This interview was posted on our instagram page on 16 April 2020 as part of our #DistantSocialising series with Richard Wood from his East London Studio.
Where are you currently working from, and what is keeping you inspired and creative during this period?
I'm very lucky that I live above the studio, so for me life is a strange mix of working in the studio which makes everything seem relatively normal and then there's the bit that isn't normal which presents itself via the news networks or friends calling or emailing about stuff they've read or seen or heard or about how we can help out is some way? It's a very odd juxtaposition.
All of the projects I working on got cancelled or postponed, so it seemed to make sense to start woking on a new body of work. I don't know why but I started looking again at familiar objects like hammers or saws or paintbrushes that I have had in the studio for years and to try look at them in a different way. Maybe it was a type of familiarity that I needed or maybe its because these objects have inherent simplicity? I'm not sure.
Do you think this experience will lead to any positive changes in the way we live our lives and behave towards others?
I'd like to think so but I think it's so hard to be positive at the moment. As well ad the desperate human tragedy that we are faced with on a daily basis our political system appears to be on its knees. The link between the austerity politics that were imposed by the new government in 2009 has directly and clearly lead to the undermining of the National Health Service. These disastrous policies are bring now played out on the tv every night. I guess the positive maybe that the public services that have been underfunded for years now are seen to be clearly essential... maybe the government will show a little humility and reverse some of their most damaging policies.
Please visit his website to take a deeper look at his work.