We caught up with Davy & Kristin McGuire from Studio McGuire to find out more about their artworks. Continue reading to find out.
What does it mean to be showing ‘Ophelia’ and ‘Sirens’ at Bristol Light Festival?
It means a lot to us because we lived in Bristol for 8 years and created so much work here that toured internationally but for some reason never came to be shown in Bristol itself. It’s also nice to work with the festival’s director Katherine Jewkes again because we created projects together decades ago. The city and its creative scene is very dear to us and we connect wonderful memories with it.
Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind 'Ophelia'?
‘Ophelia’s Ghost’ was inspired by Millais’ Preraphaelite painting of Ophelia floating amidst flowers and foliage in a river. Ophelia’s renderings in visual art are beautifully dark which is a mood we are attracted to and wanted to explore using our techniques of merging digital content with physical objects to create a contemplative immersive experience.
Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind 'Sirens'?
‘Sirens’ is inspired by old mythologies surrounding dangerous female seductive powers. Rather than drawing inspiration from Disney however we looked at Odysseus and the destructive beauty of the Siren song. But in our piece it’s the mermaids themselves that are in danger because we tried to lift them out of mythology and into reality where they don’t tease sailors but instead have to navigate the perils of plastic pollution and changing habitats.
Have you displayed pieces in Bristol before?
We used to show our work during Open Studio events at Hamilton House where our studio was located, and we have once shown ‘The Icebook’, a projection mapped pop-up book at Mayfest.