I recently spent the morning in the studio of British artist Magda Archer, a place she describes as a junk shop. In fact, it’s a pretty magical, grotto-like space, where she keeps items collected over many years, all meticulously placed in harmony. She showed me some of her old scrapbooks and had a story for almost all of her belongings. You will most likely recognize some of Magda’s paintings, in particular My Life Is Crap from the COMME DES GARÇONS SHIRT Spring/Summer 2012 campaign. While Magda worked on her newest painting, titled Bet Your Mother Works at McDonalds, we discussed the inspiration behind her work, her tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, and her hoarder tendencies.
Eloise Moran: Would you say that your work takes references from British pop culture?
Magda Archer: I've been interested in my surroundings (music, fashion, art, people, and the news) ever since I was a little girl. I suppose some of my driving forces are language and expressions. And lyrics, I'm obsessed with lyrics. For example, I've loved Frank Sinatra since I was about eight-years-old and bits of his songs come into my head all the time.
What are your favorite albums to paint to?
That's a tough one! I'll go for Original Musiquarium 1 by Stevie Wonder—I LOVE HIM and Les Fleurs: The Minnie Riperton Anthology. Can I have three, please? I'll also go for Off the Wall by Michael Jackson: it reminds me of being 14 and it still sounds fresh today.
Which artists do you admire?
I like artists like Andy Warhol, Peter Blake, David Shrigley, Alex Katz, Craigie Aitchison, Gilbert & George, Winifred Nicholson, Eduardo Paolozzi, Joan Eardley, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, and Picasso. There are loads of 'em!
Type features heavily in your paintings, often with tongue-in-cheek phrases or song lyrics. Why have you chosen to do this?
My first degree was in graphic design at Chelsea School of Art and then I went on to do a masters degree at the Royal College of Art. I did my own thing within those courses and I loved using type. I am particularly fond of nostalgic typefaces and I really enjoy the process of painting them: there's a soothing rhythm and I enjoy inventing new color combinations or using ones I remember from my childhood.
You've used collage a lot in the past. How easy has it been to move on to painting?
I'm still doing collage (see my children's book What's Up Arthur)! I'm not giving that up, I'm just designing some collages for greeting cards at the moment. They're going to be great and really fresh. That's part of the challenge: using old stuff and making it look modern, fresh, and desirable.
Your studio is a treasure trove of collected items. Where do you find everything?
I've been collecting things for years. I grew up in a minimalist, modern house with designers as parents who liked creating calm spaces. There were no pictures on the walls because "they couldn't afford what they liked so would rather do without," so maybe it's a reaction to that? I don't really buy that much any more because I have enough. The only things I'm always on the lookout for are Charlie Brown from Peanuts items, old scrapbooks, and the odd Pez dispenser. That’s not much, is it? Maybe I am trying to create my own comforting nostalgic world that reminds me of a very happy childhood and some lovely friends; who knows? Or maybe I just like collecting crap! These days I find most of the items on the Inte
Eloise Moran: Would you say that your work takes references from British pop culture?
Magda Archer: I've been interested in my surroundings (music, fashion, art, people, and the news) ever since I was a little girl. I suppose some of my driving forces are language and expressions. And lyrics, I'm obsessed with lyrics. For example, I've loved Frank Sinatra since I was about eight-years-old and bits of his songs come into my head all the time.
What are your favorite albums to paint to?
That's a tough one! I'll go for Original Musiquarium 1 by Stevie Wonder—I LOVE HIM and Les Fleurs: The Minnie Riperton Anthology. Can I have three, please? I'll also go for Off the Wall by Michael Jackson: it reminds me of being 14 and it still sounds fresh today.
Which artists do you admire?
I like artists like Andy Warhol, Peter Blake, David Shrigley, Alex Katz, Craigie Aitchison, Gilbert & George, Winifred Nicholson, Eduardo Paolozzi, Joan Eardley, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, and Picasso. There are loads of 'em!
Type features heavily in your paintings, often with tongue-in-cheek phrases or song lyrics. Why have you chosen to do this?
My first degree was in graphic design at Chelsea School of Art and then I went on to do a masters degree at the Royal College of Art. I did my own thing within those courses and I loved using type. I am particularly fond of nostalgic typefaces and I really enjoy the process of painting them: there's a soothing rhythm and I enjoy inventing new color combinations or using ones I remember from my childhood.
You've used collage a lot in the past. How easy has it been to move on to painting?
I'm still doing collage (see my children's book What's Up Arthur)! I'm not giving that up, I'm just designing some collages for greeting cards at the moment. They're going to be great and really fresh. That's part of the challenge: using old stuff and making it look modern, fresh, and desirable.
Your studio is a treasure trove of collected items. Where do you find everything?
I've been collecting things for years. I grew up in a minimalist, modern house with designers as parents who liked creating calm spaces. There were no pictures on the walls because "they couldn't afford what they liked so would rather do without," so maybe it's a reaction to that? I don't really buy that much any more because I have enough. The only things I'm always on the lookout for are Charlie Brown from Peanuts items, old scrapbooks, and the odd Pez dispenser. That’s not much, is it? Maybe I am trying to create my own comforting nostalgic world that reminds me of a very happy childhood and some lovely friends; who knows? Or maybe I just like collecting crap! These days I find most of the items on the Inte