Hong Kong born, London based, Gabriele Beveridge‘s art is at once deeply nostalgic – recalling ’80s fashion and marketing campaigns – and wondrously futuristic, materials like citrine crystals offering up a curiously dated take on ‘life on mars’. Far flung fantasies, fashion, otherworldliness – Beveridge’s work is fanciful, beautiful and powerfully alluring.

Finding time in between creating seductive visions of retro-future fashion, and selling apples (yes, really) – Gabriele is gearing up for a show at Rod Barton, London, that runs from 1st November through ’til 8th December. We caught a few moments with the talented young artist to find out more…

You were born in Hong Kong, how long have you been in London?

Four years.

Do you think location effects creativity?

Yes.

Your work is an unusual mix of photography, sculpture and conceptual art… I’m assuming from the presumed date of the images that the photography isn’t your own, can you tell us a little about the process, and what’s involved in your works?

There is always a tension at work between the materiality of the magazine pages and posters I use and the interior materiality of images. Through various uses of framing, assemblage, spray paint, etc, I try to assimilate and collapse imagery into itself.

I see the world of things that we exist within more as different states of being. I’ve always thought of materials in this way, rather than an ’80s talk on found vs made. Sometimes I discover a material that gives an expression to one of these states and maybe it will find its way into a finished work. Our way of looking today places a kind of ‘time signature’ upon everything – there’s no neutral – so I like to explore that. When I’m working on something that’s how I’m making connections, and I’m also looking for how these material differences come together and hold each other in tension.

I’m interested in how images penetrate into our daily lives through various mediums of reproduction and I try to extend them utilising subtle, sculptural interventions- the formal result very much comes out of these intuitions and sensitivities. It’s an aggregate of the relations rather than a planned effect.

What annoys you?

List too long and protean.

Where would we find you hanging out at the weekend?

I wish I could hang out but I work on weekends, selling apples at markets- that’s where you’d find me!

Have you any hidden talents?

I hope not.

Any forthcoming projects or exhibitions you’d care to share with us?

I have a solo show opening at Rod Barton at the beginning 1 November.