Nikki Black is a lady of few words, often reluctant to talk about her art practice and hard to pin down, but we’ve managed to squeeze a few words out of her! As she has recently completed some new work we catch up with the elusive artist in a short but sweet little interview.
What or who are the main inspirations behind your work? I get my inspiration from shapes, colours and textures around me, anything that I look at can trigger an idea in my head.
How do you approach the actual making of a piece? I use a few different design programs to create the image, mostly Adobe and Corel, then I send it off to the printers and after proofing they print the actual edition.
What’s the one thing you can’t live without? My computer!
What are you currently working on? I have just finished two new prints, very similar to my "Wish you were here", I’m using lyrics from Imagine by John Lennon and Hey Jude by The Beatles.
What memorable responses have you had to your work? I like watching people when they are looking at my “Wish You Were Here”, the way they tilt their heads trying to figure out what it is, it’s funny.
Does the impact of the viewer influence your work and if so how? I try not to think about that too much, people have very different tastes and I can't please everybody, so I do what I enjoy doing most, some people will like it some people will hate it!
What led you to become an artist? I didn't decide to become an artist, it was there since I can remember, like breathing.
What’s your strongest memory of your childhood? I had a baby duck, I was holding him by the neck and I was trying to feed him by pushing his head into the bowl of duck food, but he wouldn't eat! After trying hard for a while I gave up and called my mom and told her that the duck doesn't like his food, mom looked at me, then at the duck in my hand and said "Oh! I think you have squeezed his neck a bit too hard!!!" That was my first encounter with death!
Describe your work in 5 words. I cannot do that!
Describe an average day for you. I’m a workaholic! I’m on the computer pretty much all day, designing stuff, or painting. Other than that I might do a bit of writing, playing the guitar, play with my cat and all the normal stuff that everyone else does.
What makes you angry? Paying too much tax and marketing calls!
When are you happiest? When I look at my creation and I know it’s finished, there is nothing more satisfying.
What superpower would you have and why? Invisibility! You would have total freedom!
Name three artists you’d like to be compared to and why. I don’t like to!
What’s your favourite or most inspirational place? My bed!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? Nothing lasts.
In another life (if you weren’t an artist) what would you be doing? I’d probably be a criminal profiler or a psychologist. I’m very fascinated by the human mind.
