Introducing…Suzie Pindar – The beguiling young artist who creates only for herself

Suzie Pindar

Suzie Pindar is a beguiling queer artist who creates disruptive, erotic and sometimes unsettling pieces from her bedroom.

They’re not intended to please or reference the outside world, but rather, the inside world of the artist herself. It’s about the self, and about the importance of uninhibited expression.

Her exhibition, This Is Who I Am, is coming to Safehouse 1 in Peckham on 13th October.

We spoke to Suzie to find out more.

Tell us a bit about the meaning behind you art.

I work with how I feel in my head. It’s just pure self-expressionism. I do everything in my bedroom, I don’t have a studio. I might start on something, then pick it up a few years later and then rework the image. That’s what I tend to do. I come back to it with a different perspective.

It must be quite intense working in your bedroom…

I’ve always worked in my bedroom. I’m a bedroom artist.

Is it difficult?

At the moment, everything’s on top of me. So I’ve got framed work, passage work, work that’s not going in the show, I’ve got work in my bed…it’s a bit too much.

Do you keep going back and adding bits to everything?

You kind of know when it’s finished. You just know. You just get this feeling. I go with the feeling inside myself. In my gut. It’s my gut instinct. It’s as simple as that.

I saw a quote from Amanda Palmer that says the world’s right wing shift might be good for art, because it might inspire people to rebel. What do you think of that?

I don’t pay attention. I just do my own thing. I’m not influenced by anybody. I won’t be. Up until a couple of years ago, I used to have a blind eye about other people’s work, because I don’t want to be influenced.

That’s good I guess.

Yeah! I stand on my own. Over the years, I’ve been turned away from art galleries. I have this drive in me to get my work seen, but I don’t know why. Because I’m quite a private person.

Do you think that because you’re a private person, your public side is expressed in your art?

Yeah, maybe. It’s really strange. I have a blog, a diary of my life. When I was a kid, I used to hate people going through my diary. But now, I have an online diary. For anyone. It’s all linked to my work.

I guess we’ve all become more public haven’t we.

Well, we’re all artist aren’t we really. And photographers, apparently. But I try not to think about that.

Are you talking about Instagram?

Yeah. I mean, I love instagram, it’s provided me with some really great opportunities. And Twitter as well.

So what do you think about spaces for queer women on the scene at the moment?

I think it’s all gone downhill, to be honest. I don’t think Soho is the same as it used to be. Twelve years ago when I first moved here it was so vibrant. The rawness of London, I think we’ve lost it all. I used to like going to loads of places but they’ve all gone. If I was to go out now I’d probably go to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. I used to like going around Vauxhall as well, when Area was there and stuff. I used to love those gay clubs. I sometimes go to fetish clubs. You have fetish stuff in QX don’t you?

Yeah, quite a lot!

I’m very comfortable with all that, because some of my work is based around that. It’s a really friendly scene. I hit it quite big last year, and went to lots of different clubs and explored a lot of stuff. And it’s amazing how friendly that environment is. Definitely more friendly than a straight club. They’re all so comfortable in their skin. There’s no barriers. It’s just very accepting.

So tell me more about your exhibition.

Well I’ve found a space in Peckham. A Victorian house. And I love Victorian houses. Initially, I was looking for a warehouse feel. And then I found this place, called Safehouse 1. Which I think is a really cool name. And then Safehouse 2. They’re adjoining houses next to each other. And they’ve been opened into art spaces. So when you walk in, it’s an open plan, derelict house. And it’s got beams, and a back garden. There’s no overhead lighting so I’ve had to buy lights. It’s just such a cool space, I love it.

How important is it to have a good space to show your art in?

It’s instrumental. If the space is not right, I won’t put my work there. I don’t particularly like neat stuff. A lot of my work has fingerprints on the edge, stuff like that. And I work with it instead of making it tidy. So this space has got lots of holes everywhere, bare walls, bathroom tiles missing. It’s a mish-mash. You walk in and it’s just inspiring. In fact I find London – especially the old parts – inspiring. That’s how it makes me feel.

So does London influence your work?

Yeah I love it.

So as a parting shot, sum up your work.

I think it speaks for itself. I don’t like describing each individual piece, because for me, I did it at the time depending on what I was thinking. But the way the viewer interprets it will be completely different anyway. They either like it or they don’t like it.

This Is Who I Am is at Safehouse 1 on 13th and 14th October.  139 Copeland Road, SE15 3SN. For more info on Suzie and her work, head to www.thenakedartist.co.uk

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