Today my dear little readers I bring you an interview with an artist- that´s right, I´ve just lost my interviewer virginity. It´s a very special moment and I´m so happy to be sharing it with you, and an artist as amazing as Scarlett. From photorealism, to UFOs, pencil through to acrylic- this artist´s practice is a haven for the cult-classic fanatic, the conspiracy theorist, and the budding collector.

Hey Scarlett! Give the readers a little intro, who are we reading about today?
Hi, my name is Scarlett Sunderland, I’m 20 years old and I’ve been a portrait artist since I was 12. I studied art at GCSE and A level, and I’m now in London in my third year of studying fine art at Chelsea College of Arts. I´m very into creating photo-realistic drawings and paintings of famous pop culture characters and celebrities.

Amazing, really painted the scene for me. So, take us to the beginning, what got you started with art?

Well my grandad was an artist, and I sat with him in his studio a lot so I was always around it, but when I really took an interest in painting was at 9 years old. I would use my grandad´s art supplies- his pencils, pastels- and I would draw away. When I turned 12 or 13 I started to really get into films and tv shows. I would get really into them and drawing characters, props, and sets was outlet to express things I really loved. Since then I´ve been developing that side of my practice and immersing myself into it at every opportunity I have.

So what drew you to realism?

I like the skill based aspect of realism… you know it´s almost like a competitive sport. You want to be the most realistic out of everyone. You keep practicing obsessively until you get every part just right.

And have you faced any challenges or criticisms because of your affinity for realism?

Art is often seen as outlet for intense creativity. I think the less space there is for creativity the more your practice will get critisied, because with photorealism there are limitations to what you can do.

Honestly, different people receive my art in different ways- people back home will think it´s fantastic, but in a space like Chelsea College of Arts it´s maybe seen as a questionable practice because of the lack of room it leaves for interpretation. It really does depend on the audience, you know? Are the viewers the general public or are they “high up” in the hierarchy of the art world? When these different groups look at work, they are taking different things into account when considering what makes art, and what makes it “good” .

And as we were setting up for the interview you mentioned fan art, why don´t you tell us a little more about that and how it relates to you and your work?

So I grew up without many friends, which meant I spent a lot of time online. When you´re on the Internet you find communities that interest you, the possibility of online friends and so you find what brings them together. You will see people laughing and joking together online and you wonder “what are they laughing about?”. You see it´s a TV show. So you watch it. You consume the media they do. You adopt that thing to fit in. From there I began to think about how I can then contribute to the community? How can I connect with these people? Mine was through fan art- which is a very flexible term by the way. Fan fiction, video edits, parody. I began creating and contributing- connecting-, and I realised the appeal was less about how much this community loves the thing they connect over, be it a TV show, film, or book series, and it´s actually about how much they love contributing to the smaller version of a society- a community where they feel seen and understood.

How is this idea developing for you and manifesting through your practice?

At the beginning of this year I was looking at a lot of fan fiction. The mentality, what drives people to create that. What kind of individual does this appeal to? I took such a big interest that I´m currently developing this concept through my dissertation. I´m linking this all to fictionand what its appeal is maybe as a form of escapism. I also have a lot of interest in UFOs and conspiracies in general, so I would love to link this investigation of fiction with my personal projects and interests of what a post- alien disclosure world would look like. There´s already an online community of people who are heavily invested in that idea and the benefits that hypothetical scenario could bring their lives. I find it super interesting!

And so in what context could you see your work?

I think my work is a great vehicle for satire and humour so this is definitely a question I ask myself a lot. It´s not a white gallery space I picture my pieces in, which I suppose is not the main thing we think about when we think of a “succesful artist”. It would be fun to see my pieces on sets as film and TV props! But as my practice develops and I get to see what I create evolve, I get to see more clearly what my place in the art-world is.

That sounds super exciting! But all this talk about the future makes me wonder - where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I want to take up tattooing. I guess it´s a practice I´ve been interested in pursuing since I was 14. Realism is appreciated and well applied when it comes to tattooing, so I think I could really put my style to use. You know, getting permanent art exactly how people want it on their body is obviously an important side of it.
I do still want to be creating, drawing, and making my own art alongside it. I want to give back to the online communities, maybe grow my platform to showcase my art, process,and connect with other artists. I would like to aim for community instead of hierarchy between artist and viewer.

I would also love to be able to inspire the artists that are just starting out. I used to watch drawing timelapses by Heather Rooney, and being able to see her process allowed me to think “well she´s only got a pencil and an 150 pack of Prismacolours”, so I bought a pencil and a pack of 150 prismacolours, and I didn´t stop until I could do what she could do. I want the platform I create, the community, to not be about “I can do this and you can´t”, but instead be about I can do this and you can too.

A message for the younger readers

If you want to do something, find someone who can do it, look at their process, and recreate their process, practice what they do. Art is practice, repetition- it´s a learnt skill that you can learn and perfect.

Thank you very much for your time today Scarlett! :) One last thing, where can we see more of your work?

Right now my social media is what I update the most.
Tiktok: @scarlettjoii

Instagram: @scarlettsunderland.art

Interview with a realist- Scarlett Sunderland

Permanently deleting Instagram- FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER!