The Haggerston-based artist talks up her upcoming exhibition at the Victoria Miro Gallery.
Chantal Joffe is known for her distinctive portrayal of women. Photo: Victoria Miro Gallery.
You tend to only paint women and children, why not men?
I don’t find men as interesting to look at.
Who were the influences behind your new exhibition?
Emily Brontë , Patti Smith and Willem De Kooning, amongst others.
You seem to have limited your use of colour to black, red, blue and white. What’s the significance of this?
I was inspired by Manet’s use of a reduced palette and was thinking about that as I painted.
Why have you deliberately left the works in the exhibition untitled?
They have got names but I didn’t want people to play a game of who’s who, as the paintings are not strictly portraits, they’re more romantic and imaginative – an idea of the person.
Some of your paintings have come from photographs. Are you a good photographer?
I’m a terrible photographer. I use my photographs in my work but they are crap. I’m too impatient to get a good photograph. I like them to be immediate, so I’m a fan of the Polaroid.
During the Brit Art phenomenon painting seemed to fall by the wayside. But you are a “proper painter”. What drew you to painting?
I started oil painting on my foundation art course at Camberwell College and loved it immediately. In your foundation year you try a bit of everything but once I started painting I couldn’t get over how great it was. I love its possibilities.
What do love about living in Hackney?
I love wandering around Hackney and I love its varieties!
Chantal Joffe’s exhibition runs at the Victoria Miro Gallery from 19 March–21 April.
