Meera Palia

I interviewed artist, Meera Palia about her work and career as an artist

How did you come to be an artist?

I started painting informally over a decade ago, in my early thirties, whilst working as an A-level sociology and philosophy teacher in a London college.

Artwork by Meera Palia

I signed up for a weekly ‘introduction to abstract painting’ course at Morley college in South London, which was just around the corner from where I was living at the time. I had always loved abstract expressionist art and was immediately attracted to painting in a spontaneous, free and exploratory manner. I enjoyed that course so much and it definitely felt like the beginning of something. Over the next decade I attended lots of inspiring short abstract painting/collage courses in different colleges in London. 

A couple of years ago I took a Sabbatical from my teaching job and rented some studio space. It was incredible to have some time to do the things I loved- like paint, dance (flamenco) and learn jazz piano- and it was generally a really creative time for me, helping me realise that I wanted to make art more than just a hobby. I decided not to return to teaching and I now have studio space in North London (Collage Arts) where I continue to paint intuitively- I learn mainly through experimentation but also through discussions with other artists when possible and of course some googling for forums or video clips as and when technical questions arise. But I definitely miss the interaction and support of ‘real’ classrooms that hasn’t been possible in the last year or so and am sure that I will get back to that in the future.

What ideas are you exploring in your work?

I’m not sure if you would say these were ideas or just ways of working but I think my priorities have always been about emphasising freedom, spontaneity, improvisation, enquiry and genuine dialogue with what emerges in front of me when I paint. I am not interested in creating something too choreographed or polished- which is why I always say I am aiming for the painting equivalent of a jazz jam or flamenco dance improvisation. I love the physical, gestural act of painting and all the charming ‘imperfections’ and surprises that occur when you don’t have a plan and you remain open to change. I am happiest with my work when there is a variety of visibly raw mark-making embodying the rhythm and life of the application of paint; I love to see and show the energy and vibrance of brushstrokes, scratches, flicks of paint, scribbles etc. -you would be hard pushed to find a flat, neatly applied area of colour in my work

What is your process ?

All my work is unplanned- I approach the paper or canvas with no end-point in mind. And the beginning is always a surprise too- I just pick up a colour, start painting and see where it goes, mixing marks and colours as I go along. So this means that I don’t make any preliminary sketches- I have never had a sketchbook. But of course many things and people inspire me all the time- anything and everything.

I’d rather have a pizza by Meera Palia

At the moment of painting, I am not usually consciously thinking of these things but they no doubt come out any way- I love music and dance, interesting rhythms, the dissonance and syncopation of jazz particularly, vibrant colours, street art, landscapes and interesting lines in nature as well as faded urban beauty- I love old buildings and the textures of peeling paint and crumbling walls. I think these influences are visible in my work. Ultimately just whatever is going on in my internal world, consciously or unconsciously, will somehow appear in my work and it is always interesting to reflect on what that might have been once the work is created but I try to not think too much before starting-  having been immersed in thinking sociologically and philosophically for so long and the fact that I am by nature someone who probes, procrastinates and over-analyses in other areas of life, I paint partly to escape this part of me.

The first stage of a painting is therefore usually a very quick ‘outpouring’ and this is where I will really relish the freedom of playing with paint and different ways of making marks.

I know many other artists talk about how they hate starting on blank canvas and lay down under-layers of colour etc.  but I love the first marks – it’s probably my favourite stage as it’s full of so much possibility. Although I usually work with acrylics, I have a mixed media approach and as layers build up I love scratching through them and scribbling with oil pastels, often whilst paint is still wet.  I also love to paint to music that contributes to the energy of my painting gestures and I turn my work regularly on the easel to help me keep my marks and composition less predictable and also to encourage an overall balance/harmony. As a result, many of my pieces can be hung in different positions and I always enjoy hearing what people see in different orientations. 

I work on many pieces at the same time- sometimes skipping between pieces within minutes- and I often leave a piece for a long time before returning to it for a better assessment. I take photographs regularly to help me consider the composition of work away from the studio and also use a couple of picture frames that I try out on a piece if I am still unsure if it is finished- it never ceases to amaze me how putting a frame around something helps you see it differently. The last stages of a painting, when I am trying to achieve some coherence and resolution from a chaotic collection of marks, are generally much slower and more thoughtful, sometimes painfully so! I can easily spend very long periods of time in the studio just looking and thinking about pieces and I have many unfinished pieces lying around. However, I do love taking an old painting that may have been rejected or forgotten and completely transforming it. I also have piles of scraps of old paintings/colour tests/textiles etc. that I may incorporate into work too, particularly if I feel stuck with a painting and need to introduce something new to react to and send it in a different direction.

Can you talk a bit about the evolution of your practice and your work - how it was developed over the years.

This is a really interesting question but hard for me to answer, at least at this stage where I still feel very much at the beginning of everything. I have never worked in series, or even prioritised developing a coherent body of work- I just treat each painting as a unique event which means two pieces painted on two consecutive days may be just as different or similar to each other as work painted 5 years apart. However, I do perhaps go through phases of being interested in particular colours or materials- I am currently enjoying the sculptural/textural effect of painting over cardboard, for example. And whilst my maximalist tendencies towards covering the paper with busy marks remains, I have perhaps slowly been letting more space, form and areas of stillness into my work. But honestly, perhaps others are better placed to say if they can see a clear evolution. 

The Choice by Meera Palia

Which artists do you look to for inspiration?

If I had to pick 3 all-time favourites, I would probably go for Joan Mitchell, Cecily Brown and Per Kirkeby. I love the way these artists’ work feel so ‘alive’, radiating a sense of energy, freedom and authenticity. And I will also fall in love with a painter’s colour palette. Colour combinations are everything for me. I was totally bowled over by the colours when I saw Per Kirkeby’s work in person for the first time. And was pretty much sobbing when I saw the Lee Krasner exhibition at the Barbican too (sorry for slipping a fourth favourite in there).

What is the most memorable thing someone has said about your work?

A friend recently described my work as jazzy and ‘flingy’ which I like very much!

And when I was shortlisted for an open call at Brick Lane Gallery I loved reading their statement which described my work as somewhat ‘reminiscent of the colourful and expressive studied by Matisse whilst incorporating a similar urgency to graffiti.’ That sounds good to me!!

What are you working on now or working towards ?

I am mostly just looking forward to being able to exhibit again! I absolutely can’t wait to show my work at The Other Art Fair, hopefully in July so there will be a lot of preparation around that. Getting accepted to be part of this made me so happy and it’s been a bit of a motivational life-saver as when you are in the early stages of selling your art and getting your work out there, these ‘real world’ opportunities are so important and it has been great to have something to look forward to through lockdown!

I am also starting to get a bit more organised about making smaller more affordable pieces to sell under the fantastic ‘artist support pledge’ scheme. My default position has been to work larger but I’m keen to be able to sell at a range of price points and a big part of this is making sure that I can also offer a good selection of high quality reproduction prints of my work.

I will also be back at the wonderful Blue House Yard monthly art market soon- these markets (in Wood Green, North London) were massively appreciated last year- as they are outside, they were one of the few art events to be able to run when we started climbing the lockdown tiers- and are a great way of reaching more local art lovers. I’ll be there for the first one in April and plenty more throughout the year.

Website: http://www.meerapalia.com
Follow on Instagram @meerapalia_art