary Portas, Author Anthony Horowitz, and Sir John Mortimer among others. Her incredibly colourful bold forms have been exhibited in both solo and collective exhibitions all over the UK and across the globe. She has been recognised for numerous awards and accolades including regional winner of the ING ‘Discerning Eye’ prize and being shortlisted for the Brian Mercer Residency.

After over ten years of creating representational and figuratively inspired pieces. Patricia evolved her focus to work purely on form. Choosing to create abstract sculptures and evoking emotion through shape, colour, and line. Noting some of her favourite artists as Anish Kapoor, Peter Randall Page, and Brancusi, Patricia says that her taste is drawn to “exceptional simplicity and simplicity of colour”

Her work is completely immersive, the subtle texture to the surface of her works, which are created by fired clay, add an extra dimension to her sculptures. Her pieces are hand painted in acrylics which are added in ways Patricia describes as “purely visual and non-intellectual” Her intent being to allow the viewer to interpret each piece based on their own personal experience.

Patricia describes her work as being “all about the line and the form” aiming to create visual drama by harmoniously combining the two. She adds that the colours and patterns used can both direct your eye around the piece while also representing thoughts, moments, or journeys, aiming to achieve forms that are both visually appealing and dynamic.

You may have seen Patricia’s work on your TV screens as her bold modernist designs were chosen as one of ‘ITV Creates’ ident artists. The campaign was described by Tony Pipes, Executive Creative Director at ITV - “Idents have been around since the dawn of TV and the way they have behaved has changed very little. We wanted to push against the prevailing convention that idents are set, the idea that they are moving wallpaper that last 5 or 10 years without changing. With this project, we’ve not only given a platform to some of Britain’s best visual artists, but we have also found a way to continually entertain and surprise our viewers.

This work reflects ITV as a 21st century broadcaster, part of the fabric of culture, as an endlessly creative organisation. After all, we don’t just curate, as a company we constantly commission and create world class content and this was a way to express that on air. The pieces are beautiful, daring, entertaining and sometimes challenging and that is ok because that is exactly what good TV should be. The most exhilarating thing is that this project is only just starting. A world of creativity and opportunity still awaits us throughout the year".

You can see more works from Patricia Volk against the backdrop of the beautiful scenery of Cardiff Bay in our gallery space. 

 Get to know our resident artists each week in our Featured Artist in Residence updates. We will be sharing video content, detail shots of their work, and feature content on our instagram, twitter, and facebook.