On Saturday 9th July 2016, 6-9pm, Instigate Arts take over the main gallery space at HOME in Manchester to host our ‘Ambition’ pop-up exhibition. In this series of Q&A’s we get a little more insight into what makes some some of the participating artists tick. Today we look at artist Richard Hughes

Can you tell us about your practice?

I consider myself a diverse artist that uses a vast array of materials. I use a strong sense of irony and dark humor within my work to produce sculpture and installation that explores ideas such as anti-romanticism, hope and death.

How does your work relate to the themes of Ambition?

Some areas of my work comment on Ambition or lack thereof. My work is somewhat anti-romantic, I consider the idea of personality and individual dreams and describe the situation where these dreams and ambitions are unfulfilled, particularly in relation to the concept of death. These scenarios initially come from a working class sensibility and rely heavily on the idea of hope, and how we are forced to succumb to the pressures and banality of modern life, this is particularly evident in the exhibiting piece “Everybody Stays Here, Dreams Just Fade Away.”

Do you think the themes of Ambition relate to the current political and social climate?

Modern society demands ambition. Although individual goals differ extensively, exposure and contemporary lifestyles unfortunately induce competitiveness and to some extent actions driven by materialistic goals.

How important is the role of artists’, and the art world, in shaping both people’s lives, and the social and political landscape?

Accessibility to the art world is more diverse and inclusive than ever before. The conversations that contemporary art can conjure shine light on all the dynamics of the world in which we live, therefore, inviting dialogue and discourse on subjects greater than the more singular element’s our lives.
Contemporary art can be a direct reflection of the environment in which the artist operates and works, the output being evidence of a process that is fed from experiences within our social and political climate, therefore I feel contemporary art reflects the time in which it is made.

For more information about Richard Hughes visit his webpage.