theodosia marchant
How did you find your way to Los Angeles? It feels like you come from everywhere, what do you think of when you hear the word home? What’s the longest you’ve lived in one place?
I moved to Los Angeles in March 2013 with my partner thanks to a work placement he got. Previously I lived in London for nearly 17 years but I was born in Athens, Greece. I left Athens when I was pretty young and moved to London to study, so I would say that most of my life has been in London actually which I considered as my home for a long time but these days I am a bit more fluid about this really. These days home is wherever I want to be and I am trying not to define the home idea too strictly.
You are all in as an artist. What was the last job you had before you took the leap, and why did you do it?
As I said I moved to London to study, I trained to be a lawyer and worked as one for a considerable period of time, nearly 10 years or so. I am not going to lie, I enjoyed it a lot initially, I found it exciting but that feeling did not last for long, I was never cut to be a lawyer, I always wanted to be an artist, i just didn't think I could do it and how I would go about it, it was a wild dream for me at the time. That dream though did become reality when I moved over here, I decided with the support of my partner to give it all I have and I did.
You’ve described yourself as inpatient and stubborn. That doesn’t fit with how we see you in the gallery. Feel like telling us about where that comes from and how it fits into your process?
I am impatient and stubborn with myself, I am my harshest critic, its almost self destructive at times but I find that it helps me push forward, I never sugar coat anything that has to do with me, on the other hand I am the most understanding, patient person with people i care about and I am surrounded by. I used to "blame" my previous occupation for this state of mind but I think its all down to me and me only, I love what I am doing and I want to do it well, I got this chance to materialize my dream and I don't want to mess around with it, that's all it is! It might be genetic too...just saying.
How has being a new mother changed your work?
So yes I recently became a mother to a sweet little boy and I am loving it. I was always the type of person who would loudly proclaim ..me a mother..never.. but it all changed a couple of years ago. He's my studio buddy and my inspiration to push forward, I don't think that his existence has changed my work, some might say that it has turned my work a bit more colorful but honestly I think that might have happened as a natural progression. Perhaps I could answer this question with more clarity in a couple of years time...
Mike and Laura were so happy the first time you agreed to show at ShockBoxx. How did it happen?
I saw the call for art, it was a gallery clearly new in an area I've never shown work before and got intrigued. Mike and Laura are like minded people, both passionate about their art and about their gallery. What I found most attractive was their down to earth attitude, my type of people.
