What inspired you to embark on the Music for the Senses project?
I knew I had to apply for this project as music has been a central theme in my art journey and is another passion of mine. My love for music started from childhood when I would to listen to my mum’s favourite artists who ranged from Diana Ross and Barry White to Joe Cocker and Meatloaf!
I chose Jimi Hendrix as my subject as he is an absolute legend! During my initial dig into Manchester’s music scene, I was excited to learn that Jimi performed at NOMA’s New Century Hall in 1967, so I didn’t have to think any further as to which design concept I would run with. My husband and his family are also huge Jimi fans and two of his brothers often play his covers in their band’s shows, the whole family is very excited about this project!
Jimi performed in Manchester in 1967 at New Century Hall, NOMA, He also performed at the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union and visited the iconic Twisted Wheel Club in Deansgate, so to showcase Jimi’s history in Manchester, my design features his iconography, gig tickets snippets, and old newspaper images and headlines from shows here.
For this particular commission, can you talk us through your design process?
I started out with a lot of research, gathering information and images that I found online. I also delved into books about Jimi’s life, listened to podcasts, and watched documentaries to get a feel for him, his work, his family and his life in general. I often find myself going down the rabbit hole when embarking on new projects as I find that fully immersing myself in the subject helps me understand and feel it more which translates into the finished piece and gives it more energy.
Once I’d decided on the final imagery, I brought everything together and began the task of placing everything on the digital guitar template provided by Wild in Art. Then, I used paints and paint pens to replicate my digital design onto the actual guitar.
What do you think of the Manchester art scene as a whole?
Manchester’s music scene is legendary and many of its bands have been part of the soundtrack to my life! Oasis is an obvious one, but there were so many others that have left their mark, from New Order and the Verve to M-People and Lisa Stansfield – bands like these have helped to define the city’s sound.
The city has also been a trailblazer and a scene setter generally in championing new music artists and pioneering new music. I recently discovered that in 1963, Manchester was the only British city to host the first European Blues and Gospel Tour. This brought African American artists such as Muddy Waters and Sister Rosetta Tharpe to a UK audience and recognised their transformative potential.
Today, the city’s emerging artists are blending genres to create a vibrant, multicultural sound that captures the spirit of modern Manchester, so I love that proceeds from the guitar auction will directly support grassroots music projects and venues that nurture this new talent.
What’s next for you?
I recently had the honour of designing the new ceremonial banner for Prospect/Bectu trade union and this will be unveiled over the summer. This has been a very meaningful and personal project to me as my late grandfather was an area secretary for a major printing union and would have been very proud to see it.
I’m also looking forward to the guitar exhibition set to take place at the end of the trail at Manchester’s People’s History Museum, where I will not only get to see all the amazing guitars in one place, but also the museum’s renowned collection of historical banners – a visit that’s been on my list for a long time!
Creatively, I would love to explore more music-inspired projects – whether that’s prints, murals, or something new – so we will see what happens next!
