At the end of her residency at Surface, Abigail Hurst shared her artistic journey to arrive at her ‘illusive sculptures’ — from pushing her materials throughout her fine art course to embracing less control over her metal forms during the EM25 project.

How would you describe your work to somebody who had never encountered it before? It’s a difficult question, especially since your work has so many complex material aspects to it…

Yeah, that is really difficult… the best way to describe it would be ‘metal sculptures that have illusive projections’. There is a heavy focus on illusion and on anamorphosis. Perhaps, ‘illusive sculptures with anamorphic projects’?

Illusive is a great word to describe it. It’s about seeing one thing and then seeing another if you move an inch in a different direction. It’s so special but also so difficult to articulate unless the person you are explaining it to is actually facing the artwork.

Exactly. It’s definitely something that you just need to experience and then interpret however you want to interpret it. The viewpoint [the point where Hurst’s forms line up to present a two-dimensional image] is very specific and I was discussing that during my one-to-one critique [with Colette Griffin, included in Surface’s graduate residency]. We were talking about how I could maybe make that viewpoint more obvious because, for example, in my degree show, not many people knew how to look for that specific point. We were talking about inclusivity. [The viewpoint] is from my height and from my eyes. People, say, in wheelchairs, can’t see that point. We played around with ideas. After speaking more about it, it’s now more about the individual’s experience. I’ve come to terms with how not everyone will know to look for the viewpoint, but they are still viewing the work. That’s another thing that has come into focus during this residency. It’s out of my hands then; it’s now the turn of the viewer to experience it.

Hurst installing her work for *EM25: Intervals*

Working with coloured glass is a new development in your practice. How did you find working with this new material?
It was easier than I was expecting, but it was still very difficult… I jumped in the deep end with it. [I worked with it] straight onto the sculpture and I definitely wasn’t working with it in a traditional stained-glass way. You had to lay the glass flat so the solder wasn’t dripping everywhere, which was difficult because the structures are three-dimensional. I came into a bit of difficulty with that. It was so worth it, though. I’m so happy with how it looks and it’s definitely something I’m going to continue working with.

What are you like with taking these sorts of risks and pushing yourself in different directions?
It’s definitely scary, especially as someone who doesn’t like taking risks. I pushed myself to do it because I think my whole practice is built on taking risks. Doing the welded sculptures was something I never imagined myself doing. It’s definitely scary, but the end result means it pays off.

The closed environment of a residency lends itself, too, to taking risks and seeing the results in the form of an exhibition. Thinking beyond the residency, where do you think your practice will go?
I was so unsure where I was going to go before the residency. During uni, I never pictured myself continuing my art afterwards, but by doing the residency, it’s opened up so many more opportunities and it’s opened my eyes a bit more. [I’m thinking] maybe it is possible. I’ve started looking at other exhibitions and things to go into. One of the Studio Artists at Surface suggested the Museum of Making in Derby. I’ve also seen the John Ruskin Prize in London [the 8th John Ruskin Prize, a multi-disciplinary art prize open to all], which I am going to apply for.

That sounds amazing. Could you tell me more about the John Ruskin Prize?
The theme for this year is ‘Patience in Looking, Truth in Making’, which I felt fit in really well with the main sculpture I made at Surface. ‘Patience in Looking’ [suits it well] because you have to look for the viewpoint. I was speaking with Ryan [Boultbee, Visual Artist and Technical Co-ordinator at Surface] about the concept of ‘truth to materials’, and that was where the decision came in to not paint the sculptures. It was a key moment and caused a shift to my practice. The painting felt like it was disguising the materials a little bit; it was trying to hide the welds. Whereas in this exhibition, I’ve tried to bring attention to it. ‘Truth in Making’ can be represented by this, too.

“It’s now more about the individual’s experience. I’ve come to terms with how not everyone will know to look for the viewpoint, but they are still viewing the work. That’s another thing that has come into focus during this residency. It’s out of my hands then; it’s now the turn of the viewer to experience it.”

Has that idea of transformation and movement in materials been a common motif in your work throughout the years?
Definitely. I’ve always been focused on the idea of ‘the line’ and letting the material do the work. For example, when printing [in the past], I’d let the ink drop and it would create a line, but it was the ink that was doing it. I wasn’t intentionally drawing a line. The same thing happens with the wire. When you buy them from wherever you buy them, they come in a coiled package and that’s how I get those curves. I never force the wire to bend or go in a loop that it didn’t want to. It’s weird to say, but it feels like a collaboration with the material.

Looking at your work as a whole, there is a fluidity in the materials you use and ‘the line’ you deal with seems to be similar throughout. It looks like a ‘loopy line’. Would you say that’s accurate?
Yes, I am more attracted to smooth curves and I don’t like harsh edges or corners. I would never intentionally put a straight angle into a sculpture. I feel like the loops speak to me more…

…Of course, that is something I could play with in the future. My practice is always changing, especially since it’s so site-specific as I paint onto the wall. I have tried things with more straight edges in the past and I’ve just not liked it as much. The curved forms are staying as they are for now!

You mentioned that your work is site-specific. Context of display is so important in terms of the display and the artwork itself. Do you have any dream sites to install your work?
Honestly, I don’t know. I’m so used to the white cube. In uni, it was always straight, white walls and in Surface Gallery it was the same set-up. We’ve spoken [before] about the work of Felice Varini and Georges Rousses. They do these anamorphic projects which are outside [the gallery space]. Georges Rousses does them in abandoned buildings, so you’ve got all those structures encapsulated to look like a two-dimensional picture. I think going into an outdoor or building-setting could be very interesting to work with.

Thinking back to your time here at Surface, did you have any sources to guide your learning process during the four weeks?
I had left uni with a lot of ideas that I couldn’t try because I ran out of time; I came into the residency with some pre-planned ideas. I tried these ideas in the first week and a half, but I felt like nothing was ‘gelling’. Nothing seemed to feel right. I didn’t necessarily look at specific artists during the residency because of the quick pace at which I was working. I was going with my own initiative and my own ideas. I like how you can see a development from my uni show to now, especially with the glass and not painting [the rods]. There’s a boldness and confidence that I had to step into to not paint it – it took a lot of strength. I took full advantage of my time here to try and develop something new. I would have liked to have tried more, but I suppose that’s a reason for me to now get into other opportunities!

Interview by Orla Sprosen.

You can find out more about Abigail Hurst’s work on Instagram (@abigail_hurst_art) and on her website.

For more insights on the EM25 Graduate Project and to hear more about the latest news at Surface Gallery, head over to our Instagram.